Heavy Duty / Super Duty Truck as Daily Driver

[MtView]

Soooo I find myself needing a new vehicle unexpectedly. I want to be able to tow the current TT which is about 22' and has a dry weight of 3300 lbs as well as the next larger TT I'm likely to get. I was using a 4WD Honda Pilot.

As the kids get older we will all want more room so it would probably be a 30' - 35' pull behind. Based on payload calculations for the larger TT, I'm finding myself needing a Silverado 2500 and it would also have to be my daily driver.

I don't see a way around getting into a Super Duty or Heavy Duty truck. Is that nuts to use it as a daily driver? I would prefer a light truck, but I wouldn't be able to get a new truck and a new TT at the same time so this is my opportunity to get the truck.

Thanks!

[wing_zealot]

TomG2 wrote:
. Do you seriously think that a tow vehicle with 1,200 pounds of factory payload is adequate to tow a 7k TT?

7,000 lbs TT = 840 bls tongue weight + 175 lbs driver +150 lbs wife + 35 lbs firewood = Done!
And if you want to be really bold you can hide a snickers bar in your pocket for a little snicky snack on the way.

[TurnThePage]

TomG2 wrote:

troubledwaters wrote:
So your answer is what?

The answer is that saying that 1,200 or 2,000 is the right number is a matter of guessing and estimating without actual scale weights on which to base your decision. I will not go camping naked or leave my kids at home to meet some arbitrary number. Here is my question. Do you seriously think that a tow vehicle with 1,200 pounds of factory payload is adequate to tow a 7k TT?

I kinda do...

[Jerrybo66]

LAJMINNIEPLUS wrote:

Jerrybo66 wrote:
We have a Buick and a 1/2 ton truck that can be used for shopping but I usually take the F-350.Phoenix seems to have it's share of wrong way drivers so with the heavy power stroke in front and eight feet of bed in the back as a "texter" guard, I feel fairly safe. I can't park close to the store doors but a little extra walk is good.

Plus you need to have a nice heavy hitch hanging down to punch through the grill or bumper first.

So, I guess you've seen my truck.. :).

[RobertRyan]

Jerem0621 wrote:
But let me tell ya, that "Little bit rougher ride" over 80 miles Every...single...day... can turn into a kidney killing, back aching, machine. Of course, the new 2500's ride much better than my old F350 Dually.

One reason that they are becoming less popular with " Grey Nomads" and their larger caravans. Really nasty stuff when you have to drive over dirt roads unladen 😞

[TomG2]

troubledwaters wrote:
So your answer is what?

The answer is that saying that 1,200 or 2,000 is the right number is a matter of guessing and estimating without actual scale weights on which to base your decision. I will not go camping naked or leave my kids at home to meet some arbitrary number. Here is my question. Do you seriously think that a tow vehicle with 1,200 pounds of factory payload is adequate to tow a 7k TT?

[troubledwaters]

TomG2 wrote:

wing_zealot wrote:
The discussion is, how much payload you need to haul a trailer with 1000 lbs of tongue weight. And the answer isn't 1800 lbs(as I have repeatedly shown you).

It would be very easy to have less than 1,000 pounds of available payload after adding people and "stuff" to a vehicle that started out with a 1,800 pound rating. Topper, four people, generator, firewood, and a couple of toolboxes could put you well under 1,000 pounds of available payload. It is all about spending ten bucks at the scales for me to know for sure.

So your answer is what?

You have to absolutely have 1800 lbs of payload (I think that is the definitive statement questioned above)?

Or - it depends, maybe 1200 lbs of payload will be enough? Depends on what your putting in the truck (if anything).

Or it you may even need 2200 lbs of payload. But I'm in agreement, you can haul a lot of 6K to 7K TT's (passengers and cargo included) with way less then 1800 lbs of payload.

[LAJMINNIEPLUS]

TomG2 wrote:

wing_zealot wrote:
The discussion is, how much payload you need to haul a trailer with 1000 lbs of tongue weight. And the answer isn't 1800 lbs(as I have repeatedly shown you).

It would be very easy to have less than 1,000 pounds of available payload after adding people and "stuff" to a vehicle that started out with a 1,800 pound rating. Topper, four people, generator, firewood, and a couple of toolboxes could put you well under 1,000 pounds of available payload. It is all about spending ten bucks at the scales for me to know for sure.

I agree. That's why I have put mine on the scales several times. My truck weight went from 6540# to 7200# when loaded for a long trip vs. local camping. It can add up quickly. I was quite surprised.

[TomG2]

wing_zealot wrote:
The discussion is, how much payload you need to haul a trailer with 1000 lbs of tongue weight. And the answer isn't 1800 lbs(as I have repeatedly shown you).

It would be very easy to have less than 1,000 pounds of available payload after adding people and "stuff" to a vehicle that started out with a 1,800 pound rating. Topper, four people, generator, firewood, and a couple of toolboxes could put you well under 1,000 pounds of available payload. It is all about spending ten bucks at the scales for me to know for sure.

[wing_zealot]

LAJMINNIEPLUS wrote:

wing_zealot wrote:

LAJMINNIEPLUS wrote:

wing_zealot wrote:

LAJMINNIEPLUS wrote:
....
1200# isn't much in todays world and wouldn't be enough to haul most trailers in the 6-7k # range. You need at least 1700# to pull that much. My Sierra 1500 had a payload of over 1700# with a gross weight of 7200# and I was maxed out on gross hauling my 7500# Winnebago with just myself and wife as passengers and a few hundred pounds in the truck body. If your trailer has a tongue weight of 1000# and your truck needs at least 1800# payload in order to fit passengers/fluids/etc...

You need to look what the term payload includes and doesn't include.
1000 lbs of tongue weight and 200 lbs driver, what's the other 600 lbs for?

Going camping alone with no gear in the truck? Usually there is at least 1 -4 additional passengers and other gear in the truck bed. It all adds up quickly as payload. And the payload adds to the gross truck weight along with gasoline and other fluids.

Your statement was that you need "At Least"1800 lbs of payload to pull a trailer with 1000 lbs of payload. Wrong!, all you need is enough for the tongue weight and driver. If you want cargo and passengers fine, add that in. You Don't add fluids, those are all ready included.

And you certainly don't need 1800 lbs of payload to haul a 6000 lbs trailer.

I can haul my 7600 lbs trailer with my 1500 lbs payload Ram and have enough payload to take my wife, toolbox, and a 100 lbs of firewood and have over a 100 lbs of payload left over.

My trailer weighed over 8000# when I took a trip out west this past Fall and I could certainly "haul" it. A lot of it boils down to the quality of ride when you approach your load limit. When loaded for local camping, I had at least 500# of payload reserve and was quite happy with the ride. But, when loaded for a long trip, my truck was maxed at exactly 7600# and the ride on some less than smooth concrete highways and bridges was not quite pleasant.
Have you put your Ram and trailer on the scales to see what it actually weighs?

What my Ram and Trailer weighs has nothing to do with it.

The discussion is, how much payload you need to haul a trailer with 1000 lbs of tongue weight. And the answer isn't 1800 lbs(as I have repeatedly shown you).

[LAJMINNIEPLUS]

TomG2 wrote:
How many of these weights are actual scSale weights or are they "estimates"? I learned a lot when I started weighing my rigs about fifteen years ago. A fiberglass bed cover, generator, girlfriend, tool box, and a few other items left me with very little (600 pounds) of payload on my mighty F-150 back then.

Scales definitely tell the story. Once you know the real numbers, then you need to determine what you are satisfied with for towing and ride. As we know, there are a lot of opinions and comfort levels with different setups. I was very comfortable towing at near my max gross weight when camping local. Loaded for and traveling cross country was a different matter. My solution was to trade up to a 3/4 ton and I am quite happy with that decision.

[LAJMINNIEPLUS]

wing_zealot wrote:

LAJMINNIEPLUS wrote:

wing_zealot wrote:

LAJMINNIEPLUS wrote:
....
1200# isn't much in todays world and wouldn't be enough to haul most trailers in the 6-7k # range. You need at least 1700# to pull that much. My Sierra 1500 had a payload of over 1700# with a gross weight of 7200# and I was maxed out on gross hauling my 7500# Winnebago with just myself and wife as passengers and a few hundred pounds in the truck body. If your trailer has a tongue weight of 1000# and your truck needs at least 1800# payload in order to fit passengers/fluids/etc...

You need to look what the term payload includes and doesn't include.
1000 lbs of tongue weight and 200 lbs driver, what's the other 600 lbs for?

Going camping alone with no gear in the truck? Usually there is at least 1 -4 additional passengers and other gear in the truck bed. It all adds up quickly as payload. And the payload adds to the gross truck weight along with gasoline and other fluids.

Your statement was that you need "At Least"1800 lbs of payload to pull a trailer with 1000 lbs of payload. Wrong!, all you need is enough for the tongue weight and driver. If you want cargo and passengers fine, add that in. You Don't add fluids, those are all ready included.

And you certainly don't need 1800 lbs of payload to haul a 6000 lbs trailer.

I can haul my 7600 lbs trailer with my 1500 lbs payload Ram and have enough payload to take my wife, toolbox, and a 100 lbs of firewood and have over a 100 lbs of payload left over.

My trailer weighed over 8000# when I took a trip out west this past Fall and I could certainly "haul" it. A lot of it boils down to the quality of ride when you approach your load limit. When loaded for local camping, I had at least 500# of payload reserve and was quite happy with the ride. But, when loaded for a long trip, my truck was maxed at exactly 7600# and the ride on some less than smooth concrete highways and bridges was not quite pleasant.
Have you put your Ram and trailer on the scales to see what it actually weighs?

[goducks10]

TomG2 wrote:
How many of these weights are actual scale weights or are they "estimates"? I learned a lot when I started weighing my rigs about fifteen years ago. A fiberglass bed cover, generator, girlfriend, tool box, and a few other items left me with very little (600 pounds) of payload on my mighty F-150 back then.

x2.

[TomG2]

How many of these weights are actual scale weights or are they "estimates"? I learned a lot when I started weighing my rigs about fifteen years ago. A fiberglass bed cover, generator, girlfriend, tool box, and a few other items left me with very little (600 pounds) of payload on my mighty F-150 back then.

[wing_zealot]

LAJMINNIEPLUS wrote:

wing_zealot wrote:

LAJMINNIEPLUS wrote:
....
1200# isn't much in todays world and wouldn't be enough to haul most trailers in the 6-7k # range. You need at least 1700# to pull that much. My Sierra 1500 had a payload of over 1700# with a gross weight of 7200# and I was maxed out on gross hauling my 7500# Winnebago with just myself and wife as passengers and a few hundred pounds in the truck body. If your trailer has a tongue weight of 1000# and your truck needs at least 1800# payload in order to fit passengers/fluids/etc...

You need to look what the term payload includes and doesn't include.
1000 lbs of tongue weight and 200 lbs driver, what's the other 600 lbs for?

Going camping alone with no gear in the truck? Usually there is at least 1 -4 additional passengers and other gear in the truck bed. It all adds up quickly as payload. And the payload adds to the gross truck weight along with gasoline and other fluids.

Your statement was that you need "At Least"1800 lbs of payload to pull a trailer with 1000 lbs of payload. Wrong!, all you need is enough for the tongue weight and driver. If you want cargo and passengers fine, add that in. You Don't add fluids, those are all ready included.

And you certainly don't need 1800 lbs of payload to haul a 6000 lbs trailer.

I can haul my 7600 lbs trailer with my 1500 lbs payload Ram and have enough payload to take my wife, toolbox, and a 100 lbs of firewood and have over a 100 lbs of payload left over.

[LAJMINNIEPLUS]

wing_zealot wrote:

LAJMINNIEPLUS wrote:
....
1200# isn't much in todays world and wouldn't be enough to haul most trailers in the 6-7k # range. You need at least 1700# to pull that much. My Sierra 1500 had a payload of over 1700# with a gross weight of 7200# and I was maxed out on gross hauling my 7500# Winnebago with just myself and wife as passengers and a few hundred pounds in the truck body. If your trailer has a tongue weight of 1000# and your truck needs at least 1800# payload in order to fit passengers/fluids/etc...

You need to look what the term payload includes and doesn't include.
1000 lbs of tongue weight and 200 lbs driver, what's the other 600 lbs for?

Going camping alone with no gear in the truck? Usually there is at least 1 -4 additional passengers and other gear in the truck bed. It all adds up quickly as payload. And the payload adds to the gross truck weight along with gasoline and other fluids.