Hey J.D. I have followed your recommendations for a few years now and and your advice has always been spot on. I joke with my wife that our RV has the BTBRV Trim package.
JD maybe you should mention in your videos about that exceeding manufacturer's suggested tow capacity just may give an insurance carrier a reason to deny a claim due to operator's negligence.
The reality is this. All manufacturers tow ratings are easy enough to max out with say a dump trailer, or a flatbed trailer full of something low and heavy like steel. Even at max tow they will usually feel pretty darn safe. Shorter wheelbase trailers and less wind resistance. Campers and enclosed trailers are a TOTALLY different ballgame. This is where the 60-75% of rated max tow rule comes in for me. If a half ton truck is rated to tow 12k lbs let's say I mean 6-8k is really a comfortable number...much more then that they just start to handle iffy. My 05 Silverado is rated for 7700lbs. I've towed a 6k Camper with it for thousands and thousands of miles. It's very planted and safe feeling. That being said it has some suspension modifications and a really well set up hitch, plus it's only 23ft long which helps. So it just depends for sure.
I have shared your video on towing capacity vs payload capacity with many people on different Facebook forums. Thank you for some very helpful information.
Not having any real world experience myself and just going by published towing numbers, I always thought that your recommendations were overly conservative. That is, until recently I towed a 5000 pound enclosed U-Haul trailer with my Toyota Highlander over 900 miles. The vehicle did fine, but it is not something that I would want to repeat on a regular basis. After we get home, I told my wife that when we do finally pull the trigger on buying a truck and RV that we are getting an F350 SRW at a minimum, if not an F450!
This. So many people want to say the "But muh truck can tow xxxxx". Most of those people haven't had a large profile trailer behind them. They might have had 14K worth of gravel behind that truck, but not a wind sail. Also, towing in the flats of the midwest is a cake walk compared to the hills of the east and west.
My 03 F150 can tow my 24’ boat number wise however my 04 Dodge Cummins makes my towing experience much more enjoyable. Having that extra capacity is a difference of arriving at the lake stressed out vs relaxed.
Thank you for your videos. You helped us avoid a mistake of getting a high trim level 2500 which would have had too low a payload for the type of 5ver we were interested in. We thought a 3/4 ton could easily tow anything we were interested in. Instead we got a work truck level 3500 diesel without all the bells and whistles but all tow prepped for the 5ver. As a result we have the pick of any 5ver in the entire litter we are looking at! Thanks JD!!!!!
I have a ‘07 Tundra, original owner with 200k miles. Love my truck. It’s the 5.8l 2nd Crewmax. I have the 10,400 towing capacity. I’ve probably towed 50k miles with a variety of trailers. I have an extensive towing experience as I owned and landscaping company as well as worked for vending company with a region all over the Southeast. Our first camper was a 27’ dry weight of 4600lbs, and we have about 1,200 of cargo. I thought the Tundra handled that camper just fine. Our new camper is 34’ dry weight 6,900 and we probably have that same 1,200 of cargo. I’m using an Anderson WD hitch on both, and the new camper is maxing it’s abilities. In my opinion the new camper even though is within the weight rating is too much for the Tundra. It’s goes back what you have said about stiffer HD rear ends. It’s not a HP issue either, the Toyota 5.7 is a great motor, it will pull this new camper at 65-70 thru the hills here in East TN. I think a lot of your recommendations are spot on.
Good stuff, I was thinking the same answers you gave. While not a hard and fast rule, it seems general cut offs if we're looking only at weight are 7K, 10K, 12K-13K, and 16K for when folks should be looking at half ton, three quarter, super single, and dually respectively.
J.D. - I truly respect your advice. Being someone that is more conservative when it comes to being as safe as possible I think you advice on what vehicle can tow which trailers is excellent - yes, I believe in having more capacity than you need because that extra margin may be what saves you. I have seen too many videos or with my own eyes trailers and trucks in bad situations where I can see that the trailer was way too big for the truck that was towing it.
I agree with all of these recommendations. From experience. I learned from you. I went from a half ton barely able to tow my travel trailer to a very stable comfortable 3/4 ton in which I no longer worry about payload capacity and stability.
It all comes down to safety, in my state of Nevada and 13 others, over 10000 lbs, a class A NCDL. My truck has GVWR of 14000 and 5er is 16000. 30000 lb max
Hi JD, I love the way you think, I'm a retired investigator for severe working accidents. So many times I've heard I thought it was strong enough. Like I always say better to be on the save side instead of saying if I knew.
With 1/2 tons the tow rating is almost useless number. You reach rear axle weight rating and payload before you reach the tow rating. What will killl you is the tongue weight which is too high on most camper trailers for 1/2ton and the relatively low rear axle weight limit on average 1/2 ton.
I have a 2018 ram 2500 crew cab short box with the cummins. It has 2000 LBS payload capacity that being said i personally would never put a 5TH wheel trailer on it. I totally agree with having at least a one ton as a minimum. Now there aren`t many travel trailers that i wouldn`t pull. JD i do agree with many of your recommendations.
As someone with a good amount of towing experience before getting an RV I was surprised how different it was to tow an RV, it really does make a noticeable difference. I've never been worried about our safety but it is definitely noticeably more work to tow the RV. One thing I would add is to take width into account. There is a very noticeable difference between a 7ft, 7.5ft and 8ft RVs. You can probably go down a "level" of vehicle if the width is 7ft.
I think you give good recommendations for keeping everyone safe. It’s much better to have more truck than less. In your opinion, for 3/4 ton towable units, do you prefer the extra towing power of the diesel or the extra payload of the gas versions?
Most of the time I agree with you regarding which tow vehicle to use with which trailer. On the case of the ~5000 pound, single-axle trailer I have to disagree with you. If one were to have a midsize truck with a 7000 pound or greater tow rating, they can pull this trailer. Modern midsize trucks have anti-sway and stability control systems to keep the "tail from wagging the dog" as you put it. The concern should always be tow rating and cargo capacity of the tow vehicle, but a mid-range Chevy or Ford has close to 1500 pounds of cargo capacity (my 2020 Colorado Z71 has 1486 pound capacity) and 7,000+ towing capacity. Although, I would recommend a 7 1/2 foot width trailer because it's not easy to find towing mirrors for midsize trucks that will allow you to see around an 8 foot wide trailer. My rig is a 2020 Colorado Z71 4x4 v6. I tow a 2020 Wildwood FSX170SS that is 7 1/2 feet wide, has a dry weight of 3700 pounds, a GWV rating of 4600 pounds, and has an overall length of 22 feet.. My trailer has a 450 pound tongue weight, that leaves me 1000 pounds for fuel, passengers, and cargo. Most of the time I don't even realize I'm towing it, there is no sway, no push, and, with towing mirrors, I can easily see along either side without issue. I do have a Furion vehicle monitoring system so I can see down either side and behind, but that is more of a luxury than a necessity. My truck is not overloaded, the anti-sway package and the weight distribution hitch make it a dream to tow. To be fair, I followed your channel and took copious notes before I purchased both truck and trailer, but because of the information you provide and doing my homework, I know my rig is more than capable of handling my RV. I have taken them on cross country trips going over mountain passes above 7000 feet and across windswept plains without once white knuckling it.
I was recently looking at my first rv salesman asks me what I’ll be towing it with I said 3/4 ton truck his reply that’s over kill you don’t need that coast him the sale of an rv in the first 10 minutes
It's about matching the size of the cart to the side of the horse you have simple , and remember the dry hitch or pin weight is before battery or propane tanks that adds to hitch weight , the more you add the more you subtract for the cargo number of both the truck and the trailer
I want the horse to command the wagon, not the wagon command the horse. I feel that the new truck's are more capable than the general public. It's a catch 22. Everything is bigger, heavier, so that means the truck has to be made more capable. That said, John and Jane Doe need to gut check themselves, so they're not a statistic of a crash. Be safe everybody.
Request Compare travel trailers against fifth wheels with the same max weight and axcel rating. Also length. See if the same truck can tow either one. Two people buy the same truck and trim level. One wants a travel trailer and the other one wants a fifth wheel. Weight within 100 lb and the same axcel. Try and pretty much the same floor plan.
One thing that you have left out, at least on the hitch pull trailers, are the tongue weights of the trailers. This is a huge factor when it comes to deciding on a rv. Most dealerships are clueless in regards to this and say "oh it's 10% of the weight of the trailer". This could not be farther from the truth. This is especially important on the smaller tow vehicles and trailers. There are many trailers out there in the 3000 l range with tongue weights around 400-500+ lbs. Even on some of the larger trailers the tongue weight can be questionable.
Thanks for the review. So my F-350DS crew cab long bed is fine for the Solitude or similar, correct? I also plan on using a gooseneck pin box. Is it correct that you can tow a little more with a gooseneck?
I was told the tundra is capable of towing a little more than most half tons, the sr5 crewmax has a 11370 lb tow w/ 1875 lb payload, would this be safe for either of those 2 in the nc mountains? Rockwood 2509s Hitch 773 UVW - Empty 5,336 GVW - Max Weight 6,933 UVW Apex Mini-lite Hitch 596 UVW - Empty 4,260 Cargo - 1740 GVW - Max 6,000 What do you recommend , need a bunk for the family
@@BTBRVReviews from Toyota: Toyota Tundra SR5 The Toyota Tundra SR5 comes in both 4×2 and 4×4 options, each with additional bed length options of 5.5, 6.5, and 8.1 feet. It features a maximum towing capacity of 11,370 pounds and a maximum payload of 1,875 pounds. This truck model has an available advanced technology package that includes helpful necessities That being said, would either of the above campers be safe in the mountains.
Thank you for doing this video, very informative. I have a 2003 Chevy Silverado 1500HD crew cab with a 6L gas (heavy half). I’m on my second bed and regular tow hitch. Sticker says GVWR 8600 lbs; GAWR FRT 4410; GAWR RR 6000 lbs. So then am I not to surpass a total weight of 6000 pounds? Or what should I be looking for? Feel free to use my truck as an example in your videos, as I’m thinking that I can only pull smaller single axle campers or a light weight dual axle camper. Is that correct? Got a brand name and model that you can tell me for an example to look at? Thank you.
The 6,000 lbs is the maximum weight on the rear axle and no more than 8,600 pounds total weight of your vehicle. You’d need to research the towing capacity of your truck and keep in mind that you need to subtract whatever you have for payload in the truck from the towing capacity to see how heavy a trailer you can safely tow. Keep in mind that you want a generous safety margin. Also, since you have a half ton truck you probably don’t want more than about a 25 foot trailer so that the wind doesn’t knock you around.
I am a little confused, I have a Honda Ridgeline which says Tow Limit is 5000 lbs. What empty weight trailer should I be looking for ? When you say half ton, what does that mean ? Thanks
It’s similar to my wife’s Expedition. It has a 5,300lb capacity. It can tow a trailer empty weight between 2500-3000 safely. Just have to watch the payload capacity. Look at those Intech Dawn’s The GVWR is only 4,000lbs. Not much cargo capacity, but great for short trips. If my wife would go for a wet bath, it would be prefect. As it is I’m shopping for a F250 to pull a 33 foot trailer. Wife doesn’t do simple. 😂
@@lens7859from back in the day, when light trucks had payloads from 1000 lbs (half a ton) to 1500 lbs (3/4 ton) to 2000 lbs (1 ton). Over the years the terms have lost their original meanings for the most part, and now just delineate the progressively heavier specs of pickups. For example, the two smallest pickups for sale today, the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz, have rated payloads of up to just under 1500 lbs. Meanwhile, depending on specifications and options you can find "3/4 ton" pickups with less. It depends on what a vehicle is built for. And payload is a relatively easy thing to increase, as it's a function of the capacity of the axles and suspension, the stopping ability of the brakes, and engine power. Engines today have ridiculous amounts of power. The least powerful base powerplant in everything but the Santa Cruz is well over 200 hp, and even the Santa Cruz starts with more power than most 1/2 ton pickups could be optioned with prior to 1990. Transmissions can be a weak link, though, depending on their design and such. The main issue is heat, meaning auxiliary cooling is generally added by the manufacturer when designing high payload or towing packages. Braking as well is generally not an issue. I can't think of a single pickup available today without four wheel disc brakes, and ABS. A basic Ford F-150 can outstop performance cars from the 1980s (and even later, in some cases). So there's a fair bit of capability there, and manufacturers (and the aftermarket) can improve it with larger rotors, and improved calipers and pads. And the carrying capacity of the suspension is mostly affected by the springs. Modern truck axles are very durable, so increasing the spring capacity allows for easy addition of payload, within reason. Finally, for all the discussion of ½, ¾, and 1 tons, something to remember is that an old 1 ton is not the same as a modern one. Modern trucks simply have more capacity. They have more power, better gearing thanks to 6, 8, and 10 speed transmissions, and better brakes. They have fully boxed frame rails made of high strength steel. And they're heavier than older trucks, due to the increased levels of equipment, and mandatory safety equipment (just like modern cars). All this means a 2023 F-150 can out haul some older F-350s (think pre-1996).
JD regarding the Avenue 5th wheel at 7:42. I have a single cab long bed ram 2500 gasser. 3900 pound payload and 14k ish towing capacity. What are your thoughts pairing the two?
I just recently picked up an F150 with 2100 lbs of payload and a 9300 lb tow capacity. If my wife had her way, we'd be using it to pull something that weighed 9300 lbs. 😂 I'm trying to keep it at around 6000 lbs max. I say that because the Jayco 264BH (I think that's the model number) has a GVWR of that amount, but it has bunks and no slide. My only concern is the length. What do you good folks think?
With 1/2 ton the towing capacity is almost useless number. What's important is rear axle weight rating and payload. Get on the CAT 😺 scale and do your numbers. You should be OK with that trailer but it's good to know your numbers. Also check you're not over on the trailer axles rating as they have razor thin margins..
My family has a travel trailer that is 33' from the front of the hitch to the back of the spare tire and weighs about 5300 lbs when empty. When we bought it they told us it was 27' according to the manufacturer's specs. The box is 27'. We have been pulling it with a crew cab, short bed, F150 with Ecoboost. We are planning to get a heavier truck because we are not happy with how it tows when there are crosswinds and when large trucks pass us, despite using a weight distribution hitch with sway control. I think that your question about how the length of the trailer affects towing is really important. I hope that BTBRV does a video about how the length of the tow vehicle wheelbase and length of the trailer afect towing.
Hey J.D. I have followed your recommendations for a few years now and and your advice has always been spot on. I joke with my wife that our RV has the BTBRV Trim package.
JD maybe you should mention in your videos about that exceeding manufacturer's suggested tow capacity just may give an insurance carrier a reason to deny a claim due to operator's negligence.
JD I believe that your recommendations are usually note worthy and once again this is the case. Thanks!
That Solitude looked like it was nothing short of a commercial truck towable. Thing was massive.
The reality is this. All manufacturers tow ratings are easy enough to max out with say a dump trailer, or a flatbed trailer full of something low and heavy like steel. Even at max tow they will usually feel pretty darn safe. Shorter wheelbase trailers and less wind resistance.
Campers and enclosed trailers are a TOTALLY different ballgame. This is where the 60-75% of rated max tow rule comes in for me. If a half ton truck is rated to tow 12k lbs let's say I mean 6-8k is really a comfortable number...much more then that they just start to handle iffy.
My 05 Silverado is rated for 7700lbs. I've towed a 6k Camper with it for thousands and thousands of miles. It's very planted and safe feeling. That being said it has some suspension modifications and a really well set up hitch, plus it's only 23ft long which helps. So it just depends for sure.
I have shared your video on towing capacity vs payload capacity with many people on different Facebook forums. Thank you for some very helpful information.
Much appreciated!
Not having any real world experience myself and just going by published towing numbers, I always thought that your recommendations were overly conservative. That is, until recently I towed a 5000 pound enclosed U-Haul trailer with my Toyota Highlander over 900 miles. The vehicle did fine, but it is not something that I would want to repeat on a regular basis. After we get home, I told my wife that when we do finally pull the trigger on buying a truck and RV that we are getting an F350 SRW at a minimum, if not an F450!
This. So many people want to say the "But muh truck can tow xxxxx". Most of those people haven't had a large profile trailer behind them. They might have had 14K worth of gravel behind that truck, but not a wind sail. Also, towing in the flats of the midwest is a cake walk compared to the hills of the east and west.
My 03 F150 can tow my 24’ boat number wise however my 04 Dodge Cummins makes my towing experience much more enjoyable. Having that extra capacity is a difference of arriving at the lake stressed out vs relaxed.
Thank you for your videos. You helped us avoid a mistake of getting a high trim level 2500 which would have had too low a payload for the type of 5ver we were interested in. We thought a 3/4 ton could easily tow anything we were interested in. Instead we got a work truck level 3500 diesel without all the bells and whistles but all tow prepped for the 5ver. As a result we have the pick of any 5ver in the entire litter we are looking at! Thanks JD!!!!!
I have a ‘07 Tundra, original owner with 200k miles. Love my truck. It’s the 5.8l 2nd Crewmax. I have the 10,400 towing capacity. I’ve probably towed 50k miles with a variety of trailers. I have an extensive towing experience as I owned and landscaping company as well as worked for vending company with a region all over the Southeast. Our first camper was a 27’ dry weight of 4600lbs, and we have about 1,200 of cargo. I thought the Tundra handled that camper just fine. Our new camper is 34’ dry weight 6,900 and we probably have that same 1,200 of cargo. I’m using an Anderson WD hitch on both, and the new camper is maxing it’s abilities. In my opinion the new camper even though is within the weight rating is too much for the Tundra. It’s goes back what you have said about stiffer HD rear ends. It’s not a HP issue either, the Toyota 5.7 is a great motor, it will pull this new camper at 65-70 thru the hills here in East TN. I think a lot of your recommendations are spot on.
Good stuff, I was thinking the same answers you gave.
While not a hard and fast rule, it seems general cut offs if we're looking only at weight are 7K, 10K, 12K-13K, and 16K for when folks should be looking at half ton, three quarter, super single, and dually respectively.
J.D. - I truly respect your advice. Being someone that is more conservative when it comes to being as safe as possible I think you advice on what vehicle can tow which trailers is excellent - yes, I believe in having more capacity than you need because that extra margin may be what saves you. I have seen too many videos or with my own eyes trailers and trucks in bad situations where I can see that the trailer was way too big for the truck that was towing it.
I agree with all of these recommendations. From experience. I learned from you. I went from a half ton barely able to tow my travel trailer to a very stable comfortable 3/4 ton in which I no longer worry about payload capacity and stability.
It all comes down to safety, in my state of Nevada and 13 others, over 10000 lbs, a class A NCDL. My truck has GVWR of 14000 and 5er is 16000. 30000 lb max
Hi JD, I love the way you think, I'm a retired investigator for severe working accidents. So many times I've heard I thought it was strong enough. Like I always say better to be on the save side instead of saying if I knew.
With 1/2 tons the tow rating is almost useless number. You reach rear axle weight rating and payload before you reach the tow rating. What will killl you is the tongue weight which is too high on most camper trailers for 1/2ton and the relatively low rear axle weight limit on average 1/2 ton.
Perfect informational video! Thanks for your opinions & experience to keep us ALL safe. Including all other folks on the road.
I have a 2018 ram 2500 crew cab short box with the cummins. It has 2000 LBS payload capacity that being said i personally would never put a 5TH wheel trailer on it. I totally agree with having at least a one ton as a minimum. Now there aren`t many travel trailers that i wouldn`t pull. JD i do agree with many of your recommendations.
i have been waiting for some one to post something like thank you
As someone with a good amount of towing experience before getting an RV I was surprised how different it was to tow an RV, it really does make a noticeable difference. I've never been worried about our safety but it is definitely noticeably more work to tow the RV.
One thing I would add is to take width into account. There is a very noticeable difference between a 7ft, 7.5ft and 8ft RVs. You can probably go down a "level" of vehicle if the width is 7ft.
Very informative video short and sweet to the point learned a bunch THANKS FOR POSTING MUCH APRECIATED
I'm so happy you continue to bring rational thinking to the RV community. What I see on the road scares me.
I think you give good recommendations for keeping everyone safe. It’s much better to have more truck than less. In your opinion, for 3/4 ton towable units, do you prefer the extra towing power of the diesel or the extra payload of the gas versions?
Most of the time I agree with you regarding which tow vehicle to use with which trailer. On the case of the ~5000 pound, single-axle trailer I have to disagree with you. If one were to have a midsize truck with a 7000 pound or greater tow rating, they can pull this trailer. Modern midsize trucks have anti-sway and stability control systems to keep the "tail from wagging the dog" as you put it. The concern should always be tow rating and cargo capacity of the tow vehicle, but a mid-range Chevy or Ford has close to 1500 pounds of cargo capacity (my 2020 Colorado Z71 has 1486 pound capacity) and 7,000+ towing capacity. Although, I would recommend a 7 1/2 foot width trailer because it's not easy to find towing mirrors for midsize trucks that will allow you to see around an 8 foot wide trailer.
My rig is a 2020 Colorado Z71 4x4 v6. I tow a 2020 Wildwood FSX170SS that is 7 1/2 feet wide, has a dry weight of 3700 pounds, a GWV rating of 4600 pounds, and has an overall length of 22 feet.. My trailer has a 450 pound tongue weight, that leaves me 1000 pounds for fuel, passengers, and cargo. Most of the time I don't even realize I'm towing it, there is no sway, no push, and, with towing mirrors, I can easily see along either side without issue. I do have a Furion vehicle monitoring system so I can see down either side and behind, but that is more of a luxury than a necessity. My truck is not overloaded, the anti-sway package and the weight distribution hitch make it a dream to tow.
To be fair, I followed your channel and took copious notes before I purchased both truck and trailer, but because of the information you provide and doing my homework, I know my rig is more than capable of handling my RV. I have taken them on cross country trips going over mountain passes above 7000 feet and across windswept plains without once white knuckling it.
Thanks! But, The trailer that better represents yours in my video is the lighter one that I did say could be towed by a midsize truck right?
I was recently looking at my first rv salesman asks me what I’ll be towing it with I said 3/4 ton truck his reply that’s over kill you don’t need that coast him the sale of an rv in the first 10 minutes
Thanks my friend😊
It's about matching the size of the cart to the side of the horse you have simple , and remember the dry hitch or pin weight is before battery or propane tanks that adds to hitch weight , the more you add the more you subtract for the cargo number of both the truck and the trailer
I like to run at about 80% of my max towing capacity.
Nice advice thanks!!
I want the horse to command the wagon, not the wagon command the horse.
I feel that the new truck's are more capable than the general public.
It's a catch 22. Everything is bigger, heavier, so that means the truck has to be made more capable. That said, John and Jane Doe need to gut check themselves, so they're not a statistic of a crash.
Be safe everybody.
Request
Compare travel trailers against fifth wheels with the same max weight and axcel rating. Also length.
See if the same truck can tow either one.
Two people buy the same truck and trim level. One wants a travel trailer and the other one wants a fifth wheel. Weight within 100 lb and the same axcel. Try and pretty much the same floor plan.
My guesses where close to spot on.
You can never over do it with your tow vehicle. but you can definitely under do it.
One thing that you have left out, at least on the hitch pull trailers, are the tongue weights of the trailers. This is a huge factor when it comes to deciding on a rv. Most dealerships are clueless in regards to this and say "oh it's 10% of the weight of the trailer". This could not be farther from the truth. This is especially important on the smaller tow vehicles and trailers. There are many trailers out there in the 3000 l range with tongue weights around 400-500+ lbs. Even on some of the larger trailers the tongue weight can be questionable.
I was trying to simplify things. I generally focus very closely on hitch tongue weight.
Thanks for the review.
So my F-350DS crew cab long bed is fine for the Solitude or similar, correct? I also plan on using a gooseneck pin box. Is it correct that you can tow a little more with a gooseneck?
I was told the tundra is capable of towing a little more than most half tons, the sr5 crewmax has a 11370 lb tow w/ 1875 lb payload, would this be safe for either of those 2 in the nc mountains?
Rockwood 2509s
Hitch 773
UVW - Empty 5,336
GVW - Max Weight 6,933
UVW
Apex Mini-lite
Hitch 596
UVW - Empty 4,260
Cargo - 1740
GVW - Max 6,000
What do you recommend , need a bunk for the family
I believe Toyota state of the CrewMax will never have a tow capacity over 10,000 lb.
@@BTBRVReviews from Toyota: Toyota Tundra SR5
The Toyota Tundra SR5 comes in both 4×2 and 4×4 options, each with additional bed length options of 5.5, 6.5, and 8.1 feet. It features a maximum towing capacity of 11,370 pounds and a maximum payload of 1,875 pounds. This truck model has an available advanced technology package that includes helpful necessities
That being said, would either of the above campers be safe in the mountains.
Awesome thanks!!
So would you recommend towing with a 3/4 ton on a north trail 24bhs?
Thank you for doing this video, very informative. I have a 2003 Chevy Silverado 1500HD crew cab with a 6L gas (heavy half). I’m on my second bed and regular tow hitch. Sticker says GVWR 8600 lbs; GAWR FRT 4410; GAWR RR 6000 lbs.
So then am I not to surpass a total weight of 6000 pounds? Or what should I be looking for? Feel free to use my truck as an example in your videos, as I’m thinking that I can only pull smaller single axle campers or a light weight dual axle camper. Is that correct? Got a brand name and model that you can tell me for an example to look at? Thank you.
The 6,000 lbs is the maximum weight on the rear axle and no more than 8,600 pounds total weight of your vehicle.
You’d need to research the towing capacity of your truck and keep in mind that you need to subtract whatever you have for payload in the truck from the towing capacity to see how heavy a trailer you can safely tow. Keep in mind that you want a generous safety margin. Also, since you have a half ton truck you probably don’t want more than about a 25 foot trailer so that the wind doesn’t knock you around.
I am a little confused, I have a Honda Ridgeline which says Tow Limit is 5000 lbs. What empty weight trailer should I be looking for ? When you say half ton, what does that mean ? Thanks
It’s similar to my wife’s Expedition. It has a 5,300lb capacity. It can tow a trailer empty weight between 2500-3000 safely. Just have to watch the payload capacity. Look at those Intech Dawn’s The GVWR is only 4,000lbs. Not much cargo capacity, but great for short trips. If my wife would go for a wet bath, it would be prefect. As it is I’m shopping for a F250 to pull a 33 foot trailer. Wife doesn’t do simple. 😂
@@crawdaddct thank you, but why do they call it a half ton?
@@lens7859from back in the day, when light trucks had payloads from 1000 lbs (half a ton) to 1500 lbs (3/4 ton) to 2000 lbs (1 ton).
Over the years the terms have lost their original meanings for the most part, and now just delineate the progressively heavier specs of pickups.
For example, the two smallest pickups for sale today, the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz, have rated payloads of up to just under 1500 lbs. Meanwhile, depending on specifications and options you can find "3/4 ton" pickups with less. It depends on what a vehicle is built for.
And payload is a relatively easy thing to increase, as it's a function of the capacity of the axles and suspension, the stopping ability of the brakes, and engine power.
Engines today have ridiculous amounts of power. The least powerful base powerplant in everything but the Santa Cruz is well over 200 hp, and even the Santa Cruz starts with more power than most 1/2 ton pickups could be optioned with prior to 1990.
Transmissions can be a weak link, though, depending on their design and such. The main issue is heat, meaning auxiliary cooling is generally added by the manufacturer when designing high payload or towing packages.
Braking as well is generally not an issue. I can't think of a single pickup available today without four wheel disc brakes, and ABS. A basic Ford F-150 can outstop performance cars from the 1980s (and even later, in some cases). So there's a fair bit of capability there, and manufacturers (and the aftermarket) can improve it with larger rotors, and improved calipers and pads.
And the carrying capacity of the suspension is mostly affected by the springs. Modern truck axles are very durable, so increasing the spring capacity allows for easy addition of payload, within reason.
Finally, for all the discussion of ½, ¾, and 1 tons, something to remember is that an old 1 ton is not the same as a modern one.
Modern trucks simply have more capacity. They have more power, better gearing thanks to 6, 8, and 10 speed transmissions, and better brakes. They have fully boxed frame rails made of high strength steel.
And they're heavier than older trucks, due to the increased levels of equipment, and mandatory safety equipment (just like modern cars).
All this means a 2023 F-150 can out haul some older F-350s (think pre-1996).
Half ton is your average pickup truck, ram 1500, f150 etc.
JD regarding the Avenue 5th wheel at 7:42. I have a single cab long bed ram 2500 gasser. 3900 pound payload and 14k ish towing capacity. What are your thoughts pairing the two?
It sounds like your truck may be fine.
What about truck bed campers? What trucks is good for truck bed campers?
That depends on how heavy the camper is. There are models that fit every truck range.
I just recently picked up an F150 with 2100 lbs of payload and a 9300 lb tow capacity.
If my wife had her way, we'd be using it to pull something that weighed 9300 lbs. 😂
I'm trying to keep it at around 6000 lbs max. I say that because the Jayco 264BH (I think that's the model number) has a GVWR of that amount, but it has bunks and no slide. My only concern is the length. What do you good folks think?
With 1/2 ton the towing capacity is almost useless number. What's important is rear axle weight rating and payload. Get on the CAT 😺 scale and do your numbers. You should be OK with that trailer but it's good to know your numbers. Also check you're not over on the trailer axles rating as they have razor thin margins..
My family has a travel trailer that is 33' from the front of the hitch to the back of the spare tire and weighs about 5300 lbs when empty. When we bought it they told us it was 27' according to the manufacturer's specs. The box is 27'. We have been pulling it with a crew cab, short bed, F150 with Ecoboost. We are planning to get a heavier truck because we are not happy with how it tows when there are crosswinds and when large trucks pass us, despite using a weight distribution hitch with sway control. I think that your question about how the length of the trailer affects towing is really important. I hope that BTBRV does a video about how the length of the tow vehicle wheelbase and length of the trailer afect towing.