What do you tow with?

[xtruckerbob]

We are looking for a new truck to tow our 30 foot travel trailer. The loaded weight of the trailer is near 8000 pounds. Wondering what kind of truck you have and what mileage you get while towing and empty on the highway, What gears do you have? WE live in Louisiana where it is flat, but we are retired so the truck and trailer will see a lot of mountains and will be go to Alaska next summer,

 

[Wolfy]

I prefer Fords with 4.10 gears.

 

[dclynch]

I have a 2010 ford f150 max tow rated for 11,200 lbs and I pull pretty close to if not slightly over and I love it. It pulls very good. I know a few people with the new eco boost and they say that also pulls very nice but the MPG drops way down. Since I bought the truck I have the MPG AVG is 15 Mpg including regular driving and towing. I can get 17 with normal driving towing I have gotten as low as 9 and as high as 12 I used to haul a 28' enclosed trailer with my 38 HP tractor with loaded tires FEL, rototiller and Brush hog all in one trip you knew it was back there but it worked fine. I now have a 26' bed 5th wheel trailer I haul and that is awesome I have to keep looking in my mirrors to see if it is still back there.

 

[kevinwak]

Bbu

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[kevinwak]

Bbu Sent from my iPhone using TractorByNet

Ahh. My one year old son grabbed my phone.

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[MossRoad]

Ahh. My one year old son grabbed my phone.

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What does he tow with? :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

This thread has been moved to the "Trailers and Transportation" forum.

 

[kevinwak]

What does he tow with? :laughing:

Well, both boys like to hitch the smaller toy JD tractors behind the bigger remote control one. They somehow use coat hangers to hitch them all together.

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[MossRoad]

Nice! :thumbsup:

 

[Gunny]

I'd err on the safety side and get a 3/4 ton. A lot of the new 1/2 tons say they are rated for pulling that kind of weight, but it's hard to stay within all the limits, gross weight, rear axle weight, etc. Then the important stuff, pulling is one thing, stopping is another. Just in case something happened with the trailer brakes or controller, the 2/3 ton would be able to handle it better. I feel better with the large brakes on the 3/4 ton, the stiffer suspension, etc.

If you're going to be towing that far, it sounds like you'd almost be the point of full time camping. It's amazing how much stuff you accumulate when you're spending long periods out camping, doesn't take long to add quite a bit of additional weight in the camper and truck.

If you're going to be buying a new truck, the 3/4 tons aren't that much more expensive than a 1/2 ton. It does take quite a bit of shopping to find a good used 3/4 ton however.

Since you plan on pulling all the way up to Alaska, you might also think about a diesel. Much better pulling power and better towing mileage.

Just my two cents worth, hope it helps