Travel Trailer Towing Recommendations
We just purchased our first travel trailer. We are looking at purchasing a new tow vehicle. Would like recommendations on what tow vehicle is best what to avoid. We will be towing a bunkhouse GVWR is ...
Forum Discussion
valhalla360 wrote:
A 1/2 ton truck CAN be suitable but it depends wildly on how it's spec'd out.
There is the official tow rating but there is also the payload to consider.
You want around 12-15% on the hitch (more is better but often not practical).
So with a 7500lb GVWR, figure around 1000lb on the hitch which counts against the payload.
1/2ton truck payload: I've seen payloads as low as 950lb but also near 2500lb. At the upper end, you can probably pull at the full tow rating. At the lower end, a well fed American family of 4 can use up the entire payload before even hooking up the trailer.
SUVs are generally far less well suited to towing larger trailers. They are mostly designed for passenger transport and comfort take precedence over capability.
PS: Without actual scale weights fully loaded for travel, your use of GVWR is a good assumption. Use that with 15% hitch weight and you are probably good for selecting an appropriate truck. Be careful of sales men (and certain posters on this forum) who are happy to tell you to exceed the ratings. It's not fun when the rig handles like a pig.
You called?
It's fun to see the "you can't haul 4 fat people without exceeding the payload" comments which are (and I use this word cautiously) NEVER backed up by actual reasons why it's a bad idea. Just general supposition.
Just "because that's what the sticker says". Do you ever wonder how the rest of the world survives every day doing work with their half ton trucks? Or is your view so myopic that you literally have trouble even seeing your rear view mirrors?
