brownan

Using a new 2011 Treg TDI for towing a Trailex 8045. Works well. 8 speed transmission seems to always find the right gear. 19 MPG towing the RS.

bosch's993

We use an '08 Chevy Tahoe, and an '07 GMC Yukon(I know basically the same truck), tow the boat with them too

ron_dargenio

I think most all the trucks mentioned here will work. The thing is, if you ever go to a larger, heavier trailer, that will change the requirements from some of the lighter trucks to a heavier duty one. If that is a possibility, you might be pulling 8,000 lbs +. So I'd consider Chev/GMC 2500 or 3500, Ford F250 or 350.
Diesel is great but do your research, they are not all problem free and require more frequent oil changes. Also, if this is a dedicated tow vehicle with low annual mileage, consider a big block gas engine. You'll be paying a hefty price premium for a diesel truck and a premium for the fuel

Mussl Kar

I pull a 28' gooseneck with a F350 4WD Superduty. 4WD because I sometimes DD with it in the winter. Also needed 4WD low when grass in pit area got mushy and rears started to dig down. Short bed with rear seats, but not the full crew cab. About 10.5 MPG towing.
Maybe get a fabricator to make a mirror mount for your roof rack?

supercup

I tow with a 08 - 3500 4wd crew cab, long bed, single rear wheel diesel. I have a 24' Pace, a 32 foot toy box and a 25' boat. The truck handles the Pace and Boat with ease - the toy box weights 12k, so that is a load with flipped axels for ground clearence and all.

If I did not have the toy box I would have a Toyota Sequoia and install the TRD supercharger - 504 hp, 557 ftlbs of torque and full Toyota factory warranty backing it up. In fact we just turned in my wife's X5 lease and that is exactly what she is getting (she may not hear about the super charger and big brakes which will be on it when it comes home). We will keep the truck also.

The other thing to consider is that it is always nice to have a bigger tow vehicle than you need as it puts less wear and tear on the vehicle and a longer wheel base, as both will add to the safety aspect if things go wrong, size matters.

Most important is if your tow vehicle wil be your daily driver - get the vehicle you want to drive as towing will be 10% or 15% of your total time, so as long as it is enough to do the job you may compromise and go a little slower up a few hills etc.

But if you have the luxury of a dedicated tow vehicle pick your favorate brand of diesel truck and put in a big gas tank and you will never want to tow with anything else. I have a 600 mile range in my truck with the trailer in tow which is a nice option to have.

mooty

^ john, how big is your diesel tank? i have 62 gallons and 700+ miles only if i am not towing. i think 350 if i towed.

and yes, bigger is better. my 2009 2500 duramx SLT now feels small to me. will sell it soon and get something bigger. oh, i do DD this thing. it's easy once you are used to it. i drive it through SF downtown or narrow china town streets. not a problem. i do leave plenty of mirror scraping marks on the walls of the city ;-) mirrors are disposable like chin spoilers. i stock them and replace them every 6-10 months.

Crazy Canuck

Mooty: http://www.transferflow.com/

mooty

^ that's what reter told me. i will get one for the next rig.
current duramax has titan, which increase oem 26 gal to 52 gal.

P.J.S.

Transfer flow makes a 60 gallon replacement tank for my factory 36 gallon tank - bolts into same location etc

Do these jive with on board computers for mileage remaining and fuel level etc?

TRAKCAR

I think the 8 speed diesel SUV's are perfect for open trailers and light enclosed ones as long as you have a good trailer brake setup, but once you go 28' + Gooseneck is the way to go with a dually.

Mooty, If you get dually keep in mind that if mirrors don't fit, the rear fenders won't fit...Fenders are not disposable. I did not hit anything, but I replaced a few after blowouts....

If daily driver and access to forklift truck buy a water bladder for in the bed for that soft ride, as if you have a trailer hooked up ;-) They drive like crap empty. Keeping aux tank full helps a little and lower air pressure is a pan with the rears in the dually's.

Get both aux tank and replacement larger tank and you can have 160Gallon in a long bed.
I have short bed with OEM tank, 110Gal total.

Dodge seems cheaper real price then Chevy and Ford and they all have pro's and cons.
My proven '10 has 350HP, 650TQ qith 6 speed, the new ones have 800TQ and 8 speed, like Ford and Chevy I think. I just like the inline 6 Cummins and Dodge price and 100K mile warranty on driveline, I belive Ford and Chevy reduced it to 60 or 75K miles.

New ones must have OEM trailer brakes, engine brake and tow mode with manual override transmission.
I had dually's since '04 chevy, 06 ford, 08 dodge all setup the same, just added some rear axle airbags, compressor and aux tank. In the '10 I added 12 in cab tire pressure monitoring system, I would add them to any trailer!

Ronan

Mussl Kar

28' GOOSENECK INTERIOR

007DT

Just curious why you'd have a goose neck if the trailer is only 28'?

Mussl Kar

I had a 36' steel frame goose and it was heavier empty that this aluminum one is loaded. My Superduty is SWR and projected tire life would be squat. This was a demo model and I traded the 36' with just a small cash outlay. Goose is easy to tow and the 28' fits all I need. 20' floor space and loads of room in the attic. That pdf is rendered from the CAD model that I use to fit everything in, design tire racks, winch mount, etc.
And......my front yard is 3 feet higher than the road we live on. Utility pole on one side and tree on the other. Was able to widen the opening on the tree side a bit. Entrance of driveway is defined by 2 stone walls as driveway slopes down to road. I cannot drive up because there is no way to turn around, and have to back up into this tight opening with help from wifey on 2 way radio.

mooty

can't spk about xfer flow, you have to ask canuck or reter.
my titan causes fuel gauge to be inaccuate, but the "gallons used" measurement of the OBC is right now. i dont refuel until i used up 51gal. never ran out of fuel. it's very very accurate.