Horrible Bumpy Ride in 1/2 ton pulling TT

Be careful with the Ford. They have had issues with the High Pressure Fuel pump in the last few years. Has been a common problem and they don't stand behind the warranty and will cost you a pile of cash to fix if you run into a problem. Not sure if they have fixed it for 2015 or not. Maybe someone else knows but I would stay away from them if they haven't changed the fuel pump.

Not sure if you really need a diesel though with the trailer you have but if you might upgrade to a bigger one or a 5th wheel would be a good time to do it if you are going to.

Thanks I'll let you know how they drive. It seems the new 2500 Dodge has a new coiled suspension with a smoother ride...the Chevy 1500 we have is so smooth it rides like a car when not towing. I'm really getting into this truck stuff! Lol

If the Ford and Ram ride/drive better than the Silverado, I would be surprised. We do want a report back after towing with a three quarter ton of any brand.

oooo...

I would drive all three makes... I loved the Ford and the Ram... I have Ram 2500 crew cab. awesome truck... great ride loaded and unloaded...

Hello Everyone! This is Spanousis here again with the horrible bumpy ride in Chevy Silverado 1500Z71. I wanted to give you all an update. Just about everyone in the forum was correct in your responses to me. The WDH wasn't installed correctly and we had too much weight in the back of the TT. We have corrected this now and the ride is smoother however we are right at the limit in weight for the TT and payload and need to pull the TT to Colorado and up mountains, so have decided to keep the Silverado and trade in my Volvo T-6 Wagon (sigh) for another truck. I will now drive the Silverado (should be funny since I'm more of a yuppy, but NOT a liberal!) and my husband will drive the new 2015 2500. Any ideas on which 2015 2500 Diesel has the smoothest ride? I've heard that when it's connected to the TT the ride won't be as bumpy. What are your thoughts? Thanks so much!

CaLBaR wrote:

goducks10 wrote:

dodge guy wrote:

Spanousis wrote:
So a 3/4 ton will fix the problem? Thanks!

No! Then all you'll have is an improperly setup 3\4 ton truck! First you need to make sure you have the proper tongue weight and that everything is setup for towing. Make sure all air pressures in the tires are up, air up the truck tires to their max rating (not what is on the door! That pressure is for a nice ride, not towing). Check all your weights by going to a scale and weighing everything. Once you have all that then you can make the determination on whether you want or need a new truck!

A lot of people come here and go out and buy a HD truck and say how much better it tows!........well it should because now they just have a HD bandaid.

32'5" and 8000lbs is a lot of TT for a 1/2 ton truck. When you only have 5600lbs pulling 8200lbs you need to have the perfect WD setup. With a 3/4 ton you'll have some leeway. 8200lbs won't move 7500lbs around as easy. Maybe it's a band aide to you but it's a far superior combination to most.

Hardly ever read about guys with 3/4 ton trucks towing TT's having issues.

And it is OK to tow a 20,000lb trailer with a 1 ton truck weighing in at about 9000 lbs. That is more than double the weight of the truck. The OP is not even close to double.

I agree with many of the other posters that the truck should handle the trailer fine. Trailer loading and weight distribution setup is key. Easy to tell someone else to spend another $50 or $60K for a new truck when it's not your money.

To the OP, follow the directions provided for proper weight distribution setup then try it again and you should be fine.

It's okay as long as the 1 ton trucks not over GVW or RAWR. The OP is close to or probably over on the receiver, GVW and RAWR. Where does it say that you can't tow more than your truck weighs? No where. It's not the towed weight it's the payload.

Did you buy some AIRLIFT Airbags. That will solve your problem if you are under GVWR. Put in 35 lb and go. You ccan even put airbags on TTs.

goducks10 wrote:

dodge guy wrote:

Spanousis wrote:
So a 3/4 ton will fix the problem? Thanks!

No! Then all you'll have is an improperly setup 3\4 ton truck! First you need to make sure you have the proper tongue weight and that everything is setup for towing. Make sure all air pressures in the tires are up, air up the truck tires to their max rating (not what is on the door! That pressure is for a nice ride, not towing). Check all your weights by going to a scale and weighing everything. Once you have all that then you can make the determination on whether you want or need a new truck!

A lot of people come here and go out and buy a HD truck and say how much better it tows!........well it should because now they just have a HD bandaid.

32'5" and 8000lbs is a lot of TT for a 1/2 ton truck. When you only have 5600lbs pulling 8200lbs you need to have the perfect WD setup. With a 3/4 ton you'll have some leeway. 8200lbs won't move 7500lbs around as easy. Maybe it's a band aide to you but it's a far superior combination to most.

Hardly ever read about guys with 3/4 ton trucks towing TT's having issues.

And it is OK to tow a 20,000lb trailer with a 1 ton truck weighing in at about 9000 lbs. That is more than double the weight of the truck. The OP is not even close to double.

I agree with many of the other posters that the truck should handle the trailer fine. Trailer loading and weight distribution setup is key. Easy to tell someone else to spend another $50 or $60K for a new truck when it's not your money.

To the OP, follow the directions provided for proper weight distribution setup then try it again and you should be fine.

dodge guy wrote:
OK, I see the OP stated a few pages back that the 7Klbs they quoted is dry weight. That will put the trailer at approx. 8200lbs ready to travel, that should give you a TW of around 1200lbs (12.5%). You may feel underpowered, but properly setup the truck will handle it.

x2!

Maybe not the best combo but it should "handle" the load without being as loose as the OP states it is.

Plain and simple it is not hooked up right.

Scaled weight, a tape measure, a set of wrenches and the WDH instructions should get the load under control.

TomG2 wrote:
When things get to the point of worrying about a couple hundred pounds, I still think it is time to upgrade the tow vehicle or downsize the trailer. One can wait until an emergency situation to decide if a little more tow truck would be better, or not.

Couldn't agree more. When I went from a 1/2 ton to a 3/4 ton I was finally able to bring that extra box of Kleenex. :B