I've been researching trucks actively for the past month. Since I can't afford two vehicles, I need a truck for everyday driving but one that also has enough power to SAFELY tow a 2 horse gooseneck (Fully loaded weighs 7500lbs). There is a lot of debate between the safety of towing with a 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton even when the trailer weight is below 75% of max towing ability. What is your opinion on the matter? Also, do you believe a diesel engine is worth the extra cost when it comes to power, gas mileage, and resale value? What is the real benefit of a 4.10 vs. 3.73 axle (how much does this drop your gas mileage?)? I know these are loaded questions, but I would really like the opinion of a professional who deals with this all the time and not just a bunch of horse owners or truck salesmen. Thank you!!!

7500#'s can be towed with a 1/2 ton Ford F150 or Nissan Titan well enough. The 5.3L in the 1500 GM is under powered for towing that much weight and the Dodge Hemi will do it, but the auto tranny has double overdrives and needs a 3.92 axle ratio to work and the manual transmission is rated to tow lower trailer weights on 1/2 tons. Diesels are great but cost the extra $5000 which takes over 100,000 miles in fuel savings to break even and then the oil changes etc. cost twice what a gas engine service is. Between 4.10 and 3.73 is only 1/2 to 1 mpg. Not much. With a gas engine and towing it's better to go with a lower axle ratio like 4.10 when possible.