Truck Tonnage?

[Larryzv7]

Why is a half ton truck called a half ton, or a ¾ ton truck called a ¾ ton? What does the tonnage refer to; is it how much the truck can carry or tow?

I first learned to drive in the army at the age of 17; the first vehicle I ever drove was a duce an a half (2 ½ ton) truck troop and cargo carrier, we also had 5-ton trucks which were rather large.

These army trucks were manual and had a high and low crankcase with 5-forward gears. I never understood why they were called a “duce an a half” or 5-ton truck. I thought maybe that was the weight of the truck but was never really sure.

[ghostrider42]

avvidclif1 wrote:
But leave me tell you, when you get a deuce n half stuck you better start looking for a BIG wrecker. And they will get stuck, been there, done that, courtesy of Uncle Sam.

I can air down the tires for sand and refill them when I get back onto the pavement. Betcha you can't do that!:D

[avvidclif1]

But leave me tell you, when you get a deuce n half stuck you better start looking for a BIG wrecker. And they will get stuck, been there, done that, courtesy of Uncle Sam.

[bstow]

Where we are for a while yet there are many people that have bought the duce and a half's to tow their fifth wheel down to the "beach" thru the deep sand.

Also works good to pull people out that thought their two wheel drive would get them down to the water.

[vietvet66-67]

azdryheat wrote:
So I can call my 3500 a 'Deuce and a half'? Door sticker says payload of 5000 pounds. Cool.

I agree with that....hahaha. I can put a sign on the hood and tailgate
with "My Little Duce 1/2 Coupe".

[ghostrider42]

I bought an M35 with the 478 cube multifuel and 5sp stick shift for less than $10k about a week ago. The engine was rebuilt sometime in the 80's. I'm going to build a camper on top of the bed. Good to know it will run on virtually anything from kerosene to jet fuel to avgas. Tho with the latter, it needs a quart of 30wt oil every 15 gal to keep the pump lubricated.

[Larryzv7]

1920's 5th Wheel Camping Trailer

[Larryzv7]

1917 Adams Motor Bungalow

[John_Bridge]

The army also had a 10-ton tractor that pulled a special low-bed trailer. It carried battle tanks (M-60s) as well as armored personnel carriers. I drove one in Germany back in the 60s. It was a monster rig that called for two drivers. 10 speeds (5 shifts with a hi-lo transfer case). The assistant driver worked the transfer case up and down while the driver went through the gears double clutching all the way. Top speed was 42 mph (2800 rpm governed).

The rear of the trailer was right at 13 feet wide. We drove in convoy with jeep escorts. Gross weight was right at 80 tons. I was 21 years old when I qualified to drive the thing. Makes a fiver seem like a toy in comparison. 'Course, pulling with a pick-up truck makes the fiver a monster, too. 🙂

[Larryzv7]

When I was in the army we referred to some vehicles as ¼ ton, ¾ ton, 2 ½ ton, and 5 ton, and yes everything on the 5 ton was twice the size as things on the 2 ½ ton. The army had a jeep which they called an M-151, it was considered a ¼ ton and was the most widely used vehicle in the military; it was manufactured for 25-years, and replaced the M-38 that was used during WWII & the Korean War, and the M-151 was replaced by the military Humvee; which until recently I did not know stood for “High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle.” The M-151 easily flipped over on wet pavement but it surprised me to learn that it only had a 4-cylinder engine because it seemed a lot more powerful than that. Funny how some military vehicles, like the Humvee, were also produced for civilian use. I think the Humvee is referred to as 1 ¼ ton.

[avvidclif1]

In military parlance that would be a 5/4 like I had to haul radio rigs around Korea. Made by Dodge...

[Atom_Ant]

We used to get deuce and half and 5 ton military truck from Civil Defense and the forest service to use as fire equipment in the local rural areas. I swear, everything on the 5 ton was just twice the size as the 2-1/2, steering wheel, brake pedal, even the shift knob seemed twice the size :B

[pronstar]

To show how these ratings are really meaningless today...
Toyota sold a 1-ton pickup back in the day.
It had a 2,655 lb payload capacity.

[azdryheat]

So I can call my 3500 a 'Deuce and a half'? Door sticker says payload of 5000 pounds. Cool.

[dballentine]

I seem to remember, not all that long ago, that Chevy offered both a Suburban 1500 and a Suburban 2500. I'd guess that they would align with the pickups of the same number, but probably with somewhat lower tow ratings (because of the heavier station-wagon type body, vs a pickup bed). There was even a Suburban 2500 Diesel.

On the Chevy website for 2014, all they show is Suburban (no numbers) and just the 5.3L engine. Payload of 1520 (2WD) or 1580 (4WD); max trailer of 8100 for 2WD, 8000 for 4WD.