"All-New F-150 Can Tow a Ram, a Silverado & Haul Two Hondas" Tows 12,200, claimed. (Ford Truck Enthusiasts)I guess we can soon do away with our 3/4 & 1-tonners. In a couple years the capacity race will have them up to 20,000 lbs. :h

As long as they're equipped right, yes I believe them. Not only have engines and frames been upgraded, transmission have come a long ways since the slipping slush boxes of yesterday. But the same can be said for 3/4 & 1 tons. Years ago they were rated for maybe 10~12K lbs. Now many are rated for twice that or more.

I don't, and would never trust one to my families life. Have driven plenty of 1/2 ton trucks to know what they are capable of SAFELY towing. 1/2 tons have their place, but its not towing that kind of weight. IMO 8-9K lb is about the safe limit with a 1/2 ton truck. You can beef them up all you want but they just don't have the MASS to safely control a load like that in an emergency situation.

Yes, I am buying it because I went from a F350 PSD to a Silverado 1500 with a 6.2L engine and the NHT package. I routinely tow 8-10K gooseneck trailer in the mountains and it handles it very well. There is NO need to buy way more truck than needed and today the 1500/150 has all the power and safety features to handle anything up to 10-12K. My limiting factor is payload(2K±), not trailer weight.

The ratings are legit in some senses - they are following standards now, correct? So under ideal circumstances, a properly equipped F150 might be able to handle a 12k lb trailer okay. I'd be pretty leery doing it out where I live, but not everywhere has big mountains.My main concern with these high tow ratings is you can pretty much tow those loads with a driver and no cargo. If you think about recreational towing, which is where your half ton market is, that's mostly a family towing a camper trailer out in the mountains for a camping trip. Load up the trailer, the family, and the toys and the reality is your the trailer you could actually tow within the payload or RAWR ratings might be more like 7,000 lbs. I'm not sure how many people pay close enough attention to realize that, however. My old neighbor was a classic case in point.**Old neighbor because we moved, he is happily still alive.

IdaD: *Old neighbor because we moved, he is happily still alive. Had me worried!The problem, well, just one of the problems I have with these claims is the race that has gone on for years. Watch for the competition to rejigger their numbers and come out with 12,500#, without meaningful component enhancements.

Are You Buying All These Half-ton Claims? | Good Sam Community

182 Replies

N-Trouble
Explorer
Oct 17, 2014
I don't, and would never trust one to my families life. Have driven plenty of 1/2 ton trucks to know what they are capable of SAFELY towing. 1/2 tons have their place, but its not towing that kind of weight. IMO 8-9K lb is about the safe limit with a 1/2 ton truck. You can beef them up all you want but they just don't have the MASS to safely control a load like that in an emergency situation.
ScottG
Nomad
Oct 17, 2014
As long as they're equipped right, yes I believe them. Not only have engines and frames been upgraded, transmission have come a long ways since the slipping slush boxes of yesterday.
But the same can be said for 3/4 & 1 tons. Years ago they were rated for maybe 10~12K lbs. Now many are rated for twice that or more.

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Are You Buying All These Half-ton Claims?

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