Hello, So heres the low down and i know there are going to some junk about "your crazy" after reading many threads it seems so easy for people with out the bill to say "just buy a 65k diesel " or "omg your going to kill everyone " I have a 2006 keystone 230fs 28' /hitch 1200 /gross lbs 6060 then water tank and cargo i would put my self at 8k ? But wouldnt mind loading a bit more if i could maybe 9k if i get a different tow vehicle? Ok so I tow this with my 2011 chevy tahoe ltz tow package ans air bag system tow cap of 8500 . I was forces to buy this cause of the size of my family and seating , well now i dont have that problem and as towing it local isnt bad when i tow up the grape vine or loaded with some bikes and need to take fresh water it sucks !heres my question. Do i really really need a 2500 ? The new 1500 silvarados have a 12k tow rating witch from where i sit it 3500 more thrn i have now ? I tow it maybe 7 to 10 times a year and 90% with in 100 miles , so does that warent getting a 2500 and pay out my ass for gas daily ? Or can i get away with the 1500 ? My money dosnt grow on tree's but i also would hate to get the 1500 and wish i got the 2500. Now if the 1500 towed light years better then thr tahoe but still wasnt perfect that might be worth thr gas savings daily ? I also see you can get thr 6.2 in the 1500 but I guess if i did that it would be the same as the 2500 on gas ?whwn i build these trucks on chevy ws its only a difference of 2k so the big difference is drivability and MPG. I also currently have a work truck so i wouldnt be driving it every single day

To make your decision...don't look solely at the tow rating...Look at the more important number....the PAYLOAD of the truck you are considering.Find out what the trip ready, loaded tongue weight of the trailer is and subtract that from the Payload rating of the truck....see how much left over you have, if any...

All I can say is when I had my 1500 I wished I had a 2500HD. then a girl ran into the side of me and I bought a 2500HD and have been happy with the one I have. will never go back to towing with a 1500 again.

your about to get pulled over by the weight police, lol

I think you know the answer. If you yourself are questioning the 1500 capability, you will never be happy with it. Buy the 2500 and don't wish you did.

Your mileage won't be much worse with a 3/4 ton in the newer trucks, but your towing experience will be MUCH better.Take for example a new Ram 1500 5.7L Hemi vs a 2500 6.4 Hemi. I have a 13 Ram 1500 Hemi 4x4 and avg around 16-17 empty. The new 6.4 in the 2500 is getting around 14-16 mpg, but has way more payload and tow rating.If I were towing your trailer and didn't plan on getting a bigger one and needed the truck for a daily driver, I would look at a Ram 2500 6.4 Hemi. The 4:10 gearing would be better to tow, but hard to find without ordering the truck. The 3:73 will be fine for your trailer.The best part is it won't cost you $65k. You can get a Tradesman crewcab 4x4 for low to mid $30ks. Crown Dodge in Ventura has that truck in white and you could probably pick it up for about $33k. Or check Hunter Dodge in Lancaster.I currently tow a 21' Ragen TH with my 1500 and it does OK, but the 2500 would be so much better.

looking to buy a new truck | Good Sam Community

Bedlam
Moderator
Nov 05, 2014
You will find the axles and brakes are larger in the 3/4t's verses the 1/2t's. My 2005 F250 was rated for 15.5k lbs towing and had a 23,000 lb GCWR.
BigBlockTank
Explorer
Nov 05, 2014
sinner73 wrote:
Here's a question. So I started thinking about selling the f150 and getting a used maybe 2010 2500 silverado and then looked into two ratings for them it appears to me and I could be wrong but it says the new 1500 tow 12k. It then says all the 2500s tow 1k. And the lay load is also a only 1000 difference or so ???? Really. What am I missing here ? Am I to believe the new 1500. Tows what the old 2500s tow with in 1000k ?

I haven't done any "new" research, but my 2008 2500HD with the 6.6 has a total combined weight of 22,000lbs. The truck is right at 7,000lbs. You can do the math on the payload. I can tell you, I'll never pull anything with a 1500 again.
sinner73
Explorer
Nov 05, 2014
Here's a question. So I started thinking about selling the f150 and getting a used maybe 2010 2500 silverado and then looked into two ratings for them it appears to me and I could be wrong but it says the new 1500 tow 12k. It then says all the 2500s tow 1k. And the lay load is also a only 1000 difference or so ???? Really. What am I missing here ? Am I to believe the new 1500. Tows what the old 2500s tow with in 1000k ?
sinner73
Explorer
Nov 04, 2014
Well I'm in a delema now boys. I don't really want to sell the f150 for around 5k and still have to pay 25k on a used 2500 cause then I'm stuck putting more miles on the tahoe for work. And I'm not gonna lie if I sell the tahoe I want the 2015 new chevy silverado if I'm going to drop 20k I would rather be dropping it on a new truck rather then a used one
1slomofo
Explorer
Nov 04, 2014
For a real life experience my last trailer was a heavier 21 foot toyhauler - 10,900 lbs gross. Towing it with a 1500 chevy w 6speed auto. On an 85 mile run on a uphill climb it ended up overheating the rear end. Could hear the gear oil boiling in there.

Ended up going to a used 2500.

I think bottom line it depends on the severity of those 100 miles your driving.
Bedlam
Moderator
Nov 04, 2014
The only thing I would worry about using a 1/2t to tow the OP's trailer is the rear axle and wheel capacity once hitched up and loaded people and gear. Otherwise, he should be fine with any class 1 vehicle.

The Ram Tradesman and Ford XL trim is an excellent value allowing you to get more truck for the same amount of money as a higher trimmed lesser capable model with more amenities. I've had both and don't miss those extras that add thousands to bottom line.
Bob_E_
Explorer
Nov 04, 2014
Knowing that I eventually wanted to get a camper, I decided that I'd rather have more truck with fewer options than a fully loaded half-ton. So last year, I went with a lightly optioned 2013 Ram 2500 4x4 Tradesman crew cab long bed with the Cummins for a little over $40k out the door (sticker was about $48k). I actually paid less than my buddy who bought a fully loaded Ram 1500 Laramie/Hemi.

I get better fuel mileage (21-22mpg) than him (14-15mpg)by a good bit when empty, though with the difference in cost of diesel versus gas, it is pretty close...I'm still ahead though. And when towing my dad's 35ft Jayco Eagle, I get around 12mpg highway...he doesn't do much better than that empty. I had a 2004 Ram 1500 with the small 4.7 or whatever that thing was. It was a dog and only got about 11mpg empty, which was the main thing that convinced me to go diesel next time around.

As a daily driver, it isn't bad. I drive 50+ miles round trip to work, mostly highway. The only drawback is the long bed makes it tough to park in downtown Pittsburgh in some places. There are times I wish I went with the short bed. But otherwise, it isn't bad. And they redesigned the frame and rear suspension on the newer ones. So they supposedly ride even better, though I haven't driven one yet. For me and how I use it, this truck is way overkill 99% of the time. But it sure is nice to have for that other 1% of the time. :)
Blackdiamond
Explorer
Nov 04, 2014
sinner73 wrote:
Wow some good advice so far , i thought everyone was going to say 2500 just cause size but there are a few that seem to see my delema , Steiny93 put it perfect to what im thinking , im only towing like 700 miles a year if that and really only a couple tows that suck with the tahoe thats when i load up dirt bikes and go up the grape vine to gorman but its only a 30 mile tow for me just the grapevine sucks ( witch i do atleast 5 times a year ) or drive down to san diego to campland i once towed to laughlin with the harley in it for bike week and that sucked with the tshoe but agian for700 miles a year do i really need a 2500 for my daily truck when i can get the 1500 for my daily and still be with in its tow capacity ( bairly) , granted it would be close ?? Keep em comming guys thanks

For what you are doing, and you said you watch your $$$, I would stay with what you have. A 1500 has the same engine as your Tahoe so it is not going to go up the grapevine any faster. I think it would be better on stability and braking but not enough to spend probably an additional $20k over your Tahoe for a new truck that you are hardly going to drive, you said you don't need a daily driver. If you just want something new, that is a different story. If you really want a better towing experience buy a used 2500 (diesel?) for the same cost as you would sell the Tahoe for.
sinner73
Explorer
Nov 04, 2014
Wow some good advice so far , i thought everyone was going to say 2500 just cause size but there are a few that seem to see my delema , Steiny93 put it perfect to what im thinking , im only towing like 700 miles a year if that and really only a couple tows that suck with the tahoe thats when i load up dirt bikes and go up the grape vine to gorman but its only a 30 mile tow for me just the grapevine sucks ( witch i do atleast 5 times a year ) or drive down to san diego to campland i once towed to laughlin with the harley in it for bike week and that sucked with the tshoe but agian for700 miles a year do i really need a 2500 for my daily truck when i can get the 1500 for my daily and still be with in its tow capacity ( bairly) , granted it would be close ?? Keep em comming guys thanks
steiny93
Explorer
Nov 04, 2014
sinner73 wrote:
Hello,
So heres the low down and i know there are going to some junk about "your crazy" after reading many threads it seems so easy for people with out the bill to say "just buy a 65k diesel " or "omg your going to kill everyone "
I have a 2006 keystone 230fs 28' /hitch 1200 /gross lbs 6060 then water tank and cargo i would put my self at 8k ? But wouldnt mind loading a bit more if i could maybe 9k if i get a different tow vehicle?
Ok so I tow this with my 2011 chevy tahoe ltz tow package ans air bag system tow cap of 8500 .
I was forces to buy this cause of the size of my family and seating , well now i dont have that problem and as towing it local isnt bad when i tow up the grape vine or loaded with some bikes and need to take fresh water it sucks !

heres my question. Do i really really need a 2500 ? The new 1500 silvarados have a 12k tow rating witch from where i sit it 3500 more thrn i have now ? I tow it maybe 7 to 10 times a year and 90% with in 100 miles , so does that warent getting a 2500 and pay out my ass for gas daily ? Or can i get away with the 1500 ? My money dosnt grow on tree's but i also would hate to get the 1500 and wish i got the 2500. Now if the 1500 towed light years better then thr tahoe but still wasnt perfect that might be worth thr gas savings daily ? I also see you can get thr 6.2 in the 1500 but I guess if i did that it would be the same as the 2500 on gas ?

sounds like you are right on the edge in regards to the numbers; it also sounds like you are towing the rv a few times a year for very short trips

personally
I wouldn't go from a 1500 to a 2500 for 700 - 1000 miles per year if I was on the edge of the capacities (I currently own both a 2500hd and a Denali 1500).

Towing a 9k load isn't significantly different; in the winter (ice/snow) I'll choose to take the Denali over the 2500hd if the weather is bad as its much more stable on the ice (8k off-road jeep/trailer)

A 2500 as a daily driver is unfun; under 10k I'd personally think long and hard before I'd give up a 1500.

Forum Discussion

looking to buy a new truck

About Fifth Wheel Group

Related Content

Buying Strategy (looking for opinions)

starting to look at trucks

I'm looking for a replacement truck

Looking at buying a Shasta 370FE

Looks like the pickup truck is dead!