Which of these two trucks for towing 36 feet and 8k pounds
#1
12-15-2011, 02:51 PM
Which of these two trucks for towing 36 feet and 8k pounds
Hello,
I have been looking at trucks and I have narrowed it down to 2:
1) 2008 GMC Sierra 2500HD 4WD Crew Cab Standard Box SLT; Duramax 6.6L V8 Turbocharged with 87K miles on it; and
2) 2008 Dodge Ram 2500 4WD Quad Cab 6.3 Ft Box ST; Cummins 6.7L I6 Turbocharged; 59K miles on it.
The GMC is $1500 more, but is loaded with all the interior options. The Dodge looks plainer on the inside.
I am going to be pulling a travel trailer that is around 32-36 feet and 8500lbs for 9 months straight; wife and I are traveling for a while. I have not ruled out buying a fifth-wheel yet. I am mostly looking for the most reliable truck.
Any recommendations on which truck is better and more reliable?
I also have my eye on a 2007 Chevy Silverado 4X4 fully loaded diesel with 50K on it but it’s a private seller, and he seems kind of shady.
Also, would anyone recommend a 2500 gas engine for this load?
I have been looking at trucks and I have narrowed it down to 2:
1) 2008 GMC Sierra 2500HD 4WD Crew Cab Standard Box SLT; Duramax 6.6L V8 Turbocharged with 87K miles on it; and
2) 2008 Dodge Ram 2500 4WD Quad Cab 6.3 Ft Box ST; Cummins 6.7L I6 Turbocharged; 59K miles on it.
The GMC is $1500 more, but is loaded with all the interior options. The Dodge looks plainer on the inside.
I am going to be pulling a travel trailer that is around 32-36 feet and 8500lbs for 9 months straight; wife and I are traveling for a while. I have not ruled out buying a fifth-wheel yet. I am mostly looking for the most reliable truck.
Any recommendations on which truck is better and more reliable?
I also have my eye on a 2007 Chevy Silverado 4X4 fully loaded diesel with 50K on it but it’s a private seller, and he seems kind of shady.
Also, would anyone recommend a 2500 gas engine for this load?
Last edited by erust2; 12-15-2011 at 03:08 PM.
#2
12-15-2011, 05:22 PM
I'm partial to the Ram/ Cummins truck (with deletes), but If you're looking at buying a 5er then I'd get the longer bed. It's tough to back and turn a 5er with a cab in the way.
Either of those trucks will handle that load fairly easy but I question the weight for a 32-36 trailer. I bet you end up a bit heavier once you add all of your personal things but it still shouldn't be an issue for either.
If you're mainly towing there is no way I'd consider a gas rig.
Either of those trucks will handle that load fairly easy but I question the weight for a 32-36 trailer. I bet you end up a bit heavier once you add all of your personal things but it still shouldn't be an issue for either.
If you're mainly towing there is no way I'd consider a gas rig.
#3
12-15-2011, 05:56 PM
#4
12-17-2011, 10:18 AM
the 07 you mentioned would be either the lbz or lmm duramax.. if it's an LBZ i would reccomend that, it's a pre emissions beast. have a mechanic check it out.
but the trucks are fairly closely matched and each could have their own set of problems I would go for the one you would like to sit in the longest! the long box for towing is a huge plus, but if you would rather park your butt in the dodge i'm sure you can deal with the maneuvering issues.
honestly, I have a Chevy bias.. but the fact it has a fullsize bed I would go with that, it will have a smoother ride, which to me makes it less tedious on long trips, especially if you have 32' of trailer swinging behind you! I would not recomend a gasser for towing it, the gasser will get 8-10mpg at best with a trailer like that where a diesel will still get 12-15.. do the math in fuel costs
chances are the chevy only has a 26gal tank and from my experience the low fuel light come on after you have burned 20gal of that.
but the trucks are fairly closely matched and each could have their own set of problems I would go for the one you would like to sit in the longest! the long box for towing is a huge plus, but if you would rather park your butt in the dodge i'm sure you can deal with the maneuvering issues.
honestly, I have a Chevy bias.. but the fact it has a fullsize bed I would go with that, it will have a smoother ride, which to me makes it less tedious on long trips, especially if you have 32' of trailer swinging behind you! I would not recomend a gasser for towing it, the gasser will get 8-10mpg at best with a trailer like that where a diesel will still get 12-15.. do the math in fuel costs
chances are the chevy only has a 26gal tank and from my experience the low fuel light come on after you have burned 20gal of that.
Last edited by Budgreen; 12-17-2011 at 10:24 AM.
#5
12-21-2011, 01:18 AM
finally got it
After month's of looking, I finally got a truck. I settled for a 2009 silverado 2500 HD extended cab 6.6L diesel with 36k miles on it. I had to travel 16 hours to buy the truck, but so far I am happy with it. It has a few minor issuess (e.g., the wiper fluid motor appeaes not to work) but the engine drives great. I have put about 500 miles on it around where I bought it, and it handles like a new truck. It has a warrenty, so they will fix the wind shield wiper fluid issue. Thanks for all your repsonses, it really helped in making my final decision.
