2500 or 3500?

Road Runners wrote:
And, you don't have to haul around all those tires on the rear.

If I go with the 3500, I plan on going with single rear wheels.

I will be the voice of bigger is not necessarily better. Your 3/4 will have the not have the same load capacity, but the towing capacity will be the same, possibly more, than a 1 ton. And, you don't have to haul around all those tires on the rear. It will be easier to drive and park when your not hooked up. The fuel milage will probably be a bit better as the 3/4 ton does not weigh as much. If you drive in the snow and mud you will have better traction without the four little wheels at the rear.

As you can see by my signature I drive a 3/4 ton. It is my second 3//4 having put 200,000 miles on the first one. My present truck is just shy of 100,000 miles. All of these are towing miles as that is about all we use our truck for.

the bear II wrote:
3500 will be safer...bigger brakes, heavier drivetrain components.

Long bed will give you a better ride loaded or unloaded. I've always had longbeds and never ran into a situation where turning radius was a problem that couldn't be resolved.

Are not the brakes and drive train the same on the 2500 and 3500?

3500 will be safer...bigger brakes, heavier drivetrain components.

Long bed will give you a better ride loaded or unloaded. I've always had longbeds and never ran into a situation where turning radius was a problem that couldn't be resolved.

I had a 2008 2500 duramax short box and it was great truck. I traded it for a 2011 3500 Duramax long box. The difference in capacity is huge. I pull a 12k fiver I have had for 8 years. Now if I want to go bigger like a 15k fiver I can. I also decided to get a truck camper. Which I was able to do with the 3500. I would go with 3500 and a long box. My 08 shortbox duramax worked with a 50 gallon aux tank and fiver but it was tight. The long box gives you more options and a better ride. But to each their own but I sure love the options I have now. Hard for me to say on the ride between the trucks because they upgraded the 2011 so much over the 2008. I don't think there would be a big difference because you have to put a heavy load on before your overload springs kick in. If you know for sure you will always haul a travel trailer no doubt the 2500 will handle a 10k TT. But 10k is lot, especially with a aux fuel tank. I think you would be happier with a 1 ton. My 1 ton is a SRW and it has a payload just under 4k. JMHO

It's NEVER about towing capacity and it's ALWAYS about PAYLOAD. Get the 3500.

My husband had the same dilemma in 2002 when he bought our first TV, as you see by our signature we no longer have the 2500! It was a great truck but the new one hauls our Fox up the hills much better. Go Big or go home!!

If you EVER think that you will want to pull a goose neck or fifth wheel, the 2500 will run out of pin weight capacity WAY before running out of towing capacity.

If you have the choice, always, always choose the biggest. Ride may suffer a bit, but not enough so you will really notice. Think to the future, you buy the truck today to last for several years, what happens if you buy the 2500 and while it is OK today next year you find the "perfect" trailer and it is much bigger?