2013 F-350 6.7 Power Stroke Tow Vehicle

Diesel VS Gas Engine

The engine type selection was a simple choice for me as I was buying this truck for not only as my personal “daily driver” but as our tow vehicle for the 5th wheel campers. Diesel engines are made for pulling with much higher torque than their counterpart gas engine. This makes them better for towing especially in hill and mountainous areas that are present in Virginia. But there is advantages and disadvantages to both types.

So in the end, I thought it was an easy decision for me. As my background in construction, I have been around diesel trucks most of my life. They always were the “better trucks” for the jobs we were doing that included towing heavy equipment on a regular basis. It is worth the extra cost to have the “right tool” for the job I was planning for this truck.

3/4 Ton VS 1 Ton Truck

Once again I am going to be bias as working in construction, we always wanted the maximum capacity on the type of truck we were purchasing. Today’s 3/4 vs 1 ton trucks generally have the same tow capacities when outfitted the same equipment, same size cabs for passengers, and same appearance. But that is where the similarities end. The big difference when it comes to carrying capacity which is one of the number 1 way people get in trouble overloading a truck. Of course, a 1 ton trucks have higher carrying capacity than a 3/4 ton truck even when both are single tire configurations. One tow dually trucks have even higher carrying capacity than a single wheel 1 ton trucks.

Trailers have “tongue weight” which is the weight that is put on the rear end of the truck when it is hooked to the trailer. If your tongue weight pushes your truck over its carrying capacity you are outside of the specifications on the truck. It is also illegal per DOT highway codes to be overloaded like this. This is a common issue that can cause premature wear to your truck including suspension, brakes, and more. The cost to go from a 3/4 to 1 ton truck is not much in the overall cost of the truck.

Why Ford?

I will not lie, I have owned multiple Fords in my life so I am little bias toward them. But I did my due diligence also looking at GM and Dodge. I quickly eliminated Dodge even though the Cummins Diesel engine is legendary, I was not a fan of their appearance and they have a reputation for transmission issues which can lead to $4,000 to $8,000 dollar repair bills. Finally I found both my current truck and very similar 2013 GMC 3500 LTZ at neighboring Ford and GM dealerships. So I somehow convinced my wife to go with me to look at both one morning. We first test drove the GMC which was very nice but I didn’t “feel” like I was driving a truck. I like to feel like I am driving a truck instead of a car but this may be what others like. Finally it just didn’t have much “get and go” to it. Next we test drove the beautiful F-350 I have today. Even my wife as a GM fan was way more impressed with the Ford both in appearance and performance. That evening after long negotiations, we signed the paperwork on the most expensive truck I have ever purchased. I could not be MORE EXCITED!

In Conclusion

I have had my truck now going on 6 years and could not be happier with my selection. It now has just over 100,000 miles which are mostly from our camping trips all over the Southeast. Over the years, I have had very few issues with it other than the expected issues for a truck its mileage and age. I have done many different modifications to it and will continue to do especially now that it is paid off. Stay tuned as I will go into those in different blog posts!