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Old 04-06-2020, 10:42 PM   #1
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Why does anyone pick a 1/2 ton truck these days?

I parked my 2500HD in the parking lot at our apartment here in TX. On one side was a Tundra, the other side an F-250 and 2 spots away a Ram 1500. All looked fairly new. I noticed that they looked to be the same size as my 3/4 ton truck. I did some checkin' and sure enough, these new 1/2 tons are big. A 2020 F-150 super crew regular bed is 244" long and an F-250 is 250". Same width if both have tow mirrors. Biggest difference was curb weight. F-150 was 5,000 lbs and the F-250 was 6,500 lbs (both gassers). Another interesting thing is that if you build and price them with the same stuff, they are about the same price.

So, if you buy a truck to do truck things, why would anyone opt for a 1/2 ton truck? You get one hellofa lot more capable truck if you go 3/4 ton and it doesn't take up any more space or cost more. Maybe it rides nicer? Gas mileage?
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Old 04-06-2020, 10:48 PM   #2
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Maybe it rides nicer? Gas mileage?

I think you answered you're own question.
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Old 04-06-2020, 11:14 PM   #3
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I think you answered you're own question.
My last half ton was a 2008 Tundra and it didn't ride any better than my 2500HD and got about the same gas mileage.
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Old 04-06-2020, 11:37 PM   #4
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What you listed exactly.

My buddies F150 rides MUCH better then my F250 and has the 3.5 eco boost which is faster and more fun to drive. Plus it gets about 20mpg while doing it. My F250 gets 13 on a good day.and since we have the same size gas tank he gets some great range.
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Old 04-06-2020, 11:51 PM   #5
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Bought my F150 because a 3/4 ton would be too long to make the turn, at the top of our driveway. I don't have a trailer that would require a 3/4 ton. My F150 is my daily driver and gets 20mpg on the freeway. The 3.5 Ecoboost pulls up grades and at altitude, like a diesel.
When we sell our current house and buy a 5th wheel, then I'll get a 3/4 ton or 1 ton. But currently, I have no need for either. I love my F150 Ecoboost.
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Old 04-07-2020, 06:04 AM   #6
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Ford F250 is a 3/4 ton truck. I'm pretty sure there has never been a 1/2 ton F250.
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Old 04-07-2020, 06:32 AM   #7
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If you have Facebook look up the half ton haulers page. Some of these people are pulling 40 ft toy haulers with a F-150. They claim that 3/4 ton trucks are no different than half ton and they are a waste of money. Its crazy what some of them are doing.



Now a half ton truck is a very capable tow vehicle. But, You have to know the limitations. Ive hauled many a trailer with a half ton. Most of them I should not have but I got the job done.



I am probably going to get yelled at here but this is my humble opinion. If you have to modify the factory suspension to tow your trailer, you need a bigger truck. That means if you need to add air bags to your 2500 or one ton to pull that trailer your truck is too small. Period. Maybe you need to jump up to a 4500 or 5500 or something.



I have gone the other way. My truck is way overkill. I pull with a semi. I know its crazy. Its beyond crazy. Its absolutely ridiculous. But thats what we choose to do. Way more room in that cab for passengers. No, I do not need a semi to pull the trailer that I have right now. But, My goal is to have a Spacecraft semi trailer conversion and full time someday. Buy the truck first then the trailer. Right?

That and it cost less than a third the price of a new on ton diesel crew cab.
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Old 04-07-2020, 06:47 AM   #8
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There’s nothing wrong with a half ton or even a lighter weight Tacoma/Colorado as long as that’s all you need. I’m an advocate for not exceeding your payload. “Half tons” actually have pretty decent payload numbers these days but they definitely have their limits in the RV world.
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Old 04-07-2020, 07:13 AM   #9
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My father owns a 2016 Silverado 2500HD, and I own a 2018 Silverado 1500. Mine is a Z71 model, with factory suspension, and his is a 2WD model with factory suspension, just for a frame of reference.

Fuel Economy: My truck gets 22-25MPG highway, with the 5.3 liter V8. His gets no more than 15MPG highway. He tows a 5000-lb trailer with his, and I tow a 4000lb trailer with mine. We took a trip together last year, and he averaged just over 9MPG, and I averaged 11.5, doing the same route and speed. Granted, he is towing more weight, but a difference nonetheless.

Ride: My truck definitely rides a bit better than the 2500, and is easier to get in and out of, due to the ride height of the 2500. Loading things in the bed is easier as well.

Size: My truck is a crew cab standard box, while my father's truck is a double cab standard box, so there's some obvious size difference there. His truck is about 3.5 inches taller than mine. If you're looking to fit a vehicle in a garage, 3.5 inches could be the difference between it going in, and it not going in. For some people, that could be a deal-breaker right there, even though the footprint of the truck is about the same, as you mentioned.

That being said, I have nothing against the 3/4 and 1-ton trucks. My dad's truck has a 4.10 rear end, and I have a 3.42, with the same transmission. His truck doesn't have active fuel management, which is a pro and a con, since it is simpler, and I think his truck drives better without it, but that's just me. He also has almost exactly twice the payload of my truck. Towing performance on his truck is exceptional, and I have no doubt at all that, if I was towing 99% of the time, that I would prefer an HD myself. But, mine is still a daily driver, and an HD wouldn't make as much sense for me and my little Rockwood Mini Lite. Not knocking the HD trucks at all, as I'll probably buy one some day, but I can definitely see why some people drive the 1/2-tons if they don't need the capability of the HD.
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Old 04-07-2020, 07:16 AM   #10
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I’m single and the truck is my only driver. I elected to buy a 1500 Silverado, 6.2, 12000 lbs tow package. It gives me a decent ride empty, high teens in mileage and tows my 7900 lbs towhauler with no problems.
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Old 04-07-2020, 07:24 AM   #11
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I don't believe similarly outfitted trucks of the 1500 vs 2500 or F150 vs F250 size cost the same. Sure if a dealer has one he's trying to move or it's a special maybe close. Normally the heavier truck does cost more.
I don't need more. My "1/2 ton" tows my 5500 LB trailer like a champ. (says the guy who just returned from a 5000 mile trip to AZ)
I also don't understand guys who come here and pound their chest and say "my truck is better than your truck". WTH??
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Old 04-07-2020, 07:47 AM   #12
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It's not really accurate just to compare sticker prices on say an F150 vs an F250. Sticker prices may be similar but actual price paid is often MUCH less for an F150 as the discounting is much deeper. It's not uncommon to get $10K off of the sticker of an F150. For an F250, it is more like $3-4K.

1/2 ton trucks have become more capable. They are nicer to drive and park. They ride better. And they meet the needs of the vast majority of people out there. Bigger trucks become more necessary when one is towing heavy.
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Old 04-07-2020, 07:50 AM   #13
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Don't need a 3/4T so why buy it? I think a F250 looks like it's "lifted".

My F150 is plenty of truck for my 7500lb gross weight TT, and gets decent mileage
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Old 04-07-2020, 08:28 AM   #14
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I’ve never owned a 1/2T pick-up. When growing up, my mother wanted a piano. Uncle had a 1/2T 65 Chevrolet short box. Piano fit fine but, uncle did not want anybody else in his truck due to weight concerns (I think he was being paranoid). Dad brought 4 burly guys and me and my cousin along to load the piano. Together, we 7 weighed much more than the piano, but, we all rode home in the 64 Ford station wagon (piano would not fit).
Dad bought a 1974 F350 cab/chassis new and put on a dump body. IIRC, GVW was 10,000. In 1980, Cousin needed some sand. We left sand pit in that dump truck at 17,200 per weight slip. Some rust flaked off frame, took a bit longer to stop, but hauled it “fine”.
My first pickup was a F350 SRW, next was a F550 with a Fontaine Classic “pickup” body. When I worked as Director of Public Works for a HOA in a large private community (16,000 lots) my predecessor had bought 350 Ford and 3500 Chevs with dump bodies. Added snow plows and sanders in winter. Had overheat issues, front CV issues in the Chevs, and high levels of breakage while plowing. Boss was unhappy because plowing was not effective. I found the trucks were well over GVW, which, being a company had legal implications ( I am not the weight police, our attorney advised my boss we would lose if a court case. Boss said fix this). I bought 450s and 550s with dump bodies, plows, and sanders. Within the GVW. Breakage went way down, reliabilty want up, driver’s happier.
Summary: buy the big one
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Old 04-07-2020, 08:30 AM   #15
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Thanks everyone. I really was curious. I did not realize that the new trucks got such great gas mileage. I was used to 14 mpg in my 2008 Tundra and now I get 13 in my 2500. Also hadn’t considered height. My older self would certainly appreciate something a little closer to the ground.
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Old 04-07-2020, 08:51 AM   #16
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'Tis Simple Really

Question was: Why buy a ˝ ton truck

1) - You do not need the payload
2) - Difference in ride is important to you
3) - Purchase price could be lower
4) - Registration cost can be less
5) - Does it fit in garage?

In our case, we needed the payload so other considerations were moot.
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Old 04-07-2020, 08:54 AM   #17
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A lot of it is based on outdated conventional wisdom. It doesn't matter what is actually true; it only matters what customers believe. But, there are still some bona fide reasons to go 1/2 ton:
  1. Better ride. Not always true, but generally it is. (it's a push for me, but my F-150 is old and has E-rated tires ... not exactly a cadillac ride).
  2. Better fuel economy. Not always true, but generally true. (my F-150 gets around 13.5 mpg and my F-350 gets around 17 mpg ... but not a very good or typical comp. Gas to gas ... modern to modern ... the 1/2 ton should win pretty easily.)
  3. Smaller, easier to drive, easier to park, easier to maneuver. 1/2 tons have grown up, but I think the turning radius is a bit better and many have 5.5' beds. A few inches here and there can make the difference of fitting or not fitting into a standard residential garage. I also think they tend to be a bit shorter (closer to the ground).
  4. Cheaper. I think this is technically accurate, both on the MSRP and out the door. However, good arguments can be made about the significance. This one is largely outdated conventional wisdom. The prices (both sticker and OTD) are generally within ~$2K for comparably equipped trucks (and I was pretty surprised, too, when I built this out last year when I was shopping).
  5. Cheaper to insure. This can be regional and depend on the carrier.
  6. More comfortable. 1/2 tons will often have some creature comforts that simply aren't available on the HD versions. F-150s can have a factory entertainment system; not in the SDs. In 2019, only the GMC 1500s could have the convenient tailgate system (only in 2020 could the HDs get it). Anyway, those are just two examples. Some materials may differ, too.
  7. Styling. A 1/2 ton generally isn't styled the same as a HD/SD truck. Ford and GM have built their HD trucks to look industrial. 1/2 tons still retain a more refined look that appeals to more people. Same on the interior, too. F-150s have the shifter in the console, e.g. ... it's on the column for SDs. Some just like the styling of the 1/2 tons better.
  8. HOAs. Some HOAs don't allow 1 tons anywhere in the neighborhood (other than garaged). I've seen this. I haven't seen any rules about 3/4 tons, but they may exist.
  9. Cheaper to work on. Supply and demand brings the prices of maintenance parts, aftermarket parts, and other things to a more affordable range. Not always true, but often true.
  10. Availability of aftermarket parts. If there's an aftermarket widget or gizmo, you can bet that there's one for an F-150. Will there be one for an F-350/3500? Maybe.
  11. Engine. Some people (like me) want a turbocharged/supercharged engine for towing at altitude. So, I had two options: 3.5L EB and the 6.7L PSD.

Quote:
Originally Posted by acadianbob View Post
[...] It's not uncommon to get $10K off of the sticker of an F150. For an F250, it is more like $3-4K. [...]
You need a different dealership. ASAP. The X-Plan alone will get you more than $3-4K off an F-250 ... unless it's a bare-bones $35,000 MSRP XL work truck.

Discounting should be comparable. HD/SD may be a bit more seasonal than 1/2 tons, with respect to factory incentives, rebates, and inventory clearing deals (usually more 1/2 inventory to clear). 1/2 ton might put a few extra bills in your pocket, but it's not even near the ~3x more discounting that was suggested above.
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Old 04-07-2020, 09:12 AM   #18
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You're assuming that everyone is towing or hauling heavy duty items. Many contractors buy a 1/2 ton because it's cheaper and they only carry lightweight items for their work.

We bought ours because we liked it.
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Old 04-07-2020, 09:18 AM   #19
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[*]Smaller, easier to drive, easier to park, easier to maneuver. 1/2 tons have grown up, but I think the turning radius is a bit better and many have 5.5' beds. A few inches here and there can make the difference of fitting or not fitting into a standard residential garage. I also think they tend to be a bit shorter (closer to the ground).
Can only speak to Chevy/GMC, but my 2016 2500HD Silverado is the same length as a comparable 2016 1500 (e.g., double cab, standard box is 230"); width is essentially the same (80.5" vs 80"); height is the biggest difference, about 3 to 3-1/2" (the brochures don't specify by model, just give a range).

Of course, the new generation may be different.
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Old 04-07-2020, 09:59 AM   #20
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I bought a 2018 Silverado 1500 in December of 2018. Why you ask. Because none of the 4 local Chevy dealers within 25 miles had a 3/4 ton on their lots. One dealer said they don't sell enough 3/4 ton trucks to keep one on their lot, but if I wanted one they would order it. This same dealer had a 2016 2500 single cab they took as trade but it had body damage and we wanted a crew cab.


The one I got is under as far as tongue weight goes. Truck ccc is 1150, tongue weight is 1196. Other weights are fine.


Being a seasonal, I wasn't planning to tow the trailer anyway.
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