I am buying a new to me truck in the spring, something in the 2006-2008 model years, crew cab, 4x4 and as long a box as that particular model comes with. I have been digesting everything I can read about towing with a half ton truck. Now while I like the Dodge Ram 1500 and the ford F150, I have looked at everything out there, silverados, titans , and tundras (at least as much as I can) and I am starting to think that at times a half ton might not be sufficient. The trailer is a 2006 gulfstream amerilite 24RS. The dry weight is 4680 lbs but the gvwr is 7454 lbs. Now realisticly I cant see loading the trailer with 2800 lbs of stuff, but if it were at capacity and I use the 10-15% for tongue weight, that is approx 745 lbs to 1118 lbs. I also have my wife, two children and a dog to get in the truck. I have also thought about taking a fishing trip with three friends next summer, all of whom are around 200 lbs . so I am thinking I could be near or exceed a half ton trucks gvwr pretty quick.
so I started looking at 3/4 and one ton trucks a bit but most are diesel, I'm not sure I'm ready for a diesel, and they are still fairly expensive used. I really like the 2008 ford superduty but a used v10 is hard to find and the 5.4 by the numbers seems like not enough engine for how heavy that truck is. I did see a ram mega cab 1500 which intrigued me, specs look to fit my needs, but it is a huge truck and as much as i liked it, my wife was not a fan.(she might drive on occasion and I think it intimidates her. she never saw the superduty.) then I saw a 2006 chev 1500HD with 60000km on it, and I thought it may be worth considering. I can't find much info on the truck as they were discontinued with the 2007 year so I thought I'd put this one out there for you guys to see If anyone has any experience or info about towing with a 1500hd. thanks in advance.
You are talking about a crewcab, so I imagine that someday you might have 4-6 people or dogs or something heavy in the crewcab, so I can predict that you might put 1,200 pounds into the truck someday.
Now you want to tow a travel trailer with a 800 pound hitch weight, and then carry 1,200 pounds in the truck, including firewood, generator, and other stuff? That will require a GVWR about 2,000 pounds more than the pickup empty weight.
So a 2004 F-250 with a diesel, 4 wheel drive and 8,000 pound empty weight and 8,800 GVWR is not going to do. But the 2005 has a 3,000 pound cargo rating, and will work fine.
I am not sure the empty weight on a F-150, but it might be OK because it has a gas engine. The 5.4L is a very strong engine, 300 HP, and gobs of torque. I towed a 7,500 pound generator with a F-250 toolbox truck, with a 351 engine, and it had plenty of power. You are talking about a lower load, and not as heavy of a base truck weight. The 5.4L has about 100 more HP than the 351 in my 1994 work truck. And it has a better transmission, coolers, ect.
The lowest cost way is to get a brochure from each of the dealers, and then go home and read them. Find out the cargo rating, the front and rear axle weights when empty, and the rear GAWR. Find out what GVWR and GCVWR really means. Get educated, and you should be able to pick out a proper truck for the loads you expect, without buying something that you do not need.
I don't think you will need a V10 for the load that you are going to tow. Even the 4.6L V8 is fine for a 1/2 ton that will only need to tow once in a while. Check the weight ratings though.
You are talking about a crewcab, so I imagine that someday you might have 4-6 people or dogs or something heavy in the crewcab, so I can predict that you might put 1,200 pounds into the truck someday.
Now you want to tow a travel trailer with a 800 pound hitch weight, and then carry 1,200 pounds in the truck, including firewood, generator, and other stuff? That will require a GVWR about 2,000 pounds more than the pickup empty weight.
So a 2004 F-250 with a diesel, 4 wheel drive and 8,000 pound empty weight and 8,800 GVWR is not going to do. But the 2005 has a 3,000 pound cargo rating, and will work fine.
I am not sure the empty weight on a F-150, but it might be OK because it has a gas engine. The 5.4L is a very strong engine, 300 HP, and gobs of torque. I towed a 7,500 pound generator with a F-250 toolbox truck, with a 351 engine, and it had plenty of power. You are talking about a lower load, and not as heavy of a base truck weight. The 5.4L has about 100 more HP than the 351 in my 1994 work truck. And it has a better transmission, coolers, ect.
The lowest cost way is to get a brochure from each of the dealers, and then go home and read them. Find out the cargo rating, the front and rear axle weights when empty, and the rear GAWR. Find out what GVWR and GCVWR really means. Get educated, and you should be able to pick out a proper truck for the loads you expect, without buying something that you do not need.
I don't think you will need a V10 for the load that you are going to tow. Even the 4.6L V8 is fine for a 1/2 ton that will only need to tow once in a while. Check the weight ratings though.
Good Luck,
Fred.
I know where your coming from and don't really disagree with what your saying, but that is not the question the OP asked. He is looking for input from guy's with experience towing with a 1500HD. No where in your comments do you address the question instead you sound like a commercial for a Ford 2500HD.
Have you towed with a 1500HD and if yes what is your opinion of how it towed?
Gary and Janet (countryrose)
Redding, Ca.
2009 Bighorn
2008 Chevy 3500 D/A DRW
The 1500HD is a 3/4 ton in all but the door badge. The 6.0L V8 is rated to tow just over 8000# when equipped with a 3.73 axle, and just over 10,000# when it is matched with a 4.10.
Better truck for towing than most 1/2 tons.
2004 Cougar 301 BHS "MEGACASPER" 2007 Dodge/5.9L Cummins/3500 SRW Megacab/48RE/4x4/3.73/10,100# GVWR
RV and truck weight = ~20,000# Hypertech Max Energy
In the '90 GM gave us the 2500 LD 7200 GVWR truck which GM rebadged into the 1500 HD. Both trucks use the corprate 14 bolt 9.5" rear axle/eight lug wheels/load range E tires/simular frame as the 9200 GVWR 2500 HD truck/HD versions of the 4L80E/6.0 smallblocks/etc. Much heavier duty truck than a 1500 with a tow package.
The 1500 HD has the 9.5" rear axle that GM has had for years in the 2500 LD trucks. It has approx 5000 RAWR vs a standard duty 1500 trucks 3900 RAWR. Gives you another 1000 lbs of payload on the rear axles. Its the same axle as my '90 model 2500 LD with the old 350 engine that has 238000 miles now.
The 1500 HD isn't a same as 9200 GVWR 6.0 2500 HD truck but it has much better hauling and pulling capacities than the 1500 standard duty truck.
"good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" Will Rogers
'03 2500 QC Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs Westach Linex
'97 Park Avanue 28' 5er with two slides 16" BFG Commercial LTs
A good friend of mine has the 1500HD and he pulls a 8500# 5'er and it does a great job. The 6.0L and the 3.73 are matched great...I would buy one if I could have found one when I bought my 06 F150 w/ tow package. I think it would do a great job pulling that TT.
Steven & Stacie, plus 2 (6 & 2 years old)
Beau (new dog)
2006 F150 5.4L, FX4, 3.73
2009 Rockwood 8313SS
Equal-i-zer 10K
Prodigy Brake Controller
With a trailer of that size you can't FIND a half ton truck that can't handle it easily as long as you get one with the larger V-8 engine in it. I assume you're looking at a 5.3 V-8 and the answer is yes....no problem. Just take a close look at the receiver to be sure it hasn't been bent. They do have a history of weak receivers.
Good luck / skip
2004 F-250 SCREW Long Bed (new)
OR 2004 F-150 HD (85,000 towing miles) Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
We have enough YOUTH...how about a fountain of SMART
truth be told i would prefer to get a half ton crew cab truck as opposed to a 3/4 or the 1500 hd because there are more used ones to choose from and on average they are far less expensive to buy. My concern is that when I have a fully loaded tow vehicle and i then drop that fully loaded trailer on the hitch that i will be uncomfortably close to or exceeding the gvwr of the tow vehicle. F150 and silverado crew cab 4x4s seem to be in the neighborhood of 1500-1600 lbs payload the ram 1500 quad cab 4x4 is only 1200-1300 lbs. even if i am extremely conservative with my numbers I am looking at 400-500 lbs of people and dog in the truck and then 10% of the empty trailer weight is 460 lbs so I will be at 1000 lbs (give or take)with everything hooked up empty. my main concern is to travel safely with my family, i just don't want to push a vehicle beyond its safe limits.
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