Tow vehicle ratings (Best in class claims)

[Grumpy]

Interesting article from "AUTO GUIDE" about towing, comparing all three HD's.

Excerpt from article:

Where does GM stand in all this? Well, its HD trucks seem lackluster on paper with 765 lb-ft of torque and a max tow rating of 23,200 pounds. But after running through AutoGuide’s testing process, which included hitching up 15,000 lb trailers and loading 4,000 lbs worth of shingles in the bed, the GMC Sierra 3500 came out on top of the AutoGuide.com 2015 Heavy Duty Truck Comparison beating out the Ram and the Ford, and proving that numbers never tell the whole story. And GM never made best-in-class claims.

Complete article

Which Heavy Duty Pickup Really is Best-in-Class? » AutoGuide.com News

[KYCAMPER]

Completely satisfied with my GMC 3500. Wouldn't trade it for either of the other two.

[cgbrooks]

Ford every time, have had bad experiences with various GM vehicles. Never again.

[spoon059]

Advertising is aimed at stupid people. The difference between 15 ft/lbs torque or 10 lbs of tow rating are so minimal it doesn't matter. Anyone who buys the Ram for no other reason than that extra torque is plain stupid. All three big truck makers offer GREAT products and are capable of moving absurd amounts of weight. The Ram 3500 and Ford F450 are great competing products. An educated buyer will ignore the advertising mumbo-jumbo and test drive both trucks and make a determination based upon which seat is more comfortable, which options are available, cost and perceived reliability.

GM has a slight disadvantage, in that its max tow rating is "only" around 24K lbs. If you are towing 24K or less, any of the big three will work and have plenty of power, plenty of suspension and plenty of braking power.

Who cares which is "best". What matters is which is best for YOU...

[Bucko06]

When are they going to put best in class brakes and best in class suspension on these things for towing. You couldn't pay me enough to tow 30k down the highway with a 350(0) series truck. Stopping and ride stability is questionable.

Check out the Internet for (MDT) medium duty truck and (HDT) heavy duty truck conversion to RV haulers. Some really cool info.

[NVGun40]

Originally Posted by spoon059

Who cares which is "best". What matters is which is best for YOU...

How right you are.... Advertising media is targeted to a 6-8th grade comprehension level. That is not to say everyone lacks intelligence and comprehension. It is just where the industry can reach all ages, all demographics.

Specifications on paper should certainly be looked at for safety and peak performance. However, some will like Dodge's, some chevy's, Ford's, Nissan's, Toyota's etc. on down the line. There are good and bad about all of them.

Just two cents to pass on. I had a contractor give me a piece of advice many years ago and it has proved out in my world. He told me; "when building a house, add 30% to your loan, twice as many electrical outlets and 25% more insulation, and a heating/cooling system designed for your square footage plus 1000. When it comes to trucks, if you live life only doing things a half ton (150/1500) can handle, buy a 3/4 ton, if you live in a world where a 3/4 ton is sufficient, buy a 1 ton. If your family needs a car that can seat 5, buy a car that can seat 7. Even then you will often find yourself coming up short."