A lot of "Will this vehicle pull this traler?" threads going on........

[Mafesto]

The fact that you're asking shows you have some concerns.

I've had a few 3/4 tons & without a doubt they tow better than any 1/2 ton.
But like many of you, a 3/4 ton was a luxury not a necessity for me.
It was financially silly for me to keep buying bigger rigs at a higher price, only
to pay higher fuel bills & lose more in depreciation.

I am lucky to have riding buddies who still have 3/4 tons & our rule is that the
vehicle owner does not pay for fuel, so it works well.

But if I had to use a lesser vehicle for towing in the winter, I would first install
a set of studded snow tires (& obviously trailer brakes & tranny cooler).

Who else has some advice for the 1/2 tonners out there?

 

[Ollie]

I pull an open 2 place with a 1/2 ton pickup.
I don't have any trouble doing it, however, there are a couple things you need to keep in mind.

With most 2 place open trailers, the trailer doesn't have brakes so you have to triple the stopping distance. You also have to remember that you may be driving a truck however, this combination is also prone to fishtailing and tail whipping. If you don't load the trailer correctly you can get yourself in trouble faster than the idiot in the car next to you.

Too much tongue weight and you can easily overload the bumper mount, or if you are using a receiver (like I do) you can increase your risk of the truck fishtailing.

If you load to much tail weight on the trailer you can end up in the situation where the trailer is whipping back and forth. This can build up and litterally throw the back of the truck around.

Pay attention to what the payloads are and play with it a little. It's not hard.

 

[SNOW JW]

I will never buy another 1/2 ton. At the time it was all I could afford worst part is my Dad picked his 1ton 7.3 with 30,000 miles for only 6k more mine had 10k on it plug he got a true 4 door I got the exstended 4 door. On a road trip I get 18mpg going 70 he gets 21 with the chip going 75. Hook on the trailer and I get 10mpg at 65mph he gets 12-16 going 75+.

Coolers tires are just a band-aid if you ask me. Plus it's hard on the truck if your puling any type of larger enclosed trailer with the little 1/2 toners.

Just my 2cents kind of like running 82 octane in your sled when 92 is only 40cents more.

 

[snowbie]

I own a 2002 Chevy 1/2 ton with the 5.3. I tow a 6K pound travel trailer with it. It's rated for more, but it wouldn't be comfortable doing it. 3/4 diesel trucks cost more up front, more to maintain / repair, and the cost of the fuel itself is much more. I would say a good rule 2-3 place enclosed open - 1/2 ton. 4 place enclosed = 3/4 ton comfortably.

 

[portgrinder]

If you're pulling more than a 2 place open trailer with a 1/2 ton thorugh the mtns you're asking for trouble, thats my advice.

A perfect load for a 1/2 ton is one in the box and a 2 place. The extra sled in the back really helps things.

 

[SNOW JW]

I realy don't see how the newer diesel trucks cost that much more to maintain?? Ya the oilchanges are more but our work trucks see 200k before they give any problems for the most part. Also as far as the price of fuel it's more but you make up for it in power and millage. It's is so nice to hook up to the enclosed and put the cruise on 75 with a headwind and cross winds and go over the mountain passes and it never even shifts my poor 5.3 going 60 is screaming at 3,000rpms and pulling for all it is worth just with the 4,000lb trailer and 3 sleds and all over the road if I have a good cross wind. Don't get me wrong the 5.3 is a good motor snappy as all get out at the stoplights and around town but that is were it ends.

 

[Garyhamp]

1/2 ton truck

Many 1/2 ton trucks are equipped to tow 5000 lbs (6 sleds). They have trans. cooler, correct differential, and adequate engine. Do not use overdrive in snow. Read the load capacity on the specifications label. The tounge weight should be almost 10% of trailer weight. Studded tires will help more than a diesel engine, or carry chains. Keep tire at maximum pressure. Trailer tires have no sideways traction so the trailer can whip out on a curve....do not apply brakes but accererate slightly. It takes a lot of driving to recover the additonal cost of a diesel engine.

 

[snowbie]

Diesels hold 4 gallons of oil, way more antifreeze and transmission oil... Fuel filters need to be changed more often. Priced out glow pugs or injectors yet? Starter? Alternator? Turbo? Two batteries VS 1? Everything on a diesel costs more. I agree they are a much better tow vehicle especially for heavier loads. That's what they are for. For my needs and a great deal of people, towing a 2up trailer is much cheaper with a 1/2 ton. Especially when you use the truck to tow only a few times a month and use it for a DD the rest of the week.

On another note for all you 7.3 Ford owners - make sure you get the cps recall done - it left my buddy stranded!

 

[TravRMK]

I have a really heavy overbuilt 2 place trailer. I had a buddy that had the same year truck I have, only mine was a 3/4 ton and his a 1/2 ton. 00 GMC's his has the 5.3, and mine the 6.0. His truck would squat alot with our sleds on my trailer, and mine not so much. His gets 18 mpg generally, and mine gets 12. Pulling the trailer loaded, his got less than 10mpg at 55-60mph, mine got 11 doing 65-80. His struggled pulling the hills, and mine did not. He has 245-75-16 tires, and Mine are much bigger at 285-75-16's.

 

[montanasledder]

I pull my 4 place opedn i built with my 04 gmc 1/2 ton, Has the power but if the load is not distributed correctely makes the trailer and truck very squirley. wish i would have atleast bought a 3/4 ton gasser

 

[SNOW JW]

Man you must be thinking of the old Chevy strokers or early 1990's stokers. The new ones don't need much mork most have 100,000 mile warranty anyway. Change the oil yes it cost more fuel filter every 40k or some do it at 20k. Tranny at 60k most never even look at it. Our work trucks get the crap run out of them. Cold start ups never get warmed up bio-diesel hot shut downs and the list goes on and not a one has given them problems. Yes the 1/2tons are cheaper up front but if you are pulling any enclosed in the mountains just think about your choice. All of us in our family hated diesels a few years back now I would never think twice.

Lets see one cam sensor and that was it so far. I bet on a 600mile trip even with a two place a 7.3 will cost much-much less.

 

[irydcat]

I had a 1996 tahoe pulled a 3 place tandem great.But I dont think I would have pulled any thing bigger

 

[Barnes]

Mafesto started this thread to discuss what can be done to make it safer and easier to pull a trailer with a 1/2 ton. Why has it already turned into the great diesel / gas, 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton topic that is going on in another thread?

 

[Mafesto]

Mafesto started this thread to discuss what can be done to make it safer and easier to pull a trailer with a 1/2 ton. Why has it already turned into the great diesel / gas, 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton topic that is going on in another thread?

No s h i t!

That arguement will NEVER be settled!

I think everyone on here agrees that the bigger the truck is the better it will
handle a load, regardless 2 place open or 6 place enclosed.
But since some of us can't s h i t money, it makes no sense to have a 3/4 ton for that 2% of the time that it is needed.

 

[Hawkeye]

Towing

Who else has some advice for the 1/2 tonners out there?[/QUOTE]

An equalizer hitch is a good investment for 1/2 or 3/4 ton trucks, helps keep your rig in a straight line. Wind is your worst enemy!!!!!!

 

[skibreeze]

Literally, the only time my tow vehicle gets used is when we go sledding. Last year it probably only got driven 5-6 k miles. I can't justify buying a different vehicle, and mine does just fine as it has for the last 8 years that I've owned it. I don't have to drive on horrible roads very often and if the weather is going to be that crappy, I won't want to ride in that kind of weather anyways.

My setup is a 5.9l Grand Cherokee with great tires and brakes, load equalizing hitch (makes a world of difference) Always good tires on the trailer and checking proper air pressures. Brakes on both axles. My trailer is an all aluminum to keep the weight down.

 

[shmuckaluck]

Wow!

Hey guys,
Hello, hey skibreeze, that is not a good combination. I am shure you think it is ok but that trailer loaded with sleds in it has to wiegh more than your tow vehicle, and thats is going to cause a problem sooner or later. I dont think you would be able to get around to well around here with that combo. Drive careful man hate to see you wreck either one of those things.

 

[snowbie]

Don't get me wrong, I would love to have a newer diesel truck. A diesel truck is far better / safer to tow anything with. Our budget doesn't afford us that luxury. A used diesel rig in similar condition / year as our gasser ran thousands more. Everything on a diesel costs more. A new crate motor from Ford costs $16000. A friend of mine needs to put injectors in his powerstroke. Ford wants $3000 just to install them! I could buy an entire engine for my truck for that. How many of you are comfortable to work on a newer diesel truck? Ever look under the hood of the new 6.4 powerstroke? Where's the engine? Somewhere under the wiring and tubes or TWO turbos? Yikes... Not to mention the last 6.0 powerstroke was a complete piece of crap.

The 5.3 in my chevy is more than fine pulling our 2up or our 6K pound trailer. Yes it revs a lot on hills. That's where it makes it's power. It's a great DD that gets descent gas millage and I'm not afraid to work on it. It's far cheaper for my family - which is important to me because the two new sleds it pulls cost more than the truck!!

Skibreeze - I have a 5.9 in grey too. It's a fun jeep - lifted on 33's. Fun Jeep.

 

[skibreeze]

Hey guys,
Hello, hey skibreeze, that is not a good combination. I am shure you think it is ok but that trailer loaded with sleds in it has to wiegh more than your tow vehicle, and thats is going to cause a problem sooner or later. I dont think you would be able to get around to well around here with that combo. Drive careful man hate to see you wreck either one of those things.

So, you are saying that any trailer that out weighs the tow vehicle is unsafe? So how then Are 3/4 ton rated to tow trailers that weigh TWICE what the truck weighs? The new Toyota is rated at almost TWICE it's weight also. I am well within the margin of safety, I'm within 1500 lbs of the weight of my tow rig and below the rated towing capacity. I've also got several thousand safe tow miles under my belt with this combo over the last several years. I don't have to be going 80 like some guys, and I don't venture out when the roads are going to be ****ty the whole way anyway.

 

[Jaynelson]

For the original topic....some airbags for the rear would be a big help and for cheap. Doesn't ride like shat like with overloads in them, and you can dial it in for the load.

I don't like studded tires...my BFG A/T's work fine, probably would be even better siped. With the sled in the back there's tons of grip. But I also know how to drive and not everyone's like that.