best truck / trucksize for hauling a 2 horse trailer?

[ruger280]

I have no problem pulling with my 2500 Chevy, but if you look around at most horse shows, the truck of choice is a Ford 4x4 250 or 350 diesel and for some reason.... white. But I would stick with a 4x4

 

[Tim71FJ40]

F250 / gooseneck trailer

I started with one horse, but now have 4!! No truck/trailer combo yet, but I'm selling the BMW M5 (anyone interested ) and the Tahoe for a 250 super duty.

Funny - I'll sell the M5 which is immaculate with extremely low miles, but if anyone ever suggested I sell the FJ40, they would have a fight on their hands.

 

[caper]

This is what ya want, and you dont want to go smaller than a 3/4 ton for that much weight , 1998 cummins 12 Valve 5sp , the holy grail of all diesel trucks ever made . It took me 3 years to find the exact one I wanted ,long box loaded with leather . All mechanical no electronics on the old 12 valve , can burn anything in it , and great millage loaded or empty ,pulls like a mule and sounds like a tractor as a diesel should . They don't make em now like they use to , and these babys are getting pretty hard to come by now.

 

[TLC76]

I did a trip recently in my Dodge in the sig line, from San Diego to Kings Canyon and back (maybe 1000-1200 mile round trip) pulling my 28' fifth wheel and got 14MPG average including pulling the mountains. At 60 on the flat highway on cruise I can average close almost 20 towing. Where the diesel really shines though is pulling grades, I'll cruise by a gasser at 1500RPM and can't even hear my engine over the scream of theirs. For the tech content, flat tows my 40 great also...

 

[My wife said no FJ!]

If you want fuel economy, buy a car & a used pickup truck. A new focus gets 40mpg and costs 22k. A used 3/4 ton truck is 7k and gets 12mpg. Those two together are cheaper than a new tacoma, and your average fuel economy will be 50% better.

This was what I was going to say...let her drive the car in and around town, and just use the pick up when needed to tow either the horses, or the 40

Funny - I'll sell the M5 which is immaculate with extremely low miles, but if anyone ever suggested I sell the FJ40, they would have a fight on their hands.

lol...one good reason is probably because you can walk into to your local dealer and order a new M5, but finding a good 40 is a whole other story

 

[destin]

Thanks fellas

I think we are just gonna take our time and look for a solid used mechanical diesel 3/4 ton or 1 ton.
I think it just makes the most sense, for our safety and the horses safety. ( and knowing the wife, 2 horses will soon turn into 4 lol )

Fortunately, we do not have have to buy it anytime soon, so we have the time to shop and choose

DEFINITELY not selling the cruiser lol.

Be a cold day in hell for that to happen

keep the info coming btw, this is a good conversation !

 

[destin]

myabe i should just get a unimog

hehehehe

 

[GRM]

the mid 20s are mainly going to be pulled in by Chipped and tuned Dodge Diesels pulling no weight.

Every time I see that, I call BS (exp. on a 4wd).

My '01 6 speed CTD gets 16-18 unloaded, and 12-14 with a trailer. Its fairly stock, except for an edge milage max, and a fass.

Every person I have met who claimed 20+ was flat our lying.

 

[Elbert]

Here is what I have... GM 07 2500 HD extended cab pickup with 6.0 gas engine. I use it to haul my 60 around...trailer and 60 weigh around 9K or so. It has 3.73 gears and its a 4wd. What I flat out dislike is the 26 gallon gas tank (it has the shorter bed. I am impressed with the 6.0 engine and the auto transmission...It pulls what I have pretty well but you do have to let it wind up through the RPM/s and it will be pulling hard on the steep grades. It will shift down and be turning around 4K rpm's on the steep grades (we don't have real mountains around where I live)... I do go through the Smokey's some time and going to Harlan KY is pretty steep grades for the last hour or so of the drive... What I had previosly...01 2500 Suburban 4wd with 8.1 engine. The 07 truck get comparable gas milage to the big block suburban and is fairly close to comparable in engine performance although in high load conditions the suburban certainly had a little more raw torque. The newer pickup stops and handles better than the older sub did. I have more utility options with the pickup.

I get about 14 mgp on the hwy unloaded with he 6.0 gas pickup, I get about 8.5 or so mpg towing on flat graound and 7.5 or 8 in the hilly areas.

What I would buy:

A ford with the inter-cooled 7.3 power-stroke super duty 350 or 250 (2003 and older I think)
A dodge 2500 or 3500 with the CTD and manual transmission (older models...2008 and older).
I like the GM dmax trucks but mileage sucks.

I think my truck is on the borderline for what I tow but its certainly capable... I'll probably sell it (less than 30K miles on it) and buy a Dodge 08 or older, manual trans, 3500, CTD, crew cab, 4wd and be done with it and I'll add an aux fuel tank so I don't have to watch the fuel gauge. If I can't work a deal on selling the 07 GM pickup I'll most likely get one of those replacement fuel tanks...only option I've seen for a gas engine and it holds something like 45 gallons (transfer flow), it replaces the OEM fuel tank. I plan to go on some of these trail rides and stuff etc that's a long haul from where I live and a 26 gallon fuel tanks does not cut it wihen towing.


The GM 2500 HD is certainly capable of towing a two horse trailer...gas or dmax powered... I would have no issues with buying one to haul that. Remember that a gas rig is less expensive to maintain and in some places easier to get worked on if you have to pay someone else. What not to buy...the older GM 6.2 or 6.5 diesel, the fords with the 6.0 or 6.X diesel. I would not buy anything less than a 2500 series truck and make sure you get the proper receiver hitch and ball that's appropriatly rated for what you pull, the factory hitches at least on the GM stuff is under-rated and I would toss that in the dumpster excpet for the new trucks which by the way are $$...