choosing a tow vehicle

[JaycoPhoto]

I'm by far a "truck" guy, but I'll throw my two cents in there.

I fully believe that the truck/trailer combination is completely subjective to the owner/driver.

We bought a GMC Sierra this past June, and it was the 4.3 or 4.8 V6. It had a 6000lb tow rating and we figured that would be enough for whatever we wanted to pull.

The first used trailer we bought we towed for exactly two miles before bringing it back to the people we brought it from. Did it tow the 28' 2004 Mallard TT that weight 5800K lbs... yes it did. Did it tow it in a manner that I was comfortable with? No it didn't

The second trailer that we bought was 4300lbs dry. The V6 Sierra towed this TT even better. We could still tell that the trailer was back there, but it felt noticeably more safe and we were more comfortable pulling it.

In November we traded the Sierra V6 for a 2014 Silverado 5.3 V8. It has an 11000lb tow rating. Once we pulled the 4300lb trailer with the V8 it was clear that we should have bought the V8 to begin with, as thats what we were comfortable with.

When we sold the old TT, the buyer showed up with a toyota FJ cruiser. We were floored that it pulled that trailer, but it did, and he was comfortable with it.

So I think you should try pulling your trailer with the truck you have before you make any big decisions. Take it on a back road and see how it does if you dont want to get on a main thorough fair. Take it slow and easy and see how you feel after. Then make the decision.

[redenbacher]

We have a similar setup to you. I think you should tow it for a while and decide of you are comfortable with it. I agree that you should go to CAT scale after fully loaded and include a full tank of water and see what you weigh. Each family has a different setup depending on what you load into the TT and how you load it. Personally, I think you should enjoy your current rig and get fan=miliar with it.

[RedHorse1]

I'll echo the CAT Scale visit. Not only will you KNOW your weights, you can see how your WDH is dialed in.
The CAT Scale is your friend.

[grantsoo]

I have a 26RLS, 6800lb dry. My TV is a 1500 Suburban with 5.3 and 3.73. I added the Reese dual cam hitch and upgraded to light truck tires inflated to max pressure. Still a beast to pull. I now park at a seasonal and finally am at peace.............

[LarryJ]

I like the idea of a 3/4 ton TV - stiffer suspension, probably better axle ratio, and better tire rating. But going to stick with the 1/2 RAM I have as my retirement budget will not allow change + my TV has lifetime drivetrain warrenty. Also I feel quite comfy towing with current TV.

Larry J
2015 SLX 264BHW
2007 RAM 1500 5.7L 4x4

[BJR]

Originally Posted by Noahron

now I cant afford a new 2500 series truck right now and I have a 2013 Silverado 5.3 wit the 3:42 gears what should I do?
Doe's any body tow with a 1500 silverado with a 5.3 and 3:73 gears and how does it do. I can get a decent deal on the Silverado wit 3:73 gears
or take my chances .with the 3:42 gears this year till I can afford a 2500

Have you priced out a gear swap? With a 4x4 you may be looking at $2k but that may be cheaper than a different truck.

Bryan

[cekkk]

Originally Posted by vtdanokim

Buy a nice weight distributing hitch, take it easy and your 1500 should tow it fine. It's amazing that people we American's have to have nothing smaller than a 3500 to tow a pop up...
The Europeans and Australians tow massive TT with sedans!

Of course. And a Toyo can pull the Space Shuttle. No Problem!

[vtdanokim]

Originally Posted by cekkk

Of course. And a Toyo can pull the Space Shuttle. No Problem!

I tow my Whitehawk 29 SQB with my half ton (Nissan Titan) with no issues. I keep my speeds between 62-67 mph and I've never run into issues. I'm well within my weighed GVW of the truck. Yes a 3/4 or 1 ton would pull it "easier", but for me that just means losing 2-4 mph going uphill and sticking to the far right lane with my half ton.

To each their own, I'll drive there a little more patiently and enjoy the scenery as my kids scream are we there yet. Sure as heck beats buying a new truck when mine's paid off and still runs great.

[canadiankid]

What is the gvw rating on a Nissan Titan?

[vtdanokim]

GVWR: 6500 lbs
Max Gross combined weight rating: 14,800

Curb weight: 5200:
Weight of people: ~ 360 lbs
Tongue weight of trailer: 650 lbs
Trailer weight: 6400 lbs
Weight of gasoline in truck: 179 lbs
Total weight: 12800.

This is well within GCWR of my truck.
I'm quite comfortable towing this combination with my truck and sway/WDH set up. If you're not, then buy a bigger truck.

[blderman]

I made the switch from an 02 F350 7.3 to a '14 F150 Ecoboost and the Eco tows better than my F350 did. So an older diesel isn't necessarily better.

[canadiankid]

The reason I ask is because I have a similar setup and keep debating if a 2500 is in my future.

[vtdanokim]

Originally Posted by canadiankid

The reason I ask is because I have a similar setup and keep debating if a 2500 is in my future.

Oh ok. Funny thing is, our Titan pulls our new to us Whitehawk 29SQB easier than our old 16.5' Roadrunner trailer we had before. Fuel mileage is slightly better towing our 33' whitehawk than it was towing our old 16.5' roadrunner...

If I towed my TT a lot, I might consider a new truck only if I could get the cost/MPG of a diesel to make sense. For us, even at 9.5 mpg it's far cheaper than a new truck.

[nwminnesota]

Some food for thought. I believe you can get a 3/4 ton gasser for the same price as an ecoboost 1/2 ton or even cheaper by the time you add the max tow and max payload option. Granted your fuel economy probably won't be as good. Also you'd be surprised on if you look at a used diesel wouldn't be much more then the ecoboost. Trucks are very expensive these days. My personal preference is to have more truck then needed a lot less stress when towing.

[waltah]

I picked up my nicely optioned EB with 6k miles on it for under $30k last year. Just gotta watch for deals and travel if needed.

[Idahoboy]

All I can say is go and enjoy yourself. You are good on weight unless you completely over load it. A 2002 f250 7.3 is like 250ish hp now a 2015 is 440hp. I remember thinking back then how could we need more power. Gas pickups were 250 hp and pulling just as much weight just not as comfortably. We all get used to having more of everything. Will a 250 pull easier sure but your trailer is not that heavy run it for a while if you come a cross a great deal. Buy it. Untill then just enjoy. As alway just my 2cents

[ALJO]

The 22 ft.'s TT's in the 70's were just as heavy has the 30 ft.'s now. We pulled with 275 HP and 3 speed automatic then and we didn't hold up traffic. Now with 400 HP and 6 or 8 speed you'll go faster up the hills. Then the speed limit in the 70's was a bit lower too. The biggest problem with the late model 1/2 tons is the weight carrying capacity. Special if you have a family and a few animals...........and the genny. Go as close with your hitch ball towards you axle as you can. Even if you have to drill a new 5/8 hole in the shank. Get a 1200 lbs. WDH because the bars with chain type adjust the distribution per chain link. And with sway control you're set to go. Older trailers had a closer axle spacing which gave quicker sway. Now axle spacing is 33 to 35" and some even more. Safe travels!

[nwminnesota]

Originally Posted by waltah

I picked up my nicely optioned EB with 6k miles on it for under $30k last year. Just gotta watch for deals and travel if needed.

you got a good deal

Originally Posted by Idahoboy

All I can say is go and enjoy yourself. You are good on weight unless you completely over load it. A 2002 f250 7.3 is like 250ish hp now a 2015 is 440hp. I remember thinking back then how could we need more power. Gas pickups were 250 hp and pulling just as much weight just not as comfortably. We all get used to having more of everything. Will a 250 pull easier sure but your trailer is not that heavy run it for a while if you come a cross a great deal. Buy it. Untill then just enjoy. As alway just my 2cents

Great advice

[datadr]

We started with Toyota Highlander towing our 23ft. Dry weight of 4200lbs. The Highlander had a max tow rating of 5000lbs, and being naïve, we figured we would be ok because the dealer said it would work. Leading up to picking it up from the dealer, I did a lot of research on towing and even told the wife that there was a good chance we would need to upgrade the TV. A few local trips were ok, but when we took it a distance, it became a white knuckler. The following spring we traded it for a new F150 EV with max tow - 11,200lbs max and a 1740 payload. So much better.


Funny, we are looking to upgrade and now we may need to upgrade the TV again depending on what we want. We considered the F250 when we bought the F150, but decided against it since its my wife's daily driver. The F150 is a much better daily driver. It will be find as long as we stay under 30ft in the ultralights.

[canadiankid]

I totally agree with you idahoboy but in my case it's more about the 2500's suspension, never really feel under powered as much as overweight.