How can the new 1/2 tons tow 10K??

[TomW]

Originally Posted by Gen Disarray

regular, heavy duty, super duty... Maybe I should of held out for the 'super duper heavy duty roid runner edition' instead of buying an old diesel......

Yes, you could have. Doing so would have allowed you to have a tow vehicle that would have started by shearing all the rivets off the front of your vintage Tradewind, and ended by ripping the A-frame off in front of your Airstream.

Tom

[BillTex]

Originally Posted by rhoward

the 3/4 and 1 tons are great for the constant pullers and i would go that route if that's what i was, but the 1/2 tons are tough enough now that most weekend warriors can do whatever they need to do with a 1/2 ton instead of having to drive a big diesel daily just so they can take their boat out twice a month.

Agreed, as long as you are within safe weight limits.
BTW, we get 14-15mpg towing.
21 not towing.

If mpg is a big concern, 1/2 tons don't have any adavantage. As a matter of fact, I never had a 1/2 ton that got this kind of mileage!

Bill

[mandolindave]

But I was talking about the NEW 2008 1/2 ton trucks that are saying that can tow 10 K lbs. Do they have bigger rotors and heavier springs, and all of the other good stuff. It seems like they have just made a 1/2 ton into a 3/4 ton.

[Boondocker]

Originally Posted by TomW

Yes, you could have. Doing so would have allowed you to have a tow vehicle that would have started by shearing all the rivets off the front of your vintage Tradewind, and ended by ripping the A-frame off in front of your Airstream.

Tom

Not the way to go about a shell-off restoration is it? Actually, the stiffer suspension is one of my main concerns about going to the 3/4 ton. The air hitch is interesting, but I would like more evidence it is effective before spending all that money.

[BillTex]

Well…the short answer is its relative; the payload/towing capacities of all trucks have been shifting upwards, not just for ½ tons. (I'll continue this rant as I assume you are considering towing 10k pounds as the title of your post indicates.)
But keep in mind, that nice cushy car like ride of a ½ ton will work against you when towing. The new ½ ton may be pushing more torque and hp, but the rest of the system is just not conducive to towing heavy loads, long distances, for the long-term. Many folks are towing 25’ with ½ ton (And less! The previous generation foreign trucks aren’t even ½ tons-but some folks use em’) and they will tell you they are “doing fine” hauling through the Rockies, over the Alps, and just past the Himalayas. Truth is most of them have nothing to compare there experience to. If you are coming out of a passenger car, and this is your first truck, you may think-wow! This thing is awesome. The “white knuckle” towing experience seems normal.
I’ll go out on a limb and say; most folks towing with ½ tons have not had the benefit of towing with a ¾ ton (or 1 ton). Conversely; I’ll bet most folks towing with ¾ (or 1) ton trucks have had the benefit of previously towing with a ½ ton at some point in their life.
I personally don’t know anyone that has traded back down to a ½ ton. I’ll say it again; if you own the truck now, and are within legal weight limits, and you don’t stray far from home, you will probably do just fine. If you are in the market, and are towing 25’ or greater, then you will not regret going the ¾ ton route. Been there. There is NO COMPARISON. (I’ll post this link in case you haven’t seen it. It pretty much details the evolution of my towing experience; http://www.airforums.com/forums/f238...ml#post313803)

[Boondocker]

Originally Posted by BillTex

If you are in the market, and are towing 25’ or greater, then you will not regret going the ¾ ton route.

Dagnabit! And wouldnt you know it, here I am with a 24 footer with an ugly box exending off the back! Where does that leave me

[doorgunner]

Oklahoma-fly over country!
I've had a 1/2 and a 3/4. I'll never go back to a 1/2 for a dedicated TV. load range "E" tires are the way to go.

[safari 28]

curretly just finished a cross country tow with 2008 f150 crew cab lariat, tow package and 5.4. and a 2004 28 safari. Just a great experience and this truck sits as high as a 250 with 18inch tires but very nice with leather and console shift etc. I truly believe the new 150s set up correctly are a very very capable choice.

For the numbers I lease, new every 2 and run 20k /year. The diesel for my needs did not pay and we will tow approx 12k/year. I did the math and after this trip we made the right decision.Quiet, low maint, and just plain simple to own.

[Brad Hunt]

I don't know about 1/2 tons but I started thinking a F250 5.4 might be the ticket for my 25' footer so I hooked up to a friends to try it out--bad, bad,bad--no power. Very unimpressed, just wait til you go up a hill. I mention this because a 5.4 is what you get in the F150. Those tow figures are smoke and mirrors and hype.

Sure you can tow 10,000 pounds with a 1/2 ton just not very far or up a steep grade in anything more than 3rd gear and not much over 45 mph unless you like the whine of an engine that sounds ready to burst and god forbid you do it 90 degree temps or try to stop this load after a long descent.

[slowmover]

My feeling is that a 7,000-lb trailer is the cut-off for easy performance from 1/2T to 3/4T. Nothing particularly scientific about it, beyond rear axle weight rating.

Like the cars of old, where going to the big motor with a numerically lower rear axle rating was a boost in perfomance w/o much of a loss in mpg, the 3/4T does make towing easier, more comfortable. It's more than is needed in many cases and that makes it about right.

That said, were I towing less than full-time (and had no need for a heavier truck beyond towing) then I would certainly appreciate the easier ride and generally better manners of a 1/2T. Not to mention that the 1/2T springing is better suited to towing than the bigger trucks. So I have to climb some grades slowly? So what? Extended time under WOT is hard, but the drivetrain is also made to do it. One just needs to treat factory service guidelines as a minimum. If I drop to 35-mph, I just put on the four-way flashers. I drove the US this way for a living, it ain't no big deal. It alone in no justifies going to a 3/4T, especially for a part-timer.

For me it comes down to that full-floating rear axle that (used to be) the important difference for towing between 1/2 and 3/4 ton. And a 7,000-lb trailer is about the right weight to make that shift for me.

[henw]

The new 3/4 ton trucks ride just fine. Very comfortable. I tow a 28' Int. with the F 250 6.4L diesel. Previously I pulled with the Ford 1/2 ton 5.4L V8. The difference is amazing. Sway is just about gone, engine/transmission braking is improved. Drove all through the Mts of NC and never encountered a grade the truck could not handle readily. But, it's a matter of mathematics and physics. You figure out the amount of load you need to haul in addition to the TT and then buy accordingly. We haul wood, water, generators, generator gas, bikes, and lots of other gear on most trips.

Tom

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by mandolindave

But I was talking about the NEW 2008 1/2 ton trucks that are saying that can tow 10 K lbs. Do they have bigger rotors and heavier springs, and all of the other good stuff. It seems like they have just made a 1/2 ton into a 3/4 ton.

yes the 08 has...

-larger rotors and clearly better stopping power...
-the frame has been strengthened again and in several ways...
-the axle size/rating increased...
-and suspension bits are new and up rated...
-and i think the tranny gears are bigger this year too...

and what about the bolts that hang 'em from the rafters, those are some big bolts!

the old 1/2, 3/4, 1, 1.5 and 2 ton labels continue because folks think they understand the meanings...

but the payload for each has long since exceeded the intent of those 'ton' labels...

still the 'science' behind the payload and tow ratings is pretty vague...

i'd love to know exactly how each maker gets to their rating...

but consider this....

were the ratings more accurate 10 or 20 or 30 or 40 years ago?

darts ne1?

cheers
2air'

the itty bitty ford ranger truck is really more like a traditional half-ton in capacity and build and useful space...

[Streamer1]

Forget all the dumb stuff. Get a 3/4 ton with a V10 or Diesel. Don't care what Big 3 truck you buy, their all capable. I have an 06 F250 PSD. Buy it and spare yourself all the pain of knowing you bought an undersized "sometimes adequate for the job" 1/2 ton p/u truck.

[Goin camping]

In an attempt to answer some of your question. The new F150 does have a larger boxed frame. It seems that lots of it's bits have been upsized.

This was learned by carefully watching Ford's T.V. commercials. I'm sure you will wisely go to the dealer and look at the sales propoganda and an owners manuel snatched from a random glove box to determine for yourself what the numbers actually are.

[Jaxon]

Originally Posted by mandolindave

Can anyone explain to me why the 2008 pickup trucks and vans have about twice the towing capabilities of the earier versions.

Sales are down because of increased fuel costs and manufacturers are willing to push the envelope at our expense to keep up shareholder value? Don't want the stock to be downgraded? Cost of vehicles have become ridiculous? Hope nobody reads the fine print or the "***" disclaimers?

Naw.... they wouldn't do that... would they?

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by Gen Disarray

Great question! and not to hijack on only the second post, but do they have the brakes and suspensions to go along with all this new found power?

Just my thoughts! You've got to be able to STOP whatever you tow.

Paula