Seeking tow vehicle recommendation

larev

Member
Just bought a slightly used Northcountry 26SRL. I had a popup years ago but this is the first time I've towed anything this large.

I expect I'll replace my 1996 Ford 150 4wd with something newer. I'd appreciate any recommendations about ideal size truck, 2wd vs 4wd, gas vs diesel, transmissions and basically anything else in that department folks have learned.

Oh, yeah, I'm planning to take it from my home near Houston (elevation 150) up to southwestern Colorado and some campgrounds up in the Rockies.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Hi larev,

Welcome to the Heartland Family and to the Heartland Owners Forum. You'll find a lot of useful information here along with a lot of friendly and helpful people who are willing to share their knowledge and experience.

I'm sure other owners will jump in shortly to offer suggestions.
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
If I were you I would get at least a 3/4 ton pickup preferably a diesel engine. Keep in mind you may want to upgrade at some time in the near future to a larger RV. Personally I prefer Fords.
 
The Ford 6.7 is the top of the line in Deisels right now and with the built in sway control and trailer brakes it makes the Ideal tow truck. I went with the F250 Super Duty 4X4 Off Road with 10000 lb option. Tows my BigHorn 3610 without any strain at all. just went 8000 miles across country and never had a hill that was a problem. Good towing mileage and GREAT mileage when not towing.
 

DW_Gray

Well-known member
Please read the "Before You Buy" article mentioned in my sig below. What ever truck you decide on, make sure the maximum trailer weight is greater than the trailer's GVWR. Considering you'll drive in the mountains, you'll want to bump that maximum trailer weight up a bit.
 

Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
Get at least a 3/4tn with a diesel. As far as Ford being the better truck??? The GM trucks have all the same goodies as the Ford. GM has the same HP and torque. With traction control and stabilitrack. GM has the same towing ratings as Ford. They are the same truck only one has a blue oval in the grill and one has the bow-tie. I will buy a bow-tie anytime.
 

GOTTOYS

Well-known member
The Ford 6.7 is the top of the line in Deisels right now and with the built in sway control and trailer brakes it makes the Ideal tow truck. I went with the F250 Super Duty 4X4 Off Road with 10000 lb option. Tows my BigHorn 3610 without any strain at all. just went 8000 miles across country and never had a hill that was a problem. Good towing mileage and GREAT mileage when not towing.
No offense but "Top of the line" is a subjective term. All of the major brands are top of the line. I would be happy with any of them and I'm happy with my Dodge. All of them have features that stand out from each other. Go test drive them all and make your own decision...Don
 

danemayer

Well-known member
larev, you might have noticed by now that we're all passionate about our trucks brands. I'm not going to tell you how great my GMC is :p. but I do want to mention a few things.

Diesel engines develop max horsepower at much lower RPM than do gasoline engines. So when towing uphill and in the mountains, diesels don't have to rev up to 5000 RPM to keep you going.

As altitude increases, gasoline engines lose power. Diesels do better.

Diesel engines cost more, but have longer life and retain resale value better, so the up front extra cost is not lost.

If there's any, any, any possibility of ever getting a 5th wheel in the future, look at trucks that will support a 5th wheel hitch. I think the world of Toyota, but they made it clear to me that they don't support 5th wheel hitches.

Whatever vehicle you get serious about, before buying, check both the towing specification, and the payload specification. Towing spec is how much it will pull. They'll have 2 numbers: conventional towing, and 5th wheel towing. You'll want the conventional towing number, but again, if there's any possibility of ever getting a 5th wheel, take a look at that number too. The payload spec represents the vertical load you can carry, whether tongue weight, or 5th wheel pinbox weight. Payload includes passengers, tools, hitch, bed cover, bed lining, and anything else that adds weight to the truck. I specifically mention checking payload because this capability can vary quite a bit across GM, Ford, and Dodge, and across different configurations. Many people get unpleasant surprises when they find out they can pull a lot more than they can carry.

I know this can all get overwhelming - so maybe I should have just told you how great my GMC is. ;)
 

ihsolutions

Well-known member
Dan is right on the mark. And I'm still laughing at that last line about his GMC. If only it were a Chevy I would have agreed with everything he said above! (j/k)
 

Porkchop

Well-known member
We went with the GMC partly because we had a GMC before and it just felt right once we got into the truck for a test drive. We were going to go with the Ford, but I just didn't like it as much inside. Felt so strange. When we test road the GMC, it kinda felt like home.

We decided to go with the 3500 vs the 2500 b/c the price difference was negligible, actually it was slightly less for us (when we were shopping around). We love the diesel as well. Pulls like a dream. We have a smaller 5th wheel, but we should be able to upgrade the rig in the future. That's something you definitely want to keep in mind... you don't want to have to buy a new truck if you ever decide to go bigger, it can be a vicious cycle.

Good luck!

Irene

PS we LOVE our GMC ;) but being that you are originally a Ford person, you might like that brand better. Test drive them all!
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
I don't mean to hijack the thread and talk about just trucks but I just wanted to point out that Ford is the only brand that will come from the factory equipped with a 5th wheel hitch. That tells me that the Ford engineers must know something about how their truck will be used. I love the way Chevy trucks look (that is why they are the most stolen pickups - easy to steal) and I think the Cummings engine is great too. But in my mind the new Ford 6.7 L FORD engine and FORD transmission are the way to go but that is my opinion. Every individual on this and all other forums has their own personal opinions on the best truck and I look at it as whatever does the job for them and makes them happy. But keep in mind that someday you may want a 5er and if you get something that will pull it now you will not have to put that money out later.
 

TeJay

Well-known member
I've driven and worked on all brands. As a poster said they all have about the same bells and whistles. The decider for me was two fold. I have a Nephew ( ME from Michigan ) that works on the tranny line at Ford. He gave me a lot of insight as to what they do to test the transmissions. Also Ford is doing a lot to reduce the negative influence of the unions. I worked in Detroit while attending college and I saw some of the non-productive stuff that the unions were doing. Most importantly Ford didn't take a dime of the gov $$$$$$$$. These are facts not opinions.
TeJay
 

Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
Tejay, not to start a fight. I will say I would buy a Ford before something made overseas. But you need to do some research about how Ford stayed in business. They were broke also. I never could find out who loaned Ford the money, but it was private money in exchange for the BLUE OVAL. I believe that they did take some Gov money in the way bonds. None of the big 3 didn't take money from outside. I dont know about Chyrsler, but GM has paid back over 1/2 of the loan with interest.
 

Sandpirate69

Well-known member
I will keep my Chevy. I've had Fords, great trucks but I preferred the Duramax & Allison Trans. Bottom line is, the Best Truck is the one you can afford and be happy with. You can buy a New truck & it can be a nightmare, so buy what you like & make it work for you.
 

tmcran

Well-known member
I've driven and worked on all brands. As a poster said they all have about the same bells and whistles. The decider for me was two fold. I have a Nephew ( ME from Michigan ) that works on the tranny line at Ford. He gave me a lot of insight as to what they do to test the transmissions. Also Ford is doing a lot to reduce the negative influence of the unions. I worked in Detroit while attending college and I saw some of the non-productive stuff that the unions were doing. Most importantly Ford didn't take a dime of the gov $$$$$$$$. These are facts not opinions.
TeJay

You need to do some research on the Ford deal ( I believe "Business Week" but can recall date). If Gm and Chrysler had gone under Ford was right behind. The suppliers would not be able to just supply
Ford with out huge lay offs and closures. All the makers get things like leather,tires,bearings,cloth,injectors, and etc from out side suppliers.
Funny how people are. Friend of mines son is a diesel tech for a Ford dealership. He drives a 2011 Chevy Dmax.
 
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