At 05:47 PM 10/10/2005 -0400, Scott Janzen wrote:
>I'm towing a 22 box trailer (Haulmark) with a GT6 inside.
That is PLENTY of load to justify a diesel. I'm pulling an 18 foot CarMate
box trailer tipping the scales close to 7000 pounds.
Last year my tow rig changed from a F350 Superduty diesel pickup carrying a
slide-in camper to a 23 foot Class C RV on a Ford chassis with a V-10. The
RV is actually lighter than the pickup loaded with the camper. The
difference towing is night and day.
The diesel pickup with the camper in the bed and the loaded trailer in tow
still had power to spare. I live in New England, and all my tows are
mountainous. I towed with the cruise control on 68 and only the biggest of
hills slowed the rig down. But with 3500 pounds of camper in the bed with
its high center of gravity, the rig was unstable at speed and the brakes
simply were not up to the task. It was a nerve wracking drive.
The RV and it's V-10 has no power to keep speed on the hills. I am
disengaging the cruise and limping up big hills at 50 mph. But the chassis
was made for the weight so it is a very comfortable drive and the rig stops
better than the pickup did.
If the RV's drivetrain ever crapped out on me I would probably drop in a
7.3 Powerstroke Diesel. I think that would be the cat's meow of tow rigs.
|