Towing with Gas vs. Diesel

[TWGardner]

I am new member to the forum and this is my first post. We recently purchased a 337RLS fifth wheel. We Have been towing it with a 2015 Silverado 2500HD gas version. The MPG averages 7 - 8. The power on hills is not great. Are most owners of this size trailer towing with diesel trucks? I am considering purchasing a 2018 GMC 2500 HD diesel truck. Any recommendations on the diesel would be appreciated. TWGardner

[SouthTX]

I am new member to the forum and this is my first post. We recently purchased a 337RLS fifth wheel. We Have been towing it with a 2015 Silverado 2500HD gas version. The MPG averages 7 - 8. The power on hills is not great. Are most owners of this size trailer towing with diesel trucks? I am considering purchasing a 2018 GMC 2500 HD diesel truck. Any recommendations on the diesel would be appreciated. TWGardner

Welcome to the forum.

We have a club here for all the people like me who traded a one year old truck in order to pull their new RV. Cost of admission is rather high, but the satisfaction of having the right truck and RV combination is priceless.

In my case, I started off towing my 337 with a '16 F250 gasser. I was a little over on the rear axle rating, but the gas engine did OK except that it couldn't pass a gas station. Keep in mind, too, that this was all on flat land and mountains would have been a different story. It wasn't unusual to be in 4th gear turning up 4,000 rpm just on overpasses. No big thing, but all the noise is just part of gas engines that make their torque at higher rpm's.

I have an F350 diesel, now and couldn't be happier. Towing is relaxing and much less work.

If the weights are within limits, I think you'll find that the gas engine can do the job if you can live with the trade offs.

[bertschb]

If you do a search, you'll find more threads on this topic than just about anything else. Hours and hours and hours worth of reading. Get a cup of coffee and a comfy chair and read on...

https://www.mygrandrv.com/fo...355#post166355
https://www.mygrandrv.com/fo...230#post101230
https://www.mygrandrv.com/fo...282#post158282
https://www.mygrandrv.com/fo...5511#post45511
https://www.mygrandrv.com/fo...x-want-Or-need

[BigGuy82]

I am new member to the forum and this is my first post. We recently purchased a 337RLS fifth wheel. We Have been towing it with a 2015 Silverado 2500HD gas version. The MPG averages 7 - 8. The power on hills is not great. Are most owners of this size trailer towing with diesel trucks? I am considering purchasing a 2018 GMC 2500 HD diesel truck. Any recommendations on the diesel would be appreciated. TWGardner

Get the diesel - you'll never look back. yes, DEF is a pain in the butt. Yes, the mileage is not great. Yes, diesel is more expensive. Yes, maintenance is higher. But, man-o-man, there is NOTHING like the pulling power of that honkin' big diesel. I just pulled a 19k lb Solitude UP the Rockies and it was like there was nothing back there. By the way, don't buy a 2500 - buy a 3500 dually - because the next fiver you buy will be bigger. I will never pull another trailer of any type without a diesel.

Anyway, that's just my two cents.

PS - if you are looking for economy, buy a 1500 with an ultra-light trailer.

[DaveMatthewsBand]

Get the diesel - you'll never look back. yes, DEF is a pain in the butt. Yes, the mileage is not great. Yes, diesel is more expensive. Yes, maintenance is higher. But, man-o-man, there is NOTHING like the pulling power of that honkin' big diesel. I just pulled a 19k lb Solitude UP the Rockies and it was like there was nothing back there. By the way, don't buy a 2500 - buy a 3500 dually - because the next fiver you buy will be bigger. I will never pull another trailer of any type without a diesel.

Anyway, that's just my two cents.

PS - if you are looking for economy, buy a 1500 with an ultra-light trailer.

Agreed!


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[howson]

I am new member to the forum and this is my first post. We recently purchased a 337RLS fifth wheel. We Have been towing it with a 2015 Silverado 2500HD gas version. The MPG averages 7 - 8. The power on hills is not great. Are most owners of this size trailer towing with diesel trucks? I am considering purchasing a 2018 GMC 2500 HD diesel truck. Any recommendations on the diesel would be appreciated. TWGardner

You want an engine brake. If the truck you're looking at doesn't have one, walk away. Test drive a truck with Adaptive Cruise. Love, love, love adaptive cruise. It makes driving long stretches so much easier. In other words, be willing to test drive a Ford before making a decision. {gasp!} I'm not a fan boy of any brand (really like my FIL's Duramax). Also, consider a one ton. For the relatively small difference in price you get a lot more payload which is seemingly always the limiting factor with the TV.

And yes, I'm an unwilling member of @SouthTx's TwoTimeTV Club. {sigh} About a $10k "life lesson" in my case...I won't bore you with the details.

[Dropyerjaws]

LOL! We are all in the same boat on this one, exact same boat, agree with all posts above. Lessons learned, do yourself a favor and listen to the posts on this thread Good Luck...

[Second Chance]

It can't be emphasized enough. The 337 is heavy - too heavy for a 3/4-ton truck - and a 3/4-ton diesel will have less payload capacity than a 3/4-ton gasser. If you tow anywhere except Kansas, Nebraska, or south Florida, the diesel is very nice to have. Follow all of the advice above (including reading the provided links), and go straight for a 1-ton truck for the 337.

Rob

[LTM417]

Having an exhaust brake makes pulling a fifth wheel trailer much less stressful. Even in fairly hilly terrain, I hardly use my truck's brakes. I like having them as a reliable backup. That feature alone justifies part of the diesel price premium.

Even though the diesel engine is an expensive option on the front end. If you keep the truck for several years, it is easily worth it. For example, if I keep my F250 4WD diesel 150K miles, there will be many more buyers interested in purchasing it for a reasonable price compared to a gas or 2WD F250.

Another way I justified the diesel purchase was by not buying the higher trim model truck with a bunch of features that I didn't want or need. I am quite sure that I paid less for my XLT trim F250 diesel than some are paying for Platinum trim F150s.

[TucsonJim]

I'm one more person adding to the choir about going to a F350/3500, and not the 3/4 ton version. The pin weight of a 337 is just too heavy for a smaller capacity truck.

Jim