2008 Chevy Silverado Dodge Ram Ford F-350 - Ultimate Tow-Rig Test

To maximize the "real world" nature of this comparison test, most of the instrumented testing was done on an empty, uphill road using a GTech Pro RR performance meter to record the data. We chose this stretch of road to approximate the uphill onramps common to this portion of Interstate 5, figuring it would be more instructive to measure how well the trucks performed under challenging conditions rather than on an easier-to-negotiate flat road (or dragstrip). The "time to pass" tests were performed in traffic on the Interstate, again in a hilly area, using a stopwatch to record how long it took to pass a vehicle-in this case another test truck holding a steady 60 mph. To keep the testing as consistent as possible, all runs were done using Fred Williams as stunt driver.

Fuel used for the test was ultra-low-sulfur diesel sold at Union 76 and Chevron stations in Southern California. It was not supplied to us but was purchased at retail. Diesel prices during our late-November 2007 test period ranged from $3.299 to $3.659 per (self serve) gallon.

Rear-wheel power data was measured on an in-ground DynoJet chassis dynamometer by the technicians at DC Performance in Los Angeles (310.841.6996, www.dcperformance.com).

We would like to thank Mac's Custom Tie Downs for supplying us with a new set of trailer tie-downs for this test. We've been using a set of Mac's tie-downs for more than a year now and they have worked great, but the grease and abuse from hauling all sorts of project trucks and other junk on the trailer was making them pretty ugly. Mac hooked us up with its Ultra Pack in 4-Wheel & Off-Road red. This set comes with two 6-foot and two 8-foot ratchet straps, along with four axle straps, all in a duffle bag. The 10,000-pound capacity is perfect for even our biggest trail rigs.