[JRTJH]

If everyone owned a Freightliner, this topic would be nonexistant. Some say the half ton truck is not designed to tow. Others say it will tow anything with wheels on it (and drag the rest). Somewhere in the middle of all this is the functionality of the half ton truck. Every manufacturer lists on each truck it's towing capability. While going to the extreme and trying to tow 9750 lbs with a truck with an engineered max tow rating of 9800 lbs may not be the "wisest thing to do", as long as the remaining limitations of the truck are not exceeded, then according to the engineers, that truck can tow the listed weights. Is it safe? Answer must be "YES" do "YOU" agree? That's your opinion and you have every right not to tow with that model truck, if you don't agree, and feel strongly that you'd rather not tow with a half ton truck, then buy a bigger truck. Maybe start saving for your own personal Freightliner.

As for me, I'd recommend doing your own research and take the manufacturer's recommendations for listed GVW, GCWR, GAWR and find an RV that meets those limits.

When we "overkill" on tow vehicles we waste resources. Not everyone needs a one ton dually to tow a Scamp trailer. Sure, you'd never know it's back there, and it climbs every mountain pass in overdrive, but on the other hand, so would my F150. For the "part timer" who tows locally a couple of weekends a month during the summer, with one longer trip of maybe 600 too 1000 miles and whose truck/trailer combination is within the engineered limits, then the "lesser performance" of being in 3rd gear on that mountain pass at 45 MPH while that F350 with the Scamp sails by is an acceptable compromise. The trade off (payback) comes during the rest of the year with 18MPG use of that tow vehicle as opposed to the 10MPG of driving that dually to work every day.

I'm not opposed to anyone towing with their choice, but to say "no half ton truck can tow a fifth wheel" or to say "If you tow with a half ton, you'll be unsafe" is just not true.