1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton towing capacity advice

[chase91]

Originally Posted by PodGeek

I think I would still go for a 3/4 ton if it doesn't break the bank. That's a long trailer in my view and, based on my experience towing a much smaller, lighter trailer with both a RAM 1500 and 2500 (see post 17 above). I think you'll be much happier (and likely safer) with the more robust truck. I was getting blown around a bit on a couple of drives on I-70 in western Kansas with the 1500 and the R-Pod is only 22 ft long and weighs around 4500 lbs. Semis that passed me going 80 also caused issues. That doesn't happen with the 2500.

Ideally, I would stick to a 3/4 ton. The 3/4 ton I have now has no issues with it at all. It all goes back to the frequency that we go camping and the extra cost of the 3/4 ton as a daily driver for me. We camp at max of 10 times a year and 8 of those times is 30 miles down the road. We may do one large trip a year. As my kids get older and we travel more, I would jump in a 3/4 ton for sure. At the end of the day, I am just needing to replace my truck sooner than later and wanted to get in something that would be practical for daily life, but have the ability to tow the camper too. The truck market is ridiculous right now (1/2 or 3/4 ton) so I am going to wait as long as possible for things to cool down, but wanted to get my research done before that time came.

[PodGeek]

Originally Posted by chase91

...It all goes back to the frequency that we go camping and the extra cost of the 3/4 ton as a daily driver for me. We camp at max of 10 times a year and 8 of those times is 30 miles down the road....

Fair enough. Makes sense.

[champ837]

I too, have a 4800# bumper-tow RV. I had a Ram 1500 Eco-Diesel and while pulling, I got about 11.5 MPG, I traded for a Ram 2500 Cummins diesel and now get a much more stable 12.5-13 MPG.

[RamManMN]

Originally Posted by IsleDog

check with your DMV on cost of registration as well. i have no idea what your area is like, but for Minnesota, its WAY cheaper to get a 1 ton registered than it is a 3/4 ton. it would actually pay for the difference in price after 1-2 years. just something to think about. i was blown away when i started looking into it.

What leads you to belive that's true? I live in MN too. My Ram 2500 cost about the same in taxes and registration fees as my previous Sierra 1500. In MN pickup trucks are treated the same as cars as long as they are purchased for personal as opposed to commercial use. A 1 ton is definitely not cheaper unless you compare a commercially used 3/4 vs a personal use 1 ton and even then only if the 3/4 ton has A GVWR over 10,000 pounds. Basically >10,000 + commercial use = higher costs from the state

It is true that other states tax everything over 10K# more which is why chevy/Gmc offer a 10K downgrade option and all Ram 2500's are limited to 10K.

[dstobey]

I had a similar situation. I upgraded my trailer to a FR Vibe, which is around 7800 lbs max. I was towing with my Ram 1500. If there was no wind on level roads it was OK. Any adverse conditions and it didn’t tow well. It was well within my towing capacity. I came to the conclusion that it was a tongue weight issue. The new trailer was about 6 ft longer so even though it didn’t weigh much more, there was significantly more tongue weight. I decided to go with a 3/4 ton Ram and it is night and day different. Tows much better now.

[S.Edington]

You never tell us where you travel, which is significant. East and Middle America has no major mountains, whereas the West does. The charts guide you on what you tow, but I live in the West and travel a lot to Oregon, Nevada, and Colorado and have to travel through the Sierras and Rockies. I have a 26 foot SuperLite Trailer and had issues with my 1/2 Ton (Silverado 1500). On flat ground, no issues, but coming down the 5-7 degree grades--white knuckles! It's not the power of going up, but more importantly it's the control coming down the grades is what matters.
I upgraded to a '21 Silverado 2500HD and glad I did! The Jake Brake is a pleasure especially in the mountains. Yes, my 2500 HD (Diesel) is my everyday truck too.

If you are concerned about economics--then buy (used) or borrow a 2500HD and drive your 1500 a few more years. Remember you can always replace a truck/trailer, but you can replace family/pets.

[reubenray374]

Originally Posted by dstobey

I had a similar situation. I upgraded my trailer to a FR Vibe, which is around 7800 lbs max. I was towing with my Ram 1500. If there was no wind on level roads it was OK. Any adverse conditions and it didn’t tow well. It was well within my towing capacity. I came to the conclusion that it was a tongue weight issue. The new trailer was about 6 ft longer so even though it didn’t weigh much more, there was significantly more tongue weight. I decided to go with a 3/4 ton Ram and it is night and day different. Tows much better now.

I only looked at the 1/2 ton models for a second after seeing the CCC of them. I was even considering the Nissan Titan XD. I got a 2023 Chevrolet 2500HD (gas) which is more than capable of pulling my 7,000+ pound Vibe that I finally brought home yesterday.

[Semperfi24]

Just something to consider if you decide to go with the SD/HD option. Are you planning to get a gas or diesel truck? If you get diesel, I would skip the 3/4 ton and go for the 1 ton.

We went from half ton (F150 3.5 ecoboost) to a 3/4 ton (F250 diesel). Then upgraded to a fifth wheel. We were within limits, but it was close. The F250 only had 300lbs more than payload than the F150 (because of the weight of the diesel engine). We ended up trading up to a 1 ton (3500 Sierra diesel). If gas is your preference the 3/4 ton would be the better option for you. If diesel is the preference, go for the 1 ton. Its the same truck (give or take), but your capabilities are higher. Our F150 payload was 1800lbs, the F250 was 2100, and the Sierra is 3700. When going to a Super Duty, out biggest regret was getting the 3/4 with the diesel instead of the 1 ton with the diesel because the engine eats up soooo much payload.

[Red Roadrunner]

Originally Posted by chase91

I am needing some advice on picking a truck that will be a good match for my camper. I am in a weird situation where my GVWR is a 4,800lb. difference from my dry weight. It is not a toy hauler so that is making it difficult to choose between a 1/2 or 3/4 ton truck.

I have a 30 foot Palomino Puma that has a dry weight of 6,100 lbs. with a GVWR of 10,900lbs. Obviously, if I went by the advised professional advice, I would get a truck that would tow roughly 13,500lbs to get that 80% GVWR weight. My family would never be in a situation where we would travel with any liquids in the tanks or haul anything of significant weight for that matter. At max, I can't imagine I would ever go over 1,000lbs. from the dry weight. That would put me right at 7,100lbs. which is perfectly suitable for half tons these days. The hitch weight is 700lbs. so that is not a concern when it comes to payload on a half ton.

I currently tow with an older 3/4 ton that tows it with no problems but my truck is needing to be replaced due to age and high mileage. I am thinking about loading the camper with everything we would normally load it with and take it to the scales to see where I am at. Once I get that weight, maybe get a truck that can tow at least 20%-40% more than that to leave me room.

The cost to buy a 3/4 ton versus a 1/2 ton is a significant difference when it would strictly be for towing the camper less than a few hundred miles a year with the exception of an occasional trip to Disney World or something similar. For those reasons along with price, MPG, etc., I would prefer the 1/2 ton.

Is this crazy thinking? I want to be safe but reasonable and save thousands in the process.

Check your rear axle ratio a 1/2 ton and a 3/4 ton could have different load capacities due to the suspension, yet have the same gear ratio. A 3.40 has great gas mileage in a 1/2 ton around town, but wont tow much a 3.72 in a 1/2 ton still gets decent mileage yet tows a bit more. In a 3/4 ton, 3.40 gets close to same results as the 1/2 ton. and 3.72 pulls up to 9700 in a Chevy HD with decent mileage when not towing, we get 20-22 hwy., when towing 8700 lbs we get about 10-12. Then you can get that 4.2. Gas mileage plummets to about 10-12 not towing, and is about 8-10 towing, yet you can get up to 15000 of fifth wheel behind it.

[Hersbird]

7500 pounds total and under 850 pounds of tongue? I'd go modern 1/2 ton, probably an 3.5 ecoboost F150. Especially if daily its for commuting and only occasionally tows.

[chase91]

Originally Posted by S.Edington

You never tell us where you travel, which is significant. East and Middle America has no major mountains, whereas the West does. The charts guide you on what you tow, but I live in the West and travel a lot to Oregon, Nevada, and Colorado and have to travel through the Sierras and Rockies. I have a 26 foot SuperLite Trailer and had issues with my 1/2 Ton (Silverado 1500). On flat ground, no issues, but coming down the 5-7 degree grades--white knuckles! It's not the power of going up, but more importantly it's the control coming down the grades is what matters.
I upgraded to a '21 Silverado 2500HD and glad I did! The Jake Brake is a pleasure especially in the mountains. Yes, my 2500 HD (Diesel) is my everyday truck too.

If you are concerned about economics--then buy (used) or borrow a 2500HD and drive your 1500 a few more years. Remember you can always replace a truck/trailer, but you can replace family/pets.

I mainly travel in the southern Kentucky area which is a mixture of terrain but nothing crazy. However, I would occasionally go through the mountains in TN on trips with those kinds of grades. I have a 01' 2500HD gas now so I know what it is like with a 3/4 ton, just not sure what it would be like with a half ton. And you are right, safety is my first priority which is the reason I started this research/thread.

[chase91]

Originally Posted by Semperfi24

Just something to consider if you decide to go with the SD/HD option. Are you planning to get a gas or diesel truck? If you get diesel, I would skip the 3/4 ton and go for the 1 ton.

We went from half ton (F150 3.5 ecoboost) to a 3/4 ton (F250 diesel). Then upgraded to a fifth wheel. We were within limits, but it was close. The F250 only had 300lbs more than payload than the F150 (because of the weight of the diesel engine). We ended up trading up to a 1 ton (3500 Sierra diesel). If gas is your preference the 3/4 ton would be the better option for you. If diesel is the preference, go for the 1 ton. Its the same truck (give or take), but your capabilities are higher. Our F150 payload was 1800lbs, the F250 was 2100, and the Sierra is 3700. When going to a Super Duty, out biggest regret was getting the 3/4 with the diesel instead of the 1 ton with the diesel because the engine eats up soooo much payload.

I would be going with gas. That is what I have now and have no reason to go diesel.

[chase91]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

7500 pounds total and under 850 pounds of tongue? I'd go modern 1/2 ton, probably an 3.5 ecoboost F150. Especially if daily its for commuting and only occasionally tows.

I have considered that. I would actually prefer a 5.0 with the max tow package. However, I am leaning towards a 3/4 ton at this point, but will not pass up a 1/2 ton with the right numbers. Ideally, I would like an F-250 with the 6.2. As I mentioned before, I am perfectly fine with base model trucks which I have noticed tend to hang around the market longer than say an XLT or Lariat model, which is a plus for me. Since I am not in a rush, I have the opportunity to find the perfect one so that is where I am at now. My truck should be perfectly suitable for the camping we will do this year, but if the right one comes along or I do need to replace mine promptly, I know what to look for.

[FrankH35]

Originally Posted by chase91

I have considered that. I would actually prefer a 5.0 with the max tow package. However, I am leaning towards a 3/4 ton at this point, but will not pass up a 1/2 ton with the right numbers. Ideally, I would like an F-250 with the 6.2. As I mentioned before, I am perfectly fine with base model trucks which I have noticed tend to hang around the market longer than say an XLT or Lariat model, which is a plus for me. Since I am not in a rush, I have the opportunity to find the perfect one so that is where I am at now. My truck should be perfectly suitable for the camping we will do this year, but if the right one comes along or I do need to replace mine promptly, I know what to look for.

I just want to add it seems like you are open minded to suggestions and have a really good handle on things. This is refreshing in comparison to one recent thread on a similar towing topic. Some of my fellow members may recognize the one I'm referring to

[chase91]

Originally Posted by FrankH35

I just want to add it seems like you are open minded to suggestions and have a really good handle on things. This is refreshing in comparison to one recent thread on a similar towing topic. Some of my fellow members may recognize the one I'm referring to

Absolutely. I appreciate that. I posted this in hopes to get everyone's suggestions and everyone has been amazing in doing that. Thanks to everyone! For me, this was a weird one and didn't know for sure which way to go. You guys have backed up reasons to do one or the other which has helped a lot.