Chevy 1500 vs 2500

[Jim549]

We currently are using a TV Silverado 1500. Our TT is a Heartland QB300 Pioneer. Without getting into weights, I was told by the dealership that our TV should handle our TT without issues.

We just got back to Michigan from Gatlinburg, TN. Our TV did not have an issue in the mountains as far as pulling, and maintaining a 60-mph speed, however the ride was horrible. Every time we hit a bump in the road, it seemed like the whole TV shook or bounced (it is the best I can describe it).

I told the DW that this little TV is not up to the task, but she said that it pulled up the hills just fine. I told her that if we didn’t get something bigger, then that was the last long trip I’d be taking towing the TT.

So, my question is, would a ¾ ton pickup with a trailer package improve the ride pulling a 30 foot TT (GVWR 9000)?

Any advice would be appreciated.

[valhalla360]

If you really love the truck, you can upgrade tires and suspension an make it better but jumping up to a 3/4 ton will be even better.

[Grit_dog]

Having your wdh properly set up will help the front end bouncing considerably, although realize from the trucks standpoint, it's towing the same size trailer. It just feels better because it effectively move the truck end of the see saw farther forward.
You'll hear that you don't have enough truck for the trailer. Lots of ole codgers here that believe everything they hear and by nature, the older you get, the more paranoid and conservative you get, in general.
For your purposes, were only really talking duty cycle though. Truck is rated for what you're doing. How long it will doo that without significant additional wear and tear is the question.
If you're a weekend warrior and most of the trucks service is daily driver duties, you're good. If your towing that trailer 10-20k miles a year then I'd get a HD if you're expecting max service life out of the drivetrain.

[Grit_dog]

Jim549 wrote:
Our TV has a standard Chev truck bed (79.2”). I guess they do make a long bed (97.6”).

As far as the shocks, the Chev is a 2016 so the shocks should be good.

The tires are P265/65R18. So when you say soft P rated tires, is this what you are referring to?

And thanks for the replies…

Not the wheelbase, you have the second longest wheelbase you can buy in a pickup.
Yes your tires are soft. I tow those weights with the same truck as yours all the time at work. Still have P tires, no helper springs and all the weight is on the tongue.
It tows fine, but a long trailer bumper pull trailer with decent tongue weight is like a huge see-saw.
Your wife is right, nothing wrong with the truck that proper tires, and proper weight distribution won't help.
However some people think they shouldn't notice a trailer behind them, hence all the add ons and wdh and sway control, etc devices. That stuff will make it better, but it's still a trailer, IMO.
And fwiw, same trailers I'm talking about at work bounce the same behind HD cc/lb pickups and the new gassers don't have much more towing power either. Only difference is they already come with good tires and are built for significantly more payload.

[Jim549]

I want to thank everyone for the useful information. I learned something new, as I was not aware of the P rated tire issue. Now I have some ammo for my argument for a 2500.

[Iraqvet05]

I made the switch from a 1500 Silverado to a 2500HD Silverado the second year we had our TT and the different was night and day. I felt the suspension on the 1500 was too soft, even with the WDH set up by the dealer. The 1500 would porpoise on bridge transitions and driving it always seemed like a two handed ordeal. The 2500 suspension, brakes and steering were much more capable of the task and I never regretted selling the 1500.

[romore]

I wonder if your WDH was not set up properly but yeah, you are really pushing the limits of your truck. It will do thejob but the frame, suspension, brakes and tires are not up to the task at hand. A properly equipped 25000 will make all the difference in the world.

[ol__yeller]

Your tires are "P" (passenger) rated. What the other poster was saying is that "LT" tires may be a better choice for towing. P rated tires have softer sidewalls for rider comfort while the LT tires are stiffer and won't flex as much with a load on them. You might make your truck a better tow vehicle but my opinion is that it is overmatched by your TT. We started towing our 2003 Pioneer 19T4 with a '99 Mountaineer. It got us to the campground but it was white knuckle at times despite having LT tires, super springs and a weight distributing hitch and sway control. Traded it for a '99 F250 Superduty and towing became much easier even after we ugraded to a much larger TT later. Proper setup is a must!

PS what the salesperson told you is the first thing they teach all RV salespeople to say regardless of the type of vehicle.

[HuckleberryHunt]

I agree with downtheroad's post above. You could possibly improve the ride a bit if all the setup details were perfectly setup, but with that amount of weight/load, then you may still have a rough ride regardless due to the capacity of the truck.
I pulled a ~6k loaded TT with a Silverado 1500 for a lot of years. The WDH was set up well, and when I switched the stock P tires to LT load range D, I noticed a lot of improvement and it did just fine, but it was still night and day when we finally upgraded the truck to a 2500.
If you decide to stick with the 1500, check out the points DTR listed, (particularly the WDH setup). Otherwise, I'd say a 3/4 ton truck would definitely be a step in the right direction.
IMHO, although a long bed is always recommended for stability over a short bed, the "standard" (6.6') bed Chevy's do fine, especially with the added length of the quad/crew cabs. My 1500 was a standard bed quad cab and the 2500 is a standard bed crew cab
Best of luck.

PS - my DW was against upgrading the truck too. She didn't understand why if the 1/2 ton did the job fine. After we upgraded she finally understood. And frankly, there's a safety factor as well.

[Jim549]

Our TV has a standard Chev truck bed (79.2”). I guess they do make a long bed (97.6”).

As far as the shocks, the Chev is a 2016 so the shocks should be good.

The tires are P265/65R18. So when you say soft P rated tires, is this what you are referring to?

And thanks for the replies…

[Lwiddis]

I’m with downtheroad on the ride issues. You are not set up correctly and your wheelbase is too short for a 34 foot TT. “I was told by the dealer...” lol

[SidecarFlip]

Sounds to me like your wheelbase is too short more than the size of the truck. The trend today is a short box / short wheelbase and the closer the front axle is to the rear axle the choppier the ride is (in most cases). I pull with a 4 door long bed truck and I'd never even consider any pickup with a short box.

One, I like the added room of the 4 door and two, I use the 8 foot box all the time.

There may be other factors involved but I believe your wheelbase is too short for starters.

[downtheroad]

GVWR 9,000 Lbs
Dry Weight 6,896 Lbs
Hitch Weight 810 Lbs
Width 8' 0"
Height 11' 2"
Length 33' 11"

If I have the numbers correct??? My opinion, you are really pushing the limits of your 1500. Bunk house...probably a family and lots of gear in the trailer and in the bed of your truck also...

But, the bounce you are describing could be from lots of different reasons..Soft P rated tires, improper hitch set up, worn out shocks, etc....??