V10 vs. V8

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snook

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 7, 2009
Posts
46
Alright everybody......the 6.5 Turbo-Diesel I have been agonizing over is a dead issue (started using a quart of oil about every 100 miles). Here are the latest 2 options. Remember, I am looking fo maximum versatility in whatever I may want to pull. A 2001 Super-Duty Ford F250 with a 6.8L V10 or A 2001 Chevy Silverado with a 6.0L V8. Is towing capacity, Torque, or Horsepower, the most important? Ford has 260 Horses@4500 rpms- Chevy has 300@4400 rpms.......Ford has rating of 6,001-10,000 lbs. Chevy has 10,000-14,000....Ford is 4WD-Chevy is 2WD Dually.....Ford is Man 6 tranny-Chevy is auto.....Ford is short box-Chevy is long....Ford has 350lbs. Torque@2500 rpms-Chevy has 370lbs.@4000 rpms.    Which one? These are the only candidates
 
What are you towing and do you know the loaded weight?  That should be a major consideration.  Then, you mention the Chevy has duals - is it a one ton?  And the Chevy that you described with the 6.0 and up to 14,000# is incorrect, I think.  The 6.0 generally can tow up to about 10,000 unless you have 4.10 gears and then it's 12,500.  As far as what is important, that depends on what you are towing and where you tow it and how important gas mileage is.  And a bunch of other stuff probably.
 
Hi COMer....I ain't towing nuthin, yet. I am buying the most versatile unit I can until the $ for the trailer gets here, based on availability to me by budget and just plain old "what's out there" in my town. I got those tow numbers off a VIN search. Yes it is a "one-ton" dually-crew cab. I think I can live with a 10,000 lb limit, can you tell me just how limited that makes me in the field of fifth wheels? Aren't there light-weights? Are light-weights any good? Educate me....and thanks ???
 
The most versatile is still the diesel as it has about 5000# more tow rating.  If you want away from diesel, both Ford and Chevy make 3/4 ton units that tow just over 10,000# and higher if you want to go with 4.10 gears.  Figuring 10,000# since there are a load of trucks out there that would be fine, you would probably be at about 30'-32' in length for a trailer at max.  There are MANY exceptions to that but you could sure figure that a 3/4 with a large gas engine would be fine for most trailers in that range.  And lightweights are fine.  They may have two slides instaed of three and not be quite a high in the front but still fine for standing in the bedroom and pretty spacious.  We have an '08 Rockwood that is 28', has two opposing slides and came from the factory at 6900#.  Loaded for a trip I add 1000-1500 to the truck and trailer which gives me a big cushion with my Chevy 3/4 with 6.0L engine.  Decent mileage (for towing) and a feeling of safety when I'm on the road. I would be just as happy with a few more feet and another 1000#.  If you find a deal on a truck you like in the range of what you are looking for, you will clearly find many trailers that you could tow.
 
Of those two trucks, I'd take the Chevy based on the specs. You want max horsepower and torque at the lowest possible RPMs and the Chevy seems to win on all those counts.  A later Ford V10 would be right up there with it, but the 2001  6.0L Vortec beats it out if your numbers are correct.

The 2001 Trailer Life tow guide shows the 2001 Chevy 3500 (dualie) as a max towing capacity of 10,100 lbs with the 4.10 rear axle, which I think is the standard axle on the 3500 HD model.  You can probably tow a trailer in the 28-30 foot range with that, but it will depend on the weight of the specific trailer in question. There can be quite a bit of variation in "lite" vs regular models, equipment, quality of construction, etc.
 
thank you guys, very much. I just can't tell you what a comfort y'all provide. Gary (you, in particular), how did you get so knowledgeable? Where will I run into you on the road? By the way........love your home base area
 
Knowledgeable? Mostly just participating here and other RV groups. Reading lots of specs and RV component manuals too - there is a lot of info available on the net
 
Your specs are a little off, atleast for the the Ford.  You have stated the specs for the 5.4L 2valve V-8, not the 6.8L V10.  Actually the Ford 6.8L V10 in 01 has 310hp and 425 lbft torque. And the 2001 Chevy 6.0L has 300hp and only 360 lbft of torque.  Trust me, having towed 10,000 lb+ loads with both a 6.0L V-8 and the 6.8L V-10, the V10 has tons more power for towing.

I don't know if the F250 you are looking at is a ext cab or crew cab.  But here are the towing specs for the V-10, 4X4 with 6 spd manual tranny.

Supercab (ext cab):
conventional towing
9,900 lbs 3.73 gears
12,500 lbs 4.30 gears
5th wheel
9,900 lbs 3.73 gears
13,400 lbs 4.30 gears

With a crew cab you can just subtract 200 lbs from the numbers above.

Hope this helps
Paul
 
hmmmm just when I thought I had the decision made! The specs I got were from the carfax report on the VIN of the Ford
 
Only one digit error in the VIN (8th position) would give you the wrong engine type, so it may have been a typo when the Carfax was pulled.

Use this official Ford VIN decoder to re-check the VIN

https://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenance/vin_tools/default.asp

And make sure it has the engine you think it has!
 
VIN: 1FTNX21S41EB36908
 
World Manufacturer Identifier - 1st, 2nd, 3rd Positions 
VIN Code: 1FT
Assembly Country: UNITED STATES 
Make: Ford 
Body Style: Pickup 
Restraint System Type (Passenger Cars) or Brake Type and GVWR Class (Trucks and Vans) - 4th Position 
VIN Code: N
Brake System: STANDARD 
GVWR Class: 
GVWR Range: 6,001 - 10,000 Pounds 
Line,Series Body Type - 5th, 6th, 7th Positions 
VIN Code: X21
Vehicle Line: F-250 
Series: Super Duty 
Vehicle Type: Truck 
Engine Type - 8th Position 
VIN Code: S
Engine: 6.8 L 
Cylinders: 10 
Fuel: Gasoline 
Engine Manufacturer: FORD 
Model Year - 10th Position 
VIN Code: 1
Model Year: 2001 
Assembly Plant - 11th Position 
VIN Code: E
Assembly Plant: KENTUCKY TRUCKS, KENTUCKY 
Production Sequence Number - 12th - 17th 
VIN Code: B36908
Prod Sequence Number B36908 
Additional Information 
Wheel Axles Wheelbase 299.8 

Still says it......wonder what's up with that?
 
Still says it......wonder what's up with that?

OK, it's the V10 alright, but where did you (Carfax?) get the hp and torque values in the first message?  The 2001 V10 is a 2-valve, SOHC engine, rated at 310 hp and 425 lb?ft. Somewhere along the line the figures for the 5.4L V8 (which is the standard engine for a 2001 F250)  got substituted for the V10 figures.

At any rate, the V10 is at the very least a match for the Vortec 6.0L in the Chevy and overall a stronger engine. The V10 Ford is comparable to the GM 8.1L in power and the 8.1L is the 6.0L engine's big brother. So based on engine alone, the Ford with the V10 is a stronger performer than the Chevy w/6.0L.  But when you throw in the transmissions, 2wd vs 4wd, and other differences, the choice blurs and personal preference becomes a factor.
 
The reason that it says the GVWR range: 6001-10000 lbs is because the GVWR of a 01 F250 is somewhere between 8800 and 9200 lbs, depending on suspension options. That GVWR range also includes 1/2 tons, 3/4 tons, and some 1tons (light spec and non-dually), but that is NOT the tow rating of the truck.  The tow rating is what I stated above.

 
To answer you, Gary.......yes, carfax. In reply to you, PHS79.....where did you get yours?
 
snook said:
In reply to you, PHS79.....where did you get yours?
Where did I get what?  If you asking about the information: I am a member of several truck forums and found the info on there and also from old Ford towing and payload guides that you can find online.

I personally would go with the F250.  It will tow 95-96% of the campers on the market, and even if you dont think that you will use 4WD very much, when you do need 4WD it is worth its weight in gold.  I don't know where you live, but if you get any snow or ice at all, you do not want to 2wd dually.  Duallys, unless 4WD, are totally worthless in snow and ice unless you have 2000lbs or more in the bed. 

Just my $.02 worth.
 
You can get the 2001 V10 hp and torque figures in dozens of places on the net. I used Wikapedia's article on the Ford Modular Engine family as my source, but it is consistent with others:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Modular_engine#6.8_L_V10

Tow ratings can be found in the 2001 Trailer Life Towing Guide online.
 
PHS79, you couldn't be more right about the 2WD dually in the snow and ice!! I am in north texas and we just got a record 12" snowfall (you may have seen some stuff about it on the national news....shut down interstates and such) here and I was among the stranded due to lack of rear traction.......and Gary, I did look at the trailer life towing guide.....you're right too. I just don't get how these people would allow for such a large discrepency to be displayed and go uncorrected. If I were the people @ Ford I would try (at least) to have this stuff clarified! Thanks fellas
 
can you guys tell whether this truck (from the VIN check I posted) has four doors or just the small ext cab?
 
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