When is a 3/4 ton needed?
Current trailer: From manufacturer (haven’t weighed) Hitch Weight 528 lbs Dry Weight 4233 lbs Cargo Weight 3295 lbs I currently use a 2015 expedition el, (family of 5) with heavy duty tow ...
Forum Discussion
“Half ton” and “3/4 ton” and “1-ton” haven’t been literal terms for roughly a hundred years.
There is a huge difference between 1/2 ton or 150/1500 series trucks and 3/4 ton 250/2500 series and up.
1/2 tons, regardless of the so-called heavy duty versions ratings claims, still have non-floating rear axles with only one wheel bearing per side.
3/4 tons and up (with a few “light duty” exceptions) have full-floating rear axles with two large wheel bearings on each side.
They’re also vastly under-rated by the truck manufacturers. Most actually have axle ratings over 10,000 pounds by the actual axle manufacturers.
The real differences are much greater than the brochure numbers lead the buyer to believe.
The rest of the truck’s components are generally heavier too, and the vehicle tends to be heavier.
That’s good for towing trailers. Things get iffy when a trailer is heavier than the tow vehicle when using a bumper-pull hitch. You can do it, but I wouldn’t. One day when you’re coming around a curve on a rainy day and something happens causing you to need to do a brake slam and/or evasive maneuver, you’ll find out why. The ratings don’t tell the whole story.
There is a huge difference between 1/2 ton or 150/1500 series trucks and 3/4 ton 250/2500 series and up.
1/2 tons, regardless of the so-called heavy duty versions ratings claims, still have non-floating rear axles with only one wheel bearing per side.
3/4 tons and up (with a few “light duty” exceptions) have full-floating rear axles with two large wheel bearings on each side.
They’re also vastly under-rated by the truck manufacturers. Most actually have axle ratings over 10,000 pounds by the actual axle manufacturers.
The real differences are much greater than the brochure numbers lead the buyer to believe.
The rest of the truck’s components are generally heavier too, and the vehicle tends to be heavier.
That’s good for towing trailers. Things get iffy when a trailer is heavier than the tow vehicle when using a bumper-pull hitch. You can do it, but I wouldn’t. One day when you’re coming around a curve on a rainy day and something happens causing you to need to do a brake slam and/or evasive maneuver, you’ll find out why. The ratings don’t tell the whole story.
