Advice/Opinions: 3/4 ton P/U purchase

[Amkeer]

Lets not forget you are towing a trailer and have cargo too. You could easily add another 1000 pounds for that.

There is some pretty decent grade in Florida. The majority of the speed is 70 MPH and up.

Looking back I would still go the Superduty Ford. That is the preference here in Florida.

 

[supraturbo]

Get boating magazines tow vehicle of the year: The Nissan Titan. Tow rating of 9500lbs, puts 6 sec. on the ford f-150 0-60 pulling an 8k pound trailer, outpulls all the domestic v8's including the hemi and the 6.0 chevy. Also will more than likely hold its resale value over the competition as well as starting with a lower price tag. My domestic truck buddies have pretty much admitted there jelous of my Titan after taking it for a spin, and also witnessing the pulling power when caravaning north to go snowmobiling, thats how I know the titan outpulls the hemi and 6.0 cause with equal trailers we've raced up some purty steep hills, but believe what you want.

 

[Amkeer]

Lets not forget you are towing a trailer and have cargo too. You could easily add another 1000 pounds for that.

There is some pretty decent grade in Florida. The majority of the speed is 70 MPH and up.

Looking back I would still go the Superduty Ford. That is the preference here in Florida.

 

[supraturbo]

Get boating magazines tow vehicle of the year: The Nissan Titan. Tow rating of 9500lbs, puts 6 sec. on the ford f-150 0-60 pulling an 8k pound trailer, outpulls all the domestic v8's including the hemi and the 6.0 chevy. Also will more than likely hold its resale value over the competition as well as starting with a lower price tag. My domestic truck buddies have pretty much admitted there jelous of my Titan after taking it for a spin, and also witnessing the pulling power when caravaning north to go snowmobiling, thats how I know the titan outpulls the hemi and 6.0 cause with equal trailers we've raced up some purty steep hills, but believe what you want.

 

[supraturbo]

Get boating magazines tow vehicle of the year: The Nissan Titan. Tow rating of 9500lbs, puts 6 sec. on the ford f-150 0-60 pulling an 8k pound trailer, outpulls all the domestic v8's including the hemi and the 6.0 chevy. Also will more than likely hold its resale value over the competition as well as starting with a lower price tag. My domestic truck buddies have pretty much admitted there jelous of my Titan after taking it for a spin, and also witnessing the pulling power when caravaning north to go snowmobiling, thats how I know the titan outpulls the hemi and 6.0 cause with equal trailers we've raced up some purty steep hills. Titan non believers believe what you want just don't be suprised when you find out for yourself.

 

[supraturbo]

Get boating magazines tow vehicle of the year: The Nissan Titan. Tow rating of 9500lbs, puts 6 sec. on the ford f-150 0-60 pulling an 8k pound trailer, outpulls all the domestic v8's including the hemi and the 6.0 chevy. Also will more than likely hold its resale value over the competition as well as starting with a lower price tag. My domestic truck buddies have pretty much admitted there jelous of my Titan after taking it for a spin, and also witnessing the pulling power when caravaning north to go snowmobiling, thats how I know the titan outpulls the hemi and 6.0 cause with equal trailers we've raced up some purty steep hills. Titan non believers believe what you want just don't be suprised when you find out for yourself.

 

[rjundi]

Horses require a smooth ride and a stick can potentially give a jerky one. Automatic only and much more convinent, shifting an American built truck in my opinion is miserable in my own experience. Then again I'm used to slick shifting Acura's and Honda's not clunking through gears.

 

[Bret Chase]

I agree that the cummins is a great engine, it's just the truck that's wrapped around it sucks. we have a '96 Ram 2500 at work.... the thing is on it's 3rd transmission at least (4spd auto) with only 130k on the clock. the thing is constantly broken... we also have a '98 GMC C2500 with a 350.. it doesn't pull a trailer quite as well, but is completely capable up to about 7,000 lbs and has only required non scheduled maintenance once (fuel pump. I'll not even go into the 2 fords that we have... gutless gas sucking pigs that can barely tow a snowmobile trailer.

for occasional towing of a 2 horse trailer I'd go with a 98 or so Chevy/GMC C2500 with a 5.7l Vortec... make sure you get a 8600lbs one w/ a 4L80E trans or a 5 speed stick. if you have to get a Dodge, get a manual, their autos are failure prone. as for Fords... don't have enough experience with a Super Duty to say, but stay away from an F150.

-Bret

 

[Bret Chase]

oh yeah, I towed a 2 horse trailer from Maine to Kentucky and back with a '90 GMC C2500 (7200lbs GVWR) with a 5 speed and a 305... no problems at all (other than the 7 MPG I got) towing the all steel trailer at 70 MPH. this was with 260k on the clock.

-Bret

 

[Chris B.]

Supraturbo, umm no, the Titan does not out pull the Chevy 6.0. It is rated at close to 11,000 lbs just about a full ton more then the Titan.

 

[FL-400S]

We have a 1994 Chevy 3500 flatbed Auto with a gas 350 cu in engine at Habitat for Humanity. It was loaded with 8840lbs of sand plus the (7000lb?) truck, and the 350 was dogging it. It got bogged down with the back dually tires up against a curb. We had to unload it some to get it to move again. But then again it was about 16000 lbs!

 

[pacem]

I would get a 3/4 ton truck, no doubt about that...

the only question would be the engine and the rear axle.

I think with 6,000 lbs, I would go for a small block V8, like 5.7L. Either 3.73 or 4.11 rear axle. The latter would give you higher towing capacity.

Anything above 7000-8000 lbs or so, I would get a big block gas engine, like 7.4L, or Ford's 7.5L. The mileage is abysmal. Expect 11 or 12 empty, and 8-9 towing. With that, get a 3.55 rear axle.

If towing something heavy and a lot, a diesel, but I have no experience with it. I know I wouldn't want to use a diesel as a daily driver, as a grocery-getter.

If possible, a small block is the ideal compromise, but the perfect towing vehicle will be terrible for daily driving. Anything with 4.11 rear is not fun in daily driving, even with overdrive. I mean, expect 14 MPG at best, empty, with 5.7L. It is a big heavy vehicle.

The other thing about 3/4 ton and big block is that you can always tow something about 9,000 lbs, whereas a small block doesn't give you that option.