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!

[TomG2]

LAJMINNIEPLUS wrote:

TomG2 wrote:
Good payloads are available on regular F-150's. My 2017 Supercab 5.0 has over 2,300 pound payload rating. No suspension upgrades of any kind.

I see that they can go up to 2910# in 4x2. That's more than some 3/4 tons. Probably not common on dealer lots. Did you have to special order yours?...snip.....

No special order, no upgraded suspension. It must be a V-8 thing. I don't "need" 2,300 pounds, but was glad to get it for nothing more than the price of the engine upgrade. Plus, it sounds like a pickup should sound.

[wing_zealot]

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?

[LAJMINNIEPLUS]

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.

[Jerrybo66]

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.

[LAJMINNIEPLUS]

TomG2 wrote:
Good payloads are available on regular F-150's. My 2017 Supercab 5.0 has over 2,300 pound payload rating. No suspension upgrades of any kind.

I see that they can go up to 2910# in 4x2. That's more than some 3/4 tons. Probably not common on dealer lots. Did you have to special order yours?

When I was checking the availability of max tow package 1/2 tons, I went to my local GMC/Chevy dealer who stocks hundreds of units and they only had one max tow on the lot. And, of course, most GM max tow units come with the ultra pricey 6.2l that could pull tree stumps. Cheaper in that case to just buy the 3/4 ton unit off the lot unless you want the better ride of the half ton.

[TomG2]

Good payloads are available on regular F-150's. My 2017 Supercab 5.0 has over 2,300 pound payload rating. No suspension upgrades of any kind.

[LAJMINNIEPLUS]

troubledwaters wrote:

LAJMINNIEPLUS wrote:
If you are looking for a 30' travel trailer, you need to face the fact that you will need a 3/4 ton and live with the harder ride. The half tons ride nice, but just don't have the payloads for the larger trailers. This fall I had to trade up from a 2016 Sierra 1500 to a 2016 Silverado 2500HD. I loved the ride of the 1500, but don't mind the harsher but okay ride of the 2500 knowing that it hauls my trailer much better.

I have a 30-foot TT, it has a tongue weight (at max GVWR) of 1,000 lbs. Lots of 1/2 tons have payloads of well over 1,200 lbs.

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.. When I was looking at trading up, I looked at the options of max tow Fords and GM products. I wanted 4wd and there were next to none on the lots. Special order drove the price up to close to or equal to a 3/4 ton. Even max tow did not guarantee much greater payloads. Seems like kind of a sales pitch from the manufacturers to try to sell large tow capacities, but not really the increased payloads to match.

[goducks10]

Have you looked at Ford F150's? You can get a moderately equipped F150 XLT with 1800-2000 lbs for payload. Super Crew 6.5 bed.

[troubledwaters]

LAJMINNIEPLUS wrote:
If you are looking for a 30' travel trailer, you need to face the fact that you will need a 3/4 ton and live with the harder ride. The half tons ride nice, but just don't have the payloads for the larger trailers. This fall I had to trade up from a 2016 Sierra 1500 to a 2016 Silverado 2500HD. I loved the ride of the 1500, but don't mind the harsher but okay ride of the 2500 knowing that it hauls my trailer much better.

I have a 30-foot TT, it has a tongue weight (at max GVWR) of 1,000 lbs. Lots of 1/2 tons have payloads of well over 1,200 lbs.

[LAJMINNIEPLUS]

If you are looking for a 30' travel trailer, you need to face the fact that you will need a 3/4 ton and live with the harder ride. The half tons ride nice, but just don't have the payloads for the larger trailers. This fall I had to trade up from a 2016 Sierra 1500 to a 2016 Silverado 2500HD. I loved the ride of the 1500, but don't mind the harsher but okay ride of the 2500 knowing that it hauls my trailer much better.

[kcfissel]

Ha!!!
I'll bet youse guys are the first to build your garages too small! :B

[TurnThePage]

Sorry for steering this thread off a cliff! :E

In my case, a quadcab is an extended cab RAM. It's shorter than a crewcab, and is not available in the HD lines. I could probably squeeze a crewcab, shortbed into my garage lengthwise, but it would literally be resting against the back wall to clear the garage door. And it would still be too tall.

And now back to your regularly scheduled thread... :B

[BarneyS]

:R :R :R

[TomG2]

Why delete some and not others? That is censorship. No thanks. Not for simply disagreeing with the Moderator.

[BarneyS]

TomG2 wrote:

BarneyS wrote:
What do you think I was talking about when I mentioned the height of my garage door? He said "The closest equivalent HD version won't fit." Well, my truck is just about the closest equivalent you are going to get to his, and Yes, I DID read his whole post. :R
Barney

Having owned both half ton and HD pickups, the HD versions were always taller. Sorry to challenge your expertise. I was not aware that a 2500 Cummins was the closest equivalent to a F-150.

If you had read my post carefully (or even not so carefully), you would have noticed that the person I quoted and was responding to has a 2015 Ram 1500 not an F150. I'm not sure where you got the F150 from.
Barney