# Towing 10000 Lbs



## larsons

Can someone please tell us what the best vehicle is for towing 10000 lbs - Outback 30rls etc. We have been doing a permanent site for the past 3 years and now want to start traveling and want any recommendations on trucks that would handle the camper and load.

Thanks for any suggestions, advice.


----------



## Tangooutback

larsons said:


> Can someone please tell us what the best vehicle is for towing 10000 lbs - Outback 30rls etc. We have been doing a permanent site for the past 3 years and now want to start traveling and want any recommendations on trucks that would handle the camper and load.
> 
> Thanks for any suggestions, advice.


If you can afford it, get a diesel engine truck. You will be happy in the long run. Diesel is made for towing and it does the job without a burp...especially when you travel in hilly country.


----------



## KTMRacer

at 10,000 lbs IMHO your out of 1/2 ton truck territory or any van, but any of the 3/4 ton trucks with the bigger v8 should make a good tow vehicle. We love our duramax diesel, but in all reality given the price premium initally and the cost of fuel, it takes a lot of towing to break even with any of the diesel trucks. But the towing advantage is worth it to us.


----------



## ORvagabond

Diesel-although it depnds on how much you plan to use it and the terrain you are in, preferably 4 wheel drive depending on where you live, minimum 140+ inch wheel base and at least a 3/4 ton.


----------



## RDS

Once you tow with a Duramax you won't want anything else.


----------



## Gr8daggett

My '05 Chevy 2500HD Duramax/Allison had no problem with my old VERY Heavy Toy Hauler. It has a much easier time now with my 2011 Outback 277RL


----------



## luverofpeanuts

larsons said:


> Can someone please tell us what the best vehicle is for towing 10000 lbs - Outback 30rls etc. We have been doing a permanent site for the past 3 years and now want to start traveling and want any recommendations on trucks that would handle the camper and load.
> 
> Thanks for any suggestions, advice.


I have the 290RLS with a GVWR of 9600. I tow with an '06 F250 Diesel. I'm certain I wouldn't want anything less than a 3/4 ton pickup. As others have said... depending on how much you plan on towing, diesel will take some time to recover costs from fuel savings. However, the tow experience is better, IMHO, in that you are towing at less RPMs and still having decent power.


----------



## CdnOutback

My vote is with a 3/4 ton diesel.... you'll just walk up all them hills.


----------



## Joe/GA

I pull a 30 RLS with a 2009 F-150 with the max tow option. I've been very impressed with this truck. I was in the Smoky Mountains 3 weeks ago towing my camper. I was able to maintain 60 MPH going up a 7% grade and the transmission did a great job of downshifting when you tap the brakes on the downhill side. I was able to stay off of my brakes quite a bit. There were a few times when my RPM's were at 3500, but most of the time it was 2000 to 2500. I averaged 8.3 MPG for the entire round trip. BTW, I never run over 65 and try to stay nearer to 60 MPH. I have the Reese dual cam hitch and it works well, however, with strong side winds I get some of the tail wagging the dog syndrome. That said, if you can afford it, I'd go at least 3/4 ton diesel. Since I want to upgrade to a large 5th wheel camper in a year or three, I'm going to go with a 1 ton dually diesel.


----------



## Calvin&Hobbes

larsons said:


> Can someone please tell us what the best vehicle is for towing 10000 lbs - Outback 30rls etc. We have been doing a permanent site for the past 3 years and now want to start traveling and want any recommendations on trucks that would handle the camper and load.
> 
> Thanks for any suggestions, advice.


This oughta be good... with 3000 members, I suspect you'll get 2999 separate and distinct answers, each claiming to have *THE* answer.

Well, read no futher- I got it in 3 syllables for you....

EX-CUR-SION

your choice, diesel or beastly 6.8 V-10 gasser.


----------



## rsm7

Obviously a 3/4 ton gas or diesel. You dont mention your family size. Do you want a truck or an SUV. Flat land or hills? Do you want new or used? Any diesel would work. Although Ford's 6.0 has been known to be problematic for some. (Do some research). Nothing pulls like a diesel but you'll pay for this privelage. Diesel fuel used to be cheaper and the trucks got way better mileage then gassers. Nowadays gas is cheaper, gassers have improved their mpg's and horsepower, and emission requirements are stealing fuel economy from diesels. The gap is closer between the two. If your at or under 10,000 lbs A new gas engine would pull just fine, not like a diesel, but not far behind and 8-9000 dollars cheaper.


----------



## larsons

Thanks for the answers - looks like diesel is the way to go if we can...we currently have a 2005 Ford F150 that we purchased when we purchased our 1st Outback (26 RKS) then when we upgraded camper we knew the truck wouldn't work for the 30 rls but we were doing the permanent site thing then.

I appreciate all the answers - it is just the 2 of us and our dog - we do need 4 wheel drive due to life in Wisconsin








So we will just keep looking over the winter and hopefully find or decide on something before next spring.


----------



## OBcanOB

We were towing our 28FRLS with a 2007 F350 6.0 diesel. Had zero problems, and really enjoyed towing. No hill too big. Now, because the truck is also my daily driver and didn't get much chance to get hot, it wasn't a lot of fun when we were not towing. So, we bought a 2011 6.2 gas. It tows great, but doesn't go up those hills like the diesel. The mileage is great, we average 11.6 on straight roads, and drop down to 9.6 up the hills. Glad there are not too many hills! As my daily driver, I love it a lot more.

Here's my take. If you plan on doing a fair bit of travelling, go diesel. If not, say just a couple trips a year (under 3000 miles), the gas is fine, and overall will save you a lot of money.


----------



## Scoutr2

KTMRacer said:


> at 10,000 lbs IMHO your out of 1/2 ton truck territory or any van, but any of the 3/4 ton trucks with the bigger v8 should make a good tow vehicle. We love our duramax diesel, but in all reality given the price premium initally and the cost of fuel, it takes a lot of towing to break even with any of the diesel trucks. But the towing advantage is worth it to us.


I agree. In fact, when I bought my Chevy 2500HD Crew Cab pickup truck new, in December, 2006, I drove the Duramax/Allison version, then the 6.0L gasser with the HD 4-speed auto trannsmission. Given that we tow our trailer only 3-5K miles per year (on average) and the rest of the time the truck is my daily driver (15 minutes each way to work), I could not justify the extra $8000 for the diesel. Like you said, considering the higher fuel and maintenance costs versus the higher fuel economy and a little more power, one would have to tow a trailer a LOT to break even.

My 6.0L gas engine tows our trailer well and gets 8.5 to 9.0 mpg when towing, 11-12 mpg around town, and 14-15 mpg on the freeway when not towing. Not great, but it serves me well and we drive my DWs car (30 mpg) when we don't need the truck. The only drawback is the tiny 26 gallon fuel tank. I gotta fill up every 200 miles!

However, our Outback weights about 7800#. With firewood and our gear - and us, we're approaching the upper limits of comfortable towing. I can tell when I add 50 gallons of fresh water (420# ahead of the axles - about 200# of added tongue weight). Adding an extra 2500# of trailer weight and #400 of tongue weight would make my gasser groan and towing would not be nearly as pleasurable - maybe beyond the limits of reliabilty.

So to answer your question - if your trailer weighs 10,000#, and you plan to travel, you'll undoubtedly be leaving home fully loaded for a lengthy trip. A 3/4-ton truck suspension would be near its upper limits, but a 1-ton would ride like a Cadillac. You would definately want a diesel if you are planning on traveling long distances and/or mountainous or hilly terrain. There are some expensive dolly-type hitches that would help with the tongue weight for a 3/4-ton (Pro-Pride or Hensley-Arrow), but you will still have the power issue. A 3/4-ton truck can pull 10,000#, but you will have passengers, gear, food, firewood, and lots of personal items on a long trip. It adds up fast!

That's my opinion and I'm stickin' to it!









Mike


----------

