Gas tow rig....possible? NEED DIESEL.
08-05-2014, 08:25 PM
#1
Gas tow rig....possible? NEED DIESEL.
Just got back from a trip to Loto. Towed my 38 Fountain there from Chicago. 450 Miles there, 450 Miles back. Averaged 8 MPG towing for the entire trip with the ac cranking. My truck is a 1997 K3500 Dually, 454 vortec, 4.10 rear, HD trans cooler, E rated tires, all the typical stuff.
Thru the entire trip process, I ran across about a half dozen people, who looked at me like i was NUTS for having this truck as a tow vehicle.
My Buddy who came with bought a new dodge 2500 recently. Cummins engine, 3.42 Rear, crew cab short bed. He asked before the trip, if my "gas" truck will be able to pull my boat up the hills at Loto. He mentioned using his new dodge, but having towed with Shortbed SRW trucks, I'd prefer my old Chevy dually for the whole stability thing. Just me.
We get to loto, he followed me the entire way. Watching me climb hills with boat in tow, maintaining 65+mph on the grades. We get to the marina where we launched. The road leading into the marina, has a extremely steep grade going down into the launch ramp area. He saw the marina's worker pulling a boat out of the water with the marina's house truck, an old 7.3 diesel ford. My buddy suggested maybe when we go to pull out at the end of our trip, we should let the marina guys pull it out for us, with the "diesel".
The guy working at the marina later saw my boat hooked to my truck, and my buddy's dodge parked next to it. He says to me, "man, is that your buddy's dodge? I'd be hooking the boat to that thing if its got the cummins in it".
In the meantime, I watch the marina worker, pulling boats out of the water with a 4x4 diesel dually, in 2wd high. Sounds like the trans is about to explode on the thing.
I see guys at ramps with 4 wheel drive trucks, esp diesels, never using 4 low. Is this an ego thing? Like, I dont need no stinking 4 low, I got a diesel!!! Let me put 30 lbs of boost thru my engine going up the ramp ready to snap a u joint at any moment, and superheat the torque converter. I never understood that.
When it came time to pull the boat out of the water, and climb the crazy steep grade to exit the marina, I simply put my truck in 4 low, gave it 10% throttle, and climbed up the hill without issue. I get it out and we stop, my buddy says, "man, thats a job for a diesel for sure".
While there we used my buddy's new dodge to go to town and get something. Theres a steep grade going downhill along the way. He showed me his factory jake brake, and how it maintained the 40mph speed coasting downhill. Pretty cool. The next day we used my truck to go to town, down the same steep grade (not towing). I used my version of the jake brake, downshifting the trans, which also maintained the 40mph coast downhill. Fancy eh! Gas engines can actually engine brake.
I constantly hear from guys all the time making references as to a gas engine is incapable for towing a trailer. Does anyone remember a time, when diesel engines were gutless, had NO power, and were nothing more than an option for getting better gas mileage over the big block chevy or ford? There was a time when there were 38 Cigs, 41 apaches, 42 Fountains, were being towed off the showroom floor, with a gas truck, because, well, there was no better option back then.
Apparently the towing society has lost sight in the last decade or so. Sure the new modern big power diesels are powerhouses, but lets not forget there was big boats around before there were big diesels. Theres more to towing a trailer than how many foot lbs of torq the engine makes. I enjoyed my 900 miles of pulling a 38ft boat without a hint of sway, wandering, great braking during a few panic stops, and so on. Sure my truck downshifted on hills, and reved up to 4k rpm at times. Prob had people pointing and snickering at me, "hahaha lol look at that guy, his truck downshifted towing that 13k lb trailer up that grade lololol he shoulda got a cummins or a powerstroke". Truth be told, truck pulls better and downshifts much less pulling at 70mph, cruising at 60 it shifts in and out of OD way to often. Would I love to own a new modern diesel dually fully equipped, absolutely. However, I wont buy used junk anymore, and dropping 60k for a new pickup to tow my boat a handful of times a year, eh, not gonna happen. I'd get a better boat and keep my truck if I had 60k to burn. I drive a class 8 truck for a living. You wanna see what underpowered feels like, or long 0-60 times, hop behind the wheel of a fully loaded class 8 truck and run thru the gears. Heck, I've driven class 8 trucks over the years that you've had you foot to the firewall trying to maintain 55mph on flat ground, let alone a hill.
Just curious if any of you other gas truck owners get the same kind of grief?
Thru the entire trip process, I ran across about a half dozen people, who looked at me like i was NUTS for having this truck as a tow vehicle.
My Buddy who came with bought a new dodge 2500 recently. Cummins engine, 3.42 Rear, crew cab short bed. He asked before the trip, if my "gas" truck will be able to pull my boat up the hills at Loto. He mentioned using his new dodge, but having towed with Shortbed SRW trucks, I'd prefer my old Chevy dually for the whole stability thing. Just me.
We get to loto, he followed me the entire way. Watching me climb hills with boat in tow, maintaining 65+mph on the grades. We get to the marina where we launched. The road leading into the marina, has a extremely steep grade going down into the launch ramp area. He saw the marina's worker pulling a boat out of the water with the marina's house truck, an old 7.3 diesel ford. My buddy suggested maybe when we go to pull out at the end of our trip, we should let the marina guys pull it out for us, with the "diesel".
The guy working at the marina later saw my boat hooked to my truck, and my buddy's dodge parked next to it. He says to me, "man, is that your buddy's dodge? I'd be hooking the boat to that thing if its got the cummins in it".
In the meantime, I watch the marina worker, pulling boats out of the water with a 4x4 diesel dually, in 2wd high. Sounds like the trans is about to explode on the thing.
I see guys at ramps with 4 wheel drive trucks, esp diesels, never using 4 low. Is this an ego thing? Like, I dont need no stinking 4 low, I got a diesel!!! Let me put 30 lbs of boost thru my engine going up the ramp ready to snap a u joint at any moment, and superheat the torque converter. I never understood that.
When it came time to pull the boat out of the water, and climb the crazy steep grade to exit the marina, I simply put my truck in 4 low, gave it 10% throttle, and climbed up the hill without issue. I get it out and we stop, my buddy says, "man, thats a job for a diesel for sure".
While there we used my buddy's new dodge to go to town and get something. Theres a steep grade going downhill along the way. He showed me his factory jake brake, and how it maintained the 40mph speed coasting downhill. Pretty cool. The next day we used my truck to go to town, down the same steep grade (not towing). I used my version of the jake brake, downshifting the trans, which also maintained the 40mph coast downhill. Fancy eh! Gas engines can actually engine brake.
I constantly hear from guys all the time making references as to a gas engine is incapable for towing a trailer. Does anyone remember a time, when diesel engines were gutless, had NO power, and were nothing more than an option for getting better gas mileage over the big block chevy or ford? There was a time when there were 38 Cigs, 41 apaches, 42 Fountains, were being towed off the showroom floor, with a gas truck, because, well, there was no better option back then.
Apparently the towing society has lost sight in the last decade or so. Sure the new modern big power diesels are powerhouses, but lets not forget there was big boats around before there were big diesels. Theres more to towing a trailer than how many foot lbs of torq the engine makes. I enjoyed my 900 miles of pulling a 38ft boat without a hint of sway, wandering, great braking during a few panic stops, and so on. Sure my truck downshifted on hills, and reved up to 4k rpm at times. Prob had people pointing and snickering at me, "hahaha lol look at that guy, his truck downshifted towing that 13k lb trailer up that grade lololol he shoulda got a cummins or a powerstroke". Truth be told, truck pulls better and downshifts much less pulling at 70mph, cruising at 60 it shifts in and out of OD way to often. Would I love to own a new modern diesel dually fully equipped, absolutely. However, I wont buy used junk anymore, and dropping 60k for a new pickup to tow my boat a handful of times a year, eh, not gonna happen. I'd get a better boat and keep my truck if I had 60k to burn. I drive a class 8 truck for a living. You wanna see what underpowered feels like, or long 0-60 times, hop behind the wheel of a fully loaded class 8 truck and run thru the gears. Heck, I've driven class 8 trucks over the years that you've had you foot to the firewall trying to maintain 55mph on flat ground, let alone a hill.
Just curious if any of you other gas truck owners get the same kind of grief?
08-05-2014, 08:41 PM
#2
08-05-2014, 10:00 PM
#4
Fast Singles Club
Gold Member
iTrader: (8)
I tow with a 5.7 Hemi and 3.92 posi with no problem in the mountains of Pa. . But then my cat is only 25' . Trailer has new disc brakes on all four , huge diff over drums . I still get looked at funny by some diesel friends . 
08-05-2014, 10:16 PM
#5
Registered
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Murrayville Georgia
Posts: 1,817
Likes: 0
Received 891 Likes
on
319 Posts
I am with you MT, mine is the same truck but '96. has 275,000 on it now with over 100,000 of that towing a 42 triple engine Formula. still runs great, can get fuel anywhere and and has been paid for a long time. I can buy a lot of fuel for just the upcharge for a diesel.
08-05-2014, 10:29 PM
#6
I am with you MT, mine is the same truck but '96. has 275,000 on it now with over 100,000 of that towing a 42 triple engine Formula. still runs great, can get fuel anywhere and and has been paid for a long time. I can buy a lot of fuel for just the upcharge for a diesel.
You towed a 419 Formula with it? You must have had to ride in the right lane with the flashers on at 40mph on the interstate.
08-06-2014, 12:23 AM
#8
Registered
iTrader: (1)
Joe, I'm with ya. My 2500 6.0 pulled like a champ. It was a SRW and short bed. Mostly wanted a dually for when I do get the 42 and try to get to some poker runs. I have no issues with gas engines. Dad had lots of work trucks hit 300,000 all gas. I always use low at the ramps. Work smart not hard. If you like your truck roll with it!!
08-06-2014, 02:01 AM
#9
Registered
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Between A Womans Leggs in IL
Posts: 6,306
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
I dont believe it!!! A gas engine with 275k miles! You'd need a DIESEL to go 275k miles. heck, they are barely even broken in at 275k miles. I heard they go a million miles before overhauls....
You towed a 419 Formula with it? You must have had to ride in the right lane with the flashers on at 40mph on the interstate.
You towed a 419 Formula with it? You must have had to ride in the right lane with the flashers on at 40mph on the interstate.
08-06-2014, 06:10 AM
#10
21 and 42 footers
Platinum Member
I have a diesel but since it's used so rarely I'd be very happy with a gasser. The truck works well and I agree with your logic.......quit worrying about what other people think, they are wrong.
