1/2 ton or 3/4 ton towing truck?

[mikemdd]

I searched about 40 postings and did not see a clear answer, so I thought I would just ask. Can a Chev. Silverado 1500 (1/2 ton) Extended Cab with the 6.0 L gas engine handle towing my turbo on a steel trailer, or should I go with the 2500 HD series (3/4 ton) with same engine? I'm not worried about the power, but more on the truck size. I would prefer the smaller truck (1500) but don't want to compromise towing ability.

thanks

Mike

[mudman]

1/2 ton will do just fine. Watch your temps and practice driving around with an empty trailer. Also, if your trailer has brakes definately get a brake controller, if not, get brakes for your trailer.
-Jeremy

[ken_xman]

3/4 ton ALL THE WAY. Should have bigger brakes, tranny cooler, better suspension. And yes to a brake controller cab mounted, for the trailer.
Is the trailer fishes out or sways real bad, you can lock up the trailer brakes and straighten her out.
fyi- I had 17 trucks at once for a small company, mostly all towing something. Bigger is necessary.

[Jon Merck]

Pulling is not the problem...stopping is! Ask me how I know...Do get electric brakes with a controller either way. All it takes is someone slamming on the brakes in front of you and you will understand!

[mudman]

The brakes are not good on either truck, afaic, and w/ a curb weight of 6700# my 2500 is much heavier than a 1500.

[Grady Clay]

Mike,

Where do you live? What kind of towing are you planning –
mountains, hills, desert, cross country, occasional weekend
short tow, other? Do you also plan to use it for other
purposes? On a regular basis?

I am a strong supporter of the largest, most heavy duty tow
vehicle carrying the greatest percent of the load. I tow with
a 9800# GVW E350. The open trailer is 1320#, the 914-6 is
1850# and I add 6 sets of Fuchs & BBS with Goodyear slicks.
With all the gear in the van, the entire rig weighs about
14,000#. It handles wonderfully, has HUGE brakes on the
truck and trailer and the non-emissions 460 pulls strong to
about 90. It will pull sustained 55 MPG in 2nd up the steepest
freeways in the Rocky Mountains. At 65 MPH it gets around
15 MPG.

I wrote a set of trailer specs for Pelican rs911t a few
years ago. It turned into “How to go to events” draft. Send
me your e-mail address and I’ll send you a copy (it is too
large a file for Pelican.) gradyclay@hotmail.com

You don’t want the tail wagging the dog.

Here is my son installing new tires a few years ago.


The caption is “Why do I have to put the tires on?”

Best,
Grady

[Motorhead-45]

The only thing you give up by going to the 2500 is some degree of ride quality. When unloaded the 2500 will ride worse than the 1500 but neither will ride like a Cadillac! Both trucks are physically the same size but you get bigger/better drivetrain across the board with the 2500. If towing is more than about 5% of your total driving I'd certainly opt for the 3/4 drivetrain.

[mikemdd]

Thanks everyone for your constructive comments. I live in the Chicago area, so mountain climbing is very infrequent. The truck will be used only a few times a year, mainly pulling to Road America and maybe a few other tracks in the midwest. I would say 5 or 6 times a year. However, as this can change over time, I would like the best compromise overall for the right vehicle without overkill. I also forgot that it will be a 4X4, if that matters.

Mike

[juanbenae]

i tow with a z71 1500 chevy with steel trailer, with trailer brakes and have been pretty satisfied. i do not intend on towing in the hills up or down so there's that.

my choice was the 1500 because of the gas milege when not towing and the over all cost of the truck new. the 4x z71 does have a tranny cooler and 4 wheel disk brakes.

bigger is better, but where do you stop the madness? my car and trailer do not come near the manufacture's towing limits so i went with the half ton.

good luck in your search.

[zotman72]

I needed a tow truck this past month to go from Colorado to Texas for the PCA club race. I researched this topic closely and decided I wanted solid, dependable rig capable of pulling a open light aluminum trailer (trailex) and my 911 racecar with ease. All the equipment to be stored in the truck, not the trailer. I bought with a 2000 Toyota Tundra 4X4 (4.7 V-8) with tow package 7000 lb rated. The combination worked well and on the return leg through a pretty nasty ice storm. We averaged about 15 mpg but we rarely exceeded 75 mph. I bought the Toyota for dependability, ride and quality. Tundras rock! YMMV

[Netspeed]

Having worked in a Chevrolet service department for over 15 years, I would go with the 2500. I saw way too many people trying to get by with just a 1500. The 2500 has bigger brakes, tranny cooler, and a host of other things that all aid in the longevity of the vehicle. If you can, get the Duramax diesel engine....you won't even know your towing your racecar.

[EarlyPorsche]

I tow my 991's and 912's with a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.7L and I can't really tell its back there. I can hold 80+ if I want to. I don't though. I would say get a Dodge, just my opinion. Also, I would get a diesel just because it burns less. Yes the engine costs more and so does the fuel but not out on the road outside city limits. Also diesels are tough as nails, and the truck is more heavy duty. Unless you are daily driving this truck (I suggest not to), get a used one. Oh and a final word, DON'T GET A FORD!!!

[mudman]

Hey netspeed, can you help me with a problem? (Quick hijack) My ns Switch went ou, and then my trans motor went, truck is in four high, and my new TC motor just came fedex 5 min ago, how can I put in the new motor (which is in 2 high)? Can I use a wrench to rotate the selector shaft to the 2wd position?

[mudman]

oh yeah: Alison1000, New Venture 263

[VINMAN]

Go with the 2500, with the same engine,the mpg will be just about the same. It's always better to have more towing capacity plain and simple. As in a previous post. Its not just pulling, it's also stopping and more vehicle control.
You wouldnt believe the difference between a 1/2 and a 3/4 ton.
As far as brand, Ford or Dodge. I wouldnt trade my 3500 Ram for anything.

[Netspeed]

Originally posted by mudman
Hey netspeed, can you help me with a problem? (Quick hijack) My ns Switch went ou, and then my trans motor went, truck is in four high, and my new TC motor just came fedex 5 min ago, how can I put in the new motor (which is in 2 high)? Can I use a wrench to rotate the selector shaft to the 2wd position?

Allison's are a breed among themselves. I think they have to be splined a certain way. Actually I never wrenched at the dealership...I was a service manager. Probably best soluition: Wander down to your local dealer and ask (very nicely) if they can give you some advice. Hopefully it's slow and they won't mind.

[Motorhead-45]

Diesel vs gas..... IMHO with the premium $5k-6k that dealers are asking for diesel equipped vehicles the fact is that most consumer level buyers would be hard pressed to recoupe that initial purchase premium. Yeah they get better mileage but not that much better. Anybody price regular unleaded vs diesel lately? In my area at least, diesel is about 20 cents a gallon more than premium unleaded and 40 cents or better a gallon than regular unleaded. It's a tough argument to make.

[Jims5543]

I tow a 2500 lb RX-7 on an old steel trailer. I have towed from Florida to Indy and back over a weekend for a Rotary event.

I tow to the track and to Autocrosses and never have a problem. Braking is good too. I upgraded my fronts on the truck to Powerslots and Hawk pads. The trialer has brakes too and I agree with everyone here it is a must.

My Dodge with its little 4.7 liter and the trailer track really well, on the trip to Indy I was traveling at 75-80 MPH and got 12 MPG.

Its all going to boil down to what you want factoring in your only towing 5 times a year. ( I am about the same)

[speeder]

Originally posted by Motorhead-45
Diesel vs gas..... IMHO with the premium $5k-6k that dealers are asking for diesel equipped vehicles the fact is that most consumer level buyers would be hard pressed to recoupe that initial purchase premium. Yeah they get better mileage but not that much better. Anybody price regular unleaded vs diesel lately? In my area at least, diesel is about 20 cents a gallon more than premium unleaded and 40 cents or better a gallon than regular unleaded. It's a tough argument to make.

You are absolutely correct about the price of a new diesel pick-up not amortizing these days unless you drive it a LOT of miles and/or tow with it. They were an easier sell back when diesel was ~$1.40 @ gallon, now you just have to love diesels to buy one and to hell with the $$.

That said, it isn't hard to love the modern TDI-type diesels that are being sold in light-duty trucks and vans today. They make a ton of smooth torque, they are just better suited for the task of powering a truck and towing, period. The size and inefficiency of a gasoline engine that makes comparable torque makes it an easy choice, especially with the price of gasoline. I am in the diesel lover camp, I have a '99 F-250 4x4 Powerstroke that gets 18 mpg @ 75 mph, (not towing), I am sure that is ~ 100% better than it would get w/ a gas motor that makes comparable torque. (~550 ft. lbs.). The in-town mpg is also close to double. A gas F-250 4x4 w/ the big motor gets unbelievably horrible fuel mileage, I've owned them.

The 460 gas motor that Grady has is one of the best gas towing motors ever, but they might as well have a toilet flushing handle instead of an accellerator pedal. 7-8 mpg EMPTY is more in line w/ my experience w/ them, not 15 mpg towing, My experience includes working at the largest Ford dealer in the world, as well as owning most all of them.

If you leave the truck in the carport and pull it out a couple times a year to tow a trailer, this might not matter. If you actually use it for transportation, even moderate use can add up to ridiculous monthly fuel bills. And of course, YMMV.

[pbs911]

I've towed plenty with my 2003 5.4 F150, lifted 10" w/36" tires. I did change the rear gears to 4.56s, and added a electronic brake controller. No problem with towing. Buying the 1/2 ton instead of the 3/4 was a matter of price concerns at the time of purchase. I tow much less than I use thetruck for daily driving. The extra premimum for hte 3/4 ton was just not worth the extra initial purchase for me. If you have the extra money I woudl go with the 3/4 ton. The 1/2 ton with the facotry tow package will provide heavy duty radiator, posi, trans cooler, class 3 hitch and all electrical hookups.