"Downgrading" trucks
I'd like to hear comments from anyone that has previously owned an HD truck (2500 and higher) then stepped back down to a 1500 series. The long of the story is our two boys are several activities a...
Forum Discussion
Groover wrote:
What some people are missing is that the towing capacity of all pickup truck size ranges is increasing. For instance, in 1991 I special ordered the highest tow rated pickup available and it was rated for 10,000lbs on the bumper and 12,500lbs on a gooseneck. Now you can get nearly three times that much in a one ton and people brag about that but when it is suggested that half ton trucks have grown in capacity too some people just refuse to believe that.
1/2 ton trucks are literally running the same rear axle units they were 30+ years ago. They have more horsepower and bigger brakes than ever, so everyone thinks they have somehow become tow vehicles because they are so much more maneuverable in traffic. Given that I was towing with trucks that are now 30 years old, I wouldn't go back to that, but make no mistake, these trucks are only made to carry marginally more weight than those older trucks. There is nothing to "refuse" to believe--people just don't weigh their trucks and realize that they are overloaded long before they get near GCWR. Just look around this forum when people come here and say they want to pull a trailer with their 1/2 tons only to learn that their "tow rating" is constrained by payload/GVWR every time.
Yes there are exceptions (2wd trucks with max tow packages, regular cab trucks) but in the configuration most are buying (4wd, 4 door, with a good option package), using all of the GCWR is a pipe dream.
