Would like honest suggestions about tow vehicle issues

dodge man · Oct 16, 2013

I wouldn't turn down a truck with DEF. I know on the newer Dodge trucks having the exhaust fluid makes the DPF regenerate less.

handirifle · Oct 16, 2013

Well for me, a BIG part gets into total cost. The newer trucks are more than I can afford, even an 08 is above where I want to be, but if a great deal came up I would like to have the info ahead of time.

RobertN · Oct 16, 2013

That is why I would only bet a nickel

Web search indicates Class-5 12,000 gross/1200 tongue weight, 17,000 gross/1700 tongue WITH WD.

I have not seen one fail, but I have never seen a reciever hitch with 2.5x it's rated load(dont get in an accident...). That is a recipe for disaster.

Trailer Hitches, Hitch Accessories, Hitch Wiring

CJONE said:
I would not bet because I KNOW what the manual says but I also KNOW what hitch is under the truck. How many hitches have you seen fail? I have only seen 1 bent that I repaired in 30+ years and that was WAAAY overloaded, 25k on a 10k rated hitch. With what I do to them the frame will break first. Look up class V or 5 hitches. Also look up the rating difference with a W/D hitch, not much difference in rating with these HD units. CJ

PoorMansCat · Oct 16, 2013

JESSE1 said:
I have to add DEF to my '12 F-450 about every 4,000 miles. Depends on how much you are towing, heavy on the throttle, more DEF. When my DEF monitor shows below a 1/2, I add one 2.5 gallon jug of DEF and it fills it up. Not a problem. Since the 6.7 runs so good and has so much power, I'm not going to worry about removing emissions equipment. If you intend on keeping one a long time, it may pay to buy the longest extended warranty since these are very complicated engines. That goes for any of the manufacturers.

Has so much power? you must have the F450 pickup, NOT the C&C truck.

JESSE1 · Oct 17, 2013

Yep, my F-450 pickup has 400 hp and 800 torque and a 33,000# GVWR. I think the C&C trucks have 300/650 ?

farmer2009 · Oct 17, 2013

I have an 06 Chevy 6.0. Good truck but the towing rating of 10k is for flat ground not mountains. Was really happy with truck when I first got it but as my towing has increased the only time I am happy to be driving a gasser is when I pull up to the pump. Wish I had bought a diesel. Same truck with a dmax is a 15k truck. Nice jump in towing capacities there. But when I bought it I couldn't see the $7-8k premium for the diesel but now I wish I had bit the bullet and bought one. I agree with the OP that he will be happier with the diesel IMO.

slowzuki · Oct 17, 2013

See lots of hitches fail. First the chev's with the defective hitches, notice them tilted towards the ground about 15 deg pretty often before they fail but most are fixed now. Second, rust failures are common here. They just rot out and fall apart. Had one rot out that failed luckily only when loading a bike rack on it.

Next the W/D issue. If you ignore the trucks numbers, and load to the max of a class 5 hitch with no W/D, you will likely be way underweight on your front axle and overweight on your rear or close to maxed out without a load in the bed.

CJONE said:
I would not bet because I KNOW what the manual says but I also KNOW what hitch is under the truck. How many hitches have you seen fail? I have only seen 1 bent that I repaired in 30+ years and that was WAAAY overloaded, 25k on a 10k rated hitch. With what I do to them the frame will break first. Look up class V or 5 hitches. Also look up the rating difference with a W/D hitch, not much difference in rating with these HD units. CJ

nwltruck · Oct 17, 2013

slowzuki said:
Next the W/D issue. If you ignore the trucks numbers, and load to the max of a class 5 hitch with no W/D, you will likely be way underweight on your front axle and overweight on your rear or close to maxed out without a load in the bed.

WD hitches are made for that reason. The fact that the truck or hitch can take the load is not the point. If the front wheels have little to no traction your in big trouble! Yes I speak from experience.

PoorMansCat · Oct 17, 2013

JESSE1 said:
Yep, my F-450 pickup has 400 hp and 800 torque and a 33,000# GVWR. I think the C&C trucks have 300/650 ?

yeah the sticker on the engine claims it... but we aint found it yet!. (referring to the 300 hp C&C trucks) hahaha.

CJONE · Oct 18, 2013

slowzuki said:
See lots of hitches fail. First the chev's with the defective hitches, notice them tilted towards the ground about 15 deg pretty often before they fail but most are fixed now. Second, rust failures are common here. They just rot out and fall apart. Had one rot out that failed luckily only when loading a bike rack on it.

Next the W/D issue. If you ignore the trucks numbers, and load to the max of a class 5 hitch with no W/D, you will likely be way underweight on your front axle and overweight on your rear or close to maxed out without a load in the bed.

I should have said a properly maintained and NON defective hitch, we need to use a little common sence here right? The only place I have found a W/D hitch to help is if the truck was way outclassed for the job AND towing campers and that is for sway control. As far as a frontend being to light, I have only experienced that in class 7 and 8 trucks, never in a pickup. You would have to be way overloaded with toung weight to unload the frontend or be driving a shortbox standard cab and you really should not be towing much with that anyway. CJ