True 1/2 Ton truck capabilities

Hello everyone,
I've never owned a truck before so I need some kind advice. My family and I would like to purchase a travel trailer of some sort. I really don't want to spend the money on a 3/4 ton truck so I'm needing to know what a 1/2 ton can do in the real world. For example a Dodge Ram 1500 crew cab 5.7L Hemi, 3.92 axel ratio, 140 WB, GCVW OF 15,650, and a truck curb weight of 5200lbs. I want to be able to going through the mountains safely and comfortably. How heavy of a trailer should I be looking at? should I stay with in 80% of the GCVW? We would like to have a trailer that weighs somewhere between 4-5k dry. My gut tells me to stay somewhere under 4k because of the mountains. I really appreciate your expert opinions.

We have a 2009 Dodge 1500 4x4, crewcab 3.92, 5.7 hemi and we tow a 2005 28 foot Cherokee Light bunk house TT, model 28A.  We routinely tow it in the mountains of Arizona and have towed in the western mountains of Colorado up to 11,000 ft.  Our trailer weighs 6300 lbs loaded with our gear.  We have been quite satisfied with the trucks ability.  A typical trip for us is from Phoenix area to the White Mountains at 9500 ft.  I generally get about 9-11 mph towing uphill and 12-13 dowing downhill. On the flats I use cruise control set at 60 mph in tow haul mode.

If you stay in the weight range you are talking about, you should not have any problems.

Welcome to the Forum!!

Whether you use a 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck; there is more than just the GCWR to consider. You need to consider the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), Front Axle Weight Rating (FAWR), Rear Axle Weight Rating (RAWR) and Maximum Tow rating of the truck. In my opinion, unless you buy the trailer first and know what it weighs loaded for travel, you should use the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of the trailer not the dry weight in any calculations of the trucks capacity. Figure that the tongue weight of the trailer should be between 10-15% of the actual weight of the trailer. The truck fully loaded with people, fuel, etc. plus the tongue weight of the trailer should not exceed the GVWR of the truck. The load on the axles should not exceed the AWR and the load on each wheel should not exceed the tire ratings. In my experience, 1/2 ton trucks are most likely to run up against their GVWR and RAWRs while still within their Max Towing Rating.

Here are some links to information about towing that may help you make your decisions about what you need or want: Reese Learning Center, Etrailer, Davis's RV tips.

Still I tend to suggest any travel in the mountain should highly consider using diesel power plant over any gasoline power plant. As for 1/2 ton truck I tend to suggest against them because even if you can fit within the specs of the truck it will be used to its maximum capacity most of the time while towing which in turn shorten the life span of the truck. Anything you stuck holding high RPM's for long periods of time climbing grades is not helping longevity for gasoline engines. Like even on my diesel I can climb most all grade here in Idaho with half the RPM range. I don't require high revs to climb. Hence why I suggest diesel power plant with engine life span of 500K to 1 MILLION miles vs. 250K on average from gasoline powered. Just different point of view.

To reiterate what Michael is saying....

I tow a 30' TT with a gross weight of just under 8000 lbs.  I tend to bring everything but the kitchen sink and run with full tanks, so I'm probably close.  I'm towing it with an older F250 with a 460 gas engine.  I tow in very high elevations and up and down steep grades, often 8% or higher. 

I'm saving my pennies for a new Ram 2500 with a Cummins, if that tells you anything.  Once you get up past 9000', the gassers start to wheeze (unless they're turbo).  There is a one mile stretch on the Sunspot Highway that is 10% grade at 9700'.  I'm in low gear at 25 mph wringing it out for all it's worth.

If I was determined to stick with an F150 gas engine, I would stick to trailer that grosses under 7000 lbs if it was mostly flat lands, and 6000 lbs in the high country.  For the Mountain West, a diesel is a much better choice.

I just want to to speak about the high revolution comments. I find I can keep rpms no higher than 3000 on climbs in the mountains and maintain a safe speed. And often I pass semi trucks on these climbs with my 1500.  On a 6% grade, it is not a problem to maintain 40 mph.  Sure a diesel will do better, but for the 3-4 times a year I use my 1500 for towing in the mountains, having the ability to climb faster makes no sense.  And a 1/2 ton sure rides better than any 3/4 I've ever been in for day to day use.  Ram is coming out with a 1/2 ton diesel for 2014.  That might be a excellent combination with the light weight trailers.  I would get a 3/4 ton diesel if I needed it but I don't for our use.  I probably put on 75% of my pickup miles in an empty bed local around town travel.

Now if your travels take place in high density traffic (mine don't) at altitude, there is a lot to said in favor of being able to keep up with automobile traffic and a 3/4 diesel can do that better.

Todd0408 said:

Hello everyone,
I've never owned a truck before so I need some kind advice. My family and I would like to purchase a travel trailer of some sort. I really don't want to spend the money on a 3/4 ton truck so I'm needing to know what a 1/2 ton can do in the real world. For example a Dodge Ram 1500 crew cab 5.7L Hemi, 3.92 axel ratio, 140 WB, GCVW OF 15,650, and a truck curb weight of 5200lbs. I want to be able to going through the mountains safely and comfortably. How heavy of a trailer should I be looking at? should I stay with in 80% of the GCVW? We would like to have a trailer that weighs somewhere between 4-5k dry. My gut tells me to stay somewhere under 4k because of the mountains. I really appreciate your expert opinions.

Click to expand...

Let's start with a general approach. 

1.  Determine the tow rating  of the truck.  This rating can be found in the truck's specs in the owners manual, on manufacturer websites, and on Trailer Life's Tow Ratings Tables -- a list of vehicles going back as 1999.

2.  Determine the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of the proposed trailer.  GVWR is the unladen/shipping weight of the trailer plus its maximum Cargo Carrying Capacity (CCC).  This number can be found in the maker spec sheets -- often as UVW + CCC.  GVWR can also be found on the DOT plate of a particular unit on the left-hand outside wall towards the front of the trailer.

3.  Limit your trailer choice to one that has a GVWR equal to or less than the truck's tow rating.  Since tow ratings are based on the truck carrying only fuel and a 154-lb driver, I recommend would a bit off that tow rating to allow for fat drivers, passengers, truck cargo like spare tires, hitch systems and misc junk in the cab.  Make that 5% for big trailers,  10% for little ones.

4.  If you would tow in the 11 Western States and the truck does not have a turbo-charged engine, you need to allow for the effects of high altitude out here.  Normally-aspirated engines lose 3% of their HP rating per 1000 feet of altitude.  The plateaus and passes of the West offer plenty of high altitudes:  some  7000 feet at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon;  11.000 at the Eisenhower Tunnels on I-71, for two examples.  Limit your trailer GVWR to 80% of your tow rating if you would tow in the West with an engine that is not turbo-charged.  At present all automotive diesels are turbo-charged.  Among the gasoline truck engines only the Ford EcoBoosts are turbo-charged.  [We are not dealing with the Mercedes Kompressor engines as tow vehicles.  At least not in my pay grade.  ;D ]

What you get out of all this is a single, simple, conservative number to allow you to match a trailer you do not own with a truck you may or may not own.    If you own the trailer, you can ignore the GVWR business and simply weigh the trailer, as loaded with your gear and ready for the road.   Actual weights supersede any ratings and estimates.  If you know the scaled weight then simply look for a truck with a tow rating more than the weight; in the West, make that 20% more than the weight.  If you have a turbo-charged ed gasser or a diesel, no altitude correction is needed, just go with the GVWR,

Todd0408,

If you have not already done so, I suggest you do some research of your own in addition to responses you may get on this or any internet forum. It is your safety and that of those that travel with you that is at the greatest risk if you choose an unsafe combination of truck and trailer.

Carl L said:

...What you get out of all this is a single, simple, conservative number to allow you to match a trailer you do not own with a truck you may or may not own.    If you own the trailer, you can ignore the GVWR business and simply weigh the trailer, as loaded with your gear and ready for the road.   Actual weights supersede any ratings and estimates.  If you know the scaled weight then simply look for a truck with a tow rating more than the weight; in the West, make that 20% more than the weight, if you have a turbo-charged ed gasser or a diesel...

Click to expand...

I respectfully disagree. Using just one number does not give the whole story. It may work out if the trailer is considerably less than the Max Tow Rating, but as I pointed out in my previous post, there are other ratings to consider. For example: looking at what I think is the Dodge you are looking at on the Dodge Website the max towing is 10300# Max payload 1661#. 12% tongue weight would be 1236# leaving 425# for passengers and cargo, Not that much and since the 1236# is behind the axles it could well put the truck over the RAWR. Even 80% of the Max Towing (8240) with a 12% tongue weight (989#)  still only leaves 672# for passengers and cargo.

Something else to consider when looking at travel trailers and what truck to tow it with is that many light weight trailers (i.e. low GVWR) have a relatively low cargo carrying capacity. There are some trailers that are not considered light weight but that do not weigh that much more empty but have much larger carrying capacity and thus a higher GVWR. Because the tongue weight of a trailer is about 10-15%, if you consider All the Numbers and Ratings it can be beneficial to carry weight in the trailer versus the tow vehicle. For example, 1000# in the trailer only adds 100-150# to the weight of the tow vehicle.

Good Luck in your search for the right truck and trailer for you!!

Man, I have a lot to learn! I've learned something from each and every post and I really do appreciate all of your advice. Keep it coming.

Anyone have any thoughts on the Ram diesel that's coming out next year?

12% tongue weight would be 1236# leaving 425# for passengers and cargo, Not that much and since the 1236# is behind the axles it could well put the truck over the RAWR.

Click to expand...

A weight distributing hitch is used with larger travel trailers and that does a good job of relieving the rear axle of the tongue weight. When properly set up, this should not be a concern.

Gary RV Roamer said:

A weight distributing hitch is used with larger travel trailers and that does a good job of relieving the rear axle of the tongue weight. When properly set up, this should not be a concern.

Click to expand...

A weight distribution hitch distributes some of the load from the rear axle onto the front axle and also some back onto the trailer axles. It can only distribute so much based on the strength of the spring bars, the wheel base of the tow vehicle and the distance of the hitch from the rear axle of the tow vehicle and the trailer axles. Even with a weight distribution hitch, the tongue weight adds to the weight of the truck.  Any cargo in the truck and or the bed also contributes to the truck's actual weight and actual axle weights.

Looking again at the numbers presented by the OP and those on the Dodge website, the curb weight of 5200# plus the max payload capacity of 1661# gives a GVWR of at least 6861. Adding the Max Tow Rating of 10,300# yields 17,161# which is considerably more than the GCWR of 15,650# listed by the OP. Starting with the GCWR of 15,650 -10,300 - 5200 leaves only 150# for cargo. This is typical of many light duty trucks and SUVs. A combination of truck and trailer may be within the specs for one rating, but not another.

In my opinion, one should calculate all the weights as best as possible to avoid making a costly mistake.

  IMHO    I have seen alot of information here but no one has mentioned brakes on a 1/2 ton compared to those on a 3/4 or larger for towing. I have towed my 24ft race car hauler alot of miles and only had to panic stop a few times , once with my 1/2 ton Ford , sold the truck and bought a 3/4 ton for pulling it afterwards. I do not purport to being an expert, just an old dude who has survived some stupid situations I got myself into. Mike McCarthy

Yeah, I would never come close to towing 10,300lbs. With everything said, I think I'll be ok as long as I stay below 5,000lbs loaded. Thanks again, for all the help and posts. This site is a great resource.

Here is a fuel cost comparing my two Dodge Trucks I own.

* 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 - 5.9L Magnum V8 / Auotmatic 4 Speed / 3.55 Gears
* 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 - 5.9L Cummins Turbo Diesel / 5 Speed Manual / 3.55 Gears

If you read the Traveling Trailer 2013 Towing Guidelines, you will see that most brands offer 1/2 ton trucks that can handle 9,000 to 10,000.  They are recognized as "experts."Would a 3/4 ton handle a TT better? Sure but not all of us like how they handle as a daily driving.  I just finished a long trip from the Chicago area to Florida, to Boston, and then back with my DW in her car, over 4,000 miles total.  One of the things that scared us was not 1/2 ton trucks pulling TT but some people with bigger trucks pulling TTs at 70-80 mph forgetting that most of the TTs run on tires that are build for 65 mph or less.  We were shocked.  It made my DW and I wonder if a bigger truck is needed not to pull a TT but for speeding while pulling them.  MHO>  Just wonder???????

Sorry, I meant Trailer Life magazine.

Mopar1973Man said:

Here is a fuel cost comparing my two Dodge Trucks I own.

Click to expand...

That's interesting, thanks for sharing!

For older, mostly depreciated trucks, what are the quietest brands / models with no spark plugs?  I've borrowed my friends 7.3 Powerstroke a few times and that puppy will scatter people in the parking lot when you hit the throttle, it's so loud.  May be his particular example, but I'm curious if tolerable noise levels are available in the well used / older market.  My wife said no way could she travel in anything that sounded like that...   

With my vehicles I like to drive them for a few years and be able to sell for about what I paid, it can be done as long as you buy older and make sure you get a great deal.  Cash talks.

The older diesels are noisy, no question about it, and the 7.3 leads the parade. I really notice the difference between our 24 valve Cummins and the older 12 valve. If your wife can't live with it you will either need to go fairly new or stick to gas.

RVRAC said:

  One of the things that scared us was not 1/2 ton trucks pulling TT but some people with bigger trucks pulling TTs at 70-80 mph forgetting that most of the TTs run on tires that are build for 65 mph or less.  We were shocked.  It made my DW and I wonder if a bigger truck is needed not to pull a TT but for speeding while pulling them.  MHO>  Just wonder???????

Click to expand...

No doubt.  I've never understood that.  Putting everyone at risk. 

On the subject of noise, the difference in noise levels on an old Powerstroke and a new Cummins is night and day. 

Frizlefrak said:

No doubt.  I've never understood that.  Putting everyone at risk. 

On the subject of noise, the difference in noise levels on an old Powerstroke and a new Cummins is night and day.

Click to expand...

The noise difference between my old 04 Powerstroke and my 12 F-250 is night and day.  The new diesels are much, much quieter. 

When I first got in the 12 F-250, with the saleman in the passenger seat, closed the doors and started it....I looked at the salesman and said "I don't want a gas rig....I want a diesel".  He chuckled and said that more than a few owners of the older diesels have been surprised.  Of course standing outside, even though it's much quieter, it's obvious it's a diesel but inside the cab it's very quiet.  Since I've owned it, I've had a number of people in my truck that have commented on how quiet it is.