In need for a new DD truck to tow small TT
I need a second vehicle for daily driving, and I wish to get a 4 door pickup truck that can also tow our small travel trailer (3500lb when it's loaded). Is it possible to find such a truck that can...
Forum Discussion
Interesting to see people doing it both ways.
I've done 150/250/350 tow vehicles (TV's). IMO, 150 will work but it must feel evenly distributed.
Do you plan to keep the small TT for the life of the new truck or move up a notch to a larger TT where you need the 250 ?
Personally, I like the more solid feel the 250 offers when NOT using a WDH.
With the variable rear springs , the 250 is not so bad as a DD , that's what we drive.
Some models of 250/2500 Long/bed vs Short/Bed , you get a larger fuel tank having to fuel up less frequently , if that matters to you.
If you are loading a lot of goodies in the trucks bed, just be careful of loading up the truck too much (generators, awnings, boats, bikes,dogs all add up pushing a trucks payload) .
Using a SB , shorter wheelbase truck is easier to back into tight sites.
LB truck might feel better on the road due to the longer wheelbase, but it will take a little more swing room in tight campgrounds to back up the combo, its a trade-off .
I use the 50% rule to determine using a WDH.
In general , if the trailer is more weight than 50% of the tow vehicle then I feel more comfortable using a WDH and sway control.
Driving down the freeway might be fine for many miles w/o one, but in the event that you might have to do an emergency lane change to avoid something at 60 mph, you will want your tow vehicle to be in control and not the other way around. In other words you will NOT want YOU and your TRUCK to be doing the a nice flowing Waltz when the trailer is trying to Merengue.
Just be careful how you load a 150 and load the trailer . Try to keep 'truck bed weight of your cargo' in front of the trucks rear axle, placing more of your cargo weight on the front axle.
In the beginning, if you don't like the ride, adjust the weight of the stuff you carry in the 'trailer' to see if that helps. Doing that will add or subtract trailer tongue weight (weight placed behind the trucks rear axle) that transfers through the TV .
Please keep in mind the overall longtime safety of driving many miles in various conditions. YOU and your TRUCK need to be the BOSS when towing at all times . The driver and the truck need to be on the same page.
The trailer comes as an add-on that MUST compliment the TV when their weight is evenly distributed, then they operate as one.
If using a WDH feels better, then take the few minutes to use it . Remove it to maneuver through campgrounds.
I've done 150/250/350 tow vehicles (TV's). IMO, 150 will work but it must feel evenly distributed.
Do you plan to keep the small TT for the life of the new truck or move up a notch to a larger TT where you need the 250 ?
Personally, I like the more solid feel the 250 offers when NOT using a WDH.
With the variable rear springs , the 250 is not so bad as a DD , that's what we drive.
Some models of 250/2500 Long/bed vs Short/Bed , you get a larger fuel tank having to fuel up less frequently , if that matters to you.
If you are loading a lot of goodies in the trucks bed, just be careful of loading up the truck too much (generators, awnings, boats, bikes,dogs all add up pushing a trucks payload) .
Using a SB , shorter wheelbase truck is easier to back into tight sites.
LB truck might feel better on the road due to the longer wheelbase, but it will take a little more swing room in tight campgrounds to back up the combo, its a trade-off .
I use the 50% rule to determine using a WDH.
In general , if the trailer is more weight than 50% of the tow vehicle then I feel more comfortable using a WDH and sway control.
Driving down the freeway might be fine for many miles w/o one, but in the event that you might have to do an emergency lane change to avoid something at 60 mph, you will want your tow vehicle to be in control and not the other way around. In other words you will NOT want YOU and your TRUCK to be doing the a nice flowing Waltz when the trailer is trying to Merengue.
Just be careful how you load a 150 and load the trailer . Try to keep 'truck bed weight of your cargo' in front of the trucks rear axle, placing more of your cargo weight on the front axle.
In the beginning, if you don't like the ride, adjust the weight of the stuff you carry in the 'trailer' to see if that helps. Doing that will add or subtract trailer tongue weight (weight placed behind the trucks rear axle) that transfers through the TV .
Please keep in mind the overall longtime safety of driving many miles in various conditions. YOU and your TRUCK need to be the BOSS when towing at all times . The driver and the truck need to be on the same page.
The trailer comes as an add-on that MUST compliment the TV when their weight is evenly distributed, then they operate as one.
If using a WDH feels better, then take the few minutes to use it . Remove it to maneuver through campgrounds.
