Choosing a tow vehicle

[Leo182]

I wanted an F150 for the aluminum body, my previous two trucks, a Dodge and a Chevy, started rusting. I wanted 4x4, payload near 2000 pounds, a locker in the rear, 36 gallon tank, supercab, XLT, and tow package. I found pretty much what I wanted I just had to add a factory brake controller.

I had the F150 3.5 Ecoboost that I traded in for the F250. I really liked that truck. It rode really nice, good MPG, comfortable size for getting in and out of parking spots. Also, the 3.5 really surprised me with its power. It was almost fun towing up to 5-6,000 lbs. My problem was I was frequently towing close to 10k. It had plenty of pulling power, but the brakes and suspension weren't always happy about it.

I have an area I would drive through pretty often with 2 lanes in each direction plus a center turn lane, 5 stop lights in about 1 mile, and several business entrances. I always tried to leave a little more stopping room through there but it was a guarantee that someone in a hurry would cut lanes in front of me because of the gap I left in traffic. That led to a lot of hard braking and a few bad words.

 

[TractorTYMe]

I occasionally mow fields in the summer for hire, I used my 2004 Chevy 1500. I was almost at max tow rate with tractor payload and trailer at 7800#. Then I loaded my rear tires and exceeded that, so I got a 2004 Duramax 2500 with 218k miles for $12500 a little over a year ago. And it tows and stops effortlessly with same load. And not bad mileage at 13Mpg vs 8 on my gasser halfton.

 

[Fallon]

If it were for my side hustle doing tractor things is have gone with gas. It does better for short drives & is cheaper. I also tow a 15k toy hauler up & down the side of the Rockies so went diesel. I want the engine brake as much as the extra power. It's also nicer to use real truck stops to fill up with diesel rather than fit a 35' toy hauler into a tighter gas station.

I picked a Ford due to familiarity. I just upgraded from a 2014 F350 to a 2024. I test drove some Chevies thinking IFS may have been a better ride. The wife & I didn't have much of an opinion on it being better, just a bit different.

F350 over a F250 for a bit more wiggle room on payload. The 2024 has 4k of payload, pin weight on the toy hauler is 2.5k + extra tools & gear. The truck goes into the upfitter next week to put an aluminum flatbed on it. That weighs 700lbs, but I'm not clear how much the original bed removal takes off. A 10k truck would probably be over weight with the pin weight & gear. A higher capacity F250, especially a gasser may have fit, but I didn't want to be close. Avoided a dually as the 2014 F350 was plenty stable everywhere including heavy crosswinds across Wyoming while doing 70. No need for the extra width, cost & maintenance for the extra tires with my loads.

 

[Leo182]

If it were for my side hustle doing tractor things is have gone with gas. It does better for short drives & is cheaper. I also tow a 15k toy hauler up & down the side of the Rockies so went diesel. I want the engine brake as much as the extra power. It's also nicer to use real truck stops to fill up with diesel rather than fit a 35' toy hauler into a tighter gas station.

I picked a Ford due to familiarity. I just upgraded from a 2014 F350 to a 2024. I test drove some Chevies thinking IFS may have been a better ride. The wife & I didn't have much of an opinion on it being better, just a bit different.

F350 over a F250 for a bit more wiggle room on payload. The 2024 has 4k of payload, pin weight on the toy hauler is 2.5k + extra tools & gear. The truck goes into the upfitter next week to put an aluminum flatbed on it. That weighs 700lbs, but I'm not clear how much the original bed removal takes off. A 10k truck would probably be over weight with the pin weight & gear. A higher capacity F250, especially a gasser may have fit, but I didn't want to be close. Avoided a dually as the 2014 F350 was plenty stable everywhere including heavy crosswinds across Wyoming while doing 70. No need for the extra width, cost & maintenance for the extra tires with my loads.

Fallon, sounds like you put a lot of thought into what you needed for your situation. I would love to have bought a diesel but for my situation it just wasn't the best option. My truck is both a daily driver and tractor puller. My towing trips are normal not more than 20-30 miles each way. And my daily drives are short trips, often not more than 5 miles at a time. Not a good situation for a diesel. Also, the initial investment was above my budget right now.

But on the other hand, it sure would be nice to be able to get fuel at a truck stop or anywhere easy to get in and out. I've had to stop at a gas station with a little 20 foot car hauler and it was a tight squeeze. Can't imagine doing that with a 5th wheel or toy hauler. Plus the better MPG and engine brake make even more sense for anything more than local driving like I do.