Towing with gas trucks
 

For those with 25-30 footers towing with half tons… I have a 6.2 1500 that pulls my 27’ Fountain. It does pretty good from a suspension perspective, but when I get into areas with rolling hills, the motor is working!

I’ve looked into diesels, but I just don’t want any to pay the premium. I like my half ton and if it had a little more juice, it would tow just fine.

Seems heat is the issue with most gas/turbo tow setups. Has anyone done a low comp setup with a small turbo for a tow application?

A 150 is equivalent to a Toyota Camry. No reason to not move up on to an acceptable tow rig.

How much gear does your truck have? 3.42? That boat and trailer probably weighs around 6500 lbs. The 6.2 is better than the smaller 5.3 and I believe if you get the max tow package it comes with a 3.73 rear, but perhaps you already have that. If you do, you could swap in aftermarket 3.90 or 4.10 ratio gears if you tow a lot in hilly terrain. Those ratios would of course reduce your non towing fuel mileage some.

With all due respect, what’s an acceptable tow rig for a 5k boat? A 2500-3500 gas engine nets me nothing. I could throw money at a new diesel, I just don’t want to. My trucks paid off, lower personal property taxes, insurance, sales tax, etc.

I’d rather put 6-10k into an upgrade on my existing truck and accomplish what I’m after. Just curious if anyone has done something similar.

If I had a bigger boat, without hesitation, I’d go bigger and diesel.

Why not just install a Magnuson style blower? Low maintenance and relatively cheap kit with plenty of bottom end grunt.

I towed my Tiger for years with an 01 8.1/Allison dually, while towing up to lake Champlain we compared fill ups, i had to stop more but in the end the cost of diesel made my tow less expensive. also how good is the trailer, I made the switch to 14 ply tires and it was night and day, i also used equal in the tires for balance. I would think there is a tune available as well for your current setup to optimize it.

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just put 8.5 gallons of diesel in the truck yesterday at $5.99 a gallon.

sadly gas trucks are looking more attractive.

I have a 2016 YukonXL Denali w/6.2 8speed and pull close to 7000 including trailer, 270 Checkmate.We tow a few times a year to Central Pennsylvania with one hill 1000 ft up and down. That said I thought of going diesel but will pass as vehicle does well. Home elevation is about 1000ft and peaks to 2500ft and lake is back to 1000ft.

I towed all the Cigarette's I had with 8.1/Allison trucks and I still have one that I tow the Concept with. Never skipped a beat. Gas trucks are fine, Diesels are great, but you do pay a premium and if you don't tow all the time, sometimes the numbers don't justify the purchase. Good luck, for what you are currently pulling, I would not worry much. Could always step up to a 2500, but again its going to cost ya.

I think a 6.2L 1500 is more than enough truck for towing a 27' Fountain. I towed similar sized/weight boats for years with 1/2 ton vehicles from 5.3L 1500's to 6.0L Denali XL's (Suburban). I'd throw a tow tune at it if you can still get your hands on a tuner (thanks EPA). Made a big difference on a 5.4L F150 I had a few years back. My engines also didn't like the hills when I towed to LOTO but no longer than they were screaming over 4K to climb the hills I just lived with it. I did have a 2500 DMax ('04.5 LLY) for a couple years and of course the difference was night and day with towing but this was back when diesel was $1.99 - $2.39/gal and the truck new stickered for $44K and I think I paid about $33K for it as it was still sitting on the lot in September as the '05's were rolling out. I always thought I was dumb for getting rid of the truck but if I still had it the rockers, fender well lips, cab corners, and brake lines would all be rotted away by now.

Get the new Rivan truck-- 11K tow rating :bsflag:
Hope they don't need to Stop that 11K

I had an Escalade with a 6.2 that I used to tow with. Like you, mine was fine on flat ground but when I would start up even the smallest of inclines, it would be in 2nd gear screaming at 6K rpm and I always expected it to spit out a rod. I tried all of the bolt on stuff- cold air intake, headers, exhaust, tune and it did not change it one bit. I believe to make it better, it would need a pretty big improvement in low end torque. A supercharger might do it, might not. It would just have to be researched. I didn't want to buy a diesel either, but I ended up buying a Duramax and would never go back to a gas truck for towing. I have bought 4 more Duramax's since then. I got a brand new 19 model F350 6.2 gasser for a work truck, It won't pull your hat off your head. No way I would try to tow with it. Last week I got in 2 new Chevy 2500 gassers for work trucks. I haven't really put them to the test yet, but so far I can tell that they are a big improvement over my old Escalade and night and day better than my F350

My 8.1/Allison does a great job - and for the 99% of the time that I am NOT hauling anything, it's a lot easier to live with than the Diesel. My ex-wife got the Duramax in the divorce and 100%, that truck, while otherwise nearly identical, has needed a lot more love over the years.

With Longtube headers, modified intake manifold, and a tune, it's putting down 340hp to the rear wheels and 500-something lb-ft of torque.

You probably don't even need a supercharger. Depending on the miles on your truck, I'd suggest an engine refresh with Heads, Cam, Intake, Headers, Exhaust, and you will likely pick up 100hp & 100 lb ft of torque. You will want to address your torque converter and transmission with an upgrade as well. But you are going to bump up to premium gas too which will increase your towing costs. However, your MPG should be about the same.

The thing that I have noticed about towing with 1/2 ton trucks is the stress it puts on the braking system, ESPECIALLY if your trailer has SURGE brakes. As long as your trailer has brakes on both axles, AND it's an EoH setup, you are fine with the truck you have now.
I DEFINITELY recommend the PowerStop Z36 brake upgrade kit to ANY truck though. It's a massive difference for relatively low investment: https://www.powerstop.com/product/po...z36-brake-kit/

I towed a 25' Baja about 45 minutes several years ago with a overly basic trailer, surge brakes, on only one of the two axles; behind my F150 6.2L gasser. I towed it across town during rush hour traffic. By the end of that trip, I had warped the front rotors on the truck. I should have used my Ram 3500 for that trip. I got pushed all over the place. It's was a friends boat, and the trailer brakes probably didn't work.

I’ll have to look into this and see how well it would work for what I’m trying to accomplish. Thanks

good feedback on the tires. They came in the trailer but look like decent tires. I’ll see what the details are.

I actually had a tune out on the truck this last summer. It’s noticeable when I’m not towing but once I hook up the boat it’s really hard to tell. I have no problem getting up the hills but the damn motor is 4500-5000 rpm sprinting up. Can’t be good for longevity!

Hey Woodchuck, is that Raystown Lake? I had a Chris Craft 245 LTD I hauled with a 5.3 in my 2009 Tahoe up there. Seemed to work just fine. Water is so clean up there.

Yes, the Rivian is rated to tow 11k, which means it's passed all tests to do that. Which is a lot more than my Tahoe did. I like the R1S more, but it's only rated for 7500 I think. I'd much prefer the SUV, but am waiting on getting hands on with a CyberTruck before I decide if I'll replace my Model X, or just keep it. I'd like something that can tow my boat, but since I only do that 2x a year, it's not a priority.

Right now, with a marina, (and now larger boat) I only need to tow 2x a year, so I just rent a truck from enterprise rent-a-truck. I get a 2500 gas or diesel, my pick, for less than $150/day including the $20 break whatever insurance.

For $300/yr, that's less than 1 month payment on owning one, or heck even the inspection costs, oil changes, insurance, tax, etc. etc.

I did the math at one point, and the cheapest diesel 2500 ram you can get, I'd have to rent a truck, at LEAST 20x + a year. I think I tossed the excel file, but I detailed it all out renting a truck vs owning for only using a few times a year.

Of course if you need to haul 2-3x a week, certainly own one. But if it's like 10x a year - maybe rent one?

https://www.enterprisetrucks.com/truckrental/en_US.html

I used to tow my Velocity 280 plus a ton of gear with an 03 Suburban with the 5.3 and 3.73 gears, it did ok. It shifted a lot going up hills and the Zilwaukee Bridge but it wasn't unreasonable. Of course it had headers, cold air intake and a tune. My 2015 Yukon Denali has the 6.2 with 8spd and 3.42 gears and it tows like a breeze. Don't think I have ever hit 4k unless I'm passing and I use my cruise control. My elevation changes are about 800ft up and down. It's surprising what a little tuning of the shift points will do. Of course I have a cold air intake, better exhaust and a tune on that too. I do use tow mode on both and it helps a lot. The Yukon after the mods is almost 500ftlbs so nothing gained by going to a gas 2500 other than gear ratio. Whipple has a new 3L blower I have my eye on. I think I'm going to make that my birthday present next year. With a pulley change and some tuning I can make 650hp pretty easy on 93 octane.

appreciate your advice. Sounds like you know the hills I’m referring too :D TableRock was way worse regarding the hills but as you said, truck made it. Was just waiting for a rod to shoot through the block the whole time.

Yeah man I can’t justify 50-55k for a lightly used 5 years old diesel truck. As much as I want to and know it would tow night and day. If I could get a new one for 55, we would’ve even be having this
conversation.

Thanks,
Todd

Just food for thought on diesels. I have a 2017 RAM 2500 turbo diesel w/ 260K miles. I've never put this many miles on a vehicle. The truck runs great. I'm going to see how many miles I can get out of the girl. When I bought the truck new the salesman told me the truck will fall apart before you have issues with the drivetrain. I coated the undercarriage and door jams in an attempt to prevent severe rust damage. I know the cost of diesel is crazy right now and I'm hearing about shortages coming however both will be fleeting I'd imagine. If you can get a good deal now on a high mileage diesel go for it. This is my first diesel and I love it. The sounds, smells, and massive torque on hand is hard to part with.

I've been looking at them with 40-60k miles - using my gas mindset of mileage and expected life. I live in St. Louis so for me, any lake is 1:45-2 hours away, so looking at a 4 hour round trip. Wouldn't be as big of a deal if I was consistently towing 30-45 minutes. I've always been a GM guy, owned a couple Fords along the way. Haven't given much consideration to the RAMs, might take a look at least.

Thanks,
Todd

One other fun fact about the truck is that it's a 6 speed manual w/ a tow tune. In 6th gear it will pull from 80-120 like a banshee. Surprises a lot of so called sports cars on the interstate:coolcowboy:

Surprised you still have this truck. Now get another cat to pull behind it!

Me too. Parted ways with my beloved 2500 Avalanche 8.1 and now have a 2500 Cummins in the driveway. I never thought I'd change teams but they are so much better than the current batch of GM's in my opinion.

If you have any questions about the Ram's let me know. I did a year of research before pulling the trigger. I always buy new, which is cost prohibitive for some I realize, but I drive them for 10 plus years minimum.

I sold my 2500 8.1L Avalanche to get the F350 7.3L PSD. Then I ended up with a couple 8.1L/Allison gas trucks which I LOVED. I kept the blue one for several years.
The F150 has the 6.2L gas ("Raptor" powertrain) and it's pretty much my DD, as well as I use it for light towing. I've hauled a skid-steer with it, and it did fine for a local trip on a really good trailer.
The Lincoln tows surprisingly well with the 460 Ford in it. :D
But before 2017, I would have NEVER thought I'd own a Cummins/Ram. Yet here I am, living the dream. I ordered the 2018 Ram 3500 Cummins/AISIN, and I couldn't be happier. I also did an extensive amount of my own personal research on which truck would work for me, and the Ram won.


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Well I knew you were looking for a Mark didn't know you got one. Love those old Mark IV's.

I’ve pulled 10k with all of the gassers. They work fine, for long trips the range is horrendous.

The DRW Ford 350 diesel was by far my favorite. Big tank, great fuel efficiency. DRW adds a lot of stability.

It took 6 months to get, but worth the wait so far. Although FULL DISCLOSURE....I did just get a recall notice for a transmission oil fire hazard possibility. Oh well, it's always something!!!

Loved my 8.1 gas but after 17 years all the rust and 12 mpg got the best of me.

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I purchased my first Duramax ahead of a trip to Lake Havasu coming from Indiana. I knew my Escalade wasn't up for the task. What impressed me most was when I crossed the Rocky Mountains with the cruise set on 75 and it never even unlocked the torque converter, much less downshift. This was pulling a 28' boat, it did the same with my 35 Nordic

hard to believe my old beater is 18 years old


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Nice looking truck. What is hard to believe is that it would probably bring what it cost brand new if you were to sell it today.

use a ram 2500 6.4 gas to pull a 31' cigarette bullet. its over 9,500lb does it just fine.

Still tow with my 6.0/4L80e/4.10 Suburban. The old girl has 340k+ miles on her and still keeps going. It has an upgraded receiver from Curt but that's about it. Here in Hampton Roads, it's pretty flat except for the occasional bridge so it isn't too bad. I probably lug the thing more than I should when towing - if I let the cruise control do the job on the interstate, she'd just about hit the rev limit shifting!

If needed, my buddy's Duramax pickup handles longer-range towing duties.

I'm tired of buying vehicles and the truck is in overall good shape for being 20 years old - a PSI 8.8 with a little more cam would be a nice swap project.

2017 w/ 260K miles, still looks good.
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I used a 2013 Tahoe with 5.3 and towing package (3.42 gears) to tow my 28 Velocity. Weighed 6500lbs loaded. Never had any issue in the mountains or stopping with surge brakes on both axles.

2022 F150 with the tow package 3.73 and 2.7 ecoboost pulls my 26' Martini with all the gear 4 people and full tanks effortless. Something about the twin turbos that tow similar to my old power stroke. It doesn't search for gears and rarely downshifts going up hills. The boat/trailer is right around the 6,000lbs mark with all the gear. I recently drove from Michigan to New York for a fun run and got 15.5 MPG at 70-75 the whole way there and back. The truck is very stable and stops just fine with the help of trailer brakes.

Then as a daily it gets 21-23mpg on average weekly commuting to work. Very satisfied with this truck.

I’d probably start thinking about a 250 around the 8,000lbs mark IMO

most people just use cheap lt tires, mine are gladiators and i had them on my 20 trailer as well. the stiffer sidewall and strait tread makes the tow much nicer.

Funny you say that. I have worked for GM corporate for nearly a year and worked for Ford corporate for the better part of the 5 previous years. I've spec'd out a new 1 ton crew cab diesel 4wd with my discounts at both. The GM came in close to your number and due to the packages Ford required, it was another $10k. I've been contemplating replacing my 4wd Sequoia with one since I'm towing 11k lbs.

the only problem is I think he wants to tow more than 50 miles round trip

My take is that there are a lot of used diesel trucks that you can buy, get reasonable, if not perfect reliability out of, and sell in 5 years for what you paid for it. A lot easier than modifying your gas motor.

I owned a 7.3 Ford, put 100k miles on it and I believe I sold it for 800 less than I paid for it if memory serves. You probably don't want something that old but I bet with a 20-30k budget you could pull it off....