Impressions towing with 3/4 ton vs 1/2 ton

mikmurphy · 08-20-2013, 08:58 PM

After logging 3,355 miles since Aug. 8 with our WhiteHawk 27DSLR, driving from TX to Westport, WA before reversing course, I can offer some observations about the difference between towing the trailer with the "old" 2011 Silverado 1500 (LWB, extended cab, Z71, 5.3L engine and 3.42 gears with 6-speed auto) and the "new" 2012 Sierra 2500HD (LWB, extended cab, Z71, 6.0 engine and 3.73 gears with 6-speed auto.)

First, I should state that I used the old truck twice to tow the trailer: once to drive to Middlebury, IN and pick it up dry and haul it back to TX; and the other time to make a weekend trip to a state park about 120 miles from our home, in May. The trip from IN went well, we hauled mostly on Interstates at 65-70 mph, the old truck performed well and delivered 8.2 MPG overall. On the second haul in May, it also drove well, but labored more with the loaded trailer, and I noted tranny temps of 217 on a day with 88F degree air temp and not very big hills in Central TX. After mulling this over with the fact that the 1/2 ton truck, unloaded with full tank of gas, two passengers weighed 6620 lbs on the CAT scale, I decided to go for a 3/4 ton. (The WH would throw about 975 lbs fully loaded onto the TV, putting me well past the GVWR of the truck at 7000 lbs.)

The 3/4 ton truck, as expected, rides rougher, especially on our ranch roads, and gets worse gas mileage, unloaded. (About 12 MPG compared to 15 MPG with the 1/2 ton.) However, it definitely seems more stable with the trailer while on the road. When leaving TX, we encountered all kinds of conditions, including 20 mph head winds, a dust storm, and a giant dust devil that swept across the road right into our path. The dust devil caused the only "twitch" of the trip, and it was slight. So far, all the other conditions have not caused anything that gave me cause for concern. And, the 6-speed auto trans. tow/haul mode is great for getting over, and down mountain passes. In many cases, I only need tap the brakes and the tranny downshifts to slow the rig down. Mileage has ranged from 7.5 (steep mountain passes) to 10.3 (flat OR coastal plains) while towing the trailer. Today's mileage, 340 miles from Yakima, WA to St. Regis, MT was 8.3.

All in all, I'm very glad I made the upgrade from 1/2 ton to 3/4 ton, even though the 1/2 ton likely would have done just fine for any TX destination. When you start hauling trailers over mountain passes, it's clear that one really can't have too much TV!

In closing, I just wish I had found this forum BEFORE I started shopping for a new TT, and learned about the importance of weighing one's TV to see what it really is capable of. We went for the WH because it seemed a great match for the TV; only later did I figure out that the TV had much less capacity than it originally seemed. Such is life!

In the meantime, we are thoroughly enjoying our month-long run from TX to the Pacific, and back!

Derek700 · 08-20-2013, 09:25 PM

That story sounds much like ours, we moved from f150 to ram 3500. Truck was fine for local trips but doing 5+ hour trips was just a little too much for my liking. As you said wish I would have known more before buying although I love the new truck. Don't listen to the sales people they jut tell you tow ratings not gvw ratings.

**Crabman** · 08-21-2013, 02:55 AM

Yeah I`ve done the 1500 to 2500 thing also. Still have and love both of em, but the 2500 is a towbeast compared to the 1500!

Soulman · 08-21-2013, 06:12 AM

Also went from 1500 to 2500....gasser to diesel. Amazing difference! Pulling a 3k trailer with the 1500, I got 10 mpg. Pulling a 6k trailer with the 2500, I get 13 mpg. I'm happy, happy, happy!

troutslayer · 08-21-2013, 01:25 PM

Glad to hear you made the switch and are happy with it. I went from 2450# unloaded tongue weight on our previous 5er to 1400# unloaded tongue weight on the Jayco 5er. So, I kept the GMC 2500 D/A but traded the RV. MUCH happier and more relaxed when towing.

clutch · 08-21-2013, 09:31 PM

We did a similar thing except we had a 3/4 ton and bought a 1 ton SRW. The bigger truck handles the weight much better. Because both are diesel we didn't see any difference in fuel mileage.

Rob_Fla · 08-22-2013, 04:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clutch

We did a similar thing except we had a 3/4 ton and bought a 1 ton SRW. The bigger truck handles the weight much better. Because both are diesel we didn't see any difference in fuel mileage.

X2 except with 3,450 lbs. pin weight we went from 3/4 ton to 1 ton DRW

Bassdogs · 08-22-2013, 01:04 PM

Just upgraded to a 2014 White Hawk 30DSRE and love it. Tow Vehicle is an 08 Silverado 1500 4x4 with tow package and mid sized Vortec V8. Pulled home to Ky after picking up in Middlebury [great dealer] In with no issues. Hitch ball was 3 or 4 inches low since that was the highest my tow bar could be raised. Since have added a taller hi rise bar to accomodate the extra hight the dealer said I needed for level pull. 2nd tow was less than 100 miles but several big hills and lots of start and stop. Again not issues and it seemed to pull easier than the 28' TT I had before [1500 lbs less dry weight]. Did experience some tranny heat build up on the big hills but no problem holding and or gaining speed. Can drop the tran temp 10 degrees or so by turning off the AC. Truck normally runs at 210 water temp and tran temp is 190 - 210 range unless climbing or start and stop driving. My GM dealer told me not to worry with temps up to 230 or even 240 for short distances and to ease the load when necessary by turning off the AC. Power with the 5.4 has not been an issue since I'm not trying to set any records. The TV/TT combo seems well balanced and easy to pull. Plan to go to a 2500 next time we trade, but no plans in the short run. We went to the White Hawk because of the weight and features.

Plowtoy · 08-23-2013, 01:13 PM

I'm guessing I will be the only one to say this, and maybe I did something wrong, but I'm not sure I will ever tow our 242 with a 3/4 ton again. I normally use my Tahoe and it tows great (although a little sluggish) but I had a opertunity to use my folks 03 SD F250 7.3L to pull our camper to northern MI for a 3 day meeting and the best I could do was 60 on the freeway with out the thing moving all over the road. Now, I did not have the TB's on but I did have my sway control on. the camper when hooked up was sitting level (maybe a little high off level, but darn close) and the truck barely budged so I didn't think TB's were necessary. The only good thing about pulling with that truck is I managed to get 16mpg pulling.

**Crabman** · 08-23-2013, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plowtoy

I'm guessing I will be the only one to say this, and maybe I did something wrong, but I'm not sure I will ever tow our 242 with a 3/4 ton again. I normally use my Tahoe and it tows great (although a little sluggish) but I had a opertunity to use my folks 03 SD F250 7.3L to pull our camper to northern MI for a 3 day meeting and the best I could do was 60 on the freeway with out the thing moving all over the road. Now, I did not have the TB's on but I did have my sway control on. the camper when hooked up was sitting level (maybe a little high off level, but darn close) and the truck barely budged so I didn't think TB's were necessary. The only good thing about pulling with that truck is I managed to get 16mpg pulling.

Something must have been amiss with that particular setup. I would not come to the conclusion that all 3/4 ton rigs are going to provide a worse towing experience then the Tahoe.....

dmax_83 · 08-23-2013, 02:16 PM

I have the exact same thoughts, nearly 3 years ago I made the switch from a 1/2 ton to a 3/4 ton, I went for broke thought and got a diesel. Long story short, I love towing with my 3/4 ton.

Rustic Eagle · 08-23-2013, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crabman

Something must have been amiss with that particular setup......snip

I agree....., IMO it wasn't a 3/4 ton truck issue, sounds more like a TV/TT combination set-up issue (WDH, hitch ball height, etc.). The fact that the "truck barely budged" doesn't mean that weight wasn't removed from the TV's steering axle.

Bob

Ecfeick · 08-23-2013, 03:52 PM

For a trailer that size I think the gear was killing you more than anything.

When my commuter car that I use
To just go to train station does I plan on picking up a mid 90s diesel 3/4 or full ton. Just can't afford the beating we would take on our 11 1500 crew 3.73 5.3. It pulls the 26bh fine loaded in fact I don't go into tow mode unless in in foothills.

LiftedAWDAstro · 08-24-2013, 07:46 PM

I am gonna go against the norm here and state that I like the 1/2 ton Tundra much better than my 3/4 ton Ram! The ram was basically the same, 4x4, 5.7L gas, auto and 4 doors as the Tundra. The Tundra make much more power and it in useable ranges. This is mostly due to the 6 speed auto and 4.30 gears. The Ram had a 5 speed auto and 3.73 gears. When I bought the Tundra, I knew I might need to spend money on a good hitch so I did and it definitely pulls better than the Ram. I pulled the 26 BH with both trucks so loaded weights were the same. Nice thing with the 1/2 ton is I get about 10% better towing fuel economy and about 40% better empty driving fuel economy. I don't regret going to a 1/2 ton at all. To all the guys comparing towing with a 1/2 ton gasser to a 3/4 or 1 ton diesel, that's not a fair comparison at all!

Texas Vet 2011 · 08-24-2013, 08:51 PM

I'm new to the TT experience, we recently upgraded from a popup to a 2013 242. But I must say, I have no trouble pulling my 24 footer with my 2012 Ford FX2 Sport with EcoBoost. With the truck in Tow/haul mode, the ride was smooth and the engine had no difficulties going from ~4300 feet elevation to ~8600. Its a steady climb with a 6% grade. Granted the TT had a minimum load (about a weeks worth of supplies and clothing). All tanks were empty (except the 2x 20lbs propane tanks were full) and I had left the generator at home since the RV park had electric & water. Coming down off the mountain the truck remained in 2nd or 3rd gear except for the few times I overrode the T/H mode and I only had to use my brakes sparingly. All in all I am pleased with my TV TT combination.

mtelkhntr · 08-25-2013, 04:14 PM

Keeping our same TT, we went from an '85 3/4T 4x4 Suburban to an '05 2500HD GMC Quad 4x4 and even thought they are both 3/4T, there's a huge difference. We all talk about tongue weight, dry weight, loaded weight, GVWR, GCWR and different hitches but one thing that I saw mentioned only once in this post is Wheelbase. For me, that's a factor certainly worth serious consideration. I'd want a long dog with a short tail rather than a short dog with a long tail when it comes to towing.

Boss Wagon · 08-25-2013, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtelkhntr

Keeping our same TT, we went from an '85 3/4T 4x4 Suburban to an '05 2500HD GMC Quad 4x4 and even thought they are both 3/4T, there's a huge difference. We all talk about tongue weight, dry weight, loaded weight, GVWR, GCWR and different hitches but one thing that I saw mentioned only once in this post is Wheelbase. For me, that's a factor certainly worth serious consideration. I'd want a long dog with a short tail rather than a short dog with a long tail when it comes to towing.

Engine output really stank in the eighties and into the nineties. The sad thing was they were not only low on power but they also were sorry on fuel efficiency as well.

Going from the 85 to the 05 would definitely be a huge difference. That is a heck of a upgrade!

mikmurphy · 08-28-2013, 10:28 PM

update on our trip: We traveled from just north of Vernal, UT today on US 191 to Moab, UT. This included a mountain pass with an elevation of 9,114' at the summit. This was the most taxing summit so far in our trip from TX to the Pacific Ocean and back. The 3/4 ton clearly labored to make 35 mph going up the 8 degree road, but shined when coming down the same 8 degree descent. Thus far, we've driven 4700 miles since Aug. 8. Mileage has ranged from 7.5 to 10.6 mpg, depending on driving situation. This likely will be the only trip we'll do like this for the year, but IF we planned to do more similar trips per year, a diesel would be my choice. And, interestingly, diesel fuel in the Pacific NW usually is only 10-20 cents more per gallon than regular fuel, unlike in TX, NM, and other SW states where it runs 40-50 cents more per gallon.

Rustic Eagle · 08-28-2013, 10:53 PM

Mike,

Glad to hear your trip went well!

I agree, if I towed my 8,500lb Eagle through the mountains on a regular basis I'd be looking closely at a diesel as well, but the few times that I travel the mountains my 2500HD 6.0L Vortec may scream a little, but it gets the job done.

Bob

mikmurphy · 08-28-2013, 11:07 PM

Bob, "screaming" is an apt description for the 6.0L engine running at 4500-5000 RPM at 40-50 MPH in 2nd gear going over a good pass! Highest tranny temp I observed thus far was 230, and that cooled quickly once over the summit. On a side note, we've found that if you don't have reservations for a campground in the National Parks well in advance, you're likely going to have to a) boondock in BLM or other federal lands, or b) land in one of a few commercial RV sites that may
"stack 'em & rack 'em" or get lucky to find something else! We've boondocked for more than a few days, and it's worked out great. Helps to have the Honda 3000 genny in the back of the truck!

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