Towing Issues: Fifth Wheel Towing question, fifth wheel towing, quality diesel fuel

Question
Just bought a 28ft  fifth wheeler. Would you recommend a diesel or gasoline engine truck for towing?  I am looking for a very reasonably priced used truck to tow. What are my options?  Thanks for your response.

Answer
The old gas vs. diesel question. Really with today's gas engines some are just as powerful as some diesels and come close to the same towing mileage. Diesel's do have more low end torque and usually operate in their peak powerband at highway speeds. This really helps in hills and mountains. Gas engines usually downshift more often in with hills and will operate at a higher rpm which decreases fuel mileage. When diesel fuel was over $1.00 more per gallon vs. regular unleaded fuel the case of a diesel engine having better fuel mileage over a gas engine wasn't a factor because it was usually equaled out.

Now diesel trucks usually cost more than gas trucks and the same goes for resale value. Diesel engines usually have a longer engine life vs. gas engines. Gas can be found everywhere where quality diesel fuel can be hard to find sometimes. Diesels are more expensive to repair and experienced diesel mechanics are hard to find unless you take it to the stealer, I mean dealer.

I would suggest a 3/4 ton or one ton truck over a half ton truck. You will benefit with the bigger brakes, heavier duty suspension, and most are already equipped with oil, trans. coolers and towing packages. Beware of salesmen saying a half ton is within the tow rating of your camper. Stay away from half tons! Another debate is single wheel vs. dually. Duallies are more stable and track better, meaning very little sway. If you plan very long trips there is usually less driver fatigue when using a dually. All duallies are one tons and usually have a harsh ride when not towing.

Long beds vs. short beds, with your fifth wheel a long bed works the best. The fifth wheel is placed in the bed and don't have to worry about the front overhang of the camper smashing into the back of the cab when making turns. Now there is a fifth wheel hitch that slides towards the rear of the truck when making turns for short beds but the hitch is expensive, almost twice the price over a long bed hitch. Much less hassle and concerns with a long bed plus gives more storage space.

Best fuel mileage regardless of gas or diesel equipped is a 2wd with manual transmission. Once the truck is optioned with automatic and or 4wd the fuel mileage will decrease. Also gear ratio's can come into play. Most diesel's have a 3.55-3.73 gear ratio while most heavy duty gas trucks have a 3.73-4.10 rear gear ratio. The faster the engine is spinning, RPM's, the fuel mileage will decrease. Remember the gas engine scenario in the mountains, if the gas engine needs more torque at a higher rpm then the fuel mileage will decrease.

I hope I didn't cause any confusion but sometimes there isn't always a straight clear answer. Questions like yours cause heated debates on some RV forums. You could do all the research and comparisons but it really comes down to personal preference. The gas vs. diesel is like Coke vs. Pepsi. Go test drive some and find the most comfortable one for you. If this is going to be your daily driver and thinking of a dually or a crewcab long bed I suggest driving at the mall or a crowded parking lot during your test drive. If you never owned, driven or parked one you will know why I suggested this. Also duallies are not drive thur friendly. There is always a tradeoff somewhere.

As a personal note I own a gas dually extended cab longbed and a diesel dually crewcab longbed, both 2wd and automatic. Do you see a dually pattern? When pulling my 29 foot 9,000 pound trailer they both get the same tow mileage of 9 mpg. The diesel has a 3.73 gear and the gas a 4.10 gear. Unloaded diesels generally do have better fuel mileage than the gas engines. When pulling in the mountains the diesel is always chosen. As I have said, go drive some and have FUN! Any other questions feel free to ask.