Truck advice

[Superslif]

I pull about 5200 lbs. (+,-) (26' RV trailer) with my Tundra 5.7L. Get about 11 to 11.5 Towing and 20 mpg on the freeway (non-towing). You would have to justify a lot of commuting miles to make up for the extra cost of a 2500 series diesel. Your looking at $60k for a new Ford or Chevy, a little less for a Ram.

[coldfusion]

I tow a 26 ft tt dry weight 4700 lbs with a Ram 1500 Hemi. Got a great hitch and it tows good.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by coldfusion

I tow a 26 ft tt dry weight 4700 lbs with a Ram 1500 Hemi. Got a great hitch and it tows good.

But how much overloaded are you over the GVWR of the half-ton Ram when you stop at a truckstop in the middle of a towing leg, fill up with gas, and weigh the wet and loaded rig on a CAT scale? Add the weights on the front and rear axles of the Ram, and compare the total to the GVWR of the Ram.

[1bigmess]

Originally Posted by knightstorm

A properly configured half-ton will do the job. My 5.3l Sierra is rated at 10,900 lbs ...

But what is the cargo capacity of your truck?

Total towing capacity is worthless if one has overloaded the truck with the weight of the hitch and trailer tongue and did in the bed of the pickup.

[1bigmess]

Originally Posted by coldfusion

I tow a 26 ft tt dry weight 4700 lbs with a Ram 1500 Hemi. Got a great hitch and it tows good.

Key words there are "dry weight", which, ad I understand it, means bone dry (no liquids on board at all), and before any optional equipment has been added. Do you know what your tongue weight is loaded for travel?

[dcarver]

Well since the OP is traveling with herself and a dog I highly doubt she'll be over 6000lbs fully loaded and not even close to pushing the max gvwr of a properly equipped half ton. However, I am in the same situation as her with my towing needs. I'm finishing physical therapy school and for my clinical rotations I'm traveling and staying for 2 months at a time and then driving to my next location. I've been to California and now the Florida Keys towing a 9200lb TT. More weight and I now have a diesel. I also towed a 7000lb TT with a half ton and the difference going to a 3/4 is night and day. I stayed with gas because I thought it would be more cost effective which it actually wasn't. I now have the diesel and cost wise I'd say it's very close to a break even situation. Also the towing comfort is unbelievable. I bought a 06 dodge 2500 5.9 cummins mega cab with 100k and have no complaints. If you can swing the extra $5-8k for the diesel I say do it, you won't be disappointed when you tow from Florida to colorado or wherever.

[monkey]

Originally Posted by SmokeyWren

But how much overloaded are you over the GVWR of the half-ton Ram when you stop at a truckstop in the middle of a towing leg, fill up with gas, and weigh the wet and loaded rig on a CAT scale? Add the weights on the front and rear axles of the Ram, and compare the total to the GVWR of the Ram.

I have to agree Smokey,,, not many of these people are listing actuall weights of their setups....

[coldfusion]

Originally Posted by SmokeyWren

But how much overloaded are you over the GVWR of the half-ton Ram when you stop at a truckstop in the middle of a towing leg, fill up with gas, and weigh the wet and loaded rig on a CAT scale? Add the weights on the front and rear axles of the Ram, and compare the total to the GVWR of the Ram.

I don't know never weighed it. Like I said it tows good. I'm sure my truck is rated for a 4700 lb tt even wet and loaded it wouldn't be over 6000. I run LT e rated tires also.

[coldfusion]

And that's with the factory p rated tires. Should be alot more now with my LT tires.

[smurfsofwar]

Originally Posted by SmokeyWren

But how much overloaded are you over the GVWR of the half-ton Ram when you stop at a truckstop in the middle of a towing leg, fill up with gas, and weigh the wet and loaded rig on a CAT scale? Add the weights on the front and rear axles of the Ram, and compare the total to the GVWR of the Ram.

If he has an outdoorsman or lower trim, I'd be willing to bet "none". Depending on passengers- he may very well be fine up into the Laramie and above trim. Likely well within spec. I don't know, maybe I must be the odd man out- but when I am pulling my trailer, all my tools, everything except butts and road snacks are in the trailer. No bed caps, firewood (illegal to transport here) or anything other than an extra litre of oil in the bed.

The Tradesman trim is capable of up to 1900lbs payload. To put that in perspective- my 2500 Limited "only" has 2846lbs. A 4700lbs dry weight trailer will likely cruise at 5500 loaded without water. That is, at worst, around 800lbs tongue weight. Mine loaded is 55-5600lbs (4900 dry) and the tongue weight sits right at 660lbs to 680lbs no matter how I load it.

[coldfusion]

Originally Posted by smurfsofwar

If he has an outdoorsman or lower trim, I'd be willing to bet "none". Depending on passengers- he may very well be fine up into the Laramie and above trim. Likely well within spec. I don't know, maybe I must be the odd man out- but when I am pulling my trailer, all my tools, everything except butts and road snacks are in the trailer. No bed caps, firewood (illegal to transport here) or anything other than an extra litre of oil in the bed.

The Tradesman trim is capable of up to 1900lbs payload. To put that in perspective- my 2500 Limited "only" has 2846lbs. A 4700lbs dry weight trailer will likely cruise at 5500 loaded without water. That is, at worst, around 800lbs tongue weight. Mine loaded is 55-5600lbs and the tongue weight sits right at 660lbs to 680lbs no matter how I load it.

I have an SLT. No bells and whistles and is a quad cab with 6'4" box

[ronnie_g]

Originally Posted by Rider99

I am a long time diesel guy but I would highly suggest crunching the numbers. Build a diesel truck and then a comparable gas truck. Consider miles driven and operating and maintainence cost. And, yes, a 3/4 ton is my advise also. Just my two cents. Happy motoring.

I agree, but would add in that most diesel owners look at the long run, not the short. If you are going to keep the truck 10+ years and tow tow tow I would favor the diesel. But, gasoline engines now days last longer than the first owner. Gasoline service will be less expensive, easier to find etc etc.

For a smaller trailer, try what you have, save the money till you feel you need to move up. Who knows, after a short time you might want a larger RV & then the truck to tow it?

[YosemiteBobR]

Well heck, you got quite spread here. I bought a ¾ ton as my first pulling machine, about two years latter it was just not big enough, so I bout a newer ¾ ton heavy duty, two year latter it was not really big enough. How long do you think you will keep your existing trailer moving across country? I bet somewhere along the line you decide to upgrade, OK, then now you need a bigger truck 1 ton should do it (350) gosh, in 6 years I bought three trucks, for gosh sakes, what a waste of money. All this is going to buy as big as you can afford. At least that way you are covered and won't be buying or wishing you bought bigger trucks. Oh, by the way, I now have a F550.

Happy Trails

[RGene7001]

As expected, it's all came to the point that "you need a 1 ton truck". May be a dually? For a 26 footer with 600 lb of dry hitch weight? I am not even sure that someone should look for anything but a truck in this situation. If a person travels alone, without big family, carries 1/3 tank of water, distributes stuff evenly around the trailer this hitch weight will not go very far up. Any decent SUV, like Sequoya, Expedition, Tahoe, Navigator, new Grand Cherokee or Durango will make a reasonable and sufficient tow vehicle. With good weight distribution and sway control, obviously. In the worst case scenario, investing $3k in Hensley or Propride hitch is much better than paying 40-60k for a pickup and then hating it every day.