Pulling with half ton!

[Alberta_Born]

Hey gang. New to the site, and surprisingly for being Canadian, new to RV'ing. Just buying a 2007 Jayco JayFeather 29D. GVW is 7050 lbs. My question for you experienced towers is this: I have a 2006 Chev Avalanche (don't judge me, normally I'm a Ford guy), it is the 5.3 V8 1500 and I am almost certain the gear ratio is the 4.10. What can you tell me about using this truck to pull my about to purchase 29' featherlight TT? Thanks for your wisdom!

[Hannibal]

Congrats on the Ram Cummins! I've owned four of them. I agree on the no need for WDH or sway control. We tow our 32.5' Jayco Jayflight with our F250 with no sway control. With a crosswind, you'll occasionally feel trucks pass but nothing scary. I use a Reese HP trunnion style with integrated cams in the bars in case I decide to buy the sway control arms in the future. The only reason for the WD is to satisfy the 650/1250 lb rating of the OEM receiver. Otherwise, I'd just use a tri-ball rated for 1k lbs tongue weight.

[Alberta_Born]

So, I've been out 3 times pulling the 29' jayco featherlight with my Dodge 3500 cummins diesel. Pulls like a dream, went to the trailer hitch specialist shop where I live since I already had the WD system. He looked at my set up and said there is no sink whatsoever and told me it would save me the money not having him weld the reese weight distribution system on, as the 1 ton carried the TT with no drop and all was level.

I've not found any sway while pulling the trailer so far. But it's funny what you worry about at night. Does anyone ever worry about the stock receiver system on the truck that you attach your ball to in order to pull? I'm running on the assumption that Dodge designed it well since it's a 1 ton. Am I correct? My trailer is not heavy, but I am going to pull it to the west coast this August over the Rockies and the Coquihalla..

[ppine]

This is the kind of post that reminds of a friend that bought a TT to "save money on motel bills." He had a stick and tin trailer that was around 28 feet and he pulled it with a Jeep Cherokee. Soon he needed a new transmission. Then he went out and bought a Dodge Cummins. So much for saving money on motel bills.

[CavemanCharlie]

goducks10 wrote:
Most all the transports guys I see running around Oregon from the Dallas Forest River plant have no WDH on the TT's they pull with their DRW Rams.

About the 50's, 60's and 70's. My dad had a 66 Ford Custom 500 289 3 sp AT and towed an Aloha TT around 16'-18'. The Ford obviously hand no OEM receiver. The guy at the local Chevron gas station (Remember when gas stations worked on cars) welded a receiver on the car for him. Towed it all over the place. Heck my sister an I used to ride in the back seat with out seat belts. Shame on us. 🙂

Of course a lot of cars didn't have seat belts in the back seat then so you are forgiven.

[Camper_G]

Alberta Born wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:

JCR-1 wrote:
I have a 2008 Avalanche 5.3 and no way should you should tow that weight.

Did you not read the previous posts in this discussion? :h The OP said 3 weeks ago - "Well, I caved and we traded in the half ton Avalanche. I now have a Dodge 3500 with the 6.7 Cummins Diesel." I don't think he's going to have a problem towing anything. :W

Yeah, so I did decide to get away from the half ton Avalanche. Got a Dodge Ram 3500 with the Cummins 6.7. Pulled the TT around a little to get a feel for it. Pretty sure I heard the Cummins sigh and say b!tch please!

I'm sure it pulls your trailer very well

[Alberta_Born]

SoundGuy wrote:

JCR-1 wrote:
I have a 2008 Avalanche 5.3 and no way should you should tow that weight.

Did you not read the previous posts in this discussion? :h The OP said 3 weeks ago - "Well, I caved and we traded in the half ton Avalanche. I now have a Dodge 3500 with the 6.7 Cummins Diesel." I don't think he's going to have a problem towing anything. :W

Yeah, so I did decide to get away from the half ton Avalanche. Got a Dodge Ram 3500 with the Cummins 6.7. Pulled the TT around a little to get a feel for it. Pretty sure I heard the Cummins sigh and say b!tch please!

[goducks10]

Most all the transports guys I see running around Oregon from the Dallas Forest River plant have no WDH on the TT's they pull with their DRW Rams.

About the 50's, 60's and 70's. My dad had a 66 Ford Custom 500 289 3 sp AT and towed an Aloha TT around 16'-18'. The Ford obviously hand no OEM receiver. The guy at the local Chevron gas station (Remember when gas stations worked on cars) welded a receiver on the car for him. Towed it all over the place. Heck my sister an I used to ride in the back seat with out seat belts. Shame on us. 🙂

[ppine]

You don't mention what part of Canada you are from. Seven thousand pounds is a lot for a 1/2 ton to pull in the mountains of Alberta and BC. The rest of the provinces might be okay since you have the 4:10 rear end.

[BadgerMcAdams]

1stgenfarmboy wrote:
Just a little thing to think about.

I rebuild electric hoists in our shop, we have to see what thay will pick up before we let them go " load test" a 1 ton hoist will pick up 2 1/2 tons before the load clutch slips, and the load brake holds way way more than that.


my point, you guys don't really think they only test these trucks with only the advertised max load right, they test them way over that and under rate them to " if you will " cover there rear.

I know why they did it, they think people don't have a lick of common cents these days " and I do think it is falling off a bit " but use a little common cents and have fun camping, stop loosing sleep over beeing 500 of 1000 lbs over weight.


In the last 20 years we have gone so far overboard with safty regulations and ratings we almost can't tow anything with a truck and stay within the limits of the door sticker.


how did anybody survive the 50's-60's-70's pulling 14-20ft TT's that were built with wood and steal with station wagons and half ton trucks.


I get so tired of seeing, OH LORD YOU PULL THAT WITH A 1/2 TON......YOUR GONNA DIE AND KILL THE REST OF US "

I had relatives that hauled around a 30+ foot Airstream trailer with a Lincoln MkVII...It has been MANY years since I saw it, so memory fails me some, but they had NO problems towing that trailer all over Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado.

Maybe they were just lucky too...

[1stgenfarmboy]

Just a little thing to think about.

I rebuild electric hoists in our shop, we have to see what thay will pick up before we let them go " load test" a 1 ton hoist will pick up 2 1/2 tons before the load clutch slips, and the load brake holds way way more than that.


my point, you guys don't really think they only test these trucks with only the advertised max load right, they test them way over that and under rate them to " if you will " cover there rear.

I know why they did it, they think people don't have a lick of common cents these days " and I do think it is falling off a bit " but use a little common cents and have fun camping, stop loosing sleep over beeing 500 of 1000 lbs over weight.


In the last 20 years we have gone so far overboard with safty regulations and ratings we almost can't tow anything with a truck and stay within the limits of the door sticker.


how did anybody survive the 50's-60's-70's pulling 14-20ft TT's that were built with wood and steal with station wagons and half ton trucks.


I get so tired of seeing, OH LORD YOU PULL THAT WITH A 1/2 TON......YOUR GONNA DIE AND KILL THE REST OF US "

[SoundGuy]

JCR-1 wrote:
I have a 2008 Avalanche 5.3 and no way should you should tow that weight.

Did you not read the previous posts in this discussion? :h The OP said 3 weeks ago - "Well, I caved and we traded in the half ton Avalanche. I now have a Dodge 3500 with the 6.7 Cummins Diesel." I don't think he's going to have a problem towing anything. :W

[JCR-1]

I have a 2008 Avalanche 5.3 and no way should you should tow that weight. Despite what the dealers will tell you unless you plan on going downhill or on flat ground you will need a bigger truck. You will be constantly kicking down to lower gears and every highway overpass will be a downshift and a screaming engine. Forget about any mountain travel.

[1stgenfarmboy]

.....

[Alberta_Born]

So, took the Dodge Cummins 3500 and the weight distribution system I got and hooked up my trailer to it to go get the hitch system installed. The hitch expert took one look at my trailer and truck together and said I didn't need the weight distribution. In fact, the truck could have been lower with more weight and be fine. It sat very nicely on that 1 ton truck. I sold the weight distribution hitch. While pulling the trailer I noticed it pulled just fine with absolutely no sway. The way the trailer is built and where the axles are it looks like I wont need a system now with the 1 ton.

The trailer's previous owner pulled it with a 3/4 ton and just on the ball hitch with no system, and he had no problems at all. So I'm thinking I will be fine with the 1 ton as is with this trailer.