Towing a 25' with what?

bshillam · Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 5:55 pm Post subject: Towing a 25' with what?

I just sold our family van that would have restricted me to a CD 22. We feel with our growing family that a 25' CD or Rossy would be a good fit. So I thought I would pull from current 25' CD owners as to what you tow with. How do you feel it performs on the HWY and going up mountain passes?

What I am currently looking at are the crew cab 06-09 Ford and Chevys. Many are very proud of the Chevys and so those would probably be a few years older. However, if I open it up to the gas than less miles is probable. Are you running a high mileage Duramax or Powerstroke? Have you been happy enough that you would buy your truck again. My budget is somewhere close to $20k. So far I have found several very nice trucks with less than or close to 100k miles. I use to have a 6.0 but didn't have it long or put enough miles to really judge it. It did however pull like a champ, at one time I had well over 10k in trailer and quads.

Thanks for the suggestions and help!

Here's an example of what I am looking at
(Slightly more than budget..)
https://bellingham.craigslist.org/ctd/4971056857.html

http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/ctd/4996118928.html

journey on · Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 6:56 pm Post subject:

Well, I have 2 questions.

First, why do you want 4 wheel drive? I've launched at 100's of ramps, from sketchy to wonderful and haven't needed 4 wheel yet.

Second, since it's used, have you considered gas? I have a Ford 250 gas, non-crew cab, but it cost less than either of those 2 diesels, new. And now has only 55K miles towing a 25. The cost difference in the truck price would pay for a lot of fuel.

Also, I keep getting mailings from lawyers to join them in class action lawsuits against Ford diesels. Not a clue why, but it must be worth their time.

The rest of the posts will explain why I'm so very wrong. But those questions reduce the cost a great deal.

Oh, and don't get a 350, that ride would really jerk you around. A 250 is bad enough.

Boris

Salmon Fisher · Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 7:43 pm Post subject:

We have a 96 F 250 powerstroke diesel. Does great, 4x4, suspension is pretty stiff, which is the only complaint.

chriscarrera · Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 7:46 pm Post subject:

I have never not used 4 wheel drive pulling the tomcat out. Makes it stress free for me at least. Diesel dodge works nicely.

Jake B · Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 7:48 pm Post subject:

Seen 2 trucks get stuck at the launch we used last sat that did not have 4x4 one while we launched the other when we were pulling out. For majority of the launches I use 80% of the time 4x4 is engaged. I would consider it a must for the places I use.

tsturm · Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 8:49 pm Post subject: Re: Towing a 25' with what?

thataway · Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 9:08 pm Post subject:

Why a dually? They are wider, and there is less weight per sq inch of tire, and thus less traction (one of the issues in pickups is the light weight in the bed).

If you are willing to go older, the 7.3 Ford is one of the best light truck diesels built. I would check out the "ride" quality in the 1 ton trucks. Often is stiff and harsh. If you can find a Chevy 3/4 ton with the Allison transmission, that is a plus--

Why a one ton, vs 3/4 ton. The 3/4 ton should have plenty of carrying capacity--but if you need more carrying capacity, then stick with the dually.

I prefer diesel for towing, for the torque. The better mileage is frosting. The cost of operation and initial cost would favor the gas, particularly if you don't use the truck a lot. Diesel hold value better than gas.

Good hunting!

Cview · Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 10:30 pm Post subject:

I tow our C-Dory 25 with a 2003 Chevrolet Supercab 2500HD with a 6.0 L v-8 gas with a 410 rear end. I average a little better than 9 mpg when towing. It does OK on the hills, but I do slow down some. We towed the boat from Bellingham to Phoenix when we purchased it. Other long trips include Phoenix to Lake Powell and Phoenix to Sacramento, CA. So there has been some mountain towing. We've owned the truck since new and it only has 44,000 miles on it. I'm satisfied with it's performance. I routinely use 4 wheel drive when towing up the ramp as the tires spin if I don't.

Tony
C-View II

bshillam · Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 10:37 pm Post subject: All good questions,

All very good questions,
Crew is a must as we will use this for our family rig, drives to Grandparents, camping, etc. Dually or SRW is open as we are also looking at a camper/trailer. If we decide to pull a trailer than SRW is going to be a good bet.
I don't care if it's a diesel or gas but it appears that diesel is going to be the way to go as I will be close to 10k specifically if I end up with a Rosborough. Don't want to have to go through this exercise again in the near future. I'll probably end up looking at the Chevy gas and diesel as well as the Ford gas. The 6.0 has such a poor reputation even though I am a Ford buyer.

Pat Anderson · Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 11:12 pm Post subject:

We have a 2006 Chevy 3500 Duramax Allison. Great all-around truck for towing fifth wheel or C-Dory. Can't compare it to anything else because never owned the others. 2006 was the last year before they mucked them up with pollution control that adversely affected performance.

starcrafttom · Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 12:25 am Post subject:

Bill, Call steve at buds transmission in Marysville. Steve is the owner and forgot more about diesel then most will every know. The shop specialists in them. Steve is also a fisherman as are all his friends. He is also a ex commercial fishing guy. He keeps a slip at friday harbor to park his boat that he tows to Washington park every weekend to launch. Steve and his wife are two of the best fisherman in the islands for salmon.

He will be able to answer all your questions and lead you in the right direction . Only tell him you know me if you want to be charged more.

Captain Bella · Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 12:54 am Post subject:

We are using a Ford F 250 V-10 to pull Irene, which is 10000 loaded and including the trailer. We have the 2wd, standard cab, automatic with 3.73. It pulls very well, including grades, and stops very well.

We selected the gasser as it sits for sometimes a week or more without use. I didn't want to invest in the diesel as the buy-in was more, maintenance is more, and they are selling for well over book values in my area.

The V-10 has been good so far. It needed a new transmission as the torque converter failed ($2200), and a $32 oil change. I would probably prefer a Chevy with the 8.1 and Allison if one was nearby. I would enjoy operating the diesel more as well.

Don't skimp on capacity; its your family in there and we are doing this boat stuff for fun. Weight your rig on a scale, yourself, and ensure you are safe.

Best Wishes

JamesTXSD · Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 8:46 am Post subject:

Asking what to use for a tow vehicle will get the same attention as twins vs a single, or the advantages of a 25 or a 22. Wink

When we weighed our 25 on the trailer, less than 1/4 tank of fuel, full water, and some cruising gear, it was 8,700 pounds. Some of cruising gear (generator, dinghy & motor) was in the bed of the truck.

We decided on a GMC Sierra 2500HD with the Duramax with the Allison transmission. Single rear wheels, 4 wheel drive. Absolutely love the truck. It is comfortable and capable. There have been a few ramps where 4X4 was necessary. But, the best feature of the truck has been the ability to comfortably haul the load. One thing we added that made the towing even better was electric over hydraulic brakes on the trailer - it eliminated the "chunk-chunk" with the surge brakes and gives you better control of the trailer on downhill grades (where the surge brakes may activate as you gear down).

The Duramax has been a champ, but the Allison transmission is the unsung hero of that combination - in the tow/haul mode, the transmission retarder makes for no-pucker towing on all terrain.

We drove a 3500 when deciding, but found the ride of the 2500 was more pleasant when not hauling a load. It has been our daily driver. We saw 12 mpg average when towing the boat, 10 mpg when towing the 5th wheel (heavier and less aerodynamic than the boat), 16 to 20 mpg not towing.

Ours is a crew cab and can carry 5 people comfortably.

The only reason you'd need a dually would be if you are carrying a heavier load in the bed (such as a pickup camper). There is less traction on a slippery ramp with a dually compared to single rear wheels. The discussion of SRW vs dually comes up frequently amongst 5th wheel haulers, too... if you have a heavy pin weight on a trailer (that mounts in the bed, over the axles), you may need dual rear wheels to handle that weight. We picked out our 5th wheel with that pin weight in mind.

We have towed boats with full size SUVs and a one ton chassis campervan; also with a couple different diesel pusher motorcoaches. From my perspective, the pickup is the best tool for that job. The Big 3 all make great trucks; we went with the GMC after looking at the market options, but our experience with the Allison transmission in 3 coaches definitely factored in.

GM vs Ford vs Dodge? Having a good dealer nearby or finding the right deal would also be a factor. I agree with Pat about the 2006 model engines being less encumbered.

Good luck with the decisions. I never considered myself a pickup kinda guy, but we have been delighted with ours. Joan says it is the most secure feeling vehicle we have owned. We sold the boat, traded the 5th wheel... but we still have the truck.

Jim

potter water · Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 10:45 am Post subject:

I bought my 2006 dodge 2500 diesel for 25,000 with 50 thousand miles on it. That was the book price then. I was shocked to find out that the book price on the truck with 125,000 miles on it now and 7 years later it is booked at 24,500 dollars. Check out the Ford and Chevy depreciation schedule over those same years and conditions. I think the slow depreciation on the 2006 dodge is due to the bullet proof nature of the 5.6 cummins diesel that year and earlier. I get a solid 12 mpg with my camper and 22 cruiser on the back. My chevy and ford friends are 2 to 4 mpg worse under similar loads. Empty, the truck gets 20 MPG measured pump to pump consistently. I drive at 65 mph. So, don't rule out older Dodges that you can get in the 20 grand category. At 100 thousand plus miles they are just getting broken in. Oh, and my truck is 4wd and I wouldn't have it any other way.

So there is the Dodge view, older are better, depreciation is really slow, and reliability and MPG has been outstanding.

Just another thought for you.

Pat Anderson · Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 11:50 am Post subject:

Another factor on the Allison transmission, a feature that I was not using until Jim mentioned it - the M mode. I had been just driving and towing in straight automatic transmission mode, but after I started using M6 on the highway, the economy improved a couple of MPGs. M2 is also potentially very useful - the Duramax has so much torque it is easy to spin tires if you press too hard on the accelerator. M2 mode prevents spinning tires (this is from the manual, I have not had to use it, but it is a good thing to know about).