Opinion on half ton trucks

[joedekock]

Im at the point im looking at a new TV. I have done extensive research, poured through both biased and un-biased forums. Watched tons of YouTube videos on MPGs, tow tests, and known mechanical issues.

I would like some opinions from real owners of the trucks I am looking at. If you can speak to both, all the better!

Here is what I know already for myself:

- I love Toyota's. I have owned several cars, vans, and SUV's from Toyota and they are absolute tanks. They never have major mechanical issues, and for that matter they have never given me any trouble on small issues. I started looking at the Tundra, however, that things is one thirsty truck! In this day in age where a half ton truck can get 19-20 mpgs without really trying its hard for me to justify a truck that will get 5mpg less than that. So, for me, Toyota is out.

- I used to own a 2010 Ram 1500 with the Hemi. That truck was FUN to drive when it was empty. However, with my 6000 lb. 24' TT behind it that thing was highly unstable. The power was more than adequate, but I think it had weak link springs or something which made it a white knuckle drive with a trailer. (Yes I had weight distribution hitch & anti-sway). The MPG's in that truck were 12-14 for me. Im sure the new RAMs are better, but lastly... i have several friends that own Mopar vehicles of various kinds and they all have LOTS of little annoying issues that would drive me nuts. From washer fluid pumps, to fuel pumps, to HVAC dampers, etc... just annoying and time consuming stuff for vehicles under 5 years old. No Rams for me.

- I currently own a 2011 Silverado 1500 with 5.3 and 3.08 rear end (won't do that again). Love the truck, its super reliable, has never had an issue besides the HVAC blower fan which was easy and cheap to replace, and it tows our trailer amazingly! Its weaker than my RAM was for power, but it feels way more stable when towing.


So, I am down to a 2017 GM (Silverado or SIerra), or the F150 with 3.5 Ecoboost. If you own a 2015-2017 model year of one of these trucks please share your experiences with it while towing your TT. We will also be upgrading our TT to a 30' 7800 lb. gross trailer in a year or two.

Only 10% of my driving at the most will be with the TT. The rest of the time its a kid hauler, a point A-B machine, or hauling light weight material for various DIY projects.

Things I like about the Ford from research:
- Power and Torque. It seems like F150 owners love that Ecoboost for its power and torque, especially while towing.
- Fuel Economy. Most 15-17 model year owners claim their Ecoboost is getting them 20mpg on average.
- Integrated Trailer Brake Controller on most models
- 12k towing capacity leaves plenty of room for upgraded trailer we hope to get in a year or two.
- Seems to have more technology.
- Overall exterior looks to me are cool. (I would want 20" wheels).
- Interior seems cheap. (Just opinions from unbiased folks online).


The things I like about the GM half ton line:
- I know how to work on GMs as I have owned GM's for 20 years. Its a comfort thing.
- The 5.3 motor has been around almost 20 years now. It is a proven motor that is very reliable.
- The 11k towing capacity leaves plenty of room for the upgraded trailer we want to get. (Need to get 3.44 rear end).
- I love the overall looks of the exterior and the interior of the Silverado's and Sierra's. Especially the Silverado High Country or LTZ line or the Sierra SLT line.
- MPGs are adequate at 17-18 averages from reports.


I am not looking for a blood bath or a war to break out. Just honest opinions. For me, in the half ton line it was always an easy decision. GM's won hands down with less mechanical issues, and overall power/torque. Now with the Ecoboost's capabilities, the Ford's have surpassed GM slightly in that arena plus in the MPGs. I owned the RAM for a hot minute before getting rid of it because it was so terrible at towing. But the price on it was too good to pass up.

What say you?

[goducks10]

troubledwaters wrote:

goducks10 wrote:
When I was looking to replace my 2010 F150 I looked at a 2012 F150 HDPP in the XL trim with the chrome appearance and power options. It priced out real close to what my 12 Ram ST CTD 4x4 CCLB did after the $10K rebate Ram and the dealer were offering.
I was doing a build and price on the Ford so I'd have to order it and not sure what rebates I would've been able to get. I could've probably got the F150 HDPP for a little less than the Ram CTD but not enough to warrant having a true 3/4 ton truck with twice the power and better MPG towing.

That may have been true for you, but I can guarantee 99.9% of the retail truck buyers are not going to get a "comparably similar" truck with a diesel in it anywhere near the same price as a gasser.

They're all over the place.
https://www.rontonkinchryslerjeepdodgeramfiat.com/new/ram/2500/in-stock/2018-ram-2500-milwaukie-oreg...
If you build and price an F150 XL supercrew 6.5 bed with the HDPP and all the options to bring it up the the Ram it's around $45,330.

[mhamershock]

Samsonsworld wrote:

mhamershock wrote:

It's what I have and I love it. 10k miles now, 2K of them towing 7500 lbs.

Mike

How long is your box?

6.5 bed. I had a 5.5 bed with last one, and it was too short to provide the stability I want.

M

[IdaD]

troubledwaters wrote:

goducks10 wrote:
When I was looking to replace my 2010 F150 I looked at a 2012 F150 HDPP in the XL trim with the chrome appearance and power options. It priced out real close to what my 12 Ram ST CTD 4x4 CCLB did after the $10K rebate Ram and the dealer were offering.
I was doing a build and price on the Ford so I'd have to order it and not sure what rebates I would've been able to get. I could've probably got the F150 HDPP for a little less than the Ram CTD but not enough to warrant having a true 3/4 ton truck with twice the power and better MPG towing.

That may have been true for you, but I can guarantee 99.9% of the retail truck buyers are not going to get a "comparably similar" truck with a diesel in it anywhere near the same price as a gasser.

Sweet, I've never been in the .1% of anything before now! :B

[troubledwaters]

goducks10 wrote:
When I was looking to replace my 2010 F150 I looked at a 2012 F150 HDPP in the XL trim with the chrome appearance and power options. It priced out real close to what my 12 Ram ST CTD 4x4 CCLB did after the $10K rebate Ram and the dealer were offering.
I was doing a build and price on the Ford so I'd have to order it and not sure what rebates I would've been able to get. I could've probably got the F150 HDPP for a little less than the Ram CTD but not enough to warrant having a true 3/4 ton truck with twice the power and better MPG towing.

That may have been true for you, but I can guarantee 99.9% of the retail truck buyers are not going to get a "comparably similar" truck with a diesel in it anywhere near the same price as a gasser.

[goducks10]

When I was looking to replace my 2010 F150 I looked at a 2012 F150 HDPP in the XL trim with the chrome appearance and power options. It priced out real close to what my 12 Ram ST CTD 4x4 CCLB did after the $10K rebate Ram and the dealer were offering.
I was doing a build and price on the Ford so I'd have to order it and not sure what rebates I would've been able to get. I could've probably got the F150 HDPP for a little less than the Ram CTD but not enough to warrant having a true 3/4 ton truck with twice the power and better MPG towing.

[TomG2]

VernDiesel wrote:
So you can take a little time go to the scales & learn to set up your hitch & load by scale results to get the safety & stability you want for towing your TT plus have what you want as a daily driver.

Going to the scales is always a good idea. I would not assume that adjusting a hitch or even changing hitches is going to make a F-150 perform like a F-250. There is a huge difference, which is what I learned by renting a 2005 F-250 in 2007.

[Samsonsworld]

VernDiesel wrote:
So you can take a little time go to the scales & learn to set up your hitch & load by scale results to get the safety & stability you want for towing your TT plus have what you want as a daily driver. Or if that’s too scary you can buy a 3/4 ton expect it to handle the TT even without going to the scales & live with it as your daily. Either can be workable.

Going from a 21' box to a 27' box is a 29% increase in surface area (same as my 24' to 31'). The longer the box, the more a strong wind will affect you. Your set-up won't change that fact.

[VernDiesel]

So you can take a little time go to the scales & learn to set up your hitch & load by scale results to get the safety & stability you want for towing your TT plus have what you want as a daily driver. Or if that’s too scary you can buy a 3/4 ton expect it to handle the TT even without going to the scales & live with it as your daily. Either can be workable.

[Samsonsworld]

You're still in the same price range as a comparably equipped F250...not quite as flashy, but close...and it does have tow mirrors.

2018 f250https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/728581245/overview/

Each to his own but I'd buy as much truck as you can afford for a 30' trailer. I went from 27' to 35' TT. I was ecstatic with the F150 when I towed the first trailer. Had many white knuckle tows with the second. The length of the box makes more difference than weight imo. At 30', the OP is right on my bubble but I'd lean to the side of caution. I guess I've given more than $.02...oh well...I'll shut up now. 😕

[goducks10]

TomG2 wrote:

goducks10 wrote:

http://www.windowsticker.forddirect.com/windowsticker.pdf?token=LlsEF0DfsMtnrmJTxA4pgkvGvH0TW8fT7pXd...

Decent price too.
http://www.doherty-ford.com/new/Ford/2018-Ford-F-150-for-sale-Portland-Oregon-f2dfbca50a0e0ae75506a9...

Nice price and an upgraded trim package too.

Notice no tow mirrors. Many guys think you get tow mirrors as part of the package when you get the Max Tow or HDPP.

[jrhanbar98]

Seems like a lot of a Ford opinions I’ll share a Chevy. I own a 17 LTZ 8sp 6.2. I specifically sought out this combo as like you I tow maybe 7-10 trips a year. I tow either a 6500lbs 12’x14’ enclosed trailer for Scouts or a 25’ 7200lbs Gulfstream. I tow enough for a HD 1/2 ton but not enough for a 3/4 ton. If I full timed or drove in the mountains I’d probably have the 3/4 ton but I don’t. The 8 speed keeps the engine in the power band, and there is plenty of it. Braking is excellent as well. Pulling trailer I get about 11-13 mpg. Not pulling I get 20-23 hwy 12-14 city. Handling with the Scout trailer is rock solid, still need to fine tune the Equalizer on the RV, but it’s 95% there. Payload is 1556lbs. Life is sometimes a compromise, tough living with a 3/4 ton 350 days a year to use it 15. I also know how to pack. With the RV I am close to my payload so I do not put anything in the truck bed and I don’t carry water. The slide out has the dinette right over the axels of the TT that’s where most of our stuff goes. Essentially I have more cargo capacity in the trailer than the truck, not a perfect solution but one that works for me the few times a year I tow.

[Ron3rd]

TomG2 wrote:
If one does an Internet search, there are a few others out there. What is your point? I have looked at hundreds of F-150's over the years and have never seen one on a lot in Illinois or South Texas. I am sure they make a nice bridge between most F-150's and F-250's. We had something like them at work and they drove the mechanics nuts. Some parts were generic F-150, some were not. Of course this was fifteen years ago. The closer they are to being F-250's, the more capable they become. No surprise there.

Buy the F250 to begin with and end the discussion

[TomG2]

goducks10 wrote:

http://www.windowsticker.forddirect.com/windowsticker.pdf?token=LlsEF0DfsMtnrmJTxA4pgkvGvH0TW8fT7pXd...

Decent price too.
http://www.doherty-ford.com/new/Ford/2018-Ford-F-150-for-sale-Portland-Oregon-f2dfbca50a0e0ae75506a9...

Nice price and an upgraded trim package too.

[TomG2]

If one does an Internet search, there are a few others out there. What is your point? I have looked at hundreds of F-150's over the years and have never seen one on a lot in Illinois or South Texas. I am sure they make a nice bridge between most F-150's and F-250's. We had something like them at work and they drove the mechanics nuts. Some parts were generic F-150, some were not. Of course this was fifteen years ago. The closer they are to being F-250's, the more capable they become. No surprise there.

[goducks10]

TomG2 wrote:

mhamershock wrote:
Not if you look at the F150 HDPP version. Come look at mine, and tow with it. It's simply amazing for a 1/2 ton truck.
Mike

I purchase new pickups every two years for the last twenty years and have never seen one or these "almost 3/4 ton" models on a dealer's lot. I agree that they are much more capable than the average F-150. If one knows enough to order one, they will not be asking for "opinions on half ton trucks". They already appreciate the upgrades that HD models offer. You proved my point. The heavier duty the pickup, the more satisfactory it will perform.

This is the 4th one I've seen on a dealers lot in the last couple weeks. And the 2nd one near me.
http://www.windowsticker.forddirect.com/windowsticker.pdf?token=LlsEF0DfsMtnrmJTxA4pgkvGvH0TW8fT7pXd...

Decent price too.
http://www.doherty-ford.com/new/Ford/2018-Ford-F-150-for-sale-Portland-Oregon-f2dfbca50a0e0ae75506a9...