How Big a Motor?

[SouthernX]

Hi All,

I am looking to buy a 3/4 ton pickup to pull a 22-25 ft gooseneck trailer rated for up to 14,000LB loads. I found a Chevy 2500. It has a lot of miles (187K), seems to be in good shape. Anyway, it has a 350 cu.in. motor which makes me a little weary. I live in the Ozarks with lots of hills, some pretty steep and I'm thinking this may be too little motor. I would prefer a 454 but so far I haven't found one. Your opinions, please.

 

[Bird]

First, instead of only motor size, you want to consider motor size, transmission (manual/automatic/3 spd/4 spd/with or without auxilliary cooler), and differential (rear end) ratio. You told us about trailer weight and hills, but how often are you going to pull that trailer, how far will you be going, and at what speeds (highway, rural roads, city streets).

But without any other information, I'd think a 454 with a 4.10 rear end would be good, but the 350 can certainly do the job in many circumstances.

 

[unreconstructed]

I am not a Chevy owner. I had a f250 5.4 with 6 speed and 383s. Pulled about 5000 pounds plus 20 foot trailer in West Texas. Hills kicked its butt and we don't have hills like you have hills. Now running a V-10 with 412s and 6 speed and pulling about 6500 pounds not including trailer weight. Does the trick out here but I would go diesel if I pulled on a regular basis in hills like the Ozarks. 350 may be a stronger motor than a 5.4, I don't know, but sounds on the puny side to me even if you have 411s or so. Also, seems like 14000 gross is pushing a 3/4 ton, but some of the others on this forum know this off top of their heads. If you don't haul that often and your weight limits are OK, don't see the need of spending a lot of money to get somewhere a half hour quicker.

 

[Mundy]

How often do you intend to pull this trailer with the truck and will the trailer be fully loaded?

I have had several trucks that I regularly pulled 8000 to 14000 lbs loads with.
Here is a list of trucks I have had and some coments about them.

1981 Chevy 1ton 350 auto 2wd with 4:11 gears. Pulled a load well, not great but did well. Got about 8 miles per gallon empty and 6 loaded

1989 chevy 1ton 350 auto 2wd with 4:10 gears. Pulled ok. Got 8 mpg empty and 6mpg loaded. Not alot of get up loaded but would pull it.

1995 chevy 1ton 350 auto 4x4 with 4:10 gears. This truck was a turd. got 10 mpg empty and about 6 loaded. It did push snow very well but had a hard time getting up to speed with a load.

1997 Dodge 1ton 24 valve Diesel auto with 4:10 or 4:11 gears This truck would pull anything you had behind it. Several times I moved a 16000 pound dozer with this truck around large jobsites and it did it with ease. Got 19 mpg empty and around 14 loaded. This truck still works every day for the construction company that bought it from me. It is on its 3rd transmission but it is also 12 years old and worked hard every day.

1999 Chevy crew cab 3/4ton 454 auto 4x4 with 3:73 gears. This truck was also a turd. worse than the 1995. Got 12 mpg empty and don't remember loaded. Traded it after 10 months or so.

2000 GMC 4 door 3/4ton 6.0L auto with 4:10 or 4:11 gears. This truck pulled very well. got 10 mpg empty and 7 or 8 loaded. I had this truck for 7 years I liked it so well.

2007 Dodge quad cab 3/4ton 5.7L Hemi auto 4x4 with 3:73 gears. This truck pulls well. not as good as the 2000 GMC but with the 3:73 gears I get 14mpg empty and 11 mpg loaded.


Over all I would shoot for a Dodge diesel but if thats not you then the GM 6.0L trucks are what I would recomend. I was not happy with my 1990's era GM trucks with 350 or 454 for pulling. They were very nice comfortable trucks. Much more comfortable than my Dodges but if pulling is what you need then for GM gas trucks the 6.0L is the way to go.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Bird's answer was right on the money. Speaking of money how much do you want to spend? Just my opinion a 350 Gas motor with 187K would be something I would hesitate at. Unless you like rebuilding motors later. Also how many miles a year are you going to put on the truck? Gas or diesel preference? Truck prices are still down. I have a 1988 Chev with a 454 that will pull a house if I needed. Downside of that is 7-8 mpg. I picked up a beautiful 2006 Dodge Quad cab with full sized bed. That has the 5.7 Hemi gasser in it. That has about 100 more HP than the 454 motor and gets about 14mpg. I only put 2000 mile a year or less on the trucks though so I won't be wearing them out soon. Cash talks if you walk onto a dealer lot. I talked the dealer down $8k pretty easily on the Dodge truck. That is a fun truck to drive!

 

[chh]

The 350 I had was a little weak for hard towing on a regular basis. I don't remember how it was geared but I think that was its main problem. It would run like a scalded cat though.
I currently run a F350 4wd with the V-10 and 430 gears. It is an auto and I would really prefer a standard I think. It tows 14,000 lbs here in the hills of eastern OK without any problems. Mileage can get down in the 8 range in the hills towing. 90% of the time if this truck is rolling it has a trailer on it or is loaded.
As mentioned there are some deals on the lots right now.

 

[wkpoor]

Gearing is the secret to any combination. Nice to have a diesel if its in your budget but a gasser geared low may do what you want for alot less money. I'm getting ready next month to put 4:56's behind a 350. It does well right now IMO with my 14K trailer but hills do strain it. I hope the gear change cures that.

 

[Heywood Jannockitov]

I hope the gear change cures that.

It should certainly cure your habit of driving by a gas station without stopping in and filling up!

 

[wkpoor]

It should certainly cure your habit of driving by a gas station without stopping in and filling up!

I could never put enough extra fuel in the tank to equal the upcharge on a diesel. Sure I'll loose a couple MPG on the highway....maybe gain a little in the city, but for 7K dollar extra for diesel and the current rig is paid for I'm willing to give this a try.

 

[Heywood Jannockitov]

I could never put enough extra fuel in the tank to equal the upcharge on a diesel. Sure I'll loose a couple MPG on the highway....maybe gain a little in the city, but for 7K dollar extra for diesel and the current rig is paid for I'm willing to give this a try.

And if the spread between the cost of diesel fuel and gasoline stays the way it is, I'll probably go back to gas when it is time to replace both pickup and car.