Truck and Trailer

[ghaynes755]

Ditto to Paiceman. Can it tow yes and will probably do an outstanding job as a diesel, should it tow probably no. I had the same issue. 2014 GMC Sierra. Towed through the mountains of Colorado, Utah and Nevada just fine. 45-50 up the steepest grades. But put it on the CAT scales to tune up the ProPride and the facts are simply the facts. With wife, dog, full fuel there was 80-100# of payload left for the bed of the truck. Other than stuff from the factory the only 'add' was a roll up tonneau cover at about 100#. Start putting stuff like Honda 2000, chairs, grill and other stuff in the bed of the truck and it would have put us over the limits.

For me it is a safety thing. Yes there is probably a safety margin built into any of the factory numbers. But did I really want to find out? No thanks. Fortunately I got a good price on trading back in and getting a new GMC Sierra 2500. Debated gas vs diesel and decided to go the diesel route. Hadn't had one before and they don't sound like trucks of old. Happy I did the diesel. Towing I get 20-25%+ better mileage and around town about 5-10% less. So while more expensive to purchase, operating costs are running about the same. Time will tell as oil changes are free with a new GMC the first 24,000 miles.

[AWCHIEF]

It used to be so easy to find a suitable tow vehicle. You simply used the family car.

[SteveH]

Interesting the OP, VernH, has not made any other posts on this thread. All the opinions and facts probably have him confused. I know if I were just starting out, it would confuse me.

The thing is, we do not know what trim level he has ordered on the truck, what options, what gear ratio, what bed length, 4WD or not, etc., and all things that do have and impact on towing capacity. Really, you need to look at the sticker on the door of the truck, and compute every thing you are going to carry, and tow, and compare to the GCVW (Gross Combined Vehicle Weight).

So VernH, if you've still with us, hope we have not complicated it too much.

[Rocinante]

Here's a thought, based on our experience buying a Ram 1500 gasser to tow our International Signature 27FB.

If I had it to do over again (and someday, I will), I would have taken a test drive in something as close as possible to my desired model and weighed it at a CAT scale. I say this because I've learned the only way to know what load my truck-to-be can actually carry (e.g. GVWR minus the basic truck weight with a couple of people and a full tank of gas) is to weigh it.

Based on our experience with an "n" of 1, Airstream literature wildly underestimates tongue weight, and truck dealers badly overestimate the carrying capacity of the vehicle they are helping you choose. (They focus on towing capacity and on selling the truck, not on accurately computing GVWR minus truck weight.)

Those two errors left us a bit in the lurch. We scrambled to move weight out of the truck and from the front to the back of the trailer in an effort to balance things out, keeping a more reasonable percentage of trailer weight on the tongue instead of what we had initially. If we had weighed our intended vehicle before buying, none of this would have been necessary because we would have bought a different truck.

Our rig tows and stops beautifully and has lots of power, but our margin of error for load capacity on the truck lies somewhere between its GVWR and its combined GAWR. Sadly, the GVWR on our Ram is 1,000 pounds short of the combined GAWR, which caused some pretty significant consternation at home after we weighed everything out. I neither know nor care why this is the case, but I didn't realize this until it was far too late.

So, the time to get this right is before I buy, and the only way I see to do that is to actually weigh things on a scale. Math and formulas are awesome, as are fact-free opinions, but garbage in produces garbage out.

So, next time we shop for a truck, we'll weigh the vehicle we want and *then* do the math to see how much weight our intended can actually carry in addition to the weight it would be pulling. We'll also boost our estimate of tongue weight to something more like 15-20% of the maximum trailer weight, just to be safe. Based on our real-world experience, the 10% number quoted by Airstream was pure fantasy.

As always, your mileage may vary. Our experience admittedly does not represent a statistically significant sample. Best wishes for safe and happy towing, and we'll see you down the road.

[tjdonahoe]

Do not hesitate go with a 3/4 ton, I like my dodge with 6.7 cummins, 8500 miles / year towing a 31' classic, now has 85000 miles and no problems...

[Zigidachs]

Originally Posted by tjdonahoe

Do not hesitate go with a 3/4 ton, I like my dodge with 6.7 cummins, 8500 miles / year towing a 31' classic, now has 85000 miles and no problems...

Agree! We have a 2012 2500 Ram with a towing capacity of 17K! Plenty of "extra" capacity. With our Pro Pride hitch, the Ram hardly knows the AS is in tow. Short bed= short turning radius.

Two thoughts:
1) It is estimated that about 65% of RV'ers have less than adequate truck towing capacity...all comers, fivers included.
2) You might be able to tow the AS, but can you STOP it?

Happy New Year...

[J. Morgan]

Stopping an Airstream is for the most part limited by tire to road contact across the entire combination vehicle combined with having good reliable trailer brakes.

There isn't going to be a really be a big stopping distance difference between a 1/2 ton and a 3/4 ton either will be more than capable of locking the tires down against the antilock brakes.


1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by J. Morgan

Stopping an Airstream is for the most part limited by tire to road contact across the entire combination vehicle combined with having good reliable trailer brakes.

There isn't going to be a really be a big stopping distance difference between a 1/2 ton and a 3/4 ton either will be more than capable of locking the tires down against the antilock brakes.


1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow

Think I would have to disagree with this statement as for instance, a Ram 2500 of a given cab/bed size is about 2,000lbs heavier than a 1500 of the same size cab/bed, and has larger brakes, so the amount of traction to the road would be greater.

As an example, and I know you know this, and unloaded truck will not have as much traction as a loaded truck.

[dkottum]

True Steve, but then there is 1000 to 1500 more pounds of truck to stop; I think they may be close.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by SteveH

Think I would have to disagree with this statement as for instance, a Ram 2500 of a given cab/bed size is about 2,000lbs heavier than a 1500 of the same size cab/bed, and has larger brakes, so the amount of traction to the road would be greater.

While it may have larger brakes, it is widely reported that the 3/4 ton and 1 ton pickups take longer to stop (lots of test reports available on line), so that extra brake capacity is not enough to make up for the combination of higher curb weight and lower traction due to tire selection.

[J. Morgan]

I stand by my educated contention that stopping is going to almost be entirely dependent on friction between the braking wheels and the pavement. Weight on the rear axle of the TV can make a difference, but frankly with the way practically all vocal people on this forum advocate the use of WD, neither 1/2 ton trucks or 3/4 ton trucks are going to have enough weight on the back axle to make the best use of the brakes anyway.

There may be some caveats, but most any modern truck is physically capable of locking down any tire under any condition except that antilock prevents it.

I will grant that bigger brakes might be an advantage if a person abuses their brakes on a long steep down hill run.

The weight of the truck can be a factor. My 1/2 ton weighs 5,500 lbs. i know some one ton diesel trucks weigh in excess of 8,000 lbs.


1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow

[m.hony]

Yes, that is all the truck you'll ever need.
Good choice.
Get what you want the first time so you don't have to do it all over in a couple of years. It is easier and less expensive in the long run to do it that way.
Now buy them both and go campin'.

[dkottum]

"The weight of the truck can be a factor. My 1/2 ton weighs 5,500 lbs. i know some one ton diesel trucks weigh in excess of 8,000 lbs."

I'll place my bet on the 1/2 ton here.

[SteveH]

Well, don't want to argue about it, I've had both 1/2 and 3/4 to towing the same trailer, not the one I have now, but in the past, and I believe the 3/4 ton stops a given load better than the 1/2 ton. Just my experience/opinion.

[m.hony]

When I was shopping and test drove a Tundra with the salesman riding shotgun, he had me stomp the gas to demonstrate power/acceleration. The salesman also had me stomp the brake to demonstrate how quickly it stops. Most of the Tundra's construction (minus springs/payload) is closer to a 3/4 ton truck. The brake rotors/calipers are huge/ginormous. Also, the trailer brake actuator should be set so that the trailer stops itself and the combination stops as if the trailer wasn't there. This theory works out in general, but panic stops do take more distance. Is this panic stop distance less in a 3/4 ton or 1 ton? I'm not sure. We have several 3/4 ton and 1 ton Duramax/Allison trucks at work. The trailers we tow are usually heavier than an Airstream, and the stopping distance seems about the same as my 1/2 ton and Airstream- so maybe the 3/4 has better stopping- I know the rotors/calipers/master cylinders are the same on the 3/4 ton and 1 ton Express/Savana vans-

[J. Morgan]

I am by no means arguing, I am just offering a different point of view and passionately defending my assertions.

We can disagree and still be cool with one another.




1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow

[m.hony]

Never want to argue- never want to have a "fallin' out" or "come apart" with my silver cocoon owning brethren- just want to share my personal real world observations and experiences- my $.02 FWIW-

[m.hony]

I ain't mad atcha fir drivin' a 3/4 ton. Your money (purchase, maintenance, fuel), your family and pets, your truck. Please don't be mad at me fir drivin' a 1/2 ton. My money (or lack thereof), my family and pets (and I feel perfectly safe/responsible hauling them in a 1/2 ton), my truck. Run whatcha brung. When I go to any campground, the seems to be equal numbers of 1/2, 3/4, and 1 tons, and equal numbers of Ford, GM, Ram, and Toyota trucks. Everyone has valid reasons for the choices they make, and my biggest valid reason (biggest motivating or un-motivating factor) is money, or lack thereof. I might re-think my decisions/choices if I could ever be convinced that there is anything wrong with the way I am doing it. As it is, I bought the truck I wanted and the trailer I wanted.

[J. Morgan]

That is me too.

My old half ton goes, it stops, it steers, it pulls, never gave me a single reason to think it isn't perfectly safe and up to the task I put in front of it. (Or behind it).

Now I will say that my combination all together weighs in at less than 12,000 pounds, loaded and ready to camp.

"Going light" is just a different approach to a common issue.



1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow

[m.hony]

My combination is about 14,400# with a trailer weighing about 8,600#- well within the advertised 10,400# towing capacity of the truck-