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RevDen

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 13, 2016
Posts
54
Location
Phoenix, AZ
I know that, typically speaking, it is best to have a 2500 or 3500 diesel to tow a TT. The problem is that I'm an old retired guy living on a fixed income and buying another truck like that isn't easy for us. In reality, is it acceptable to buy something like a gas powered Tundra, Ford 150, or similar vehicle to tow a 28' trailer?

I don't want to endanger other people or my wife and myself. I also don't want to destroy a truck by trying to pull too heavy of a load. Yet, I'm wondering if it is possible to buy a less-expensive gas powered lighter truck than the GMC 2500 Duramax that I currently drive. It is getting older, repair bills are going up, and it would be nice to drive a gas powered truck again.

Thank you for your thoughts.

Dennis "RevDen"
Phoenix
 
It might depend on how heavy the TT is and how many miles you want to tow it. I have 32' Wildwood X-lite with a dry weight of 5800. I tow it with a 2018 GMC 1500 with a 5.3 gas. We are doing trips that are less than a 2 hour drive because we have a lot of different places we want to try. I don't feel I am endangering anybody doing it. If I was planning on longer trips I would consider upgrading to a 2500 or 3500 to make it easier on the truck but for the moment I like the better gas mileage, cheaper maintenance, better ride, and lower cost of a 1500. Some of the modern half tons have high towing capacities.
 
What we need to know is the GVWR for your TT. Add the dry weight plus the carrying capacity of the TT. Then look at the yellow sticker just inside the drivers side door of your truck. If your trailer weight is less you might be okay.
 
Yes, we are leaving Monday. I'm just thinking about when we get back. My brother is staying in our house and he is willing to do some shopping for me. Thank you for the help.
 
To be honest with you a 150/1500 pickup regardless of configuration is really limited to about 6500 pounds loaded. Its not all about just the motor. You have to consider the entire package, frame, wheels, tires, suspension, axles, brakes etc etc etc.
For a 28 foot TT a well equipped 250/2500 series with a gas motor should do fine. However gas milage will not be great. Diesels will return better overall experience. But depending on how many towing miles a year a gasser sure might be better.
 
We don’t have a big truck, but we do tow a 27’ TT that weighs between 6200 and 6500 lbs, depending on how we’re loaded, with a ‘16 Tundra with the 5.7 engine and have been very satisfied with its performance. We’ve put over 44000 miles on the trailer in the past 5 years and have been all over the N Carolina mountains, Va, W Va, the Adarondacks, Catskills, as well as the White and Green mountains and even pulled from our home in N Fla all the way out to Salt Lake City and am happy to report the truck handled the load just fine. Though there may be something to the old adage that you can never have too much truck, I’ve never felt that we’ve needed “more truck”. Of course, if you live out west and plan on pulling up and over the Rockys on a regular basis, a bigger truck would be wise, but I see no reason a 150, 1500 series truck with appropriate engine, rear end and a good weight distribution hitch wouldn’t work just fine.
 
We have a 10,000lb 28ft (internal, 32ft external) TT and unless a brand new 1500 we wouldn't get anything less than a 2500 and then we had to shop around to get sufficient payload.

We unexpectedly encountered a 14% grade and had to put truck into 4 low to get up it.
 
Yes you can do something, you can buy a 2500 or even a 3500 gas pickup. You dont have to go diesel. All three NA makers make them.
The advantge of a 2500 or 3500 is the payload which is limited on a 2500, but bigger axles,springs,trans,brakes etc etc. If you not opposed to spending money the 2021 f350 gas is reported to be a total beast.
But after owning several 1500,2500,3500, and 3500 duallys i woudnt buy another 1500 irs too limiting, a 2500 is light on payload, and for a few hundred more literally a 3500 will cover most basis unless you want to get into the larger 5ers
 
With a tt that long ?, i'd be weary of pulling it up step mountain grades for sure !. flat land , well equipped 1/2 ton ?, sure..it can be done, i would advise against it though. that is a lot of tt to pull behind a 1/2 ton for sure. word of caution : rumor going around, ford is recalling their super duty, heavy duty trucks because of their bad axle tubes collapsing ?, may want to check into this before you buy one of these ford models.
 
You could possibly save some money with a slightly used 2 wheel drive. I have not found a need for a 4 wheel drive in the 12.000 miles we have put on the combination we are using.
 
You could possibly save some money with a slightly used 2 wheel drive. I have not found a need for a 4 wheel drive in the 12.000 miles we have put on the combination we are using.
That would depend on where the poster travels i have used 4 wheel drive a number of times while pulling my trailers over the years including getting stuck in 3 feet of snow and having to call a tow truck to winch me out at Easter a couple years ago lol And about a month ago when stuck in the mud at the bottom of a slight hill
 
That would depend on where the poster travels i have used 4 wheel drive a number of times while pulling my trailers over the years including getting stuck in 3 feet of snow and having to call a tow truck to winch me out at Easter a couple years ago lol And about a month ago when stuck in the mud at the bottom of a slight hill
Not only that but is the truck going to be used regularly while not pulling the trailer. Living in the northeast there is no way I would have a 2WD for every day use. I had one for a company truck years ago and don't care if I ever use one again.
 
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