1/2 ton or 3/4 ton for towing a TT

JIMNLIN wrote:
Actually in the '00 to around '08 we had 1500HD trucks with 8600 gvwrs and 6000 RAWR....and yes those 1500 trucks were much more robust than say '60s/'70s 3/4 ton trucks.
However not all 1/2 ton trucks today aren't the same.

F150HD today comes with a 7850 GVWR and 4800 rawr/max tow option would be the 1st choice and good for up to 2400-2500 lb in the bed payload.
Next down is a F150 7550 gvwr and 4550 rawr/max tow option good for around 2100-2200 lb in the bed payload.
Then a F150 7050 gvwr and 4050 rawr/max tow option with around 1600-1800 lb in the bed payload.
And other F150 some choose such as 6800 gvwr and tiny 3800 rawr with max tow good for maybe 1200-1300 lb in the bed payloads. This is the one many 1/2 ton truck owners claim didn't do the job.
Of course the 3.5 Ecoboost or the 5.0 engines are plenty robust for a 7-8k trailer

Ram 1500 is still stuck in the '80s era with tiny 3900 rawr however the 5.7 Hemi/3.92 with 395 hp/410 torque gears makes on heck of a hauler for the trucks GVWR/RAWR. In the bed payloads can run in the 1400 lb range

With the GM 1500 NHT package you get 7600 gvwr and 4300 rawr. The 5.3 has 355 hp/383 torque or pony up and get the 6.2 ar 420 hp/460 torque. The NHT package can have in the bed payloads in the 1800-2000 lb range.

Find the right 1/2 ton for the job. Buy the wrong one as many did and you will be looking for a upgrade.

Pretty good info but not all up to date. Ram 1500s now have heavier duty 6 lug axles with higher GAWR and GVWR. Even the old 3900 lb axles add up to 7800 lbs which is comparable to the others. I think most of the derating is done for the softer car-like ride. My 2015 Ram 1500 is a towing machine.