1/2 tons are probably OK for little kids on the flat.

 

my 83 3/4 ton 6.2L/now 6.5L TD suburban went 430,000 before it lost the rear and it was the LS the junked it it towed a 10k TT (slowly) all over the BAJA and USA it was a great truck it just needed a Cummins.

1/2 tons are OK if you stay under 7000 lbs and todays 1/2 tons are built better with bigger brakes,And I would say there built as strong as a 1st gen 3/4 ton just lighter axles

 

I bought the truck I have for towing; I have a 35’ fiver and tow a 36’ flatbed here on the farm.
I got tried of putting so many miles on the truck and went out and bought a small car that gets about 35 MPG to drive back and forth to work. I drive the truck on the weekends and when I need to tow.
After looking at the numbers, I came up with the following the car is making the payments on itself and I can replace it 4 times for what the truck will cost. You may want to consider doing the same.
After all if it’s a 01 you don’t have any payments on it. Even if you had to buy a small car new and paid $12,500 for it then had to have the VP44 replaced for $3,000 you are still money ahead .
Just some food for thought.

 

I had a 95 chevy 3/4 ton 350 in good running condition somthin like 92'000 miles, and bad milage or not it wouldn't even pull what i need to, so i bought a diesel cummins and thats been 4 trucks ago and i ain't lookin back.

 

A friend of mines 01 gmc 1/2 ton reaend went out,got it rebuilt f/$900.00+ dollars 3 weeks later it went out again & they fixed it for n/c.
He was a little pi$$ed off about it but it seems to be ok now.

 

You're right. I just need to keep a Diesel. I may want a bigger(heavier) trailer some day and then I really will need the CTD.

In the mean time I'll replace my lift pump as a prevention of near-term problems.

I have been looking on Craigslist for a deal that might come up. I'm really focusing on an '05 to '07 because I'm led to believe the common fuel rail is more dependable while the 5.9L will still give me good mileage with the power I need.
Also the used models will save me a few $. Unfortunately, there's been only a few of these popping up. I guess folks are holding on to what they like.

 

I'm sure I'm going to get some flack for this... but my previous truck was a newer Tundra Double Cab. While it had areas it excelled in, towing and mpg was not one of them. It towed well enough (with overdrive off, no cruse control) at about 3k rpms, but my towing mpg average was only 6-7mpg and empty was 19mpg HWY at best.

Now with same 30ft camper and same camping trips, my towing average is about 11mpg and empty HWY is 21mpg. Goes into overdrive and locks in just like a truck should.... Oh, and I got my cruse control back while towing Couldn't be happer!

 

I think its hilarious that your asking guys on this forum if you should go with a gas motor

 

Good to see you keeping your 01 CTD. I strongly agree with Scotty, selling the CTD and getting a 1/2 ton gasser would cost you a lot of money. And by all means, keep that 01 that gives you 16.5 mpg towing the Airstream for a long time! Maybe the pre-emission 3rd gen can get close to that mpg, but I doubt the 6.7 CTD can do that.

Keep that money, have a nice dinner with your wife and buy Hyundai stocks.

Kris

 

I tow for a living for an online recreational auction. We move any kind of units.
Recently I toke a trip from Minneapolis, MN to Kingman, AZ with a our 2009 Chevy 3500 6.0l gas towing an enclosed 24ft trailer empty.
To return home, I drove a 2006 Winnebago Journey class A motorhome (diesel pusher, Cummins 8.3l) towing same enclosed trailer loaded with 5 long track snowmobiles.
It was sad finding out the motorhome did 7.5mpg, the Chevy gasser did..... 7mpg. Both ways driving 70mph. There is a difference of 16,000lbs of extra weight coming back. I had to stop every 200 miles to get gas, while I went 500 miles with the motorhome.

Stay with diesel, it's well worth it...

 

You really have to decide how much you tow

Tow a little - go with gas

Tow a Lot - go with diesel

I have a diesel, i tow, or haul with it. very rarely do I run empty, most of the time the bed is always full, or I have a trailer on it.

I had a V-10 dodge truck, it towed just as good as the old mans diesel (both were 410lbs of torque) but I only got 9mpg, the old man got 15, so yes, big difference running empty/towing. Now mine only got 13 on the highway, his almost 20. But with the new hemi's, 400hp and Multi Cylinder displacement, getting around 18-20 on the highway, that's tough to justify. Diesel is more than gas, to buy a diesel costs another 5,000 dollars.

I think petersons did a test, if you tow all the time 100% you could pay off the diesel cost (over gas) in 80,000 miles. if you didnt' tow, I think it was like 150,000 miles. But with new vehicles doing better and better, it's getting harder and harder to beat a gas.

Plus gas is just nicer for daily driving, warm up faster, this and that. her car is warm in 2 min, my truck it takes 20 min, so for close driving, gas

It's all what you "need" and all what you "want" Some people want a diesel just to say "I own a diesel", and that's fine, but I'd rather have a nice sports car or something (price of a truck could buy you a Z06 corvette) I'd have a lot of fun in that If I didn't have a trailer, need a trailer, or the truck, i wouldnt' have the diesel (now maybe a diesel jetta) but they get like 50+ mpg, that's hard to beat.

 

What about the resale value of a diesel Ram vs a gas Ram? Plus the diesel engine lasts longer. I would not hesitate to buy a diesel truck with 150k miles but I doubt I´d buy a gas truck with 150k miles.

 

My pull behind TT weighs 6300 lbs. I got 9-11 mpg pulling it with my small ford 150 v8 automatic driving 60 on the flats and 45 down a gear up hills. And it would sometimes drop down even another gear in the mountains.
I get 16-17 pulling it at 63 all the time with my 5.9 automatic and it has to be a heck of a grade before it drops speed or shifts.
I like having the heavier duty brakes, transmission, and the weight of the bigger truck too.
Plus I bought a bigger trailer, that weights 8500 lbs. I got 16 pulling it with the Dodge.
If you don't pull much, and are going to stick with a small trailer, the gas half ton will be fine. I am really frugal and hated to spring for the new diesel, but since I bought it we have been on the road for about 9 months and 40,000 or so miles in the last 2 years and I am glad for the diesel.
However, almost everybody that we camp with that has recently bought a tow for a 6000 to 8000 lb trailer has bought a Toyota or Nissan truck. And I have heard them claim milage of 16 or so. Those might be a heck of a truck.

 

Had a gasser it sucked! Put a 5.9 in and WOW! More power and better m.p.g. I would never own a gas powered tow vehicle again. I also have a 2001 Durango SLT 2 wd and when the engine goes on it I will put a 3.9 in it. Nuff Said!!

 

For what its worth i hauled RVs for a living for three years, and if you had a gasser no one would hire on gas rigs at least the ones i talked to. I've got 04 3500drw with 388000. on it now still runs great. i could get up 17mpg and as low as 6mpg loaded with 140 gallons of fuel, pulling 32-40 ft units. To compare this with my 34ft classA motorhome with 460 ford by itself ave 4-6 mpg with me and wife. Hands down diesel is the only way to go. that my story and i'am sticking to it.

Rick