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They all have their strengths and weakness'.
Dodge= great motor but truck is less refined. Just feels a little cheap (I own an 04 2500). Mine has a lot of squeaks and rattles. I wont own another.
Ford = great truck and chassis. Motors have been an issue. Turning radius is poor.
Chevy = Good motor and very comfy but probably less stable. Kinda ugly IMO but I will look hard at them next time.
You have too much boat for the Toyota or any other 1/2 ton. I dont care what the factory specs say.
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I have to add to Mr. Demeanor's comments about the Toyota as well as the Nissan Titan. Their towing specs read well, but look underneath them at the size of the differential. The ring and pinion is simply too small for any extended heavy towing. The new Toyota has a lot going for it, but until they have a diesel grade rear end in 'em, keep the warranty in effect and tow within the limits. The Ford, the Chevy and the Dodge all have big enough rear ends. The truck should also have limited slip or posi traction, even if it has 4 wheel drive. The 2005 F250 I bought to pick up the Venture 34 last week is 2 wheel drive but has posi. 12,000 pounds of boat and trailer came right up the ramp. That's not going to happen with an open differential.
It's not been mentioned previously in this this thread, but HOW FAR DO YOU TOW?
Because if I was towing a load like that 50 miles each way on even a twice weekly basis, then I'd go ahead and add international and freightliner into the equation, it's almost too much for the big four, as you put it.
With this size boat I will only access 5 local ramp
Bellair Ramp - 4 miles (currently closed)
Seminole Ramp- 8 miles (some of the time)
War Veteran Ramp - 8 miles (most of the time)
Fort Desoto Ramp - 23 miles (once in a while)
Anclote Ramp - 25 miles (once in a while)
I also plan to haul it to the florida keys - 400 miles (probably twice a year)
I also plan to haul it to the east cost - 150 miles (probably twice a year)
I do taking towing seriously. Better safe than sorry. The big four is cutting it close with this load. I do like to have a safe cushion. The 80% rule. I don't want to end up like that 33' Palmetto center console (8200 lb dry) on I4 near Orlando with it's verado resting on the rail. Obviously 2500 wasn't enough in that case.
I do a lot of heavy towing under very rough conditions. I have owned the Dodge Cummins and Chevy Durmax with Allison transmission. I think the Cummins is a great motor, however, that is where the good ends with the Dodge. The transmission did not hold up (replaced every 30K) and the rest of the truck was not built as well as the Chevy. Bottom line, the motor is only as strong as the weakest link and that would be the transmission. My thoughts on the Ford diesel is, Ford is the #3 rated diesel behind Cummins and Duramax. I like the lighter non-diesel Ford trucks over Dodge or Chevy however, prefer the Chevy heavy duty trucks over the other two. All three diesels have plenty of power, it is the transmission you should be looking at... I now drive the Chevy Duramax/Allison and would buy another in a heart beat.
I do like the chevy for the Duramax/Allison combo.
Obviously as stated. My load is already above Chevy's capacity of 12000lb.
If I was gonna tow beyond pubished capacity. I might as well get a toyota instead.
New 2007 Ford F350 are almost non existence. Chances are I am gonna pick me up an older older Ford F350 for my local towing needs. Hopefully in a year or two. Toyota will come out with their big and bad full ton diesel. Then I can safely go to the east coast/florida keys.
good used market on them right now... Stay away from 03-04 Ford 6.0's (which wasnt on your list)
THT member has a super deal on a used F-250 SWCrew Cabw/ 7.3 TBD, 3.73's and in the XLT Lariet.. definately worth a look for short $$ will get the job done!
Personally I would be looking at a 2000-2003 F350 to F550 with a 7.3 and a 6 speed ZF and 4wd but thats just me. A 4R100 automatic will do the job also. I have a 2000 SRW F350 7.3/4R100 and it has served me well and I have towed loads over 10k with it. My truck has 200k miles on the clock. A F450 would be your best choice but for insurance reasons a F350 could be your choice. The F450-550 is expensive to insure in some states. The 4wd will insure you get up the boat ramp. If you go with a F350 make sure you get a dually. A SRW truck is not real comfortable with that kind of load on a tag style trailer. Good luck on your choices and please feel free to ask me questions. I have a background in Ford parts.
I have a 2001 Chevrolet 2500HD as my daily driver. It has the 8.1ltr with the Allison transmission. I have 163,000 miles on it with out any major issues to date. I, of course, keep it well maintained and only pull about 3500lbs with it currently. Everything in the vehicle still works ... even the AC.
That being said it is starting to show its age ... AC will begin to stop cooling as efficiently after 1.25hrs on the road (most of my trips are less than an hour so I have not addressed that issue yet). It also uses about a quart of oil ever 1,000miles ... can't really do anything about this with out going into the motor but there is no visible smoke in the exhaust so I put up with it.
Overall ... I am pretty satisfied with the durability and longevity of the truck and thought I'd share the info.
__________________ 1986 Sea Ox 180CC w/115 Honda
2001 Chevrolet 2500HD 8.1/Allison
2005 Pontiac GTO - 11.770 @ 114.26 in the 1/4mi
I don't post much, but read threads here all the time. I thought I'd weigh in on this one because I do have a lot of experience towing. You will never get a conclusive answer asking a forum about which truck is the best, period.
My father-in-law and I both have 2004 Dodge Ram 3500 srw with the 5.9 Cummins. I have towed an 18 ft flats boat single axle trailer, 23 ft Mastercraft with dual axle trailer, Bobcat S250 with dual axle trailer, and now a Hydrasports 3300vx with triple axle trailer. I take towing very seriously and researched all the trucks thouroughly before buying the Dodge. I was also lucky enough to have driven and towed with my father-in-laws truck before purchasing mine.
With the flats boat and Mastercraft, I can barely tell they are behind me when towing. With the Bobcat, which weighs about 8k pounds, 2500lb trailer, and 1500lb of additional attachements loaded on the trailer, I can definitely tell its there but while towing the transmission does not hunt and I can stop without issue. This trailer has dual drum brakes.
The Hydrasports 3300vx is around 12,000lb dry +gas +trailer+++, so it's a very heavy load. To tow this I have upgraded my hitch to a class V Tow Beast receiver, outfitted the trailer with triple axle kodiak ss disc brakes with electric/hydraulic brake system and Tekonsha P3 brake controller on truck . I am using the Rease Tow Beast weight distributing trunnion set up. One thing I'd like to point out is that regardless of which truck you pick, you need a weight distributing hitch to tow anything near the max towing capacity of the truck. Next, you need to confirm that the truck has a class V hitch. Contrary to most people's beliefs most 3500's only come with a class IV hitch, with a few exceptions. With this set up my Ram 3500 pulls like a dream. I have no problem getting going from a stop (thank you 600lb/ft torque), rarely have to downshift except when really trying to speed up, tow straight as an arrow without any sway, and most importantly I can stop very quickly without a hint of trailer "push". Knowing the load that I pull, I know you would have no problem pulling your boat with a Dodge 3500 single rear wheel w/diesel. I guess that was a lot of info so I'll try to summarize:
1. Get a diesel 3500 (4x4 necessary unless you want to look stupid spinning your tires at the ramp)
2. Get a class V hitch (Reese Tow Beast or Putnam XDR)
3. Get a weight distributing set up (you'll need a pole tongue adapter for a conventional boat trailer)
4. Outfit trailer with good disc brakes
5. Don't be in a hurry when your towing. Go slow and always be aware of what's ahead of you, further out than with normal driving.
I have no complaints about my Dodge, nothing is rattling, falling apart, etc and the interior quality is equal to all the others (GM has more frills). We also have a Ford F-450 and I would rather tow with the Dodge every day of the week. If you have any specific questions on my set up, please don't hesitate to ask.
Just sold a 2000 F-350 7.3....great motor..great truck for me. Avoid the E4OD auto and find a ZF 6 speed if possible. Bought a new Duramax/Allison...
1.Cummins is a great motor.....didn't want a first year model and no new 5.9's out there that fit the bill....not impressed with the loose feel of Dodge trucks or their quality control....but if there was a 5.9 that suited me out there new I would have looked hard at it.
2.With the trouble Ford had with the 6.0 I just wasn't interested in the 6.4....everyone I talked to with one also said the fuel mileage was horrible.
That said...I don't like an IFS heavy duty truck but went with the Chevy/Allison because it is the most tested package out there now. In use I it pulls the same cow/horse/hay and boat loads that the 7.3 did about the same...love the Allison. If Ford still made the 7.3 mated to a decent load braking auto it would have been a much tougher decision. However...after buying the truck I made a great choice for me...rides good...pulls good...good mileage and real nice inside.
I Started This Thread To Just See What You Guys Think About These Two Engines In Which, I Know Which Engine I Think Is Overall Better, But I Just Want A Few Of Your Opinions On Fords New Powerstroke Diesel, And How It Will Stand Up Against The "MIGHTY" Duramax Diesel.
As For Now The Duramax Is Still Rated At That Most Horsepower And Torque, But What Do you Guys Think Will Be The Overall Monster, Powerstroke Or Duramax.
Chevrolet 6.6L Duramax Diesel V8
Horsepower: 365@3000RPM
Torque: 660@1600RPM
Ford 6.4L Powerstroke Diesel V8
Horsepower: 350@3000RPM
Torque: 650@2000RPM duramax the most hp an torque of all 3
I Started This Thread To Just See What You Guys Think About These Two Engines In Which, I Know Which Engine I Think Is Overall Better, But I Just Want A Few Of Your Opinions On Fords New Powerstroke Diesel, And How It Will Stand Up Against The "MIGHTY" Duramax Diesel.
As For Now The Duramax Is Still Rated At That Most Horsepower And Torque, But What Do you Guys Think Will Be The Overall Monster, Powerstroke Or Duramax.
Chevrolet 6.6L Duramax Diesel V8
Horsepower: 365@3000RPM
Torque: 660@1600RPM
Ford 6.4L Powerstroke Diesel V8
Horsepower: 350@3000RPM
Torque: 650@2000RPM duramax the most hp an torque of all 3
I have had no problems with my personal 05 F250 6.0. I also use an 05 F350 single rear wheel towing 10-12k lbs (gooseneck) on a regular basis although at times I would feel a little better with the dually for added stability. I have had 3 different F350's all 05's with 6.0's and have had no problems with any.
Someone else said this before, I would get a low mile used 05-07 before the new emission bugs get worked out. I believe all 3 makers have a good powertrain combo, just buy whatever one you like the best. One thing to keep in mind is insurance. Jumping from the 3/4 to 1 ton. You could go with a 3/4 and beef up the rear suspension to 1 ton springs. As far as I know, the braking is the same on either one.
Nitpicky crap, I really like the Ford's integrated brake controller, if you have electric brakes.
Keep this in mind. The diesels cost alot more to service, initial costs are higher and honestly with the power they are squeezing out of them nowadays, I dont think they will give you any more durability than a gasser. They do hold their value alot better and this is why I bought the diesel.
I dont get much better economy than my old F150 either in any of these trucks. Towing its about 8mpg, and regular driving 13-14 mpg in all of my diesels. If someone is telling you 20 mpg on their diesel they arent doing their math correctly or drive 75% of the time downhill with a strong wind behind them.
I am very satisfied with my Dodge 2500 4wd, quad cab,auto, 3.73, 5.9 Cummins. I haven't weighed the boat and trailer but I estimate it at around 8500 pounds.
I have towed it round trip down Baja twice now. This towing is as tough as it gets with steep canyon switch backs and temps to 106F. I have about 35,000 miles on it and just had its only warranty work completed. The turbo intercooler developed a crack and was replaced with an upgraded all-aluminum version. Other than this issue the entire drive line has been flawless. Warranty is 7 yr/70,000 miles on the entire powertrain. The auto tranny is also the upgraded version, 48RE
At the time I bought it new, its rear seating was the most functional of the majors featuring 60/40 flip bottom seat with storage underneath and fold-out cargo shelves. This year also has the solid front axle..probably tougher than IFS. I use this as a daily driver and find the ride very comfortable and it handles well. No rattles or squeaks as of yet.
Athough your rig is close to the towing capacity of a Ram 3500 (your specs above), you can always add a programmer to give you the added torque in case you find you need it. I have the Juice with Attitude....it sure wakes up the Cummins and I haven't even tried the 2 most powerful settings!!
I would definately buy it again
Warren
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1998 Pro-line 251 Walk-around with VP 5.7 GXi Duo-prop
2006 Pro-line 24 Super Sport w/ 225 Suzuki 4S
kmgroup - 9/27/2007 7:52 PM
If someone is telling you 20 mpg on their diesel they arent doing their math correctly or drive 75% of the time downhill with a strong wind behind them.
Hate to tell you this but my 2wd 7.3 will get 20 mpg highway as long as I don't exceed 65 mph or 2k rpms. I get 11-14 towing depending on my load. I have a friend that has a Dodge with a handshaker and he can get 23 mpg. Another friend of mine that lives in Atlanta has a 7.3 powered F250 4x4 with a handshaker gets 22 mpg.
i move and tow alot of different size boats for a living. 2006 f-350 4x4 crew cab single rear wheel powerstroke
10-13 mpg towing or not
i have hauled from long island to the keys very comfortable and never a lack of power just a tad long sometimes
never felt nervous about weight or size but the trailers make a huge difference
i think the ford has it over the others but the 6.4 ford would make me worry
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Re: Towing a boat safely - which of the big four 
