Towing Recommendations?

[rlepperson]

Your recommendations, please. I potentially need a used, quad style, gasoline fueled pick-up truck that will pull a 6000 lb loaded airstream trailer, and carry a 1500-2000 lb payload capacity. As I will use the pickup for possibly 18,000 miles of independent driving and 2000 miles of towing per year (20, 000 miles total), I want to find the most fuel efficient “beast” possible. Of course, I also want it to tow well. Short bed vs. long bed? Four wheel vs. two wheel rear drive? Please, provide rationale.

 

[calicamper]

How long is the trailer? The down side to the short bed PU is the shorter wheel base and if your trailer is pushing 30ft that added wheel base length will make for a much nicer ride with added directional stability. That and the longer bed gives you room for the packed gear. Down side is length of course.

These days I'm not really brand specific given each brand has its pluses and minuses. The gas GM trucks generally return a little better real world mileage than the Ford's and the Dodges. But they also tend to have lower load ratings in the lighter models. So its a bit of a catch 22.

2000 miles towing a year is getting into that zone where your doing enough miles that you start to appreciate the better ride of the long wheel base. I would also say its probably right at that point where diesel power starts to look a tad interesting - however as the daily driver no so much. So you might feel like your taking it to the shorts on fuel cost during the 2000 miles but the rest of the time you'll probably feel that the gas choice was the better choice.

 

[peneumbra]

A 1995 Ford F-350 4x4 crewcab with a 460 and a 5-speed manual transmission, 4:10 rear ends, and a utility bed replacing the pickup bed.

Dark blue in color.