Towing help for new 1500 purchase

[cj7]

thank you evreryone for all the comments and suggesstions. Ive towed a lot through the years so logic is telling me go bigger so I have more options on where to go. Found this truck last night and may jump on it. Just have to work dealer on price a little since a few options on it I dont need or want

| Henkel Auto Battle Creek, MI

New , | Henkel Auto Battle Creek, MI

www.henkelauto.com

That’s a nice truck, great for towing. But I wouldn’t want to use it as a daily driver. Have you driven both 1500 and 2500? Worth doing - I was surprised at how different they were.

Who knows, it may be the right place for you. It is good looking.

 

[bonacroots]

That’s a nice truck, great for towing. But I wouldn’t want to use it as a daily driver. Have you driven both 1500 and 2500? Worth doing - I was surprised at how different they were.

Who knows, it may be the right place for you. It is good looking.

I owned a 2014 1500 and loved it. The 2500 wont be a full daily but used a few times a week. I purchased a 06 toyota 4runner last year that i use daily to beat the hell out of and rack up miles since you cant kill those old engines and are so easy to work on. as ive stated earlier in thread Id love a 1500 but the limits where i can go and weight of the travel trailer and it being 32' id rather have options to go further and more places and not work the truck to the limits and shorten life span by going with a it and a 2500 will do it easily. Lots of threads on mpg too and on hwys and no hills which it is where i live at sea level they were getting 15-18mpg with a hd so the loss of mileage is huge. just wish they would put the same interior in 2500 that they do with the 1500

 

[bonacroots]

In that case you should be fine as far as weight is concerned. I'd spend some time at the scales getting the WDH all dialed in once you get your truck, that'll make a world of difference in how she tows. My 1500 actaully tows smoother than my 2500 did becuase I got the WDH all dialed in myself at the scales, while with my 2500 I let the dealer set it up (don't trust them to do it right).

what are the weights and how long as your trailer you tow with wit hthe 1500?

 

[Mchurch52]

what are the weights and how long as your trailer you tow with with the 1500?

The trailer is a Grand Design 2250RK. Overall length is 28 feet. Trailer gross weight is 7495, but we only have it loaded to about 6500 with an 800 pound tongue weight. The hitch is a Husky Centerline TS. Both the 1500 and 2500 were stable with the trailer, but the 1500 has less bounce on rough roads, I feel that comes down to getting the hitch tweaked at the scales.

I see you are looking at a 2500 with 6.4, that is what I had before my 2020 1500 with EcoDiesel. It was a great tow vehicle, but I didn't tow often enough to justify the gas mileage I got the rest of the time commuting to and from work (avg 13-14 MPG) or the rough ride on the crappy roads around here (my wife refused to ride in it unless we were towing). Both 1500 and 2500 have their pros and cons, you'll just have to weigh the list for each and decide which one will fit your needs the best.

 

[bonacroots]

The trailer is a Grand Design 2250RK. Overall length is 28 feet. Trailer gross weight is 7495, but we only have it loaded to about 6500 with an 800 pound tongue weight. The hitch is a Husky Centerline TS. Both the 1500 and 2500 were stable with the trailer, but the 1500 has less bounce on rough roads, I feel that comes down to getting the hitch tweaked at the scales.

I see you are looking at a 2500 with 6.4, that is what I had before my 2020 1500 with EcoDiesel. It was a great tow vehicle, but I didn't tow often enough to justify the gas mileage I got the rest of the time commuting to and from work (avg 13-14 MPG) or the rough ride on the crappy roads around here (my wife refused to ride in it unless we were towing). Both 1500 and 2500 have their pros and cons, you'll just have to weigh the list for each and decide which one will fit your needs the best.

that i do yes. 1500 is such a nice ride especially when empty. with air bags and the good wdh the 1500 should be great especially on mainly flat ground and the few times i go out of state or into elevation it should work. my rv is 7400 dry and 833 tongue but with right hitch i can help keep level. 2500 is definetely a rough ride empty with that solid rear. encouraging to hear the 1500 works for you. only 4 more feet and around 1000ft more weight. 1500 rated to 11320 with how ive built it

 

[Mchurch52]

For reference, our last camper was 34 feet over all and around 7500 loaded for camping (1000 pound tongue weight). I pulled it with an F150 5.0 with 6 1/2 foot bed (1740 payload and 9000 towing capacity). The truck pulled that camper great, mostly flat land but several steep grades in the Ozarks. The engine would scream and the transmission would get warm going up those grades, but I never felt unstable in it (the longer wheel base definitely helped). Probably would have been a different story out west or higher elevations, but it did fine for our needs. Again, a good quality and properly set up WDH will pay dividends.

 

[brian42]

The 2500 might ride a little rougher than the 1500 but the full coil suspension will ride better than every other 3/4 ton out there (and probably some of the other 1/2 tons with leaf rears).

I don't have a separate daily driver and had a Ford F-250 for 11 years prior to this (daily driver, weekend hauler, off-roader, etc.). It was not as cost-effective as something smaller but it did everything I wanted/needed and more.

Weight has some factor in it but length does as well. 25+ feet is quite the wall to drag down the road. If I was towing a travel trailer with a large side profile I would prefer to be in my 3/4 ton to control the load (7800 lbs, 13 foot wheelbase) than my 5500 lb 1500...regardless if the trailer fits in the GCWR of my 1500.

Just my .02

 

[bonacroots]

The 2500 might ride a little rougher than the 1500 but the full coil suspension will ride better than every other 3/4 ton out there (and probably some of the other 1/2 tons with leaf rears).

I don't have a separate daily driver and had a Ford F-250 for 11 years prior to this (daily driver, weekend hauler, off-roader, etc.). It was not as cost-effective as something smaller but it did everything I wanted/needed and more.

Weight has some factor in it but length does as well. 25+ feet is quite the wall to drag down the road. If I was towing a travel trailer with a large side profile I would prefer to be in my 3/4 ton to control the load (7800 lbs, 13 foot wheelbase) than my 5500 lb 1500...regardless if the trailer fits in the GCWR of my 1500.

Just my .02

agree completely. gonna pick it up and go through a scale first to get the real weights not just what im told then go truck shopping.

 

[323F2R]

Good idea to expect growth, kids grow fast and so does the accessories they require.

 

[Pristine1]

I wouldn’t worry too much about the ride with the 2500. I prefer the Ram 2500 ride to my recent 18 F150 even. You feel the added stiffness but with the rear coils it rides very nice. I would have gone 6.4 with the 2500 if it wasn’t for the fuel mpg. Not the most fuel efficient for a daily driver. Perfect for those that have a company vehicle or some similar set up. My new 1500 does drive really nice though.

I haven’t put my truck to work yet but I’ll be towing my rock wood ultra lite soon after I get some mileage on her. It’s 33 ft over all. 29 ft box. Usually comes in at around 7500# give or take when loaded. Hitch weight with 4 point hitch included has been around 1100-1150 when scaled. I’ll be running it lighter than that with the Ram. Shoot for 13% this time. As I was more in the 14-15 range before. My F150 had a few hundred more lbs of payload so I didn’t have to worry about if I throw everything in the pass through like I will now.

As long as you’re smart and keep up on you’re actual weights via a cat scale people should be able to even these big rigs out as long as you have over trailered your truck too badly. Many people still don’t scale them and are over more than they know. Especially if you use the bed of the truck while pulling one of these big bad boys. There’s really no room to load the bed unless it’s paper towels when you go big. Good luck to all you out there on the road. Don’t forget to really find out your weights when you’re pushing the limits. It’s not hard.

 

[Willwork4truck]

Tons of towing threads on here (search), most are 1500 drivers hoping they will be ok. Lots of "emotions" on both sides... Everybody's situations are different but it only takes one time to really F things up when you have pushed the envelope too far.

If you have hills/mts then watch it as far as tranny temps and braking down the other side. Otherwise mainly drop your speed and do the basic things like E rated tires, a more costly WDH with proper sway control and scale your combo so that your % tongue weight or 5ver pin weight is known.

Most 2015+ trucks of any brand have the motor to pull, but what's questionable is the rear axle/tires/braking. Don't get fooled by the ever increasing "can tow xx,xxx pounds" ads. After all, the Tundra "towed" the space shuttle a few years back. It's one thing to tow 5-6 times a year on relatively flat/lower hill roads and get your water/other things near where you are camping (to save weight). It's another to be out there 15-20 times a year and be towing "big".

In general if you don't already have a truck, buy the trailer you want first then get the truck that will safely tow it. Unfortunately, most already have the truck (usually a 150/1500) and overbuy on the trailer. RV salespeople are very good at convincing you that your truck can safely tow their product. Best of luck on your decisions.

This guy covers it pretty well:

How Much Can I Tow? - Towing & Payload Capacity Explained​

Edit - I just added another very good explanation of trailer towing terms:

PAYLOAD PROBLEMS: HOW MUCH CAN I (REALLY) TOW?​

 

[Trooper4]

this will give you some perspective.

 

[Willwork4truck]

this will give you some perspective.

It didn't seem like they were too crazy about the Tradesman V6 with it's lack of auto trans downhill braking... Course' that's a pretty extreme hill and not to many peeps will encounter that.

Of course the Pentstar suffers pulling uphill, again not too many peeps will choose the V6 for towing in the mountains. It would take deeper gears than their 3.55's if you did much of that.
Another reason for 3.92's for trailer towers!

 

[Trooper4]

It didn't seem like they were too crazy about the Tradesman V6 with it's lack of auto trans downhill braking... Course' that's a pretty extreme hill and not to many peeps will encounter that.

Of course the Pentstar suffers pulling uphill, again not too many peeps will choose the V6 for towing in the mountains. It would take deeper gears than their 3.55's if you did much of that.
Another reason for 3.92's for trailer towers!

When we snowbird I run a few 5/6% grades, and have never had a problem, other than the 3/4MPG going up, and no problem with the cruise control and automatic tranny doing an excellent job of holding speed either side of the mountains.

 

[Willwork4truck]

When we snowbird I run a few 5/6% grades, and have never had a problem, other than the 3/4MPG going up, and no problem with the cruise control and automatic tranny doing an excellent job of holding speed either side of the mountains.

The v6 with its lighter duty tranny and 3.55's just doesn't seem to be the best thing for a heavier trailer.