Thinking about the next tow vehicle, currently leasing a Dodge Ram 1/2 ton. and going to buy something used. Our TT is 5,100 lbs - dry weight, 25 ft.. Anyone towing with a newer V6 either truck or SUV ? Any ‘ya or nay’ for Toyota Tundra, Toyato Tacoma, Jeep Grand Cherokee(V8), Dodge Durango. Thank you in advance

Do the nominated trucks all have sufficient payload for an estimated 650 to 700 pounds of tongue weight and your family with what you want to carry in the truck? And I believe those trucks all have a shorter wheelbase than your current Ram…one of the reasons I moved from a Tahoe to a 1500.

I was just looking at some older posts and think maybe we should stay with some sort of a truck? Is there that much difference between a 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton truck with a TT around 5,100 lbs? Some camping friends are towing a 31 ft TT with a 1/2 tone Silverado

Thr Ford 3.5 evo boost seems to be a decent mpg rig empty if ones foot is not lead in nature. Towing, on par with most rigs. Takes a certain amount of energy to move 12-13000 lbs be it with a 4, 6 or 8 banger.GM I4 turbo might be an option in the Corado or fill size 1500 pickup. Like the Ecoboost, has a turbo, won't be effected with elevations like a non turbo motor. The 6 cyl diesel also is an option.Ive pulled upwards of 8500 with my GM 4.3 V6. The trailer was not a high profile TT equal. I was easily doing 50-55 up a 3-4% freeway grade. An RV trailer I would swag 5 mph slower?!!;? Due to aerodynamics.....I did not look at Ram trucks looking a year plus ago before buying my 1500 4.3. multiple boxes for different asst items I could not check off. I'm sure it's a good truck too if your wants are different than mine.Marty

blt2ski wrote:Thr Ford 3.5 evo boost seems to be a decent mpg rig empty if ones foot is not lead in nature. Towing, on par with most rigs. Takes a certain amount of energy to move 12-13000 lbs be it with a 4, 6 or 8 banger.GM I4 turbo might be an option in the Corado or fill size 1500 pickup. Like the Ecoboost, has a turbo, won't be effected with elevations like a non turbo motor. The 6 cyl diesel also is an option.Ive pulled upwards of 8500 with my GM 4.3 V6. The trailer was not a high profile TT equal. I was easily doing 50-55 up a 3-4% freeway grade. An RV trailer I would swag 5 mph slower?!!;? Due to aerodynamics.....I did not look at Ram trucks looking a year plus ago before buying my 1500 4.3. multiple boxes for different asst items I could not check off. I'm sure it's a good truck too if your wants are different than mine.MartyThank you. I know nothing about GM or Fords. Never thought about diesel. We haven’t bought used in a long time, have been leasing, now being retired and not putting on more then 8,000 miles a year, we’ve decided to buy used.

Look 2014 and newer if you can. I noticed across the board for ANY manufacture be it a car SUV or truck based. A BIG increase in mpg and HP. Along with better transmission options.GM at least, really only has one chassis option be it a rwd or 4wd. Rear axle typically 3900 rated. Front 3500 or 3900 rwd/4wd. Gvwr is typically 6800 or 7200 for the two. There are some with a 4400 rear, few and far between, usually with the 6.2 V8. Talking 15 series trucks, not the over 8400 8 lug trucks.Ford had ranges of RAWR from 3000 to 4000, on iirc about 5000. Front axle also varied, with factory gvwr from 6200 to 7800 or so. The 7800 version with the 5k ra was few and far between, usually had a 5.x V8. I believe they exist with the 3.5EB. I did not see any when I was looking. The few I saw got ruled out as I did not want mpg of a V8.Ram is kind of opposite GM, but generally speaking I found with gvwr in the 6200-6600 relm. That was too low with typically 1200-1500 payload. Vs the GM 1800 to 2000. Ford depending upon chassis motor etc 1200 to 2000 or so. The Ram diesel in the 1500, a few that I know have it, like it! No issues pulling upwards of 6-7000 lbs. But like GM, if you look at a disel, it will be mid trim to max interior trim only. If you prefer work truck or a step or two above like me, the diesel is not available.....Reality with any of the trucks having 250+HP, 6-10 gears in trans, pulling a 6500-7000 lb trailer is a cake walk compared to some BB V8s I had with 3 gears in the lat 80s to early 90s. As long as you can keep yourself with in payload spec on the TV, you'll be fine.Your trailer sounds like one I had. I'd pull it with my current 1500 vs the 3500 SW rigs I had Marty

Thinking about the next Tow Vehicle | Good Sam Community

43 Replies

Surgtech94
Explorer
Jul 10, 2022
JRscooby wrote:
nickthehunter wrote:
blt2ski wrote:
Nick

I had two 3500 lb tandems, plus hitch wight to work with. Lightest I wieghed was 5300 total.

A semi quick overnight.

Marty
You didn’t answer my question.
But the better question is - Do you recommend the OP load up his 25 foot trailer with 1400 lbs of stuff and head out on the highway?
But in reality that’s just a hypothetical question also. The real question is “OP, what is the GVWR of “your” trailer.” That’s the real info needed for any realistic advice.
Baffles me why in 4 pages no one bothered to ask that question- instead of speculating about what that trailer should weigh out on the road.

The OP has been using the trailer for a while now right? I think a much better question would be what the actual weight of the trailer is. If it is more than rating, (Likely) might want to adjust. But that is the number needs to tow.

I don’t think the weight were towing is exceeding the 1/2 ton Ram? If the dry weight is 5100#, I can’t believe we have a lot of extra weight, we’ve got our chairs/loungers, cords, solar lights in the pass thru, some pots and pans, toaster, electric skillet, crockpot, blankets, towels, toilet paper, paper towels, minimum dry good groceries. We’re not hauling water in the tank. In the TV, 2 adults, 2 dogs, cooler, small toolbox.
JRscooby
Explorer II
Jul 10, 2022
nickthehunter wrote:
blt2ski wrote:
Nick

I had two 3500 lb tandems, plus hitch wight to work with. Lightest I wieghed was 5300 total.

A semi quick overnight.

Marty
You didn’t answer my question.
But the better question is - Do you recommend the OP load up his 25 foot trailer with 1400 lbs of stuff and head out on the highway?
But in reality that’s just a hypothetical question also. The real question is “OP, what is the GVWR of “your” trailer.” That’s the real info needed for any realistic advice.
Baffles me why in 4 pages no one bothered to ask that question- instead of speculating about what that trailer should weigh out on the road.

The OP has been using the trailer for a while now right? I think a much better question would be what the actual weight of the trailer is. If it is more than rating, (Likely) might want to adjust. But that is the number needs to tow.
Surgtech94
Explorer
Jul 10, 2022
nickthehunter wrote:
blt2ski wrote:
Nick

I had two 3500 lb tandems, plus hitch wight to work with. Lightest I wieghed was 5300 total.

A semi quick overnight.

Marty
You didn’t answer my question.
But the better question is - Do you recommend the OP load up his 25 foot trailer with 1400 lbs of stuff and head out on the highway?
But in reality that’s just a hypothetical question also. The real question is “OP, what is the GVWR of “your” trailer.” That’s the real info needed for any realistic advice.
Baffles me why in 4 pages no one bothered to ask that question- instead of speculating about what that trailer should weigh out on the road.

GVWR/PNBV 3091 KG (6800
Weight of cargo should not exceed 1670 lbs
GAWR (each axle) PNBE 3500 lb
nickthehunter
Nomad III
Jul 10, 2022
blt2ski wrote:
Nick

I had two 3500 lb tandems, plus hitch wight to work with. Lightest I wieghed was 5300 total.

A semi quick overnight.

Marty
You didn’t answer my question.
But the better question is - Do you recommend the OP load up his 25 foot trailer with 1400 lbs of stuff and head out on the highway?
But in reality that’s just a hypothetical question also. The real question is “OP, what is the GVWR of “your” trailer.” That’s the real info needed for any realistic advice.
Baffles me why in 4 pages no one bothered to ask that question- instead of speculating about what that trailer should weigh out on the road.
Grit_dog
Navigator II
Jul 10, 2022
3 more pages of scared to tow 3 tons with a new half ton truck…good grief.
blt2ski
Moderator
Jul 10, 2022
Surgtech94,

If you truly have fishtail sway, ie pivoting on the ball. A bigger truck may not take care of that. I've had that behind my 12k empty dump truck, towi g my 8500 lb equipment trailer. It got loaded wrong, no hitch wieght, all 8500 lbs of that trailer were on the trailer axles.
I've see tandem axle flat beds towing a rilt deck trailer, with steel plates hanging off the back! Pivoting on the pintle hitch in both cases.
If you have that issue currently, figure out u
Your hitch wt in relation to overall wieght. Along with if the younger is going up, these are correctable items for you to tow 70mph with out an issue. Yes you can put an anti sway bar or equal. Reality is, your trailer is in balanced, it wadts to sway, you've used a band aid, when you need a tourniquet or surgery.

Also keep this in mind.

Marty
Surgtech94
Explorer
Jul 09, 2022
blt2ski wrote:
Surgtech94 wrote:
Thanks everyone for the education! I really appreciate the advice and information. Whatever vehicle, probably a truck will see more miles being a Tow Vehicle. We’ve had good luck with Dodge but looking at other options. I think the older Toyota Tundras were V8 but the new ones are V6 ? Probably the main focus is going to be Dodge, Toyota Tundra and Ford. Our 1/2 ton Ram with the TT does move some in the wind, so maybe a 3/4 ton especially if we stayed with Dodge.

Your mentioning current truck trailer moves in the wind. Is that a side to side rock? Or fishtailing behind? If side to side, no big, you're going to get that with an 8 lug truck too. I moved a half a lane going across I205 in Portland getting hit by the 60-80mph side winds with my trailer in tow once. That was a 9200 gvwr SW 3500 diesel crew cab!
I should mention I looked at Toyotas too. Issue with them as mention, thirsty! I'm computing more than towing hauling.....I was going for the motors that got me 18-25 mpg. Toyota does come with a 10.5" rear diff, vs mostly 9.5" with others. Although the GM 4 3 like I have, came with a AAM 10 bolt 8.5" rear. The V8s come with a 9.5, same as some 2500's I've had.
With Ford, watch the axle ratings, they have a lot of options. For my use, the 2.7EB looked very promising towing my 6500 lb equipment trailer. But I could not find any with a 3500-4000 lb RA. If you can find one, as noted, quite powerfully, good at elevation due to turbo, decent mileage empty. Towing like any of the gas rigs, 8-12 on bad/good days etc.

Marty

I think it might be more fish tailing because slowing down it goes away
Surgtech94
Explorer
Jul 09, 2022
blt2ski wrote:
Surgtech94 wrote:
Thanks everyone for the education! I really appreciate the advice and information. Whatever vehicle, probably a truck will see more miles being a Tow Vehicle. We’ve had good luck with Dodge but looking at other options. I think the older Toyota Tundras were V8 but the new ones are V6 ? Probably the main focus is going to be Dodge, Toyota Tundra and Ford. Our 1/2 ton Ram with the TT does move some in the wind, so maybe a 3/4 ton especially if we stayed with Dodge.

Your mentioning current truck trailer moves in the wind. Is that a side to side rock? Or fishtailing behind? If side to side, no big, you're going to get that with an 8 lug truck too. I moved a half a lane going across I205 in Portland getting hit by the 60-80mph side winds with my trailer in tow once. That was a 9200 gvwr SW 3500 diesel crew cab!
I should mention I looked at Toyotas too. Issue with them as mention, thirsty! I'm computing more than towing hauling.....I was going for the motors that got me 18-25 mpg. Toyota does come with a 10.5" rear diff, vs mostly 9.5" with others. Although the GM 4 3 like I have, came with a AAM 10 bolt 8.5" rear. The V8s come with a 9.5, same as some 2500's I've had.
With Ford, watch the axle ratings, they have a lot of options. For my use, the 2.7EB looked very promising towing my 6500 lb equipment trailer. But I could not find any with a 3500-4000 lb RA. If you can find one, as noted, quite powerfully, good at elevation due to turbo, decent mileage empty. Towing like any of the gas rigs, 8-12 on bad/good days etc.

Marty

Thank you. I need to research axle rating information
blt2ski
Moderator
Jul 09, 2022
Nick

I had two 3500 lb tandems, plus hitch wight to work with. Lightest I wieghed was 5300 total.

A semi quick overnight.

Marty
nickthehunter
Nomad III
Jul 09, 2022
What was the GVWR of that 4500 lbs trailer you had loaded to 6700 - 7300 lbs
Wizard - does the bridge you have for sale have a GVWR that you can just ignore because the bridge weighed more then the manufacturer advertised?

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Thinking about the next Tow Vehicle

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