I'm so confused....I don't want to let my beloved gasser go....

Jettech1 · May 1

1 minute ago, sno1 said:

I think you can be quite confident that it will not pull it all over the US with ease. A 15k lb 5th wheel is not only heavy but will also push a huge amount of air. Could you do it? Sure, but it will be slow, noisy, burn lots of gas, and not with "ease".

I'm in the market for a new truck and just found this forum a couple days ago. The trailers I pull are only about half the weight you're talking about but they are boxy and pushing through the air is what really works my current vehicle. I know I don't "need" a diesel for what I'm towing but I'm sure leaning that way. If I was towing even bigger and heavier like you're talking about I wouldn't just be leaning toward diesel, I would be buy it.

That was really easy deciding what someone else should spend their money on, wish it was that easy to decide what to spend mine on..... I wish you luck with your decision.

Thank you sir, I really appreciate your comment.

sstoner911 · May 1

3 hours ago, Jettech1 said:

I have a friend with a Torque Model? that he just bought. Apparently it's a toy hauler? He has a 21 2500 diesel and he said it is over his truck payload limits but he put airbags in and he said his truck pulls it just fine.

The bolded part should tell you to buy a 3500 SRW. Your gasser would probably be ok on flat ground...not sure what the terrain is like where you live, but I suspect any uphill grades that gasser would not be fun to tow with.

asilverblazer · May 2

All the comments about how much fuel the gasser is going to be drinking... the diesel will too when towing. Empty though it should do better than a gasser.

Brummie99 · May 2

Not apples to apples, but...

We have a 14k lb fifth wheel. At the time we bought it, I had a 2016 Sierra 2500 with the 6.0 motor.

We only towed it a couple of times with that rig and it was not a great experience. Even a small incline would have it shifting down to 4th or 3rd and the resultant high RPMs. Was averaging 6mpg. This was in Florida, so no big hills. We were definitely overloaded on the truck payload (and rear axle). Airbags helped but was never happy with it.

I was a couple of years from retirement and made the decision to get a diesel dually. We factory ordered one in 2021 and waited... and waited. After a year of waiting, I found a low-mileage Silverado diesel dually LTZ at Carmax. Pulled the trigger and bought it.

We've just started a 6-month roadtrip and couldn't be happier. I'm averaging 10mpg with the trailer. 16mpg lifetime mpg.

Currently in East Tennessee, near Gatlinburg and it's handled everything asked of it with ease.

The exhaust brake is awesome. We lost trailer brakes heading for Lake Guntersville in Alabama and drove the last 8 miles without trailer brakes including some steep downhills. The exhaust brake worked great.

Downside is using a 26ft long wide truck as a daily driver but you get used to it real quick.

Get the big truck. You'll never be thinking "If only???"

Texas Gasser · May 3

On 5/1/2024 at 11:13 AM, Jettech1 said:

I've read all of your replies and I appreciate all of them. I really do. So I went on this quest and called around to different camper sellers asking them if they had one that weighed around 15k empty that I could hook up to and do a towing test. They all declined my request. I get it, there's a lot of liability there but I wanted to see what my truck felt like and how it would do with 15k on a fifth wheel hitch. Nope, not happening. So it leaves me wondering, will my 6 speed gasser be fine or not? I know it falls within the limits posted on my door jamb. But will it be a comfortable towing experience or not? I guess I won't know until I buy one and load it up.

I tow my 8000 lb, 32' travel trailer with a 2024 Chevy 2500 HD (6.6 Gas, 10 spd Allison) and it works pretty hard pulling up hills and in a stiff head wind. Its not the weight of the trailer, it is the giant sail catching all that wind. I love the truck and use it as my daily driver. I do make lots of short trips to town (about 10 miles) and was worried about clogging up a diesel hence the purchase of the gas truck. I can guarantee that you will have non-buyers remorse if you don't upgrade to the diesel unless you just like to hear a motor drone on at 3500 rpm or higher on any kind of uphill grade. It will not be a relaxed drive in the gasser towing that much weight especially if you will be travelling in hilly or mountainous terrain. I would also purchase the SRW 3500 for the extra load capacity as it is not a large cost. Just trying to give you my insight as a person with non-buyers remorse!

Jettech1 · May 4

8 hours ago, Texas Gasser said:

I tow my 8000 lb, 32' travel trailer with a 2024 Chevy 2500 HD (6.6 Gas, 10 spd Allison) and it works pretty hard pulling up hills and in a stiff head wind. Its not the weight of the trailer, it is the giant sail catching all that wind. I love the truck and use it as my daily driver. I do make lots of short trips to town (about 10 miles) and was worried about clogging up a diesel hence the purchase of the gas truck. I can guarantee that you will have non-buyers remorse if you don't upgrade to the diesel unless you just like to hear a motor drone on at 3500 rpm or higher on any kind of uphill grade. It will not be a relaxed drive in the gasser towing that much weight especially if you will be travelling in hilly or mountainous terrain. I would also purchase the SRW 3500 for the extra load capacity as it is not a large cost. Just trying to give you my insight as a person with non-buyers remorse!

Thank you sir... I really appreciate it!

Jettech1 · May 4

On 5/2/2024 at 6:24 PM, Brummie99 said:

Not apples to apples, but...

We have a 14k lb fifth wheel. At the time we bought it, I had a 2016 Sierra 2500 with the 6.0 motor.

We only towed it a couple of times with that rig and it was not a great experience. Even a small incline would have it shifting down to 4th or 3rd and the resultant high RPMs. Was averaging 6mpg. This was in Florida, so no big hills. We were definitely overloaded on the truck payload (and rear axle). Airbags helped but was never happy with it.

I was a couple of years from retirement and made the decision to get a diesel dually. We factory ordered one in 2021 and waited... and waited. After a year of waiting, I found a low-mileage Silverado diesel dually LTZ at Carmax. Pulled the trigger and bought it.

We've just started a 6-month roadtrip and couldn't be happier. I'm averaging 10mpg with the trailer. 16mpg lifetime mpg.

Currently in East Tennessee, near Gatlinburg and it's handled everything asked of it with ease.

The exhaust brake is awesome. We lost trailer brakes heading for Lake Guntersville in Alabama and drove the last 8 miles without trailer brakes including some steep downhills. The exhaust brake worked great.

Downside is using a 26ft long wide truck as a daily driver but you get used to it real quick.

Get the big truck. You'll never be thinking "If only???"

Ok, I think you win although I don't want a dually but I really appreciate your personal experience....Thank you so much!

Jettech1 · May 4

Seriously all.... If I have to sell my beloved gasser, that has been dead on reliable all of this time, 22k on it now, it's going to be sold with all of the great mods I've done to it. I do get what you all are saying but have you ever loved a vehicle so much? Some of you all have given me so much crap about my truck. I don't have the big screen...who cares....I love it...I don't want to ever be without it...but I do agree with that much weight I probably should look more into a diesel....Damn... the only vehicle I've ever owned in my life that I would fight for...seriously...that truck is amazing!!

KARNUT · May 4

6 minutes ago, Jettech1 said:

Seriously all.... If I have to sell my beloved gasser, that has been dead on reliable all of this time, 22k on it now, it's going to be sold with all of the great mods I've done to it. I do get what you all are saying but have you ever loved a vehicle so much? Some of you all have given me so much crap about my truck. I don't have the big screen...who cares....I love it...I don't want to ever be without it...but I do agree with that much weight I probably should look more into a diesel....Damn... the only vehicle I've ever owned in my life that I would fight for...seriously...that truck is amazing!!

If it’s just two people get a smaller camper.

Jettech1 · May 4

5 minutes ago, KARNUT said:

If it’s just two people get a smaller camper.

I agree. But we want to full time in it and want lots of cargo capacity. There's where the problem come's in.

sstoner911 · May 4

2 minutes ago, Jettech1 said:

I agree. But we want to full time in it and want lots of cargo capacity. There's where the problem come's in.

You have not talked your self in to a new truck yet...

This is one more reason.

.

Jettech1 · May 4

11 minutes ago, sstoner911 said:

You have not talked your self in to a new truck yet...

This is one more reason.

.

You are correct sir. This is not about talking myself into spending many thousands for a diesel....it's not about I already know what I should do...It's all about will my beloved gasser do the job without hurting it? And will it do it with ease?

Edited May 4 by Jettech1

sstoner911 · May 4

6 minutes ago, Jettech1 said:

You are correct sir. This is not about talking myself into spend many thousands for a diesel....it's not about I already know what I should do...It's all about will my beloved gasser do the job without hurting it? And will it do with ease?

There os a lot more to consider...

Good luck.

Jettech1 · May 4

1 minute ago, sstoner911 said:

There os a lot more to consider...

Good luck.

I know, I'm torturing myself.... Seriously though. My biggest worry is that I trade in my dead on gasser that will be like 90% of gross weight for the camper we are looking at buying knowing the diesel will do better towing it and have it turn into a total POS!

Jettech1 · May 4

I'm am fortunate enough to be able to afford it..But should I do it? See if my gasser was an oil burner or plagued with problems it would be an easy choice...But it's not because my gasser has been amazing.