1/2 ton or 3/4 ton

[SRadke]

Hey Everyone!
My wife and I are looking to buy a truck and trailer within the next year and need some guidance. I posted in the TT forum with this same type of question and I am getting some good responses, but thought I would post here as well just in case there are more/different opinions here.
We are looking to buy a bunkhouse style TT with a GVWR of around 7,500 lbs. To pull it our initial thought was to us a 2018 F150 2 wheel drive V8. The math works on the payload, towing, and gross weight, but it is pushing the upper limits of what the truck is able to do.

What do people here use to pull trailers like this?

What kind of margin do y'all like to keep between what you are pulling and the limits of your truck?

Would it be better to go with a slightly older 3/4 ton truck than a slightly newer 1/2 ton truck?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Huntindog]

This is going as usual. What we have here is different perception as to what performance is acceptable.
Some of us have higher standards than others.
Some of us started with 1/2 tons, and thought they did fine..... Until they experienced the difference a HD truck makes. Once that occurs, most won't go back to a 1/2 ton.

As always, your money, your choice.

[Grit_dog]

^^ Long live 1/2 tons!

[librty02]

Grit dog wrote:

librty02 wrote:

IdaD wrote:

librty02 wrote:
You could easily be close to max payload on a 3/4 ton diesel also as some of the loaded f250s I have seen have a 1700lb payload the same as my 1/2 ton.

Let's do this again, guys!

Again and again and again...

But do you believe that librty, or just stirring the pot?
That's the real question.

Yes again and again and again because with most of you there is NO option of towing with a half ton period and it can be done and is being done by many within specs...a HD is NOT always the answer and most of you think it is....I've towed with them too my previous to this trailer was a 38ft 5th towed with a dually...my HALF TON set up towing my 7200lb GVWR trailer is all within specs per the CAT scales also not just by paper...and is just as solid as that dually pulling that 5th wheel....**** the HD push around here is like a cancer and you people love to spread it

[librty02]

Huntindog wrote:

librty02 wrote:
If you stay at or under that 7500lb GVWR and around a 30ft long trailer you will be fine. I have been towing my 7200lb GVWR trailer with 2 different F150 4x4 ecos for years now and over 40k miles without any issue at all and all within all specs of the truck including gvwr and payload. You say you're looking at a 2wd truck that will put you near the 2000lb payload capacity with a properly equipped half ton. Mine has 1700 and change with the 4x4 crew long bed. It just all depends on what all you have in the truck and passengers too. You could easily be close to max payload on a 3/4 ton diesel also as some of the loaded f250s I have seen have a 1700lb payload the same as my 1/2 ton. My 150's hitch is rated for 1320lbs of hitch weight when using a WDH which is a necessity. Find the trailer 1st then buy the truck that will fit you and your trailers needs.

Well that would be comparing a stripped 1/2 ton to a loaded 3/4 ton.... I would rather drive the loaded truck. Point is, your comparison should be stripped vs stripped. or loaded vs loaded. Otherwise you are just twisting the subject to win a debate point... Should go into politics.

Umm not stripped whatsoever...I have every option available in my truck but the leather heated wheel and cooled/massaging seats but then again the 1700lb payload 3/4 ton I was quoting wouldn't have massaging seats either...soooo not many differences other than those 3 😉

And politics...you wanna talk about politics how about 90% of the members on here who push for a HD truck every time someone wants to tow anything over 5k....and then there are some of us who say it can be done within limits but those people like yourself have a rebuttal for every single time a half ton would be within all of its limits....maybe YOU sir should get into politics 🙂

[Huntindog]

librty02 wrote:
If you stay at or under that 7500lb GVWR and around a 30ft long trailer you will be fine. I have been towing my 7200lb GVWR trailer with 2 different F150 4x4 ecos for years now and over 40k miles without any issue at all and all within all specs of the truck including gvwr and payload. You say you're looking at a 2wd truck that will put you near the 2000lb payload capacity with a properly equipped half ton. Mine has 1700 and change with the 4x4 crew long bed. It just all depends on what all you have in the truck and passengers too. You could easily be close to max payload on a 3/4 ton diesel also as some of the loaded f250s I have seen have a 1700lb payload the same as my 1/2 ton. My 150's hitch is rated for 1320lbs of hitch weight when using a WDH which is a necessity. Find the trailer 1st then buy the truck that will fit you and your trailers needs.

Well that would be comparing a stripped 1/2 ton to a loaded 3/4 ton.... I would rather drive the loaded truck. Point is, your comparison should be stripped vs stripped. or loaded vs loaded. Otherwise you are just twisting the subject to win a debate point... Should go into politics.

[mich800]

Grit dog wrote:

librty02 wrote:

IdaD wrote:

librty02 wrote:
You could easily be close to max payload on a 3/4 ton diesel also as some of the loaded f250s I have seen have a 1700lb payload the same as my 1/2 ton.

Let's do this again, guys!

Again and again and again...

But do you believe that librty, or just stirring the pot?
That's the real question.

It is hard to tell around here. But one thing is fact around here. Ratings are not ratings unless it is divisible by 1. Or a complicated formula that includes a MDT as one of the variables.

[Grit_dog]

librty02 wrote:

IdaD wrote:

librty02 wrote:
You could easily be close to max payload on a 3/4 ton diesel also as some of the loaded f250s I have seen have a 1700lb payload the same as my 1/2 ton.

Let's do this again, guys!

Again and again and again...

But do you believe that librty, or just stirring the pot?
That's the real question.

[librty02]

IdaD wrote:

librty02 wrote:
You could easily be close to max payload on a 3/4 ton diesel also as some of the loaded f250s I have seen have a 1700lb payload the same as my 1/2 ton.

Let's do this again, guys!

Again and again and again...

[IdaD]

librty02 wrote:
You could easily be close to max payload on a 3/4 ton diesel also as some of the loaded f250s I have seen have a 1700lb payload the same as my 1/2 ton.

Let's do this again, guys!

[librty02]

If you stay at or under that 7500lb GVWR and around a 30ft long trailer you will be fine. I have been towing my 7200lb GVWR trailer with 2 different F150 4x4 ecos for years now and over 40k miles without any issue at all and all within all specs of the truck including gvwr and payload. You say you're looking at a 2wd truck that will put you near the 2000lb payload capacity with a properly equipped half ton. Mine has 1700 and change with the 4x4 crew long bed. It just all depends on what all you have in the truck and passengers too. You could easily be close to max payload on a 3/4 ton diesel also as some of the loaded f250s I have seen have a 1700lb payload the same as my 1/2 ton. My 150's hitch is rated for 1320lbs of hitch weight when using a WDH which is a necessity. Find the trailer 1st then buy the truck that will fit you and your trailers needs.

[BenK]

Just my opinion...love gassers, big block's even more and high GVWR better and +6,000 lb RGAWR best. High numeric diff gears and any type of locker (Detroit/Gleason #1, G80 #2...#2 cuz it has clutches). Large higher class tires and high aspect ratio...as that begets an apparent +8 foot dia tire when aired down.

There is no one size fits all...as mine would have most run shouting too rough a ride...ditto on the other sided of that coin with me running shouting too soft a ride...

Get whatever suits you and your calculations via your management (gambling) decision

As for investment...are you guys talking of a home loan simple interest, compounded or variable and on variable, where is the based line used for the interest variances ? Older tax laws allowed deduction of interest, but that benefit is cut. Note that as a society, we are returning to become a renters society again, so consider yourself lucky to be able to afford to own

I own my vehicles, new and used, for my use and do NOT consider resale value (residual) and they are almost worthless in the resale market when I'm through with them. Calif has a cash $1,000 buck buy back of any vehicle over a certain age...it has to be running. So that is always a min for my vehicle disposal

Learned a loooong time ago that vehicles are a depreciating proposition and best own them until they are no longer deemed repairable, or just don't want to anymore...or is a big block with direct injection full sized +8.6K GVWR with a +6K RGAWR, 4x4 Van or SUV comes along...I'd seriously consider it...

{edit}...haven't had automotive payments since 1998. Financed my 1996 Suburban just to tickle my FICO (back then Vantage) score

[time2roll]

cavie wrote:
1/2 ton and 7500# yea it will work......in the low country. If you intend to do any kind of mts you will need a 3/4. You wanna be comfortable or on the edge of your seat all the time. Do you want to pass a very slow moving semi or play follow the leader? The choice is yours.

I am fine with follow the leader but usually I am passing very slow semis. The old 260hp 5.4 still does just fine. And yes I have been up and over 11,000'.

[ShinerBock]

wing_zealot wrote:
Here is what the professionals say about the cost of ownership gas vs. diesel.
Clicky

We used to use Vicentric data for our 500+ pickup truck fleet until we bought the software and tools to do it ourselves because their data was off by a considerable margin. The main reason why is because Vicentric uses the last 5 months of fuel prices(which it tells you in your link) which happen to be the winter months where the spread between diesel and gas fuel prices is the largest. By as much as $.60 compared to less than $.30 in the summer months. Our data used a rolling 13 months of fuel prices and was more accurate to actual costs of our units.

[wing_zealot]

Here is what the professionals say about the cost of ownership gas vs. diesel.
Clicky

[Grit_dog]

valhalla360 wrote:
I know there will be people who come back and disagree but when you get 10-15yrs out, don't count on getting a $10k premium on resale for a diesel.

Last couple times we were shopping, there was little if any premium at that price point.

The difference in salvage value is still directly related to the condition and miles of the vehicle. 15 years old, rusted out and 300k miles, you're correct, neither truck is worth schitt.
10 years old, 150k miles, assuming both in identical great condition, you are 100% wrong. Heck, even NADA puts the diesel at $7500 more apples to apples and the real world prices support this.
Which if I'm not mistaken, is as much or more than the diesel upgrade cost 10 years ago.

If there was little or no price premium where you shop, there are 3 possible reasons for that.
1. You're not comparing even close to apples to apples.
2. You WANT a gasser and some salesmen were blowing smoke up your skirt and you liked it.
3. Your full of _it.