Question On Which Truck

[pburch]

With that camper you are in 1 ton area, in my opinion - I just came from a Ram 2500 6.4 gasser, and it did okay, but now have a new 1 ton diesel - I will never go back to gas or a smaller truck, as we are planning on an upgrade to a 5th wheel soon

[hicksie]

We have 2011 F-250 6.2 Gasser which we pull our 40' 5er total gross full tank and loaded trailer scaled at 10300kg or 22000lbs within the Allowable ratings for the F250. We have pulled the trailer in the mountains and flats as well as the long drive uphill to cross the pass from Alamagordo NM to the white sands I am impressed with the performance of my 6.2. When I retire the 2011 F250 I will replace it with the new 7.3 gasser.

[Tundra 2014]

If considering the diesel, go w/ F-350. Look at the payload stickers of specific types trucks you are considering. I have seen F-250 diesels of the years you are considering w/ less then 2 K of cargo cap. The gas F-250 will do it w/ the right rear gears. It really depends on how much towing you plan to do. I really appreciate the engine break on my F-350 diesel, especially when pulling in the western states. It is just a more relaxed towing experience.

[GFD47]

Biased here, because I just bought an F350 SRW oil burner. My F150 had the specs to handle our current TT, but WOW what a difference with the F350. (Oh, is there a trailer back there?) Went for the F350 anticipating a move to a 5er in the next year or so.
Best news is DW wouldn't drive towing with the F150. She doesn't even hesitate to climb behind the wheel now.

[acadianbob]

F350 with 7.3 gasser with work just fine.

[Boomerweps]

Used, you have to take what’s available. This and other forums have convinced me if I go 350/3500, get a diesel. If 250/2500, get a gasser. A diesel 250 eats way too much payload. The gain over a 150/1500 is heavier duty parts, engine braking, and stability but not so much payload.

[frozen]

A wise old man told me that "it's better to over-buy than to buy over". Most of us learn the hard way; I just had to trade a perfectly good Ram 2500 (<2,000 lb. payload) for a 3500 (>3,700 lb. payload) to tow a 12,000 lb. (dry) 5th wheel. An added bonus; in Minnesota, my home state; the annual license renewal on a 3500 is about 1/4 the cost of a 2500. Seems backwards.

[EdJunior]

Originally Posted by Robbie D. Camper

We're in the process of buying a similar trailer. We've got some good hills here in Wisconsin and nearby states, but no mountains. Since we both are still working we're staying within a few hours of home, typically. The F250 in my sig has 3300 lbs of payload. We bought it specifically for this upgrade. We did buy it new, so I was able to spec it out for this purpose. It can be done. The Lariat would probably eat up too much payload in a 250.

Originally Posted by Robbie D. Camper

Oh yes, and it's Blue Jean Metallic. Absolutely gorgeous clean and shined up in the sun. The DW said white was out of the question.

Sounds like you have my truck. It is a F-250 and has the camper package, which adds an extra spring in the rear, giving it extra payload. Mine is also just over 3300, and tows my 5th wheel great. I'm around 11 - 11.5 K as we tow. Just a great setup.

[tonyz1]

Just to answer your plugging in question, I've owned the 6.7 for 3 years now and have never had to plug in. I'm in WV, right along Ohio River and have seen it pretty cold. And couldn't plug in anyway, it didn't even come with a block heater. Down around 0°, just turned key, waited maybe 3 seconds for glow plug light to go out, and cranked right up. I too previously owned a 7.3 that had to be plugged in when below freezing. The 6.7 really amazed me in the cold conditions. Just my 2 cents.

Originally Posted by Waffen06

I agree with this, used the price difference isnt a lot compared to new. Seems to be a 3-4000 difference. Now I live in ohio, it gets cold, I don't have a garage and the truck for now would be my daily driver. Plugging in if I get a diesel would not be easy with the distance from the house to the driveway. Is plugging in with the 6.7 an issue? Used to have a 7.3 and if it was under 30 it would not start if it wasnt plugged in lol. Biggest question would a gasser pull that camper alright?

[Tundra 2014]

The diesel eats up about 700 lb. of payload, which is the amount it weighs over the 6.2. As point of reference my 2019 LWB F350 Lariat diesel payload is 3200 lb. The extra weight does make it very stable towing.

[Haleyd4695]

Get the diesel, you won’t regret it. I have a Nissan Titan and my next truck will most definitely be a diesel. I tow about 6500 pounds and wish I have more power!!!! Cost of fuel is a trade off with better economy.

[cekkk]

I'm a Ford guy too. I agree that a 350 is the answer, and if it's not your daily driver, why not a dually? If a rear tire should go down it's great to have the 2nd one. I'm also a diesel Guy, having had several of them in various vehicles. But for your purposes I think the gasser would be just fine and give you plenty of extra dollars to spend on those days you have in the camper.

[mopac1978]

Forget being “a Ford guy”. With all of that cargo (kids, dog) you need a Megacab Ram. Much nicer and larger interior than a Ford anyway.

[Robbie D. Camper]

Originally Posted by EdJunior

Sounds like you have my truck. It is a F-250 and has the camper package, which adds an extra spring in the rear, giving it extra payload. Mine is also just over 3300, and tows my 5th wheel great. I'm around 11 - 11.5 K as we tow. Just a great setup.

That's great to hear, thanks! I thought the truck you have pictured looked familiar. I'm always just a little bit nervous towing something new.

[checkmate]

Go diesel if you can swing it... just no comparison between pulling with the diesel vs. gasser. I know, because I went thru 2 gas engine trucks before I got smart and purchased a Ram diesel. If you ever get to the mountains, a diesel wins for required power, and the diesel exhaust brake is a wonderful device!
Good luck with your new unit.... whatever you decide to buy, enjoy it and be careful out there!
Happy camping.

[BigBear0216]

I went from a Tundra to a 16 F-350 6.7 and will never look back. I am not towing the weight you intend to but when I do upgrade, I will be ready. One of my deciding factors was in the used market, there really was not much difference between gas and diesel sticker prices.

Everyone already knows the basic discussion points between gas and diesel but what really seals it for me is the ability to pull my rig easily into a truck stop and refuel! I used to get really stressed trying to find a gas station that I could pull my truck and trailer into without causing major issues for everyone around me. Also, with my Tundra, I had to start looking seriously for fuel every 150 miles or so. With the diesel, I can go for several hundred miles before things get dicey. MAJOR piece of mind for me!

[jas451]

We started with a F-150....but one trip to Colorado and the Rockies (shoot, even the
Kansas Flint Hills!!) was enough to convince us that we'd need a bigger truck...bought a F-250 Lariat w/v-10 and it's been great. Helps that it came with the "camper pkg." so it has an extra set of rear shocks....

[Waffen06]

Signing the camper papers Saturday, truck shopping now begins.

A say 2014 f350 gasser says in their brochure max 5th towing with 3.73 gears is 12,000. Fair statement even with plenty of payload this would not work unless I found one with the higher gears?

[Sonic Blue]

ppine is right:


"The smart money is on a diesel.
I bought a Ford 7.3 in 2002. I am still driving it and it is worth $18,000.
My brother bought a Chevy with a gas engine in 2003. His is getting sold for around $5,000."

I too thought that I would make a better deal going with a one ton E350 on gas. I made 8 mpg around town and 4 mpg towing a heavy 26' camper. That 4 mpg added up fast to expensive trips.

When I went to sell it, the camper went first and the truck was very hard to sell. I took a bath on it and sold it after about 6 years for 1/3 what I paid.

[Waffen06]

I found a F250 2016 for a deal but do these numbers work? GCWR is 19200, payload is 2822 lbs. Now the new 5th wheel camper is 10700 dry so Im guessing around 12000 loaded (we only weekend camp so dont pack a lot). Would all this work? Most likely only be me in the truck, off chance the family rides along add about 600 pounds