Heavy half pickup

Over 14 years, I towed three different lite fifth wheels with two different true 1/2 ton trucks. I have no complaints about my towing experience. Yes, these rigs were slow on steep grades, but never inadequate, really not much different than any other RV.

Now, none of my fifth wheels weighed 10k lbs, but again neither of the trucks compared to today's 1/2 ton offerings in terms of capabilities. So, w/o getting into the fine details you can probably put together a combo that will work.

But, I will also recommend a 3/4 ton truck because as newbie's you are likely to decide very quickly than a 'half ton towable' fiver is not what you really want for retirement RVing.

mileshuff wrote:

jus2shy wrote:
For Ford, the Ecoboost is the tow monster to have. A 10k 5th is really nothing to a modern gas motor until you get above 4 or 5,000 feet.

Currently the ONLY gasser in a 1/2 ton with enough power for a large trailer is Fords 6.2L. All others are far too weak. But that 6.2L is a $3500 add on to an already expensive truck. It makes no sense to spend that kind of money on a gasser 1/2 ton when you can get a diesel 3/4 ton.

We'll have to disagree that a gasser 1/2 ton is fine for 10K under 5,000 feet. The 6.2L's cost is not a good value and you still end up with a 1/2 ton.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. But just one last argument, the Cummins Turbo Diesel only had 350 horsepower from 2010 to 2012 and made its peak torque of 800lbft at around 1600rpm. The ecoboost has 365 horsepower and 420 lbft of torque @ 2500rpm. My current Cummins has 370 horsepower and 800lbft at around 1600rpm. 09 and earlier cummins had 305 horsepower and 610 lbft of torque. That ecoboost is in good company rating wise and has way more stump pulling power than the 6.2 earlier in the power curve (the 6.2 achieves peak torque at around 4,000 rpm and it's very peaky where as the 3.5 hits peak torque at 2,500rpm and holds peak torque all the way up to 5,500rpm).



To move any load at any speed, it's all horsepower as horsepower is basically torque multiplied over time. Having lots of torque down low means the engine doesn't have to rev to achieve the same horsepower (which is why diesels achieve high horsepower at ridiculously low rpms) but given the gearing of the 6R80, the Ecoboost has the gearing necessary to put down power earlier than the 6.2 can manage. Also, by stating the ecoboost is weak, wouldn't that make my Cummins a weak motor as well? Along with any previous iteration of the ISB? Or even power stroke or dura max? Or even the ISL's we use at work to drive around a 40,000 lbs loaded bus with only 280HP? Turbo-charged pulling is much different than naturally aspirated.

However, a gasser still makes more of its power in the upper parts of the RPM band and will ultimately consume more fuel pulling because of the inherent inefficiencies of a gas motor. He

jus2shy wrote:
For Ford, the Ecoboost is the tow monster to have. A 10k 5th is really nothing to a modern gas motor until you get above 4 or 5,000 feet.

Currently the ONLY gasser in a 1/2 ton with enough power for a large trailer is Fords 6.2L. All others are far too weak. But that 6.2L is a $3500 add on to an already expensive truck. It makes no sense to spend that kind of money on a gasser 1/2 ton when you can get a diesel 3/4 ton.

We'll have to disagree that a gasser 1/2 ton is fine for 10K under 5,000 feet. The 6.2L's cost is not a good value and you still end up with a 1/2 ton.

No

JIMNLIN wrote:
No posts doesn't determine the 1/2 ton truck specs on how much weight it can carry and how much it can pull.
There are 1/2 ton trucks out here that can tow a 10k 5th wheel trailer. Their going to be slow on the road pulling 10k so you may not like the hassle.

.........

The used '00-'06 1500HD GM 6.0 engine 4l80E tranny and has a 8600 GVWR with 6084 RAWR E tires and wheels with a 3000+ payload and over a 10k tow rating.

And the used 1500 Mega Cab Dodge trucks have a 8510 GVWR with 6000 RAWR Hemi 3.92 gears E tires and wheels. This truck sits on the 2500 frame and has the same brake system.

..........

Personally I would be looking for a 3/4 ton truck.
If used look at the 8.1 GM gas engine or Fords V10 engine in the used trucks as they don't make those towing beasts gas hogs anymore OR...
A new or used diesel. If used beware Fords 6.0 diesel engine.

These two 1/2 tons AKA 1500 are really 3/4 tons 2500's, with full floating rear axles, one of the biggest advantages a 3/4 ton has over a 1/2 ton.

mileshuff wrote:

jus2shy wrote:
It's seldom the engine that's the problem with towing now a days

It certainly is the problem when talking about 1/2 ton trucks and a 10,000 lb fifth wheel.

The F150 does offer a 6.2L gasser thats certainly strong but it's a $3500 add on to an already upper end expensive 1/2 ton truck. Might as well opt for a 3/4 ton diesel and be done.

Dodge offers the 5.7L Hemi. Way to weak for such a 5th.

GM offers the 5.3L, again way to weak.

For Ford, the Ecoboost is the tow monster to have. A member on a Ford forum I frequent actually put his F-150 up against several superduties. His F-150 out-accelerated and had the highest speeds compared to the other superduties in their trial (this is against a 6.4 and tuned 6.0). They also had a V-10 superduty that had the 4-speed. They conducted their comparison with 15,000 lbs of trailer. His F-150 had the most go and that's primarily what was tested. My main concern would be the "Whoah". A 10k 5th is really nothing to a modern gas motor until you get above 4 or 5,000 feet. That's when you really feel the power loss, but that will happen with any naturally aspirated motor regardless of being in a heavy/superduty or a half ton pickup. Any turbocharged motor will hardly feel the effects of altitude (this is why all your turbo-diesels do well up in the mountains and why the ecoboost also has no problem). So I have no problem saying an F-150 will have the power to tow, but main factor is that he will be maxed-out or overloaded on payload or possibly braking capacity and that's where my concern is.

Hi,

I have found that the F-150 with Ecoboost, max towing, and 3.73:1 rear axle has a maximum cargo rating around 3,000 pounds. This is almost as much as the F-250 with a gas engine. The F-250 with diesel engine has less cargo rating due to the heavy engine.

So if you decide on a larger fifth wheel, then consider the F-350, it has a 4,000 pound cargo rating, much larger brakes than the F-150, and has a better engine braking system.

While Ford "Says" the F-150 will tow up to 10,500 pounds, that does not include a lot of extra weight in the truck while also towing that trailer. Consider the GCVWR of the F-150, then subtrac the trailer weight and curb weight of the truck you might only be able to have about 200 pounds of non-trailer weight in the truck besides the 10,000 trailer and 1 driver.

Fred.

Shadow_Grey wrote:
Yea, it just cannot be done...you will need at least a 1 ton truck.

:) :)

Yea, it just cannot be done...you will need at least a 1 ton truck.

Hoppypoppy wrote:

CKNSLS wrote:
To the OP-

You will never have anyone on this forum OK a half-ton for ANY TOWING NEEDS.

File it under "it's not gonna happen!"

I towed my boat with one. Zero problems.

I towed a 5,500 pound travel trailer 8,000 miles around the USA in 8 months with my 2011 Silverado 5.3.

That's impossible according to some on this forum.

ZERO issues on the trip with either truck nor trailer. Not even a China bomb flat tire!