advantages and disadvantages of towing with a 1/2 T and with a 3/4 T

[W5WI]

Okay, I took the bait Festus2 posted about the ongoing discussions of which tow vehicle is best... Is it a 1/2T, 3/4T or 1T????

Let's set some ground rules...

1. Let's not compare brands as being better than another.

2. Let's discuss tow packages, after market aids, airbags, chips, etc.

3. Let's discuss GVW, Trailer weight empty, loaded, etc.

4. Let's discuss hitches and their effect on towing capabilities.

5. Let's discuss all types of campers.

6. Any other pertenient discussions.

I'll start with personal experiences...

I've towed many a very large load with a 1/2T pickup truck. Some short bed, some long bed of different brands, engines, transmissions and differential gear ratios.

But, some pulled well on level ground and mild hills, some pulled better in more hilly terrain and some pulled well over any terrain if the load was lighter. A couple of times I was half way up a hill and the truck wouldn't pull the load any further and I had to be towed the rest of the way up the hill.

Sometimes the truck pulled well but the differential failed or I lost a rear wheel bearing because of the load. Or the suspension was not rigid enough and the load so unbalanced that the truck swayed dangerously.

My point above is that being able to move the load does not equate to handling it safely in all conditions be it a 1/2T, 3/4T or 1T.

Questions have been asked to explain why one is better than the other. Factors include frame construction, springs, brakes, engine, transmission and differential size, etc.

Let's hear it!

[dksd39]

oh boy...here we go lol

I really do not see any "advantage" a 1/2 ton will have over a 3/4 or 1 ton when towing. Mileage will be similar gas to gas and bringing diesel into the equation changes many things. The only possible advantage a 1/2 ton "might" have would be ride quality when not towing lol.
I tow with a 1/2 ton but still fail to see an advantage....i'm sure others will chime in soon enough

[jq1031]

One thing that has not come up in past posts on this subject is truck weight. A diesel engine will usually greatly increase the truck weight over a gas engine, thus increasing stability without sacraficing pay load & MPG.

[Charli]

I have limited experience towing compared to many on this site however here is my take on 1/2 vs 3/4. Had an 09 Ram 1500 and was towing a 29' Springdale trailer and found the suspension to be too light and tires too soft. Lots of sway and when passed by a semi it was a religious experience. Trailer was about 7500# loaded with pin wt around 750# so both within trucks limits. In 09 model Ram they switched to coil springs from leaf in rear and this my be cause for soft suspension. Sure rode nicer empty than 08 models we tested but perhaps not as strudy for towing.
This spring we switched to 08 Ram 2500 CTD and found the firmer suspension and LT as opposed to P tires provided much improved ride and of course Disel made for much improved pulling and gas mileage. No more sway and passing Semi's not a problem. Also found I was comfortable driving about 65mph rather than 55mph with 1/2T.
Have since switched to 5er and the towing experience is even better. I did find that the rated payload capacity for the Dodge vs Ford/Chev was lighter and wish I would have gone for the 1T as it has limited my choice of 5'ers when we were shopping this spring. I know lots pull bigger 5ers with 3/4T and have no problems however they are exceeding payload capacity of their trucks and as a newbie I wasn't comfortable doing that. Perhaps with more experience I will move up next time I make a purchase.
Based on my experience I would never use a 1/2T to pull a trailer of any size simply due to the suspension. A 3/4T gasser would be a nice stable ride although a slower ride than with the diesel.
My 2 cents

[smiller]

Originally Posted by W5WI

A couple of times I was half way up a hill and the truck wouldn't pull the load any further and I had to be towed the rest of the way up the hill.

I don't want to jump to conclusions but that could be an indication that your tow vehicle might not be quite up to the job

Originally Posted by W5WI

Questions have been asked to explain why one is better than the other. Factors include frame construction, springs, brakes, engine, transmission and differential size, etc.

All of those.

I'm not really sure what there is to discuss, for anything other than light towing duties a 3/4-ton is night and day superior, pretty much end of story.

[Jim W]

My only $0.02 that I am adding is. I have seen way too many grocery getters over loaded with the front end pointing in the air. To even consider a 1/2 ton truck as a tow vehicle for a heavy trailer.

What users do not consider is the GCWR, GVWR, GAWR and the GAWF of 1/2 ton truck.

Air bags do not help increase the carrying capacity of any truck. All they offer is the ability of leveling the load. Chips or programmers might increase the engine horsepower and performance, but they do not increase the load carrying capacity of the truck.

Hitches do not increase the load carrying capacity of any truck. What they do is to allow the load to be distributed over the frame of the truck.

What will change the load carrying capacity of any truck are the design components that are used by the manufacture, as an example.
The 2500HD and 3500HD Ram with a 6.7L diesel/auto has the same frame under these truck. But what changes the load carrying capacity are the tires, axles, springs and ring gear and pinion on the DRW truck. This is where the load carrying ability increase comes from, not aftermarket components.
Jim W.

[mhs4771]

Okay, my nickel's worth: In 91 we bought our first TT (moved up from a Pop-up) a Prowler 24M (24 ft hitch to bumper, 21 ft living space) fairly light approx 4500 empty, probably 5000 to 5500 loaded for camping. Pulled it with an 87 Chevy 1500 4x4, then a 95 Chevy 1500 4x4, both with 5.7L (350 cu in). Both pull it OK, the 95 better than the 87, but still slow through the mountains of PA on US15. In 05 went looking for a new 3/4 ton, Diesel, extended cab, long box. No long boxes to be found with a towing package, seems everyone wanted the short box. Local dealer had a 1 ton dually and made me a better offer than ordering a 3/4 ton. WOW, what a difference towing, much more relaxed and reduced the white knukle stops, so at the end of the day I was no longer exhausted with hands aching from gripping the streerwheel so hard. So when we decided to move up to a 5er we weren't limited by our TV. We have friends that pull a lite weight 5er with their 1/2 ton, they don't take any expressways and just stay on the secondary roads, will be interesting as they are planning a trip to the Florida Keys this winter, will be a long, slow trip staying on secondary roads.

[Kunkler]

When I was looking for the right T-V for our needs (a young family that camps 10 times per year avg.) I looked at the future kind of who says we will keeo the T-T we have now so I went with a 1 ton truck. I can haul anything at any time. I did buy used due to a great deal, and it is a gasser. When we put a pencile to it diesel didnt come up with enough savings for our needs. If we camped all year long or went on longer trips more often then it may have. With the 1 ton i dont have to worry about my limits and my family is safe, their safty is more important than my savings.

Is there an big price diffrence between:
1 ton diesel
1 ton gas

3/4 ton diesel
3/4 to gas

1/2 ton TAKE YOUR TIME AND BE CAREFUL!!!

[jq1031]

Originally Posted by mhs4771

Okay, my nickel's worth: In 91 we bought our first TT (moved up from a Pop-up) a Prowler 24M (24 ft hitch to bumper, 21 ft living space) fairly light approx 4500 empty, probably 5000 to 5500 loaded for camping. Pulled it with an 87 Chevy 1500 4x4, then a 95 Chevy 1500 4x4, both with 5.7L (350 cu in). Both pull it OK, the 95 better than the 87, but still slow through the mountains of PA on US15. In 05 went looking for a new 3/4 ton, Diesel, extended cab, long box. No long boxes to be found with a towing package, seems everyone wanted the short box. Local dealer had a 1 ton dually and made me a better offer than ordering a 3/4 ton. WOW, what a difference towing, much more relaxed and reduced the white knukle stops, so at the end of the day I was no longer exhausted with hands aching from gripping the streerwheel so hard. So when we decided to move up to a 5er we weren't limited by our TV. We have friends that pull a lite weight 5er with their 1/2 ton, they don't take any expressways and just stay on the secondary roads, will be interesting as they are planning a trip to the Florida Keys this winter, will be a long, slow trip staying on secondary roads.

Thats a real nice set up you got there!!

[campingcpl]

I agree with what others have said but one factor that no one has mentioned, a lot comes down to budget. The price of a 3/4 ton or 1 ton compared to a 1/2 ton is considerably more in purchase price and maintenance cost. So if you want to compare the advantages you should include purchase price and maintenance cost as well. 1/2 ton is lower cost, better ride, better fuel economy (not towing, personally, your mileage may very ), lower maintenance cost (applies to 3/4 & 1 ton gas too) then diesel , lower tow ratings, less payload capacity, reduced gas mileage while towing, less power for towing. 3/4 & 1 ton high purchase prices, increased maintenance cost, stiffer riding, poor gas mileage (gas trucks) or no improvement on gas mileage over 1/2 ton towing, increased towing and load capacity, better mileage when towing (diesel), increased power and torque making for easier hill climbing and acceleration.

That's my 2 cents worth and what I looked at when considering the purchase of a larger truck and trailer. I have towed with everything from 1/2 ton to a 1 ton dually gas and diesel and much prefer the 3/4 or 1 ton diesel trucks when towing and loved my 1/2 ton for every day driving.

[jq1031]

Originally Posted by Kunkler

When I was looking for the right T-V for our needs (a young family that camps 10 times per year avg.) I looked at the future kind of who says we will keeo the T-T we have now so I went with a 1 ton truck. I can haul anything at any time. I did buy used due to a great deal, and it is a gasser. When we put a pencile to it diesel didnt come up with enough savings for our needs. If we camped all year long or went on longer trips more often then it may have. With the 1 ton i dont have to worry about my limits and my family is safe, their safty is more important than my savings.

Is there an big price diffrence between:
1 ton diesel
1 ton gas

3/4 ton diesel
3/4 to gas

1/2 ton TAKE YOUR TIME AND BE CAREFUL!!!

The add on $$$ for my 3/4 GMC Diesel/Allsion was $7500.00

[hankpage]

OK! Here is where I throw a monkey wrench into the mix. My first TT was a 17 ft. Scotty that I towed with a 6 cyl. Dakota. (mid size ½ ton standard trans 4x4) It towed it great and most of the time in 5th gear on fairly level ground. In '94 I fell in love with the 2nd gen. Rams and bought a 2500 LB diesel. Figuring to upgrade the trailer in the future. I am guessing that it was lack of tongue weight because that little trailer swayed like crazy behind that relatively big truck. Even after adding a second friction sway control it was hell to drive long distances. Needless to say, I upgraded to a 5r after 1 year and since then have never looked back. (pardon the pun) So with this in mind ...... A ½ ton truck may be a better match to a smaller, lighter trailer and handle it better than a ¾ ton in some cases. I am sure that at some time in my future there is a dually, but with with my present trailer there is absolutely no need or advantage for a DRW 1 ton. JM2¢, Hank

[Festus2]

When I suggested starting a new thread about the pros and cons of 1/2T's and 3/4T's, I forgot in a senior's moment, Dale, that a new can of worms would be opened. The suggestion was not meant as "bait" but rather in response to JimEli's post where he asked "why is a 3/4 T always better than a 1/2T" and was looking for some "verifiable answers". I think he was looking for some concrete evidence - answers based on fact - that one truck is always better than the other for towing. Anyway, here we are again and I like the guidelines suggested earlier by Dale as well as the towing factors mentioned by JimW.

Just this weekend, I went camping and paid particular attention to what TV's were pulling what. I noticed 3 units that caught my attention - all of which were being pulled by a 1/2T vehicle. The first was an old Boler trailer -- remember those? Not sure what length it was but you could probably lift it up and put it in the bed of his truck. The second was a near new Airstream "Bambi" edition - slightly larger than the Boler - perhaps 16 ft long. The last, the biggest of all, was a brand new light-weight unit - 21 ft long towed by a brand new 1/2T TV with full tow package and all the bells and whistles.

While I do not have any verifiable answers or evidence, I would venture to guess that none of these TV's were overloaded or unsafe. So, to say that you should never tow any RV - no matter what - with a 1/2 T is a bit of a stretch. The Boler, the Airstream Bambi, and Brand X were all small, light TT's in size and weight and could be safely towed with a 1/2 T tow vehicle that has sufficient towing capacity and payload.

Perhaps 1/2 T's usually cost less to purchase and to drive and that is why some folks who will be pulling smaller and lighter TT's opt for a 1/2 T tow vehicle. This makes a lot of sense if you are at all concerned about your finances and you will be towing a smaller and lighter RV. In cases such as these, bigger may not always be better.

[W5WI]

Originally Posted by smiller

I don't want to jump to conclusions but that could be an indication that your tow vehicle might not be quite up to the job

All of those.

I'm not really sure what there is to discuss, for anything other than light towing duties a 3/4-ton is night and day superior, pretty much end of story.

Hmm, That was the point! The tow vehicle did fine in most situations, but when a larger obstacle was encountered it failed!

You will see that folks think there is lots to discuss...

[W5WI]

Originally Posted by Jim W

My only $0.02 that I am adding is. I have seen way too many grocery getters over loaded with the front end pointing in the air. To even consider a 1/2 ton truck as a tow vehicle for a heavy trailer.

What users do not consider is the GCWR, GVWR, GAWR and the GAWF of 1/2 ton truck.

Air bags do not help increase the carrying capacity of any truck. All they offer is the ability of leveling the load. Chips or programmers might increase the engine horsepower and performance, but they do not increase the load carrying capacity of the truck.

Hitches do not increase the load carrying capacity of any truck. What they do is to allow the load to be distributed over the frame of the truck.

What will change the load carrying capacity of any truck are the design components that are used by the manufacture, as an example.
The 2500HD and 3500HD Ram with a 6.7L diesel/auto has the same frame under these truck. But what changes the load carrying capacity are the tires, axles, springs and ring gear and pinion on the DRW truck. This is where the load carrying ability increase comes from, not aftermarket components.
Jim W.

Excellent points!

[W5WI]

Originally Posted by Festus2

When I suggested starting a new thread about the pros and cons of 1/2T's and 3/4T's, I forgot in a senior's moment, Dale, that a new can of worms would be opened. The suggestion was not meant as "bait" but rather in response to JimEli's post where he asked "why is a 3/4 T always better than a 1/2T" and was looking for some "verifiable answers". I think he was looking for some concrete evidence - answers based on fact - that one truck is always better than the other for towing. Anyway, here we are again and I like the guidelines suggested earlier by Dale as well as the towing factors mentioned by JimW.

Just this weekend, I went camping and paid particular attention to what TV's were pulling what. I noticed 3 units that caught my attention - all of which were being pulled by a 1/2T vehicle. The first was an old Boler trailer -- remember those? Not sure what length it was but you could probably lift it up and put it in the bed of his truck. The second was a near new Airstream "Bambi" edition - slightly larger than the Boler - perhaps 16 ft long. The last, the biggest of all, was a brand new light-weight unit - 21 ft long towed by a brand new 1/2T TV with full tow package and all the bells and whistles.

While I do not have any verifiable answers or evidence, I would venture to guess that none of these TV's were overloaded or unsafe. So, to say that you should never tow any RV - no matter what - with a 1/2 T is a bit of a stretch. The Boler, the Airstream Bambi, and Brand X were all small, light TT's in size and weight and could be safely towed with a 1/2 T tow vehicle that has sufficient towing capacity and payload.

Perhaps 1/2 T's usually cost less to purchase and to drive and that is why some folks who will be pulling smaller and lighter TT's opt for a 1/2 T tow vehicle. This makes a lot of sense if you are at all concerned about your finances and you will be towing a smaller and lighter RV. In cases such as these, bigger may not always be better.

Thanks Richard! BTW, bait was my word and not the best choice. But, I thought that there were contributing factors of which TV is best for different situations that could be explored.

IMHO, the bottom line is that the tow vehicle should be matched to what's being towed. Is price a factor? Sure, but it equally applies to the TV and RV. They have to be suited (for lack of a better word) to each other.

[JRTJH]

In the aerospace industry you match the airplane to the task at hand. NOBODY (except the President) flies a 747 for one person. In the business world, small jets are the norm, in private aviation, small is about the only way most people can take to the skies. In automobiles, 30 years ago everyone had a "full size car" which often weighed in the 3 ton category for luxury cars and in the 2 ton category for "normal" cars. Economy cars like the Falcon and the Chevy 2 were considered "unlikely to succeed" when they first came out. People complained that they just didn't ride like a full size sedan. Of course, with that "full size" came engines to match. Gas mileage in the single digits for some "luxury" vehicles and in the low to mid teens for the best of the full size family sedans. Back then, you could hook a 25 to 30 foot travel trailer behind most station wagons and tow cross country with the kids on a pallet behind the back seat... I don't remember seat belts in any of them until the late 60's and no mandatory seat belts until after the 55 MPH national speed limit. Of course back then, Conoco regular was 21 cents a gallon and if you could find a price war, even less. I remember my 72 Dodge truck with a 32 Gallon tank behind the seat and 2 30 Gallon side tanks. That's nearly 100 gallons of gas, and it cost $20 to fill it up... We thought nothing about filling up on Friday, pulling into the mountains in Colorado, setting up camp, pulling to a different location on the other end of the state Saturday afternoon and then back to Denver on Sunday evening, usually getting in about midnight, just in time to catch a few hours sleep and start the workweek all over again. If we got 5 or 6 MPG back then, we thought we were getting something great. Back then, diesel 1 ton trucks had vinyl bench seats, steel door and overhead panels, I don't recall anyone with an automatic transmission in anything bigger than a 3/4 ton. Power steering? Nope, 4 wheel drive, if you had it, you needed to get outside and lock the front hubs before shifting into 4WD. Reliabiltiy was, at best, a crapshoot. If you could go 1000 miles without a breakdown, it was a successful trip. I don't recall very many family vacations that didn't include at least one evening/night/ or all day in a service station waiting for a water pump, generator, distributor cap or some other part to be replaced so we could be on our way. Tires? All bias ply, if you got 20 thousand miles on them, you were very VERY lucky,

Now days, things are a little different. Trucks (and cars) have come a long way. A full size car is smaller than the Falcon and Chevy 2, maximum towing capacity on most sedans is 2000 lbs or less, we tow 25 foot bumper hitch trailers with a 6 cylinder, something unheard of just a few years ago. As the economy goes "south" and fuel prices continue to rise, more and more of us are looking for solutions to stay on the road at least part of the time. Downsizing is one solution, maybe not for everyone, but for some. We see it in housing, in cars, in budgets, even in waistlines (where appropriate) We also see it in RVing. I did a lot of homework before I bought our current rig. We searched, compared, tried differnet floorplans, different trucks. truly considered a 3/4 ton truck but realized it would have to sit outside during the winter or we'd have to remodel the garage. Not an option, but a consideration.

We finally decided on a F150 and a Springdale 25' fifth wheel. It won't carry everything we had in the motorhome nor what's normally carried in a larger fifth wheel. But it fits our needs, and actually with our type of camping in remote areas to fish and hunt, it's a better suited RV than anything larger would be. We go to places where no 35' full height fiver could go, and park in campsites that fit our needs. Could we tow faster with a 3/4 ton truck? With my comfort level, no. Could we tow heavier with a bigger truck, Yes, but why? Can we upgrade if we want? Not wtihout rebuilding the house, so it's not an option we consider at this time.

As with the business jet, you can't take the entire company along, but it's adequate to get your "business" done and that's what is important.

Half ton towing, 3/4 ton towing, one ton towing (or bigger) all have applications in today's RV world. I think that bigger is not always better, certainly not cheaper nor wiser for everyone. Safety, reliability, economics, family needs, and so much more goes into any decision on vehicle suitability. As most wives will tell you, size isn't always the most important consideration.

[cumminsdad08]

i pull multitude of different loads of all sizes and shapes, not only for personal, but for work. we use everything from a half ton chevy up to 4500 chevy's. i usually opt for my truck, a 1 ton dually, but will often take the 1/2 ton for our smaller lighter loads that are close to our shop. it usually saves fuel and pulls nicer.

when i was looking for my personal truck, i got what i wanted, a 3/4 ton diesel. i really wanted a 1 ton single wheel, but couldn't find one in my price range, so i settled for what i could afford.

when i was looking for a trailer, i really wanted a 5th wheel, but because i got the truck i wanted i had to settle with a travel trailer, for reasons of lift and such. but i wanted to get a trailer that match up nice with the truck so i found a "larger" travel trailer that would balance nice with my truck. my wife and i ran round and round about this. she wanted a pop up because of price, and i didn't because i felt it was to small for my larger truck. of coarse, i won. ()

i have a good friend that i work and camp with and he bought a newer 4 door jeep. when he told me he was going to pick up a trailer for it, my jaw about hit the floor. i couldn't beleive he was going to pull a travel trailer with a jeep. but he does, he shoped around and found a really nice hybrid trailer that match's up awsome with his jeep.

so i guess as stated before, as long as you match up your trailer with your truck, you should be in good shape. do your reserch, and don't let any kind of dealer do it for you.

NOW as for programers and chips. i run a chip on both my diesel's. the one on my dodge is a programer and i like that for one reason only, fuel millage. i am able to obtain a few more miles per gallons. now it did cost me 700 bucks to install it, so will i see the savings, prolly not. i will most likely end up changing it before the savings equal out. i wanted it for other reasons too. but i got it because i wanted to. I DO NOT see any difference when towing the camper in power. i do see faster turbo boosting, and faster acceleration when passing, but both is not really that important compaired to stock. i will often pull it on stock or fuel. i hardly ever bump it up. its harder on the truck i want to make last. now the chevy has 60 hp chip over stock, but i am mostly pulling utilitly trailers over steep grades and on long highway runs. and i did notice a differnce with it. it gets to speed faster and will up shift on the grades, as long with keeping the speed up on hills also. fuel is of no concern to me usually, being a work truck. this is just my take on programmers/chips. i feel that they are mostly for play.

[JRTJH]

Speaking of matching trailer to vehicle, there are some manufacturers of smaller trailers who say the warranty will be voided if the trailer is towed with a one ton or larger truck. I read of this in another forum and my jaw hit the floor. How could that be??? I still don't have a real good verifiable answer, but I did verify the warranty issues on one manufacturer's website.

Who'da thunk?????

Maybe Hank's experience with swaying of the light trailer behind his 3/4 ton truck is a reason for the warranty issue? How knows?

If anyone has any negative experience towing light trailers behind heavy trucks, please comment?

[smiller]

Originally Posted by W5WI

You will see that folks think there is lots to discuss...

Sorry, my response was a little curt and I didn't mean to belittle the question. In the way of a more concrete response I've towed with gas 1/2-ton class vehicles and within their limits they work, but I always had more constant throttle in than felt right, the combination was never as stable on the road as I would have liked, and I never had the margin of power and safety that I would have liked. When I am on the road I just want everything to be as reliable as possible and nothing supports that more than having some reserve in the tow vehicle's capabilities. The 3/4-ton does cost more but maybe not much more if you burn up your 1/2 ton in the middle of its life, and to me I felt that's where I was heading (meaning the extra cost being a cry once when you buy it or cry many times later' kind of thing.) The points about matching the vehicle to the job are well taken and correct to a point, but to me that point ends at a pretty lightweight unit. Just an opinion, but it's based on experience.

But yeah, I could see that if you had a very light towable and didn't frequent challenging terrain and the truck was your daily driver then a 1/2-ton might work out OK... but not for me. BTDT.