When I bought my 2015 Chevy Silverado 2500HD 4x4 SRW with gas engine, I had no plans on buying a 5th-wheel trailer.
Who needs a diesel, I thought . . .
We had a Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 that we were pulling our 2013 Heartland Trail Runner bumper-pull trailer, plus our old 1978 Coachman Cadet 24' trailer before that.
It could pull anything . . . but could it
STOP anything?
NOPE!
We had one of those "almost didn't get stopped in time" moments with our Trail Runner attached to the Dodge Ram 1500 . . . and we decided to get a bigger truck that was way more than what we needed for the Trail Runner!
Thus the Chevy 2500HD . . . and living in Colorado, I
WANTED the 4.10 rear end!
However . . . circumstances dictated us to upgrade, so we looked at bigger bumper-pulls . . . but wound up with a 5th-wheel trailer (our current Heartland Prowler - which we love, by the way).
But, we decided to find a trailer that fit our truck instead of finding a trailer over buying a new truck, since we already had a brand new truck!
So far it has worked out for us.
In many ways I kinda' wish I had gotten a diesel dually . . .
The only thing a diesel would give us right now that we want would be the exhaust brake.
But we really don't need that with our current choice of trailer.
I know how to drive in the mountains.
Next time, when we are ready to hit the road and retire from the working life, you can bet your booty we will get a diesel dually with the trailer to go along with it!
Let me just say this . . . if you have just one question mark about your tow vehicle . . . look into getting a bigger and better tow vehicle!
When we had our 'Can't stop!' moment . . . it was an eye opener!