Forum Discussion
troubledwaters
Jun 26, 2019Explorer III
twodownzero wrote:Nice load of PoppyCock!rollindowntheroad wrote:
To: Twodownzero:
I don't have the wrong truck! I don't have an RV yet. I am investigating and learning, that is why I ask questions. These are the kind of responses that tick me off.
I hate to say it, but the trailer or camper should really be selected before you choose the truck to avoid precisely the problem you have here. A 1/2 ton truck is NOT designed to be any kind of regular towing or hauling platform. I struggle to find a useful analogy, but the easiest way to say it is that a 1/2 ton truck is designed to be used like a station wagon of yesterday, for hauling bulky but not heavy items, for occasionally pulling a small cargo trailer, and generally being a replacement for a RWD car like vehicle that used to be common, but nowadays are becoming rare as unibody, front wheel drive, and maximum fuel efficiency are the order of the day. I guess it's kinda like a circular saw--capable of doing the role of a lot of other types of saws (miter, radial arm, table, etc.), but not as specialized as these tools, and not up to the task of replacing those saws for regular use.
A 3/4 or 1 ton truck is an entirely different animal even if it looks pretty much the same. It will have the suspension and drivetrain necessary to be loaded on a regular or even constant basis. It will have real truck tires, a full floating rear axle, suspension made to handle its rated load, much larger and more powerful brakes, etc.
Someone mentioned the 375 horsepower and if you ask me, that is the scariest figure on the new trucks. I'd rather be in a 30 year old truck with half the power which was equipped with suspension, tires, brakes, axles, transmission, coolers, and a bunch of other features that actually matter rather than being able to accelerate an unsafe amount of weight to a terrifying speed without the means to suspend, stop, steer, and control the load.
I have said before on here that what I find especially scary about 1/2 ton trucks is that the entire weight of the vehicle is supported by one fairly small axle shaft on each side with a single bearing. In contrast, a heavy duty light truck will have a 3 1/2" or 4", .500" thick tube carrying the weight, with two bearings per side and the axle shaft only applying torque to the hub. This is just one example of why anyone who is seeking to tow a travel trailer or fifth wheel should seriously consider a heavier duty truck than that person might otherwise think necessary for the task.
I'm not saying that your F150 is useless, junk, or not suitable for any use. All I'm saying is that a screwdriver is not a pry bar, a circular saw is not a table saw, and that while using these things as not intended is not necessarily going to harm anyone or anything, the potential consequences of doing so are potentially catastrophic and the means to avoid this situation entirely are clearly not out of reach to you if you're driving a 2019-anything. Look around this forum at the people who go and weigh their rigs only to learn that they're in too deep and way beyond their tow vehicle's capability before they even get to use it to its potential. Recreational vehicles are supposed to be fun; this kind of risk ruins the fun for me. Tradeoffs are part of life so I get it. But most people do not fully understand how hard towing is on parts, especially as the amenities our trailers have continue to grow, perhaps at a rate that our pickups haven't kept up.
A half ton truck is tested per SAE standard J2807 to tow just fine right up to it tow ratings. You don't need a 10 lbs sledge hammer to drive a nail; a 20 oz framing hammer works just fine for its intended use.
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