Hi everyone. I'm in the market for a truck that can tow up to 12k pounds of either a larger travel trailer or a mid-sized fifth wheel. I've never owned a larger truck before, and want some advice. I'll be driving over mountains with it, so I'm assuming I'll need a diesel 3/4- or one-ton truck. I'm most interested in reliability, which I know is a challenge.
I'm open to anything to read up on. It could be new or lightly used. I'm also open to EGR/DEF deletes, as I live in a state without emissions testing. I tend to over-maintain my vehicles, and I know diesel comes with a higher maintenance bill but am ok with it.
What recommendations do you have?
Take a look at Scotty's opinions
https://carkiller.com/scottykilmer/vid-review/vehicles-reviwed-by-scotty/
Thank you! Checking this out now!
You are welcome
Welcome new member.
In diesel 3/4 and 1-ton trucks, you have some good options but no great ones. For your specs, a 3/4-ton will be more than adequate and will ride nicer than a 1-ton.
The Cummins engine is the pick of the litter, but only comes in Ram trucks, which have traditionally had a lot of quality problems. That’s probably what I’d get.
The GM Duramax 6.6 engine is ok, but expensive to maintain over 100,000 miles. The consensus on this forum is that their transmissions are not good, but IMO they’re alright. Probably be my close 2nd choice.
Ford trucks seem to have taken a step back recently, but I know people who’ve had good luck.
There isn’t a real clear winner, so other factors come into play:
- What are the ethics of your local dealers? Is one better than the others?
- Do you have a good local independent diesel mechanic? What do they like to work on?
- Who has the most inventory and best deals?
BTW: this topic has come up a few times in the last year. Try the search bar above and you’ll get more opinions.
I really appreciate the feedback. I've heard good things about the Cummins. Believe it or not, the dealers for Ram, Ford, and Chevy seem to be pretty good around here. (I live in farm country, so it's in their best interest to be nice to folks, as this is high truck volume land.) Thank you for the feedback and the tips for the search. I'll check that out. I appreciate you taking the time.