Towing a 43' Fifth Wheel With a GAS Truck? Ford 7.3L Gas Engine
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- Опубліковано 22 лют 2022
- Lots of people ask if we're happy towing our 15,000lbs fifth wheel with a gas truck. After 10,000 miles of towing, Jason shares his thoughts in this video.
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Glad to see you here and welcome to another RV life focused video. Many of you have asked and after almost six months of towing and a year of ownership, Jason is ready to share some of his thoughts on towing a fifth wheel with a gas engine. We'd love to hear your thoughts on the topic covered. Please remember to keep comments kind and on point - no need for truck brand wars. lol. Comments are moderated by both Jason and Abby. If you find value in this video, we hope you'll take a moment to like, subscribe and share. Thanks! - Jason and Abby
I’m enjoying these new gas engines in the heavy duty trucks I just got a 2020 Silverado 3500 dually with the 6.6 gasser currently have 42k miles regularly pulling a 18k pound gooseneck truck handles it well I wish it had the 4:10 gears like my old 2500 but besides that it’s a nice truck and maintenance free compared to a diesel.
The 7.3 is designed to be boosted. You can gain efficiency and torque. A turbo is perfect for towing and turbos love displacement. The 7.3 will be even better boosted with 1 or 2 turbos. Savings in fuel alone will pay for the cost.
I would guess a clean install professionally done to be under 10k, depending on one or twin turbo. 7k with just one.
@Jesus has given you all. Repent or die. does Jesus want a boosted 7.3 as well. I know a good builder for him. It would be awesome racing Jesus, long as he did not cheat and bless the engine, we all would have good time. Dude Jesus changed the water to wine! It would be awesome if Jesus turned the water to E85.
Alcohol for all. AMEN.
Great review. I have a 1999 7.3 diesel. Thinking, once fuel prices drop maybe upgrading to the new tremor with the 7.3. Spot on with the torque #'s my 1999 is rated at 500lbft.
@@Back_door_bandit_98 Appreciate your comment. I love my 6.6L gas engine as well in my 2500HD LT Chevy.
This guy definitely has a great way of delivering all the information needed in a short video. This was the best description of how the truck tows a 15k lbs. load by far.
Appreciate the feedback, Rick!
Yes sir! If you got bored listening then you need to get your head examined.
I need to get my head examined most likely anyways. I think most people need to carry around an impact and consistently keep up on torquing loose screws on everyone’s head that they come in contact with as well as their own.
Proverbs 27:17 brethren sharpen brethren
Yes you should keep doing this you are good at it!
I agree great delivery. Wish I could do the same lol.
7.3 with 4.30's here. Just completed a 5,000 mile towing trip pulling an 11.5K fifth wheel. In wind across the plains states and through the mountains; including an 11,000 foot pass. The 7.3 handling everything we threw at it. And the trip average was 9.1 MPG!
Curious, at what highway speed did you get that mpg?
My 6.2L gasser with 3.73 gears can only get 9.2 mpg pulling 9k bumper pull camper at 60mph
Drops to 7mpg at 70mph.
Wind drag kills mileage.
@@Rick_With_No_Filter 65 mph unless posted for less.
I recently got a 2022 F350 dually with the 7.3L and the 4.30 gears and am towing a 41’ Grand Design Solitude with a 16,800lb GVWR (haven’t been to the scales yet). It was definitely uncomfortable at first hitting those high RPM’s, but after more research and understanding that’s where the power curve is, it doesn’t disappoint. It has plenty of power and tows amazingly well!
I was thinking about the same truck you have. I'm glad I stumbled onto your review of your truck because that's the same configuration I was going to order. Its a 23 but that doesn't matter I would appreciate any additional information you may have on the truck. Ty
@@robertsabella7298 sure! I’ve now put over 9,000 towing miles in the first year. I’ve driven it from Georgia to the Grand Canyon and back and multiple trips through the Appalachian mountains as well as to Myrtle Beach and Florida multiple times. Gas mileage isn’t amazing… I’m getting on average 6-7mpg depending on headwinds and speed traveled. I try to stay between 65-70mph. A few trips I did 70-75 and I was definitely in the lower 6’s for gas mileage. It’s obviously challenging pulling a 41’ into a regular gas station, but with a 48 gallon tank we find we can drive up to 4 hours between stops, which is about all the kids and myself can take before needing a break. My wife always uses aerial view on google maps to find a big enough gas station to pull into and it’s usually not a problem unless they are very busy, then you have to be extremely patient.
As for power, there’s only been one time that I pushed the pedal all the way down and realized, oops, that’s all she’s got, but it wasn’t really bad thing and she was able to keep accelerating. I was just trying to keep up with a friend towing a 18’ travel trailer with a bigger truck, that just wasn’t happening! I’ve towed up and down 6-8% mountain grades and it does fine. Again, those RPM’s get pretty high, but that’s where this engine performs, so you just get used to it.
Let me know if you have any specific questions.
Would you tow a19,000lb camper with your dually and the 7.3?
@@donclark5677 it depends on where and how often you are towing. 19K lbs is getting close to the max towing capacity of the truck and really limiting payload overall. If it’s mostly flat towing and not often I’m sure it would be ok, but if you are towing through mountains and often you might want to upgrade.
So, I guess diesel is my only option.
Great video. I can tell you as a fleet manager we are shifting away from diesel to the 7.3 L V8 gas because of the long-term repair costs. This engine is so efficient and powerful for what it is that it makes having a diesel truck under 20,000 pounds of towing mute. For anything above that of course you’re gonna have to have a duely diesel but most things, you tow are between 10,000 pounds and 18,000 pounds. Highly recommend this motor we have 36 of them now and they have been incredibly reliable.
Thanks for sharing
No rocket arm delaminating issue at 40k?
@@sabertoothduck Not a one. Tell me about this issue if you don't mind? I want to do some research in anticipation of problems. We have 36 trucks with six F-350's more on order.
There are videos of the Cam shaft and hydraulic lifters delaminating and pitted on the 7.3 gas, not 7.3 diesel.....
@@MikeS77577 Appreciate the warning and I have sense seen a few videos on it. Gratefully, we have not had one issue with our 7.3's so far. I have put out a bulletin though on it and we are going to be watching for it. Thanks.
By the way, we have nine 7.3's now with over 200,000 miles and no issues. We have 17 of them with over 150,000 miles with no issues, and the rest are under that mileage. We will be keeping each truck until 300,000 miles and then selling it. We will see what happens.
I stumbled on this video by accident and all I can say is what a refreshing, concise, and honest review of the towing capability of the 7.3. Far too many videos prattle on or are just too click-baity. Great work!
40 plus years ago we pulled trailers and boats nearly as big and as heavy as today with Ford and Chevy and Dodge Trucks with gas engine's , V-8's that displaced 350 , 360 , 400 cubes ( no turbo's or supercharges or fuel injection ) . We may not have gone up all the hills as fast and we went down hills in lower gears and changed brake pads more often but the Trucks did the jobs and did them well. I now drive a 6.7 ford diesel with more power than I need . I probable would have saved the extra 10000 bucks and gone gas if the 7.3 had been a option when I bought mine . A 7.3 ford or 6.6 chevy or even a ram heavy duty truck with a gas engine is light years ahead of anything we had in bygone days . I'm not sure I will ever save enough on fuel to get the extra 10000 for diesel back.
I hear you loud & clear. I bought a 1972 f250 new. Had a 360” which was a boat anchor. Not sure it had even 200hp and under not much more torque. Pulled boat and a full slide in camper. Numerous rigs between but My new f350, 7.3 l is a gigantic improvement.
Exactly. Nowadays its just a pissing contest, has nothing to do with the trucks themselves...
We towed this weights with the old 400 and 460 no problem. But we did with the 4 and 5 speed Manuals . 410 and 455 axles matched much shorter tires than put on trucks today. The gutless days started when mfg put tall tires and cut out the higher ratio axles on the gas engines. Why do this SALEs of diesel engines. From the get go they were still putting 235_85_16 on the duelly diesel with 410 or 455 axles for years after the gas truck had taller 17 and 18 inch wheels with 355 and 375 axles with maybe a 410 if you ordered.
My dad delivered mobile homes from the factories to lots for years using an International tote truck with a gas engine, 5 speed trans and 2 speed rear. It'd pull 14x70 homes without issue. I've still got parts and pieces of trucks scattered around the farm.
Diesel is 50% more expensive per gallon than gas so your not saving shit on fuel.
Glad to hear the review, I've been waiting to hear from folks putting miles on them to see how the experience is. I don't tow far enough to justify the added expense and upkeep of the diesel but I do need the payload of the larger trucks. I'm glad to hear this 7.3 is working well to fill that gap.
You did an excellent job of getting to the point and explaining the different variables in comparing all the options. Clear, concise and quick! So often UA-cam informational videos are full of fluff, not this one! Kudos
We have a 2021 F250 with the 7.3 and ten speed transmission and love it. We don’t tow full time but when we do we have no issues. We’re always well under weight and towing maximums. The engine is an absolute beast.
Guy from germany here. Wow these mileage numbers are impressive. Here in germany we call a car is efficient when it gets 40MPG, we're complaining when it gets under 30MPG. It is a whole other world
Kmh is way different from mph just to let you know
This was a very well spoken and organized review. Thank you for posting this! I really need to consider the gas now that you’ve put it into such a good perspective.
Jason,. Currently have a Dodge gasser and pull a Layton 5th wheel. Total combined weight truck and trailer is just a hair under 18,000.
Getting ready to retire. We have picked out our new coach. A Grand Design Momentum 398 M-R. Empty weight is 16,000lbs loaded we are at 21,000lbs. So we looked a 450 range of pick up trucks. Price tag over $90,000.
We live on a beer pocket book but would love champagne once in a while. After much dilibration we went a complete different direction.
We bought a HDT (2013 VOLVO 780) It has 500k for milage. Automatic 12 speed transmission. It develops over 1600lbs of torque for towing. Double bunk. Lower bunk makes in to a dinette or bunk. Has a fridge, and microwave plus coffee maker in the cab. Plus a 26" tv for the wife and grandbabies.
I have had all six of our grandkids in the cab and the wife can still get up and move around or lay down. And feed lunch with out stopping.
Total cost for the truck was $24,000. We put a deck on it $3000. To haul our Smart Car and the 5th wheel package $4200. So we are totally invested $31,000. As for fuel milage we get 9.8gpm and I have 300 gallons of fuel.
Buy the way we don't even feel the trailer behind us going up hill or down.
Recommend some other people investigate our setup.
Safe travels and roads. Brian and Cindy "xtreambydesign with passion"
Getting 8mpg with that trailer with gas is very impressive, when I first clicked I was thinking you were gonna be getting 4, with other major items on the diesel like dpf system and filters kinda prices retail out of the market. Pretty cool to see gas is working for you
I would love a head to head MPG comparison in towing between 7.3 vs 6.7 diesel. I know not towing, there is a 3-4 MPG difference.
I agree. I owned a 2002 F-350 with the 7.3 powerstroke, and it was a wonderful tow vehicle, but it never got better than 11.5 mpg unladen. With a trailer weighing 1k lbs or 15k lbs, it got 9 mpg... it's like it knew I was towing and got thirsty regardless of weight. These days, aside from the $10k premium you pay for a diesel, the maintenance costs are significantly higher than a gasser. Oil changes are twice as much, multiple fuel filters that MUST be changed regularly, DEF cost, and god help you if you get some contaminated diesel that hurts your fuel rails... that will cost you about $10 to fix (ask the Ram owners about it). I have been teetering back and forth for a few years, but I think a gas truck is in my future. The savings buys a hell of a lot of gas over the life of the truck.
One question are you retail or do commercial use? Here is another way of thinking 10mpg Diesel@$5 , Gas 8mpg @$4 50,000 miles a year. Both are the same cost $25,000 a year in fuel. If you don't NEED the power and retail it's looking like gas. After writing this gas is looking better
We don't know if that's on the flats or in hills/mountains.
@@danielsnook5029 His numbers are optimistic, the only scenario I see actually getting those numbers is downhill 😆
I have the same truck, with Tremor package albeit a Platinum trim. I have a 12k fifth wheel and my experience mirrors yours. What I did concerning the gas problem was to install a 42 gal transfer tank in the bed. Not only does it double the range, but provides a lot more flexibility in choosing gas stations and when to refill. When I have to make a potty stop for the smaller bladders in the family, I take the opportunity to refill the main tank and we're off. Also a 60 gal replacement tank is being made and should be available fairly soon.
great additional info!
@@BlackLung87 yes that is the rewards of working for it.
How much you pay for that?
@@trumptookthevaccine1679 if you are asking about the transfer tank, about $880 for the whole setup including the pump, filter and nozzle.
@@terrysoule8441 more like the truck
We kept our 92 IDI 7.3 Dually for pulling our 33 ft triple slide Jayco Designer but keep it in storage. We bought a Power Boost XLT for current travels with 28 ft tag along 1 slide. When Duke Power failed twice for several hours the truck generator was a Blessing!
You make some very good points especially about fueling. We came from a 36' class A motorhome (Winnebago Voyage 35L) that had a 8.1 liter Chevy gasoline engine (7.5 mpg on a good day) and we towed a small SUV (Chevy Tracker). The motorhome had a 75 gallon fuel tank, but still you had to take it into the gasoline side of the stations when fueling was required and that was al lot. There were often inconsiderate people that would cut in front of us or leave their car blocking pumps.
We now own a fifth wheel (2021 Grand Design 303RLS) and a 2021 Chevrolet 3500HD SWR Diesel that has a 36 gallon fuel tank and an added 60 gallon tank in the bed behind the cab. This along with the ability to use the diesel pumps in the rear of stations away from the cars is worth the diesel truck price alone to me. The stress of fueling that motorhome is gone and the money that is saved being able to shop fuel prices instead being forced to buy due to need is a huge consideration.
Like the Ford 7.3 the Chevrolet 8.1 gas engine produced it's torque at a high RPM and you knew it on every hill. We live in the Sierra Mountains and the diesel is night and day better with the exception of its cost.
Thanks for the video and safe travels.
Thank you for sharing your experience with the 7.3L gas in the 1 ton F-series. Impressive!!
You bet!
Just found your channel because I bought a 7.3 F350. Love how you explain things and get right to the point without wasting my time. Great content and I wish you the best of luck with your channel!
Welcome aboard!
So glad I finally found this content. I've seen a ton of videos explaining how this exact truck is amazing at towing 9k, 10k or even 12k lbs of trailer. But my new camper has a gvwr of 15k lbs and I've been searching high and low for info on how it handles that type of weight. Thank you for this.
I am impressed with Ford's gasoline engine. I towed with gasoline many years ago and swore it off forever. Going up western state passes my Chevy 3500 sounded like it would explode before we go to the top and it would not hold speed towing about 16000 pounds. Money is important for diesel, but I will say that (from experience) Ford's diesel 6.7L Power Stroke is a monster. My F450 dually has towed just over 32,000 pounds (construction equipment) from Los Angeles to south Denver, CO, - across two major passes (over 10,000 feet) w/o breaking a sweat.
You got a solution that worked for you and saved a ton of money (upfront) - a nice job. Your video is well done and presents information that is factual and concise - really nice.
I have the same truck setup with a 31’, 37’ tip to tail, travel trailer that GVW is 10,000 pounds and with the 7.3l it’s a dream. No issues at all. Love the truck.
Thats like the perfect truck to trailer weight sweet spot!👍
Wow, what a great tutorial! An active tire monitoring system diminishes the concern over having dual tires. You can even include the system on the trailer. It is rare that RVers are as concerned about legally towing as you. Kudos to you in all instances.
Best assessment of this comparison that I have heard, excellent, factual, brief, and to the point! Thank you!
I also have the 7.3 liter gas engine in my 2020 F350 LTV dually with crew cab, long bed, 4WD, and 4.30 rear end ratio. I carry a Northern Lite 10-2 slide-in truck camper, which weighs a bit over 3200 pounds dry. In my pre-purchase research, I came across more than one online source saying that Ford targeted fleet buyers with the 7.3. They say the more simple push-rod engine tied to the great (IMO) 10-speed transmission will give the truck a very long life. We'll see. I love the flat torque curve, in any case. BTW, my mileage is similar to yours: 8 mpg when driving >65 mph; 11 mpg when driving
We installed an aftermarket Titan 60 gallon fuel tank. It fits in exact same spot at original tank. Only difference is it sets 2-1/2” lower than original. Best mod we made. Never have to stop for fuel when traveling. Get to our destination drop off 5th wheel. Then go fuel up at station with best Pricing and no hassle or worries of getting in/out.
Titan makes a SuperDuty tank for gasoline?
@@rh-et2vv I think they're working on a replacement tank.
I heard that they are working on one. I will look for the info.
@@rh-et2vv yes they do
Did you calculate the loss of pay load with your bigger tank? Doesn’t that bigger tank defeat the purpose of the gas payload?
I'm a believer in letting creators know they made a good video,
This is a great video. Short, to the point and informative..and clear. Thanks for taking the time to make this!
I really, truly appreciate that! Thank you!
Great video. This 7.3 with the 4.10’s and 10 spd is the future. We’ll definitely pick one up in 5-6 years when the market (hopefully) drops and these can be had used. For now we absolutely love our ‘17 Titan XD Cummins. We don’t need a ton of payload and our TT is only 7600 lbs so it’s perfect.
Transfer flow is supposedly releasing a 58 gallon for the tremor 250/350 gas in April, keep an eye open for it. It's waiting on the carb approval supposedly due in April.
Awesome. I hope they do. I've never understood why they have one for the f150 and Tundra but not the gas super duty. Hopefully the 7.3 popularity will encourage them to do so.
Carb approval?
@@johncuervo3019 California approval for emissions and stupidity
This exactly answered my questions about this engine… thanks.
Well what ya know... a responsible RV owner in the video. This was refreshing to watch!
It’s just those damn hills, I’ve towed with both with same trailer, the fuel savings on long trips is enormous with diesel, 7-8 with gas , 13-14 with Cummins, plus resale, good luck on your journey
Good information and very well explained. Glad to hear that you are happy with the 7.3. I think that the complexity of modern diesel engines strongly reduces their desirability and it is good to have excellent gasoline alternatives. I've been thinking that if I were in the market for such a vehicle that the big gasser would be the logical choice.
With all the smog requirements for a diesel and the high maintenance cost it’s not worth it. With the new transmissions a gas truck with all the gearing can put down lots of torque.
That was a really great video and great explanation of your experience with the 7.3 L. That was valuable information for many people. Thank you👍🇺🇸👍🇺🇸
Much appreciated!
Thanks for the direct, clean, clear video. Refreshing & helpful.
There is an auxillary fuel tank solution that fits where the truck spare tire resides. It's expensive and you have to start carrying the spare in the bed or mount it on 5th wheel bumper.
Excellent review. One add. The Pilot/FlyingJ app can be sorted by “RV Friendly” location…many with RV specific pumps (meaning long pull through with gas as an option).
One note that I found out the hard way, once you find the RV friendly locations, look at the details and make sure they have the specific things you need.
The gas fill up issue is the same for Class A gassers. I am envious when I see a diesel in the truck pull through. Every fill up must be thought out and planned ahead. Bucees are a dream, so much room and so many pumps.
Gotta love a Bucees
Agreed--especially with a toad! When on the road, I always hope for Flying J or Maverick RV lanes. I have dropped the toad for Costco prices then reattached after a fill up.
We just purchased our first pusher and I never really gave much thought to the class A gas fuel issue until this Christmas when camping in Ft. Pierce. Had a new Newmar class A parked beside us. Was talking to the owner and told him what a nice unit he had. He told me filing up can be a pain in the rear. Never thought of that. We have to plan our fuel purchases also. Guess it's part of the deal.
don't forget about the bucees nuggets...
@@billdarrah5030 some of the newer Valero/Toot'n Totum stations in Texas have separate RV lanes with gasoline.
This is the best truck review of a truck I’ve viewed. It’s to the point, well delivered, and hits the key points.
This was the most excellent, most concise video, let alone video about a car, that I've ever watched. Subscribed, just to awe at your presentation skills.
Thank you for an honest and well explained review. I'm leaning this way as well, was considering the 3.73 gears, but the 4.10 has the towing advantage.
I also hadn't considered the short bed vs long bed fuel capacity, good point.
Make sure you try turning around in a cul-de-sac with the long bed or a parking lot before you commit.
Put a 30- 50 gal. auxilary tank in the bed. That will fix the fuel issue
I ordered my truck with 4.30s and a 48 gallon tank but its a 4door long bed
Love it - very thorough as always and your points were clear. I can imagine the larger tank on the long bed would absolutely be a welcome addition.
Yeah, there's apparently an aftermarket 55 gallon replacement tank coming out this summer that I've got my eye on.
@@RVMiles Any releases on what kind of pricepoint though?
My friend went broke repairing his Diesel truck. At 49 years old he had to borrow money from his parents to cover the massively expensive repairs he had to make on his Diesel truck. Grreat when their running but when they break you better have unlimited funds and really deep pockets.
Very well put. Those big gas engines don’t get enough press and credit. Good on you for being real on your situation and setup.
i had a 74 GMC one ton dually, with 5.7 L gas and four speed manual transmission, i towed a 38 foot RV/ Toy hauler fifth wheel with it, several times with no major issues, if it had had a five speed it probably would have climbed hills better. i prefer duallys for better stability
I love the larger tank on my diesel F350. 60 gallons of diesel and we don't have to fill up at all during travel days. we stop and fill up when we're stopping for the day. Of course you can only do that with a diesel, but it sure is a big advantage.
edit: I should add going through big cities with our standard tank was never fun. we would always need to fill up before or be searching after getting through. now we just keep on cruising.
Thanks for the excellent explanation and important details, Jason. You're always very fair with such reviews.
We're gearing up to start full-time RVing later this year, and I'm working on getting an F-250 right now. The Grand Design 278BH we've ordered will be just over 10k lbs. fully loaded, but the F-250 with the 7.3L can tow about 14.7k lbs., so I fill really good about this option. I too have heard some complaints about the 10 speed transmission, but it seems that most of those were (1) complaints about the F-150 shortly after the 10 speed was introduced or (2) complaints about the frequent shifting, as you noted, which is actually a feature, not a bug.
We're starting a YT channel of our own (Called to Journey) to document our adventures, so hopefully you'll keep an eye out for it this spring!