Baystate Jeepers

Looking at a few options for tow rigs, one in particular I wanted to get an opinion on.

Found an '04 1500 Z71 with fairly low milage, but I'm a hesitant thinking the 5.3 V8 wouldn't have enough guts to perform well on all the hills around here. Rig and trailer together I'm looking somewhere in the neighborhood of 7,000 pounds behind me. I like the size of the extended cab Z71, it's not too large so I can tuck it behind my apartment fairly easily. If I step up to a 2500, I'll have to get a regular cab or it will be too long....but I've had a number of Duramax' and they tow great.

So, who's towed with the 5.3, how do you like it?

Previously I had an F250 with the 5.4 V8. It was OK on gentle terrain pulling 7K.
However... on the hills of Pennsylvania the sucker was really straining.
Foot to the floor, down shifting a couple of gears and struggling to hold 45 MPH.

The 2500 Ram 5.9 diesel I have now hardly knows there's a trailer behind it.
Night and day difference

I tow using my Civic... It works

I used to have an '03 Silverado Z71 Ex-cab 5.3L. It towed my Jeep and trailer just fine. Plenty of power around here.

I towed to Moab with a '03 F150 ex-cab FX4 5.4L. Did just fine, even in the Rockies (don't ask about my loose bleeder screw on one of my trailer brakes going down the Rockies though). That's the difference between the same engine being used in 1/2 ton compared to 3/4 ton trucks. I didn't have a problem in Pennsylvania.

All that said, I just bought a new 2012 F150 5.0L and it blows both of my previous trucks away towing.

Little Napoleon wrote:I tow using my Civic... It works

At least it wasn't a Kia.

On all the Chevy/GM trucks from early-mid 2000's make damn sure to check the condition of the brake lines!!!!!!!! They love to rot out if it spent it's life in the rust belt . Waiting for the stainless line kit to come in so I replace my dad's rotted out lines on an '04 2500HD that only has 41k on it!! Blew both a front AND rear line at the same time

ZAEDOCK wrote: That's the difference between the same engine being used in 1/2 ton compared to 3/4 ton trucks. I didn't have a problem in Pennsylvania.

All that said, I just bought a new 2012 F150 5.0L and it blows both of my previous trucks away towing.

Kurts old Ford was a light duty F250. Basically an F150 (read: 1/2 ton) with bigger rear axle, 7 lug wheels, and stiffer springs. Not a true 3/4 ton. Ford only built that truck for a couple of years. It was touted as the 7700, because of it's GVW.


A couple of DWE guys are towing their rigs with newer F150s equipped with the Ecoboost engine with no issues at all.

That being said, you will not find a better tow rig than a heavy duty (3/4 or 1 ton) truck with a diesel engine for towing. Plenty of torque and fuel milege that a gas truck won't even come close to when towing. When we went out to Moab the gas trucks were getting 8-10 mpg while the diesels were getting 12-14mpg.

ZAEDOCK wrote: Kurts old Ford was a light duty F250. Basically an F150......

Yup.... the 5.4 in my opinion didn't have the balz to tow and haul as I wanted.

Fortunately a tree fell on it in the ice storm and put it out of it's misery

DOUG wrote:Kurts old Ford was a light duty F250. Basically an F150 (read: 1/2 ton) with bigger rear axle, 7 lug wheels, and stiffer springs. Not a true 3/4 ton. Ford only built that truck for a couple of years. It was touted as the 7700, because of it's GVW.

Oh yeah! Forgot about that! Well, except for the 4R100 tranny, possibly bigger brakes and 7 lugs, there wasn't much difference between our trucks. I even had the Sterling rear axle.

DOUG wrote:That being said, you will not find a better tow rig than a heavy duty (3/4 or 1 ton) truck with a diesel engine for towing. Plenty of torque and fuel milege that a gas truck won't even come close to when towing. When we went out to Moab the gas trucks were getting 8-10 mpg while the diesels were getting 12-14mpg.

I averaged 11-12 to/from Moab. I believe you averaged 12 due to your BIGGER INJECTORS.

All that said, Doug and Kurt are right in that diesel is the ultimate towing setup. I sat shotgun in a buddies modified '05 SuperDuty (head studs, EGR delete, etc) and the equipment and oak loaded landscape trailer he was pulling wasn't even there. It was awesome. The only problem with diesel though, IMO, is that for the occasional wheeler (say, once or twice a month), it is simply not as economical. - Although if you spend $40-$50K on a truck, what the hell does economical mean?

Just off topic for a second....While I do love my new truck, I miss my old Chevy 6.2L diesel. It had mechanical injection, was dead nuts reliable, and you could poop in the tank for fuel. Granted, she was slow (and she stunk a bit), but she went the same empty as she did with a stake bed full of stone for my pool/yard. Along that same line, I would love to get a Ford 6.9L or 7.3L IDI truck. Maybe next time I'm going retro.

ZAEDOCK wrote:I averaged 11-12 to/from Moab. I believe you averaged 12 due to your BIGGER INJECTORS.

<snip>

Just off topic for a second....While I do love my new truck, I miss my old Chevy 6.2L diesel. It had mechanical injection, was dead nuts reliable, and you could poop in the tank for fuel. Granted, she was slow (and she stunk a bit), but she went the same empty as she did with a stake bed full of stone for my pool/yard. Along that same line, I would love to get a Ford 6.9L or 7.3L IDI truck. Maybe next time I'm going retro.

Good to know as I'm towing out to Moab with an 09 F-150 5.4 w/ the 9700# tow package and 3.73s.

I test drove one of the new F-250s with the Scorpion 6.7L. One word to describe it...Wow! Unfortunately, one word describes the price too..Wow! Which is why I bought used.

Thanks for the input guys. The truck is going to be, for the most part, a daily driver so it makes sense to run the smaller 5.3 rather than a big diesel as long as its not a total dog when I pull my rig. Sounds like it will do fine.

Joe I'm with you on the 6.2 and 7.3. My first work truck was a 6.2 turbo, bought it with almost 250,000 miles and it was a great truck. Sold it with about 400k on it and it was still going strong. I also love the 7.3 powerstroke. Ran a few of them and they're a damn solid motor. Ford really screwed up when they scrapped it for that 6.0 twin turbo...those things spend as much time on the lift as they do on the road

Came to a decision today. 2012 Ram 1500 quad cab, Hemi, 4x4, no bling Excellent deal for end of model year and end of the month.

I am sure by next month that truck will have plenty of bling

I'm not a big Hemi fan (test drove one), but she looks like a nice truck. Consider it on the other side of the coin in going retro with the tow rig: new. No issues or potential breakdowns in the middle of winter.

It matches your rig too.

ZAEDOCK wrote:

Little Napoleon wrote:I tow using my Civic... It works

At least it wasn't a Kia.

Hey Hey Hey.....
The Kia provided 3 trips to Rausch along with multiple trips throughout new england without trouble even towed well in the snow
.


And in a pinch made a great chase vehicle



Not to mention with the $$ I got for it I was able to get this sweet new 1 ton tow rig complete with camper