Ford F350/F450 or Dodge 3500. The F450's actually turn better than the F350 due to the widetrack front axle.

If you truly don't want diesel and can afford new, Ford will have a new 7.3 Liter Gas V8 in 2020. It is designed for hauling/towing and while numbers aren't out they claim it will be the most power V8 you can get in a truck.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
I don't see a diesel penciling out between the initial cost and the maintenance.

Cost? Yes, but "maintenance" is a myth.

I've got a '12 F250 Powerstroke with almost 100K on it and the only "maintenance" I've done on it is tires and oil.

The thing will pull a house too.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
Thanks, all.

This is not for me, but someone asked me and I respect the experience and opinions here.

Personally, I'm in the "spend your money on hotel rooms" crowd.

Ah. In that case, maybe a simple "I don't know"? Too many variables and so far this thread has it narrowed down to a gas/diesel Chevy/Dodge/Ford SRW/dually 3/4 ton/1 ton and we haven't even begun to discuss 4x4 vs. 4x2 or various hitch options.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

Cost? Yes, but "maintenance" is a myth.

I've got a '12 F250 Powerstroke with almost 100K on it and the only "maintenance" I've done on it is tires and oil.

The thing will pull a house too.

What's an oil change with filter cost you?

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
I don't see a diesel penciling out between the initial cost and the maintenance.

Cost? Yes, but "maintenance" is a myth.

I've got a '12 F250 Powerstroke with almost 100K on it and the only "maintenance" I've done on it is tires and oil.

The thing will pull a house too.

Oil change is 13 quarts and a $17 Motorcraft filter. Fuel filters every 22,500 miles at I believe $50. Air filter is $20 every 45,000 miles. Wal-Mart's Supertech DEF is $8.50 for 2.5 gallons. I'm not sure how much I'm using, but maybe a but every 3,000 miles? I replaced both batteries at $150 each. I went with AGM batteries, so I could have saved $75 if I had gone with conventional batteries. I don't know how many batteries a gas truck has.

quote:

What's an oil change with filter cost you?

My 2016 Ram 4500 oil (Rotella T6) and filter runs $80.00 doing it myself. 15,000 mile interval.

I agree with the thought to buy a trailer first and then, AFTER YOU ACTUALLY WEIGH IT, buy a truck to haul it.

RV weights are notoriously under represented industry wide. Also keep in mind that you will probably add at least 1000 pounds to what the actual RV weighs (water, food, tools etc).

At 10K you should be fine with a SRW 1 ton.
At 18K you should be looking at a F-450 or equivalent. In 2020 Ford is coming out with a 7.3L gas engine for larger rigs and that might work for your friend if you don't like diesel (which is my preference). Yes diesels are more expensive to buy and run but you get a lot more power so it's a trade off.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Oil change is 13 quarts and a $17 Motorcraft filter. Fuel filters every 22,500 miles at I believe $50. Air filter is $20 every 45,000 miles. Wal-Mart's Supertech DEF is $8.50 for 2.5 gallons. I'm not sure how much I'm using, but maybe a but every 3,000 miles? I replaced both batteries at $150 each. I went with AGM batteries, so I could have saved $75 if I had gone with conventional batteries. I don't know how many batteries a gas truck has.

My God. Damn near need a second mortgage for all that.

LOL. We'll have to eat Ramen noodles for a week to make up the difference.

Ugeesta, some of us tried to tell you that . While others thought what you had was sufficient

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
Ugeesta, some of us tried to tell you that . While others thought what you had was sufficient

Yeah, I can be a bit stubborn but this time I blame my wife. She told me to go get the new truck. She says that she was sick of hearing me talk about it but I think she really wanted the new truck

Another vote for Cummins. Mine is in a ‘95 Ram 2500. 12 valve engine. Manual trans, single rear wheels. STRONG pulling machine. Can carry, per manual, 2k+ in the bed. Been there and done that. Have also pulled 2k lb. trailer with two concrete blocks in it (about 4,500 #, 6,500 gross trailer weight) with a frame mounted hitch. Didn’t grunt at that load. Truck is about 6,300 empty so gcvw was almost 13k. It is my “everything” truck and I do about 15k miles/yr. with it.

I am going with Gustofer as well, not all that expensive to maintain. Oil change every 10k miles (about $100, 12 quarts + filter). Keep fuel in it. Fuel additive, 3 oz./ 30 gallons of fuel. No DEF as the truck is older. Runs and rides great. 20 mpg around town, have done 25+ on the highway riding no load.

quote:

I've got a '12 F250 Powerstroke with almost 100K on it and the only "maintenance" I've done on it is tires and oil.

First saying only tires and oil would simply not be true for anyone who is following the factory maintenance schedule (and who wouldn't follow it to keep the 100K warranty of a new truck). And its even dumb otherwise.
Second, let's deal with the 95 cummins above. Great engine, keep it going as long as you can. But its a pre-EPA engine so it really has no meaning for anyone looking for a new(ish) truck. but for sure if I see an 5sp. cummins in great shape I'm buying it... I'm a ford guy. the below is ford specific because I haven't owned anything else.
I've owned a pair (farm use) of Ford Diesel trucks since the first ones came off the assembly line back in the 80's!. These spend their lives towing. First one I bought had a premium of $2250 and the payback by my calculations of the time was about 40K miles. Then we move to 7.3's, 6.0's and then 6.7's. Each time the EPA took a chunk out of the good part, the price premium for a diesel took a hike. By 1997 on the last of the good 7.3's the payback based on my actual costs was 107K miles. That truck went to 400K before I sold it and its still running. I got my money out of that. My 6.0 two trucks (2006 vintage) with 6.0 liter motors never hit a payback due to the cost of fixing the EPA mandated EGR systems and the associated mess that causes (intake manifold etc.). Both are now gone after 18+k in costs dealing with the motors. A completely new set of gas motors would be half that.
Fast forward to today. I just bought again in 2018. I did not buy a diesel. At 9+K for the motor, fuel 50% higher, maintenance 50% higher or worse you simply cannot get your money back on a modern diesel unless you drive ungodly miles towing.
I'm not knocking the diesel motors, I love them. Nothing tows better. But it is simply bad economics to get one these day if you are accruing mileage at the rate of 10K annually.
As to the original post I wouldn't tow anything in the area above 12K bumper pull. Yes you can configure trucks that will do it 15k easily, maybe a bit more with some work on options and length etc. but its silly.
For the record I have been pretty darn happy with the 2018 gas Superduty. No it does not tow as easily as a powerstroke especially at max GVWR, but it gets the job done and I'm very happy with the 10K in the bank and the facts that pretty much anyone can fix it.
YMMV of course.,

quote:

I've got a '12 F250 Powerstroke with almost 100K on it and the only "maintenance" I've done on it is tires and oil.

Dude you’ve got a lot of neglected maintenance to take care of.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

Cost? Yes, but "maintenance" is a myth.

I've got a '12 F250 Powerstroke with almost 100K on it and the only "maintenance" I've done on it is tires and oil.

The thing will pull a house too.

What's an oil change with filter cost you?

I've got a 2006 Dodge Ram 3500 SRW w/ the 5.9 Cummins. Oil change is 12 quarts of Mobil 1 (roughly $75-85 at walmart), Mopar oil filter (about $15-20), and fuel filters about $4 every year (I don't drive it much any more) and grease from my grease gun.


I used to take it in to have the oil changed - that was over $150 a pop 10 years ago and I'd still have to go back w/ the tech to "show" them were to grease...