Trucks to tow....dear lord!

[ard58]

Welcome to the forum Great place to get answers.
I too had a 1/2 ton pulling TT that was promoted as being 1/2 ton towable. WRONG! As has been said here before, anything over, i think it was 28' and certain weight, needs to be 3/4 ton. It's not worth the white knuckle experience you will not enjoy to skimp on lighter truck.

[Mike134]

When someone tells you to get a big truck from the start I always wonder why they themselves are not driving this After all a pickup is still a pickup.

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by D W

Note: The OP has posted a parallel thread today at:

https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...ml#post2557442

Second thread merged into this one.
Site Team

[Blackrock]

The weights of the trailer and tongue loading will work for a half ton with a good tow package and a payload above 1600#. The downside is it's pretty long at almost 3 feet. It does have an aerodynamic front end which is a towing plus.
The next thing to consider is how are you going to use it? Is this going to be casual weekend camping or cross country long haul vacations? How many occupants in the truck cab and extras in the truck bed?
Close range travel of around 15 miles is pretty easy, all day behind the wheel with heavy traffic and weather can end your day feeling like you just ran a marathon.
With that said maybe a 3/4 ton gas truck might be the best especially if you are new to towing.

[corn18]

Let's keep this simple for the OP:

Find a new or used F150 with the Heavy Duty Payload Package (HDPP) and buy it. It will have everything you need to tow that trailer just fine.

[BigAzAl]

Well, I too am a newbie with a 2506s, at 26’, and bought a 2021 Tundra to tow it. Hindsight, I wish I had gotten more payload and the Tundra, while a great truck, is payload deprived! The F150 recommendations you are hearing may be spot on. But, I cam close to buying a Titan (Nissan) but my missus did not like the low passenger seat position, here in AZ they are discounting the Titans bit time (see PeoriaNissan.com(.
The ONE thing that I have no regrets... a Hensley hitch. I did not like sway and while I torques the heck out of my R3 hitch, sway I did. Hensley are like $3K but I found one one-year old for 1400 and it is the ONE thing I do not regret. NO sway with the Hensley.
Good luck.

Best—ALAN

[boomer101]

I have a 2019 F150 5.0 with payload of 1906 and tow 34" 7100# Alpha Wolf 26RL-L......NO Problems.....Just use common sense, good hitch, drive 65, keep tires inflated, and if you want to upgrade to LT tires on your TV do it..no regrets
I have seen a lot of "3/4 ton" with LOW payloads..most of us are weekend warriors or LIMITED budgets....Just my 2 cents

[Beachbourbon]

Originally Posted by CurtPutnam

Welcome from SoCal!As you have discovered, there are as many different opinions as there are members of this forum - when it comes to to tow vehicles.

My own opinion is that since a ½ tine and a 3/4 ton are essentially the same price (new), it just makes sense to go the 3/4 ton route and be able to tow almost everything. If the truck has to be a daily driver or fit in the garage, then there may be issues for you personally (ride, parking, etc.) which only you can resolve.

I first read this as, “...there may be issues for your PERSONALITY...”

[moose074]

Originally Posted by IsleDog

Tow Capacity is the maximum your vehicle can tow with essentially 0lbs tongue weight (think 4 wheel hay wagon). mostly a fictional number.

payload is the amount of stuff (you included) that your vehicle can handle. the weight of your hitch AND tongue weight count against this number. there is usually a sticker in the drivers door jamb that has this number.

Hitch capacity is the amount your vehicles hitch can have on it. usually two numbers (with weight distribution and without).

the number you should focus on when buying a new truck is the GVWR. this is the maximum that the camper can weigh when fully loaded with all of your gear. it is possible to over load, so be careful here. assume about 10-15% of your GVWR for your tongue weight. the published tongue weight is a fictional dry weight.

15% of 7574lbs (that models GVWR) is 1136lbs.

10% is 757lbs.

others with more knowledge will be able to go more in-depth than i have.

Please read SAE J 2807 your statement of tow capacity is 100% false. In fact I would say that 99% of drivers spend less than 1% of their towing under the conditions that a vehicle goes thru to get the tow capacity under SAE J2807

[Stormrider151]

It’s as simple as this. It’s very easy to have to much trailer but you can never have to much truck. The more truck. The better and safer the tow. It’s that simple.

[831 BHDS Flagstaff 2015]

Muddyroad made a good point. Also heavy ply tires are important. Makes all the difference in handling. I have a much larger camper but run 10 ply makes it more stable on the road. Keep them aired up when towing and you can lower pressure when not towing. just stay in specs.

[flyflotrtim]

Your 5000 lbtrailer weighs just a bit less than mine, so dependent on which F 150 you consider, the 150 could tow it just fine. Your critical number is payload which, as Dan mentions above, have a huge payload range depending on the model and how it is equipped. The payload on my EcoBoost 3.5 is, like Dan's, just above 1800 pounds. It pulls my TT great, lots of zip and a good driver around town.

Like others mentioned, if this is your forever trailer, the F150 with proper payload and engine will do great. If you may get a larger trailer in the future, or if the truck will never be a daily driver, then consider a F250; you don't need it for this TT.

The two threads being merged makes understanding a bit challenging perhaps, I am responding to someone with an approximately 5000 lb trailer.

[SailorSam20500]

Just a few points of info.
My trailer is 30' bumper to hitch. Weighs 7k pounds loaded for camping (includes some fresh water). My 2019 F-150 is a short bed totally stock platinum trim with max tow package and performs admirably. The 3.5 EB engine can tow up mountains at 65+ if I want it to. I have a 1,650 payload allowance. I tow with a Propride hitch which provides a very stable ride. I upgraded my trailer brakes to electric/hydraulic disk brakes which improved stopping distances significantly.

[Tundra 2014]

In North TX the cost of the Eco-Boast Max-tow150 is usually as much or more than a gas f-250 equally equipped. The 250 will have better brakes, stiffer frame and be more relaxed towing. The 250 (3/4 ton) will use more gas, but w/o the risk of potentially having to replace a turbo. I think you would be happier w/ a 3/4 ton F-250/2500 towing w/ that size trailer. Look under the hood of a Eco-Boast VS the standard gas F-250. I went from a Tundra to a F-350 and towing a 7800 TT, world of difference as expected. The only way I would got w/ 1/2 ton is if driving long distance to work. Maybe.

[itat]

Originally Posted by 007matman

Looking at that model online, it appears in t has a GVWR of about 7574lbs.

In my opinion, that's right on the border between needing a 1/2 and 3/4 ton truck. Some of the newer 1/2 tons will probably do it if they're properly equipped. However, if you think there's a chance you may want to go larger at some point I'd go with the bigger truck to begin with. Typically, the price difference is nominal.

I agree with 007matman.

I had a TT that weighed about 7300# loaded (tongue weight around 900#) and with my family onboard and bikes in the bed of the truck I was overweight. That was an older model F-150 with low payload. Newer 1/2 tons will have much better payload numbers but the 3/4 ton felt much more competent as a tow vehicle. The brakes on my F-250 are huge compared to the F-150 and it gives me comfort having a much more capable tow vehicle.

Unless your going to tow that Cherokee in the mountains, you don’t need a diesel engine.

[acadianbob]

Easily towable with an F150 Ecoboost.

[Mr Towed]

You’re a step ahead of others because usually this question is asked AFTER the truck and trailer are already purchased. I agree with others that you should be looking at 3/4 ton trucks, especially as a self described newbie. If you were a seasoned towing enthusiast then you might better be equipped (skill wise) to make a 1/2 ton work if you were determined to do so. But a half ton would need to be optioned and loaded pretty specifically not to be overloaded or at least comfortable with that trailer because you’d be close to the limit. You’d have a lot larger margin of error and safety factor with a 3/4 ton.

[PEARCE05]

Anyone out there looking for an app idea? Here's one: An app where you plug in a trailer, and it spits out all the vehicles that can tow it. Or, you plug in a vehicle and it spits out the rigs you can tow.

I'd do it myself, if I knew how to code!!

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by ARhappycamper

Just get an F250 and be done guessing.

Yes indeed. I would get a 3/4 ton SRW to be comfortable and keep the RPMs reasonable. Your fuel economy will most likely be better as well.

Pulling up a hill on a "close" 1/2 ton will suck fuel and heat up the transmission.

[Rick J]

[QUOTE=mlbowers;2557442]I am a newb. I bought a 2018 Cherokee Grey Wolf model 26DJSE and when I truck shop, I feel lost and confused! The truck sale people are trying to sell me big trucks. The RV dealer said a Ford 150 could do the job. I am totally new, please help me! What truck do I need? In basic terms because I feel the acronyms are Greek, lol! I don't understand towing capacity vers
Without a doubt if you want to stay with a half ton, an F150 with the 3.5 EcoBoost is the top choice. It will pull that trailer with ease.