Is it worth upgrading the truck?

[Bourbonman]

Echo the thoughts on a 1 ton. The days of 1 tons riding harsher than 3/4 tons are practically gone. My ‘20 1 ton rides better than my ‘15 3/4 ton did.

You can’t go wrong with a 3/4 ton but if you can find a 1 ton you won’t regret it either.

Karl

[Rolexmd tridenttech]

Check YouTube. A few people have upgraded and did a video on before and after. The videos I watched made me keep a 2500

[curver900]

from experience just buy a one ton diesel or a gas 3/4 ton will be fine with the new gas motors very capable.. the older gas motors are lacking..

[TWP723]

I had a 2012 F250 6.2L towing my 328RLTS (8575 empty) and it did fine. Upgraded to my 2013 F350 6.7 for a future purchase of a 5'er which we just purchased in March. The torque was incomparable to the gas. The newer half ton trucks..regardless of make...are pretty impressive as well.

No one has ever said, "This is just too much truck".

[Jay2504]

Our 24RBS, has a total length of 28’9”, so not quite the 30’ that the OP is talking about. We towed it with a 2014 1500 double cab with a V6. With the golf cart in the bed of the truck I was about 150 pounds overweight. Last fall we bought a 2020, 2500HD with the new 400 cubic inch engine. Also a double cab, but this one has an 8 foot bed compared to 6.5 foot for the 2014.Both trucks are 2wd. The ride and handling difference is simply night and day. The 2500 is much more stable. I called Chevy and found out that the only difference between a 1 ton and a 3/4 ton is 18 inch wheels (which I have) and upper 2 leaf helper springs in the rear. The frame, axle, brakes, and front suspension/springs are the same. The new truck rides surprisingly well empty. Hope this helps. Jay

[GrayHawk51]

It's like the tail wagging the dog.

Originally Posted by Rickdicks

I have a 30-foot Jayco, towed with a Chevy 4WD 1500LT. Has enough horsepower to haul it but handling not great. I'm considering upgrading to a 2500HD.

Has anyone here had a comparable set-up that has towed with similar vehicles? If so, was the difference in handling noticeable? I'm just looking for general guidance T this point, so anything somewhat similar could provide valuable info.

Thanks.

[Pastorlarry]

If you aren’t going to be going to the mountains I would keep it. We had a similar setup. But going up steep grades it struggled. We upgraded to a 3/4 ton Chevy 4x4

[alwalk63]

Originally Posted by Rickdicks

I have a 30-foot Jayco, towed with a Chevy 4WD 1500LT. Has enough horsepower to haul it but handling not great. I'm considering upgrading to a 2500HD.



Has anyone here had a comparable set-up that has towed with similar vehicles? If so, was the difference in handling noticable? I'm just looking for general guidance T this point, so anything somewhat similar could provide valuable info.



Thanks.

I have pulled my trailer with half tons and find the crew 6ft6 box is a better half ton option for stability but have towed with the 2500 and it's a world of difference in stability. I would move to a 2500 if I was towing a fair amount.

[3belkhunter]

I think Enterprise has a truck rental office, different from their regular operations, so maybe you could find one to rent for an hour and try it out?

[Packerbacker_TX]

Originally Posted by Rickdicks

I have a 30-foot Jayco, towed with a Chevy 4WD 1500LT. Has enough horsepower to haul it but handling not great. I'm considering upgrading to a 2500HD.

Has anyone here had a comparable set-up that has towed with similar vehicles? If so, was the difference in handling noticable? I'm just looking for general guidance T this point, so anything somewhat similar could provide valuable info.

Thanks.

Quick answer is the more your trailer weighs, the more truck you need to haul it around. Longer wheel base tow vehicles handle better. Moving up from a half ton to a 3/4 or 1 ton truck would be like comparing a body builder to a power lifter. They both do the same thing but the big guy does it better. Just make sure whatever you use falls into the GVWR and payload or you may have some liability issues later. - Good Luck

[Rickdicks]

Originally Posted by 3belkhunter

I think Enterprise has a truck rental office, different from their regular operations, so maybe you could find one to rent for an hour and try it out?

Excellent idea. I'll look into that.

[wcowan]

I went from a 150 to a 350 diesel. No more worries about maxing out payload, massive improvement in stability, less were and tear, etc. The real difference though was long downhill runs in the mountains. Between tow haul mode and the exhaust brake I can keep a steady, completely controlled speed down a long mountain pass without ever touching the brakes. It feels very safe to know that if I need to stop quickly the brakes are not faded at all.

If you can do it, go for a one ton diesel of your favourite brand. Gas 3/4 tons are a massive improvement as well.

[RKHengst]

Originally Posted by Rickdicks

I have a 30-foot Jayco, towed with a Chevy 4WD 1500LT. Has enough horsepower to haul it but handling not great. I'm considering upgrading to a 2500HD.

Has anyone here had a comparable set-up that has towed with similar vehicles? If so, was the difference in handling noticable? I'm just looking for general guidance T this point, so anything somewhat similar could provide valuable info.

Thanks.

I tow a much larger Jayflight 31QBDS with a half ton truck. But there’s a catch. When I needed to replace my trusty and much loved Duramax a year ago I wanted to go to a more comfortable vehicle, since it’s my daily driver. So I tried the various half ton trucks out there and, while they have sufficient power, they just don’t have the “heft” to handle that big sail behind it. Cross wind handling was atrocious, and even the semi blowing by on a 2 lane road was struggle.

So I almost went back to a three quarter ton truck, but tried one more half ton before doing so. I tried the Nissan Titan XD and never looked back. More than 1,000 lbs of extra weight (completely different HD frame, heavier duty axles and brakes) and an extra foot of length in the bed made a world of difference. A year and a lot of camping trips later, I am truly a happy camper. I bought a 2017, and a the time I bought it, there were 34 months and 65,000 miles of warranty left. (5 year 100,000 mile warranty started in 2017)

But there’s a caveat. As a daily driver, fuel economy is only so so, although towing I see between 8.5 and 9 mpg as expected. Also, the fancier the model, the less payload it has, that can be a real issue when you put about 1,200lbs on the hitch as I do. And most important, you will want to look at the gas version of the truck (a sweet sounding and strong engine), the 5 liter Cummings diesel has had more than its share of problems and I wouldn’t touch it. It was also discontinued as an option in 2021.

My .02 cents worth...

[Scubachris]

I made the switch 1.5 year ago. It truly is night and day in terms of stability and control. I went from the 5.0 2016 F150 to a 6.2 (gas) 2018 F250...for towing it is magnificent with significant increase in payload as well. Now, as a daily driver it can be annoying at times but really not a big deal. The 1/2 ton “can do it”. The 3/4 ton is designed to do it.

[Carter15]

Originally Posted by Rickdicks

I have a 30-foot Jayco, towed with a Chevy 4WD 1500LT. Has enough horsepower to haul it but handling not great. I'm considering upgrading to a 2500HD.

Has anyone here had a comparable set-up that has towed with similar vehicles? If so, was the difference in handling noticable? I'm just looking for general guidance T this point, so anything somewhat similar could provide valuable info.

Thanks.

I went from a 25 ft trailer with a 1/2 ton to a 35 ft with a 3/4 ton and my new setup is a much smoother ride especially on the highway and windy days

[LongHaulTT]

Originally Posted by Rickdicks

That's just the sort of feedback I'm looking for. My 1500 is powerful enough, but handling is not as good as I would like. So would you say the difference in handling is significant? I'm particularly interested in 2 things: how much sway you feel in one vs. the other, and how it handles when being passed by a large truck.

I’ll echo this. I sold my 3.5 Eco and went up to an F-350 Power Stroke. Ecoboost is awesome for towing a midsize TT, but obviously night and day moving up to a one ton diesel. Just can’t compare with the difference in weight and stability, let alone the torque and HP.

Plus, opens up a lot of options for upgrading the trailer down the road. 😉

[H20mike6]

Originally Posted by Rickdicks

I have a 30-foot Jayco, towed with a Chevy 4WD 1500LT. Has enough horsepower to haul it but handling not great. I'm considering upgrading to a 2500HD.

Has anyone here had a comparable set-up that has towed with similar vehicles? If so, was the difference in handling noticable? I'm just looking for general guidance T this point, so anything somewhat similar could provide valuable info.

Thanks.

I pull a 26rls with a Ford F-150 Ecoboost. Pulls no problem. Trailer GVW is 8600. The only time I wish for a bigger truck is windy days. The Ecoboost is a beast though.

[Billandcarole]

There is one thing to consider and that is TIRES. E-load (80 psi max) tires will change white knuckles to confident and safe driving.....just a suggestion from a retired long-haul tractor-trailer driver who now pulls a 2016 Jayco White Hawk 29REKS TT and Equal-izer round bar hitch. My tires are Michelin Defenders (All Weather) Good Luck, Happy Camping!

[Roll On]

As said earlier a 1 ton rides very good, we went with the 1ton single axle crew cab 4X4.
No playing games with me.

[AZMarine]

We bought new in 2000 a 2500 Ram 4x4 extended cab, long bed diesel. We had a slide-in pop-up Palomino B1200 & towed a 21' bassboat w/ 225 E-Tec. Over the years we installed a Banks kit, ATS stage 3 tranny, 1 ton rear diff / axles, aux tranny cooler & gearvendor split outdrive, two extra leaf's on each rear wheel & air bags. With 16" 295 tires, I could get 18 mpg @ 65mph towing the rig (18K fully loaded total weight on scale), & 21MPG running empty (just the truck) @ 85MPH (I-10 West Texas). This was all good until we picked up a 2018 Octane T-30-F in Feb of 2020. The truck could tow it well on the flats and hills, as long as I could hold more then 45mph so the torque converter stayed locked up. BUT when I had to climb hills that rose 2K - 4K feet at less than 45mph, the tranny (even with coolers running), would get hotter than I liked.

So we started saving I wanted to get something we did not have to worry about, or need to upgrade later (Same thing you are debating now). In Aug of 2020 we ordered a 2021 RAM 3500 club cab, LB, 4x4 SRW with Cummings High output engine (1075 FPT), Air assisting rear bags, tow package & level one upgrade. It arrived the 3rd week of Jan 2021.

Now when I tow this 35" bumper pull I hardly know it is back there. I pass at will on the freeway, It has exhaust braking, & in tow mode down shifts the tranny as needed. I also have more trailer brake options than I knew existed & blind spot detection that also covers the trailer when I am towing.

In short, I went 3500 & kept with the diesel so I knew I could reasonably tow what I would want, have all the safety features available, & hold good resale later when I decided to sell it. The only thing I had a hard time deciding was dully or not. I opted to go with SRW for easy of getting in & out of areas, & I am not pulling a 5th wheel. If I had been pulling a 5th wheel or goose neck most of the time, i would have gotten the dually for the better stability it provides in those situations.

Note: This truck is just used for the camper & trips. It would be a pain as a daily driver as it does not fit well in traditional parking spaces. In town we got a very cheap lease on a little Chevy Bolt all electric & it is perfect for around town driving.

As for the ride, my 2000 Ram , with all I did to it, rode like a log wagon until you put the camper on the back. This truck rides like a car, loaded or not & the diesel seems as quite as a gas engine.