Half ton pickup tow vehicle

[vcalder]

I'm downsizing from a big 5th wheel to a lighter weight (8500 gvwr) travel trailer and plan to give up my 3/4 ton diesel pickup in favor of a newer 2021 or 2022 gas pickup. Does anyone have real experience towing with one of these newer 1/2 ton trucks with the higher torque and hp engines. For example, the chevy 5.3L eco boost Z71, 4wd, with towing package? I know they are rated for at least 10K pounds, but how well does it actually perform in more extreme conditions, like mountains? And does fuel economy suffer greatly? I'm tired of high diesel prices and the DEF system.

[bob213]

If you are tired of the high diesel prices wait till you start burning thru 40% more gas.

[bikendan]

I've had great performance with my F150 3.5 Ecoboost truck. Pulls like a diesel through the mountains out West. I often get 20mpg highway not towing.
By the way, that Chevy doesn't have an Ecoboost. The Ecoboost v-6 engines are a Ford product and have twin turbos
The Chevy 5.3 v-8 is the EcoTEC and is not turbocharged.

[fipntdot]

We have the 3.5 ecoboost, Max Tow, 4wd, 1838 cargo capacity. Our trailer how we load it is around 7000-7200 lbs. (Empty the trailer is 5700...The truck pulls it better loaded than empty concerning sway/ride). We just use the fastway roundbar weight distributing hitch that came with the trailer.

Truck pulls well. Not as stable or powerfull as the '78 1-ton we used to pull horsetrailers when I was a kid, but good and plenty strong for this trailer (that old 1-ton got 6-7 mpg empty or pulling a big horsetrailer). Pulling the travel trailer around 55-58 miles an hour in flat midwest we get a little over 11 mpg. Going around 63 miles an hour on interstate have been averaging 9-10 mpg. Truck gets around 21 mpg not pulling.

We do not have mountains so to speak in this part of the midwest, but we found no trouble pulling up out of Duluth or some of the other bigger river bluffs.

Some thoughts:
1. Ford says our truck is rated around 10200 max trailer weight. I am not sure I would want to pull that much.
2. We notice the wind, but have been able to pull when it is 20 mph ok.
3. A headwind impacts our mpg.
4. I am glad to have the larger fuel tank.
5. I have been happy with the truck.

[JohnnyPop]

What about the 1500 duramax? Apparently they get great mileage even when pulling. Doesn’t get you away from DEF…but keeps you in the diesel mpg and torque. After having a 2012 ecoboost f150 that the engine went out at just over 60k miles…I’m inherently not going to recommend them. But to each their own! Lol

[vcalder]

Sorry, I meant to say Chevy ECO TEC. I haven't looked at the Fords yet. The trailer is Grand Design Imagine 2670MK: 32' long, 2 slides, 690# tongue wt, 6845# empty wt, 8495# gvwr. I looked at the tow vehicle thread on the forum and see a lot of stuff that makes me think I need to stay with a 3/4T truck to tow this trailer, for reasons more than just the weight issue. I believe a properly equipped 1/2T truck would pull it ok, but if I need to go up to a 3/4T, I might as well just keep my diesel, because it towed my 10680# (dry wt) 5th wheel just fine and at 97,000 miles on a 2013 model, I can probably drive it quite a while longer. However, in my opinion, diesel trucks seem to cost more to operate overall as they get older, plus about a $1/gal difference in fuel cost, not to mention the DEF hassle. I'm just a bit sensitive about that right now because I just had to get the DEF heater module replaced while on a Colorado trip, that cost me about 1000 bucks and there are other DEF system components that are prone to failure sooner or later. Other thoughts?

[vcalder]

Glad to hear your input on fuel. Hey, my old Chevy diesel consistently gets 11.5 mpg overall average on trips from North Texas to Colorado mtns and back, so I guess that ain't bad, all things considered. It gets around 15 city while not towing. So I guess only advantage in changing to a gas truck would be not messing with DEF and better non-towing mileage. I have a tough decision ahead!

[tomkatb]

Most folks have rv’s that approach the max weight. Just do.

Your tongue will likely reach #1000. Got to have a weight distributing hitch.

Half ton trucks are sort of at max payload. A 3/4 ton at 50% of max will often tow better. Squirrely?

Lots of folks struggle with half tons. Fancy $3000 hitches.

Eco boosts are sort of high gas users.

I would lean towards a 3/4 ton diesel if you plan long trips in mountainous areas.

Tough call.

[aceinspp]

Your best bet is to stick with a 3/4 ton truck. Both Chevy and Ram make a good Gasser. I have the Ram with the 6.4 gas and 3:73 gear tows my 5er fine and hitch weigh at 9800 and total for trailer is 12,000 but I am probably around 10000. I drive 62 and most times get 10mph. The new Chevy has a bigger V-8 also but have not heard a lot about how it does. Later RJD

[Mike134]

Try half ton haulers group on Facebook for information on towing larger trailers with a 1/2 ton. Folks posting there who have real experience doing it, they post pictures of their heavy rigs. Here there seems to be this cutoff of 8000lbs

As to their knowledge? same vetting process as this forum to post.

Safe travels

[itat]

For a Grand Design Imagine 2670MK you’ll be well over 7500# fully loaded. IMO that’s better suited for a 3/4 ton. If you want to drop the diesel, get a gasser. When I had our 32’ long, 7300# TT I towed it with an F-150 and it felt like it was maxed out. I upgraded to my current 2016 F-250 and it felt much more competent. Those huge brake rotors gave me a lot more confidence should we need to make an emergency stop.

[Bob K4TAX]

We pull our 2016 Forest River Wildwood X-lite, 253RLXL, with our 2011 Chev Silverado Crew cab LTZ. The engine is the 5.3L Vortec V8, with factory tow package, 3.42 rear end. This is a 4WD truck but not an off-road configuration. It rides much better than the off-road configuration.

Trailer GVRW is 7685 lbs, truck tow rating is 9500 lbs, and cargo rating is 1386 lbs. I figure we are at 80% of the tow rating, but often at near gross cargo capacity for the truck, including tongue weight and WDH and camping equipment.

We tow at 60 to 65 MPH on 70 MPH interstate roads. MPG towing is 10 - 14 MPG, when not towing 17 to 19 MPG. The truck handles the trailer very nicely. However, I wouldn't want a heavier or larger trailer behind this truck. We've not been into the western mountains, but frequent the hills of TN and the Smokies. Stopping and starting movements are smooth. We watch the trans temp, always below 200 degrees.

Based on your comments, I'd suggest a nice equipped 3/4 ton truck. As to gas vs. diesel, considering the initial investment and maintenance and operating costs, there is NOT a lot of difference over 5 to 10 years. We are now a wee bit over 150K miles on the truck.

We are not like some that appear to go ripping up and down hills like an F-16 with the afterburner glowing. Camping and traveling are supposed to be enjoyable and relaxing, not like driving in the Indy 500.

We are all destined to end up on the undertaker's cooling slab. No sense in rushing it.

Bob

[acadianbob]

Originally Posted by bob213

If you are tired of the high diesel prices wait till you start burning thru 40% more gas.

Yeah, and you pay 50% more for your fuel.

[WIAframers]

My dad runs a slide in camper and pulls a boat behind and was a Ford 3/4 diesel guy for many years. With his most recent truck he switched back to 3/4 ton gas exactly for some of the reasons you are considering: it's a big ticket option on the initial purchase, higher maintenance and repair costs, ongoing trend of high diesel fuel price relative to gas. You have to put on a lot of miles to make the diesel pay and he doesn't.

I know a guy who pulls a very similar Grand Design with half ton Ford 3.5 and says it handles comfortably and gets 8-9 mpg. I have the half ton Chevy 5.3 V8 (it's an older one with 6 speed trans) although I am not in the same class of what you are towing. The biggest thing I tow is my boat which is 4000# on a tandem axle and a full windshield that gives it a 7' tall profile. I average about 14 mpg towing either that or our 3500# A-frame camper and in the low 20's running empty. Keeping in mind that all of this is in the flat midwest. I don't have any personal experience towing in heavy mountain terrain (maybe Mississippi River bluffs?) but expect it would be a game changer. With my Chevy 5.3L V8 I find engine braking to be pretty minimally effective. Maybe the bigger 6.2L V8 would do better, if slightly thirstier.

[5er_tom]

You might consider looking at the Ford with the 7.3 liter gas V8. I have that engine in my SOB class c and it is a true horse. We tow a 5,200# car and mountains are no issue. The truck would have the 10 speed auto, which would be good. With the 6 speed we get about 9 mpg overall.

[bshort]

We had a 2019 GMC 1500 6.2/10 speed max tow for two years and it towed great. Mileage towing was about 2mpg less than the previous 2016 Duramax. Downside to that truck was the tiny fuel tank. I believe the Ford 1/2 ton can be equipped with a 36 gal tank. I'd look at Ford.

[yukongold]

I tow with an old (2007) 2500HD LBZ Duramax. I bought it used with only 125K miles on it. I sought it out specifically because it is pre-DEF.
I am surprised at the reported mpg's some are reporting. I thought newer trucks (and especially 150's & 1500's) got significantly better mpg. I routinely get 20-21 mpg on the freeway/highway (but it does drop like a rock in town). On my latest trip (6 weeks & 8000+ miles) I averaged just under 13 mpg pulling a 6000-6500 lb TT.

My suggestion (if DEF is a main problem for you) is to search out a pre-DEF 2500/3500. It may take a while but there are still good, (fairly) low mileage trucks out there. And, IMO, there is no substitute for the stability and power and ease of towing with an HD diesel.

Mine was in very good condition to start with and besides servicing regular maintenance items (things like brakes, shocks, tires, etc), I have been slowing replacing/upgrading other, less often regarded items - - new tie rods/ball joints, new brake lines, overhauled transfer case, etc., etc.. My truck is in excellent condition despite it's 15 year age and I expect it to safely pull a trailer down the road for many more years.

[NMWildcat]

For an 8500# 32' bumper pull, I would stick to a 3/4 ton. Gas or diesel. Period.
But that is just me and my experience gained from watching my Dad and uncle try to downsize to 1/2 towables in the same size range. They thought they would gain ride comfort, MPG cost, ease of use (smaller rv), and just simpler overall. None of it was true for them.
Uncle is a chevy guy, Dad was a ford groupie.
They both went back to 3/4 ton and a smaller fifth wheel.

[bob213]

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[llr]

How long is that trailer? I am 8K and 32' with an F150 long bed max tow lower trim level and this is the max I would consider with properly configured 1/2 ton. I tried with my prior flagstaff and it was not a safe setup.