Towing Question

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JimmyRoe

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Feb 17, 2013
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I'm looking to purchase my first travel trailer. I'm looking at the Keystone Outback 298RE. This RV has a total gross weight of 9000lbs., and I was wondering what vehicle would be needed to tow this kind of weight. I'm also in the market for a new pick-up/suv and I want to make sure I get one that can handle this type of weight. I know I can get the towing capacities for the vehicles, but I was hoping to get feedback, whether good or bad on the different types of vehicles used, and opinions on gas or diesel.

Thanks...........Jim
Nothing to put here yet, but hopefully soon
 
With that kind of rv you will need a 2500/3500 truck.  Diesel engine give better mpg but are around $10,000 more in price.  Good luck.
 
You're definitely into 2500/F250 or better territory.  You could probably equip a new F150 to tow it, but by the time you do so, you'll be near 2500 pricing anyway.  If you tow in the mountains, diesel would be a big advantage. 
 
There are half ton (F150/1500) trucks rated to tow 10,000 lbs, but you would be better off with a 3/4 ton (F250/2500) up in that range. It's a more robust truck all around and can handle the load better.

A diesel is recommended as well - you won't have to rev the engine as much as a gas engine. The gasser typically needs to be well wound up to get full horsepower.
 
My questions to you would be...

How often do you plan to pull this trailer?
When you do, How far do you plan to pull it?
What terrain?


If not often, not far, and fairly flat terrain.  (LIke me) 
I bought an F150 with ecoboost and am happy with it.  I have an 06 Hornet 31BHS that crossed the scales last summer at 8600+.

I dont tow often and normally within 150 miles of home in relative flat terrain.

IF you plan to tow alot, far or hilly.  A diesel is in order.  I just did not want the added upfront and maintaince cost of the diesel based on my use.
Just my .02 on this...
 
The issue that you may run into with a 1/2 ton truck is payload rating. A 9K# trailer is going to have a tongue wt of around 1000-1400#. That will eat up most of your payload.

When you say it has a gross wt of 9K#, does that meant that you weighed the trailer fully loaded or is that the dry weight.... or is that the GVWR?

I have a 2006 Chevy 1500HD. No way I would tow a 9K# trailer with it for any distance. It will "Pull it" just fine. Power isn't the issue....... overloading and wearing out the truck is the issue. Short hauls on flat land and cool days....... maybe. I sure wouldn't be able to carry anything in the bed of the truck.
 
My neighbor has that exact trailer. It has a dry weight of 7447 lbs and a hitch weight of 795. Loaded up going down the road it crosses the scales at just over 8400 with a hitch weight right at 850. He pulls it with a 2012 F150 and says it does an excellent job.

I have pulled our 8K lb TT with a HD 1/2-ton Tundra and it did an excellent job. We live in Central Oregon and spend a lot of time in the mountains and they don?t pose any problems at all.

For the trailer you are looking at I see no reason why you would need anything more than one of the newer 1/2 ton trucks with the HD tow package. They are way more truck than the 1/2-ton trucks of yesteryear.

That being said....If you ever think you might want to step up to a larger trailer, especially a 5th/W, then now might be the time to think about a more heavy-duty truck.
 
Half ton trucks (F150/1500) can have tow ratings anywhere from a few thousand pounds to over 10,000, so you have to look at the configuration closely and check the truck manufacturers tow guide. And you also have to be concerned about the truck's payload rating, which has to carry the tongue or pin weight as well as everyting carried in the truck or its bed.

Last, a half ton truck is designed more car-like than truck-like, despite the robust claims in the ads. That's because the large majority of half tons rarely carry much weight or tow large loads and are mostly used to get people to/from job sites or merely as a daily driver. For serious trucking, a 2500 (3/4 ton) or 3500 (one ton) truck is preferred, both for its stronger components and greater carrying and towing capacity.

As somebody already said, pulling power isn't the main concern.
 
Longevity of the truck is the other concern.  The closer you approach the maximum capacity of the truck, the more strain it puts on every component.  The "3/4 ton" trucks will last longer than their half ton siblings towing the same weight under the same conditions.  Then there's the "fun factor"....the closer you get to the trucks limitations, the less fun towing is.  And isn't this all about fun??
 
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