Trailer Life helps perpetuate the 1/2 ton towable myth

I agree with Ski above...that 5er is way too heavy for any "half-ton" truck. But if you do your homework and pick equipment that is good all will work for you. The loose nut behind the wheel is the determining factor. By itself the truck and 5er will just sit there... We have been doing this setup for 3 years and over 10,000 miles now.

Lantley wrote:

jerem0621 wrote:
Yawn....

It's not a myth at all. Half tons tow HEAVY every single day. Fivers, TT's, gravel...etc etc etc etc.

Folks it's about the operator, balancing the load, driving sensibly, working in the real world... Not about some silly sticker. That silly sticker in the door sill DOES NOT MAKE YOU SAFE.

Only you...the operator....can make any rig safe!

Thanks!

Jeremiah

You make a good point that ultimately it's up to the operator. However the ratings serve a purpose. Ignoring the sticker or ratings is foolish.
Failure to use the right tool for the right job is a common mistake.
But as you mentioned it's up top the operator to ensure things are safe. Operator error is a common catch phrase used when the operator
fails to act wisely

Winner winner chicken dinner.

The payload sticker (that silly inconsistent thing) is determined by the OEM not by any governing or oversight body that I can find.

People complain about Rams low payload numbers...however, if you sum the GAWR's you find up to 700 or 800 lbs of disparity.

If you look at a Max Tow F150 the payload is almost the sum of the Axles... Silly and inconsistent and untruthful in MARKETING.

So ones research must go further than just opening the door and looking at the payload sticker. What can the axles actually do? How about the tires?

While I do agree that most fivers are to heavy for most half tons. To say a half ton is "unsafe" towing heavy is a generalization. Why is an overloaded half ton unsafe while an overloaded 3/4 ton or 1 ton is just business as usual?

On this forum..not long ago...I pointed out that a new mega cab cummins ram loaded with nearly every option only had nearly 1800 lbs of payload per the sticker. I was quickly told that 1800 lbs would not even be felt on that truck.

Inconsistency...it really makes me chuckle.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

I read the article and remember thinking that while I tow a fiver with my "1/2 ton", even I wouldn't pull that one. Even with my 11,000 lb tow rating, my 9500 lb fiver is as much as I would want to tow up a mountain.

Times have changed since the old days. The newer so called 1/2 tons are the 3/4 tons of yesterday!

Off the Ford site.

jerem0621 wrote:
Yawn....

It's not a myth at all. Half tons tow HEAVY every single day. Fivers, TT's, gravel...etc etc etc etc.

Folks it's about the operator, balancing the load, driving sensibly, working in the real world... Not about some silly sticker. That silly sticker in the door sill DOES NOT MAKE YOU SAFE.

Only you...the operator....can make any rig safe!

Thanks!

Jeremiah

You make a good point that ultimately it's up to the operator. However the ratings serve a purpose. Ignoring the sticker or ratings is foolish.
Failure to use the right tool for the right job is a common mistake.
But as you mentioned it's up top the operator to ensure things are safe. Operator error is a common catch phrase used when the operator
fails to act wisely

TXiceman wrote:

jerem0621 wrote:
Yawn....

It's not a myth at all. Half tons tow HEAVY every single day. Fivers, TT's, gravel...etc etc etc etc.

Folks it's about the operator, balancing the load, driving sensibly, working in the real world... Not about some silly sticker. That silly sticker in the door sill DOES NOT MAKE YOU SAFE.

Only you...the operator....can make any rig safe!

Thanks!

Jeremiah

How can anyone say ....never mind the manufacturers ratings, just go for it ....if you feel safe. How can a newbie know what feels safe?

Know the weight ratings and stay within the ratings.

Ken

I said the operator is what makes the rig safe not the silly inconsistent sticker in the door.

How can you say stick to the ratings and you will be safe? You can't!

There is SO MUCH MORE to pulling a trailer safely than ratings.... in the real world... Not RV.net world.

Thanks,

Jeremiah

Those that can do. Those that can't criticize those who can.

one side of this equation is getting solved this model year hopefully and it is amazing to me that the truck manufacturers have been allowed to create their own tow ratings for years with no one really doing any fact checking. Starting this year the big 3 will convert to the SAE standard for calculating tow ratings.....the tundra did it a few years ago. Hopefully that will squelch some of the gray areas that seem to be out there when it comes to what a half ton can actually safely tow. I know a lot have half tons and tow over ratings with no problems.....that still doesn't make it right or safe. Everyone seems to always bring up that they're new and that's why they can tow so much. Has anyone really looked at the parts used to build the newer trucks? They've gotten cheaper and lighter weight to save money and meet MPG standards. So I have trouble seeing how they can rate a half ton to tow more than a 3/4 ton from just a decade ago.
The real problem is in those ratings.....no one really knows what a truck can tow of any trim because there's really been no true measures done on them. Hopefully these new SAE standards will at least put a face on these vehicles so we really know where we're at. Another thing they need to address are the gvrw, payload, and tow ratings. It needs to be more clearly defined. Right now they just sell a truck and say it can tow 12,000 pounds and you have to do quite a bit of digging to get the whole story on what the tow ratings actually are. It's borderline criminal and deceptive how these ratings have been handled thus far and it's a huge buying point for most people buying trucks.

shfd739 wrote:
Looks like 2 of their Fox Mountain models are 1/2 ton towable.

But none of the Silvers or Arctic fox ones are as mentioned above

Not really, dry weight maybe, GVWR NOT.

Then only by a F150 Max/Max EB. Then add the Bags, super springs and Timbren's.

Yes there are 5ers that can be towed by 150/1500 AKA 1/2 ton's, but max 30' +/- and dry weight in the 7,500# range.

I'd have no issues towing it with my 2500 CTD. It's only 9700+ dry. Add my usually 1500lbs of stuff and I'm 11,200lbs. Pin would be around 22-2300lbs. Perfectly doable with most 3/4 tons. Won't happen with any 1/2 tons.

One thing most seem to overlook is that TL never loads their test trailers with anything more than a battery and propane. The 27-5L would be towable in those circumstances by some 1/2 tons. Why they tend to bend the truth though is beyond me.