Made a rookie mistake - truck can't pull TT

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kwscharf

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Jul 11, 2014
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My wife and I just purchased our first TT and I'm disappointed to say that we made a rookie mistake when purchasing our tow vehicle. We did research online before purchasing our truck and determined that, based on the manufacturer towing capacity specs, that a 2007 F150 5.4L Triton V8 would suit our needs. Based on those specs, we were under the impression that we could tow a TT up to 9500# gvwr. Boy was that wrong! We purchased a 2004 Homestead Settler that has a gvwr of 7100# and the F150 might as well have been a VW Beetle the way it performed on the 6-7% Colorado mountain grades. On one leg of the trip, we were shifted down into 1st gear and could not break 20mph. Needless to say, we now have a TT that we cannot pull.

With everything being said, we're now in the market to either trade in the F150 or just purchase a dedicated tow vehicle outright. I'm looking for feedback from experienced RV haulers on what sort of truck will do the best. We live in Colorado so camping requires that we climb the Rocky Mountains, we need a truck that can climb the hills and pull the 7100# trailer without breaking a sweat.

Diesel? Gas? Dodge/Ford/Chevy? PLEASE HELP!
 
I had a RAM 2500 diesel with a 34' TT prior to purchasing our current MH. That truck pulled the trailer effortlessly. We also live in Colorado and camped in the mountains often. I found a 3/4 ton diesel was the cat's meow for pulling.
 
A 3/4 ton turbo diesel pickup would be your best bet. It has the same engine as the 1 ton pickups and weighs less, so it will perform better since your trailer is within the weight capacity of a 3/4 ton.
 
Did the exact same things back when we pulled a trailer. So i went from a GMC1500 with a 5.3 to a GMC 2500 HD with the 8.1 gas. Worked great. Couldn't get a Duramax diesel then and the 8.1 had been advertised in the paper incorrectly with $10,000 off MSP. so I bought it.

I'd suggest a 3/4 ton diesel now.  I'm a GM guy but any of them will do the trick. You'll be amazed at the difference.
 
My first reaction was "diesel is overkill for 7,100 lbs" but when I read you live in CO, I shut my mouth. Living there makes a big difference - you will constantly be dealing with grades and altitude. So, diesel would be your best bet. There are several newer gas engines rated at over 10,000 lbs but they will probably only be somewhat better than what you have now. Perhaps another option is Ford's EcoBoost (I'm a GM guy so it kills me to say that!). The turbo means less loss of power at higher altitudes. I believe at least a few forum members have one.
 
I'm also a 02 Dodge Ram Cummins Diesel with a 31' Jayco weighing in at about 8,000 pounds. No problem on climbing most all highway grades at 55 MPH and still knocking 12-14 MPG towing. But I'm not a stock truck either I'm modified and turning roughly 400 HP now.
 
You are not alone. We started out with a 3500 lb trailer behind a Ranger 4.0, needless to say we were also under trucked. First gear pedal to the metal going up and coming down was a white knuckler. Found a Ram 2500 diesel at a good price and could not be happier, it allowed us to upgrade the trailer with no problems.
 
+1 on Diesel.  Love my Silverado 3500 with Duramax and Allison 6 speed.  For your trailer, ANY diesel pickup would pull it, but I'm partial to the Allison automatic.  If I were buying a truck today, I'd lean toward a Dodge with a manual tranny.  Can't seem to kill them!  I'm leery about most automatics under that load.  My brother has had a Dodge 2500 Diesel with manual trans forever.  He lives in Idaho and spends alot of time in pretty steep terrain.  Truck just never seems to notice, even when pulling his TT.
Even though I'm endorsing a 2500 3/4 ton truck, I still love my dually.  I think that the extra wheels and tires make the rig more stable, and I don't mind the extra weight, since I bought it just to pull my 5er.  With the dual wheels and long bed, it takes up at least 1.25 parking spaces in most lots.  I get 13-14 mpg empty, and 8-9 mpg pulling a fairly heavy (18,000 gvwr) toy hauler. 
Living where you do, make sure you put some thought into your brake controller too.  I've experienced some scary moments with a crappy controller, and I've been amazed at the difference when I switched to a Tekonsha Prodigy P3.  Rig stopped like a sports car when a careless driver pulled across my lane and stopped.  I was running 45-50 and really had to lock it down.  No way I could have stopped with the old controller, but I had at least 8-9 inches to spare with the P3!
 
2500/3500 Diesel when you live in the Rocky Mountains is a no brainer.  Gobs of torque, stability, braking (diesel engine brake is a marvel), the whole package.  We tow a 7800 lbs gross travel trailer and have a 2500 Ram Cummins diesel, and it performs flawlessly.  Had an old F250 gas truck before, and was in the same boat as you....8-10% grades at 9700' elevation.....low gear, foot to the floor 20 mph.  The setup was within specs....but when you tow out here in the high country, too much truck is just right.  My Cummins barely notices the trailer is back there. 

Sooo....go out and buy a 2500/3500 diesel, pick your flavor.  The 2003 (late) to 2007 Powerstroke 6.0 has a less than savory reputation for reliability, but the rest are all good.  If you're on a budget, find a good used one with service records. 

You'll be amazed at the difference. 
 
poncho62 said:
Probably diesel anything, you pick the brand. I would also go 1 ton, being as you climb the mountains.
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A GM 6.0 or 8.1 gasser will work fine if u don't want to spend the money on a good diesel. one ton has no bearing on mountains??
3/4 ton will suffice/  A ram 5.9 late model will also work fine
 
Listening to all the experts, you better have nothing smaller than a 1 ton Diesel Dually to pull that little 7100 #'s around Colorado. Oh by the way, I keep forgetting that DW & I pull our little GVWR'd 9600# 5er around Colorado & up to the Northwest part of the country with our little itty, bitty, teeny, weeny tinny F-150 and it tows like they were meant for each other. Just gotta match the right TW with the right RV. Lots of misinformation & uninformed people that just believe everything they hear.
 
campnfool said:
Listening to all the experts, you better have nothing smaller than a 1 ton Diesel Dually to pull that little 7100 #'s around Colorado. Oh by the way, I keep forgetting that DW & I pull our little GVWR'd 9600# 5er around Colorado & up to the Northwest part of the country with our little itty, bitty, teeny, weeny tinny F-150 and it tows like they were meant for each other. Just gotta match the right TW with the right RV. Lots of misinformation & uninformed people that just believe everything they hear.
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Yes the F150 u have is 360HP 420lbs torque.good power but  your right at max on the gvwr
I personally would sooner have a 3/4 ton for the extra weight rating and payload and a 5.9 ISB or a 6.6 duramax
The 5.4 triton is just not powerfull enough as the Op has found out
 
And some of us have been doing this a very long time, and have witnessed first hand the carnage when a mishap occurs from an overloaded tow vehicle.  Or the buyer's remorse (like the OP has) from mismatching a too heavy trailer to a too light truck.  Something as simple as a blown fuse, and the subsequent loss of trailer brakes can be catastrophic if the driver is coming down a long, steep mountain pass.  So can a sudden 40 mph crosswind, or a blown tire.....particularly when the driver is a rookie, like the OP is.

Then there is premature wear of components to be concerned about.  And on and on.....
 
Living in Colorado all my life, and pulling trailers of all shapes and sizes all over the Rockies with just about every truck you can think of, I would suggest a 3/4 ton diesel. My preference is GM, but I wouldn't mind if I had a Dodge. I've had several Fords as company trucks and would not spend my own money to buy one. I will be sure to honk and wave at every itty bitty, teeny weeny F-150 I pass as they try to keep up with traffic pulling their trailer, with their gasser screaming for mercy. 9600 lb 5er hooked to an F-150, please........??
 
BobX2 said:
9600 lb 5er hooked to an F-150, please........??
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Yeah, but it's an egoboo.....I mean Ecoboost.  ;)

Power wise, it's a force fed engine, so he won't pay the thin air penalty that the NA gassers pay, but as mentioned above, it's near max on payload.  No thanks.
 
So that was you on I70? Just kidding.  We are in CO also.  We had a Dodge Durango for years and a tent trailer that it could not pull without overheating.  We fought with every car dealership in our town to get the thing up to par.  It is a nightmare dealing with this type of issue in CO.  Good luck with your shopping!
 
"I know nothing" about engines...but what size engine did you have in your Durango.  Our Durango pulls our new TT just fine but maybe we will have a challenge is we go through CO?  Thanks
 
MN Blue Skies said:
"I know nothing" about engines...but what size engine did you have in your Durango.  Our Durango pulls our new TT just fine but maybe we will have a challenge is we go through CO?  Thanks
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you pull a 26 foot trailer with a dodge Durango?? the thing weighs like 4600 lbs bone dry and empty
you must have the 330HP 5.7 model  they allowed a 5800 lb towing capacity  but
 
Kudos to you my friend for having the courage and intelligence to confess you bought too little truck. That truck would be OK in Kansas or Oklahoma but not in Colorado, as you found out. Even on the flatlands that combination would be a handful in a panic stop situation or having to perform evasive maneuvers.

Nobody wants to think it could happen to them but when you least expect it some Bozo pulls out in front of you at the last minute. You may only really need the extra security of the bigger rig for 10 seconds of it's life but those are mighty important seconds.

3/4 ton or 1 ton diesel would be my choice for your rig. Good luck and happy hunting.
 
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