Trailer Hitch

[Timmy!]

That's what my wife wants to get now, a 3/4 ton with a slide in camper! Nice setup!

[Carter13]

Timmy,

We actually have an 07 Ford F350 Powerstroke. It has the highest payload at 4100 lbs. for a single rear wheel.

I had the stock single overload spring replaced with a four leaf pack rated at 2500 lbs. to take on the 3000+ lb. camper rather than go with air bags.

I also replaced the stock wheels and tires with 19.5 Vision wheels and Michelin XDE M/S tires. The tires are rated for 4940 lbs. each and the wheels are rated for 4500 lbs. each.

The stock receiver was ditched for a Super Hitch rated at 12000 lbs with our 32'' extension and 17000 lbs without. We have an aluminum rapid hitch rated at 8000 lbs. with the 2" ball.

If you are looking at getting a camper definately get a 1 ton, the cost is minimal and you have the extra capacity that the 3/4 ton can't give you.

The picture is from a week ago right before we left for Shasta.
860 miles round trip and no problems with anything. And the A/C was really nice at night in the camper.

[Domsz06]

I want to get a 1 ton

[my86stanggt]

thats a 3/4-ton w/ a cummins turbodiesel, which typically gets better mileage towing than a lot of 1/2-tons not towing.

Actually it's a 1 ton and your right I get almost 20mpg towing my boat and it's really easy to tow with. The new 6.7 is awesome as far as noise. I was blown away as I was with the quietness of the new twin powerstroke. I went with the 5.9 due to being afraid of the new engine. They are having gas milage issues with the new engine though.

Threadjack off.

[CP3]

thats not fair. I get about 9 mpg

[Domsz06]

Actually it's a 1 ton and your right I get almost 20mpg towing my boat and it's really easy to tow with. The new 6.7 is awesome as far as noise. I was blown away as I was with the quietness of the new twin powerstroke. I went with the 5.9 due to being afraid of the new engine. They are having gas milage issues with the new engine though.

Threadjack off.

is that the new dodge your getting 20ish? wow that's great! I want a new truck, but just can't justify it soon, oh well one day

[Ruune]

is that the new dodge your getting 20ish? wow that's great! I want a new truck, but just can't justify it soon, oh well one day

he's got the 5.9L, which is the diesel they were selling up to about a couple months ago. That 5.9L is a rock-solid powerplant AM General even put it in Humvees before they were acquired by GM.

[talltigeguy]

he's got the 5.9L, which is the diesel they were selling up to about a couple months ago. That 5.9L is a rock-solid powerplant AM General even put it in Humvees before they were acquired by GM.

So why did they change? It would seem to me that they could just find a decent diesel engine and quit messing with it.

Ford has been all over the place recent years. 7.4L,6.0L and now a new 6.3 or something like that. It does not inspire my confidence.

[Ruune]

Emissions. The new diesels now have the equivalent of a catalytic converter- something called a diesel particulate filter. All of the "big three" decided to go with bigger displacement diesel engines and bigger turbos. They're all rated at 650 ft-lbs or more (GMC/Chevy duramax is rated at 660 ft-lbs). They're all also running 5 or 6 speed transmissions. Dodge is running a 5-speed heavy duty eaton trans, while the new allison tranny is a 6-speed auto. Ford's torqueshift is now a 5-speed auto. Oh-the other sweet thing about the new dodge/cummins combo is that the jake brake (exhaust brake) is now standard with the 6.7L turbodiesel.

I'm looking at an '05 Ford F250 on monday... found what appears to be a good deal on one with only 46k on it.

The other thing about diesels is that when maintained properly, you can put upwards of 200k on them.

[Carter13]

I was getting 10 mpg going to Shasta with our camper and 22V.
Towing just the boat I get 14 mpg.
Empty I get 16 mpg, although I expect a little better when our 350 is broke in, it only has 9000 miles.
The torqueshift is awesome for descending steep grades.

[Ruune]

how does that four-leaf pack effect ride quality, unloaded?

[Ruune]

Sometimes I was but most of the time I couldn't use overdrive anyway because of the hills around here. The guy at the tranny shop said it is ok to use OD while towing as long as you aren't climbing hills and it isn't shifting between 3 and 4 a lot. Towing the RZ, it can't even pull it in OD up here, altitude sucks the life out of my truck!

whats the curb weight of a RZ2 on the trailer, loaded?

[Carter13]

Ruune,

The four leaf overload pack does not effect ride quality at all when not loaded because the main leaf springs are doing all the work.

I was told that if I planned on doing a lot of off roading then it would be a bit jarring, I don't off road at all so not an issue.

When I am loaded it actually smoothes out the ride quality, the 19.5 tires definately stiffens the ride quality over the stockers when empty.

[Carter13]

I tow in Tow mode when loaded all the time. Hills, flats, freeways and even down hill it doesn't matter. You can get a lot more life out of your tranny if you don't tow in OD.
You may ask, but why would this dude tow down hill in Tow mode? Well it's because Fords Torqueshift works like an exhaust brake but you need to be in tow mode for it to work, and boy does it work awesome. When descending down 6% grades I only have to tap my brakes once to set the Torqueshift and it does the rest, saves on the brakes big time.

[Timmy!]

whats the curb weight of a RZ2 on the trailer, loaded?

I'm guessing 5,500 ~ 5,800 maybe? The boat with fuel is 4,100 I think and my trailer with 20" wheels has got to be 1,500 maybe? Not sure, never put it on a scale.

I'm looking at an '05 Ford F250 on monday... found what appears to be a good deal on one with only 46k on it.

What's a good deal in your area? A good deal in my area would be < $30k, most of them are $31k + for '05s.