tundra then a bettER choice?

jus2shy wrote:
OP, just to clarify what everyone is saying here, is that there are several classes of "Full-size" trucks. What is commonly referred to as a "half-ton" are your Toyota Tundras, Nissan Titans, Ford F-150's and Chevy/GM/RAM 1500's. Half ton trucks tend to be limited on payload and not offer much in the way of towing something bigger/heavier in the future. You may see a few trucks pull 5'ers with these trucks, but they're typically right at the edge or well over it and the trailers are usually on the smaller/lighter end. These trucks have payload ratings from 900 lbs to 1700 lbs. Some of them (namely the heavy duty Ford F-150's) go a little north of 2,000 lbs. Tow ratings on the tow-equipped version of these trucks are around 9,000 to 11,000 lbs.

When you see 3/4 ton trucks, many posters here are referring to RAM/GM/Chevy 2500's, Ford F-250's, and possibly the Nissan Titan XD. These trucks have more capacity and also offer diesel options. However, when you option a diesel, you lose-out in payload. But even with a diesel motor, these trucks typically have more payload than the half-ton vehicles. These vehicles can have as low as 1900 lbs payload to as high as just a bit over 3,000 lbs when optioned appropriately. Tow ratings on these trucks are usually 10,000 to 17,000 lbs.

The next class of truck are commonly referred to as 1-ton trucks on this board. These are your Chevy/RAM/GMC 3500's or Ford F-350's. These trucks typically have the same engine and powertrain options as the 3/4 ton trucks. However, the manufacturers typically rate these vehicles with a lot more payload, typically 3500 to 4500 lbs for the single rear wheel trucks. The dually versions usually are around the 4,000 to 6,000 lbs range for payload. Tow ratings for these trucks are usually around the same as the 3/4 ton trucks for single-rear-wheel (SRW) trucks. Duallies can have staggering capacities of just over 30,000 lbs.

Remember, when selecting a vehicle for towing, you have to remain within all these specs: Tow-Rating, Payload, Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR), and Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating (GCVWR). Hopefully this is a decent tutorial so you can figure out what you really need for towing and hauling.