Truck shopping

fiziksgeek · June 20, 2014

Hello all, New member, first post!

I am in the market for a truck. I plan to purchase in the fall, and like to do as much research as possible! I have recently rented both a 2014 Silverado and an F150 and had each for a weekend. I wouldn't rule out a Ford, but I am leaning toward Chevy/GM, so let's assume I will end up in one.

The truck will likely be my daily driver, if not immediately, within a couple years. My daily commute is ~60 miles total, and I've been averaging 17K miles per year. I plan to keep the truck for 10 years. I have 2 kids, and occasionally carry a friend or two, so I'll definitely be getting a crew cab.

I want to be able to tow my tractor 3-4 times per year to my parents house, 50 miles one way. I have a Massey Ferguson GC2400, when carrying the mower deck, loader, and a 3 pt chipper, the weight will be 2.6-2.8K lbs. I haven't bought a trailer yet, but 16-18' utility trailers or car haulers seem to be around 2K lbs. So approaching 5K lbs total, let's assume 6K lbs for some safety margin.

First real questions is, am I safely in the realm of a half ton capability? If I assume on the heavy side, 15% tongue wight with a 6K trailer that's 900 lbs, or nearly half the payload capacity of a Chevy 1500. Right now, the 4 of us total about 420 lbs, but my kids are small, 3 and almost 7, and they will grow...add fuel and fluids, and misc stuff, seems like I'll be pushing the payload capacity to the limit. I am not against a 3/4 ton, but if its not necessary, I don't want to be wasteful with my money.

What say you guys, am I safe with a half ton, or do I need a 3/4 ton? I have plenty of follow up questions, but figured I'd start here.

ATMINF · June 20, 2014

Yes that is in the realm of a 1/2 ton. Also you will get better mileage and nicer ride with a 1/2 ton. Longevity wise a 3/4 ton will last longer for a regular homeowner type(not towing above 8-9000lbs all the time). For me I got a 3/4 gasser back in 2006 because I got a much better deal on it and also I knew the 1/2ton trannys(4L60) just are not as robust. So now that it is 2014, my truck is still solid, no issues except my alternator might be going bad, and some light bulbs are burnt out on the volume and tuner knobs. It does everything but pass a gas station. And for you with a daily 60 mile trip that will add up. Good news for you is the "weak link" in the GMT 800 trucks (4L60) is no longer a issue. They now have the 6L80 trans, so the 1/2 tons should be good to go. Also in my case I most likely won't sell my truck for a long long while, because it's paid for and will the gas mileage is not great it does get 12-13 city and 16 hwy, so it's doable.

00Silverado4x4 · June 20, 2014

You will absolutely be within 1500 realm with what you are talking about doing. My '06 (1500) is still going strong at 122+k miles and I don't think I will ever get rid of this truck. I think you will be very happy with a 1500 (or a 150 if you so choose). So welcome aboard and feel free to ask all the questions you want. Once you make your decision make sure to let us all know and get some pics, we'd like to see it too.

Colossus · June 20, 2014

With your daily commute being 60 miles, that fuel cost will add up fast. May I suggest you also consider the new Dodge Ram 1500 with the eco diesel?

Blue2500CC · June 21, 2014

Chances are you will be fine with a 1500, maybe look at the NHT max tow pkg, bumps up the payload a little unless GM has changed the pkg. Also, I read with GM changing the rear end ratio on the 6.2 max tow pkg that there is a lot of speculation the 8spd tranny is coming! Obviously this is only speculation at this point!

Most utility trailers are closer to the low end of the tw %. If you will always carry the same equipment every trip just play with how you load it to find the safe balance for the lowest tw, but still a very stable trailer. Maybe screw a block to the trailer deck or paint lines on the deck for where to stop the tractor. Belly mower or 3pt?

Do you think you will add a lot of accessories to the truck: spray in bed liner, step bars, mud flaps, hd floor mats, fiberglass topper, etc??? All these items take away from the payload, so if yes, maybe consider the 2500HD.

fiziksgeek · June 21, 2014

Thanks for the replies so far.

@Colossus--I test drove a ram 1500 a couple year ago. My wife's subaru was in the shop for a recall, and I had an hour to kill, so I wandered over to the Dodge dealer across the street just for fun. I hated it...looked nice, had plenty of features and room, but I hated the way it drove. Hard to describe, but definitely didn't feel good to me. Unless they have changed the suspension set up, a Ram 1500 is not in my future. Also, the payload is much lower than either Chevy or Ford, again, I think its an artifact of the suspension. I know NIssan and Toyota are working on a 5 liter cummins for 2016 or so, doesn't fit my timeline for consideration unfortunately.

@Bluetec2500CC--Yes, I plan to have a spray in bed liner, probably Line-X, I'll want step bars to help the kids climb in, probably a soft tonneau cover. I know Ford offers a max payload package, pushing the payload to a little over 2K lbs. It doesn't appear that the max towing package on the GM trucks increases the payload at all.

Again, I know a 1500 is cheaper, more efficient, more comfortable, etc. I am just concerned about safety. However, I am also concerned about being wasteful. We are doing ok, but I am not rich, I don't have money to throw away. If I assume 10% TW or 600 lbs, another 600 lbs for 4 people, 200 lbs misc stuff, 130 lbs for a full gas tank, that leaves me 350 lbs shy of the stated 1883 lb capacity of the chevy/gm 1500 crew cab standard bed with the 5.3. Seems close, but do not plan on doing it often.

Blue2500CC · June 21, 2014

Looking up the specs it looks on the max tow the ra rating is 150lbs higher, but as you mentioned the gvwr is the same 7200lbs.

Sounds like you will be ok, just load carefully! Maybe go for the max tow for all the towing stuff it adds.

Also, if you think you would like the tow mirrors, need to find a truck with them or order the new beast as you want. It has been posted here that the tow mirrors can not be added after the sale like they could on the 900's!

snarkee · June 22, 2014

I added tow mirrors to mine

Blue2500CC · June 22, 2014

I added tow mirrors to mine

Maybe something changed as I thought it was posted that the stock mirrors had one less mounting bolt than the tow mirrors. And truck doors with regular mirrors didn't have the extra bolt hole.

Glad to hear they can be added!

snarkee · June 22, 2014

I had to drill out the fourth hole ( there is an indent where the hole would be drilled from factory )

They work great

music · June 23, 2014

You'll want a trailer with e-brakes, and ideally, the oem brake controller on the truck. You'll need to keep tongue weight reasonable, or look at using a weight distributing hitch. I think the dead weight limit on the oem hitch is around 600 lbs, but bumps to ~1200 with a wd hitch. Properly setup, I'd be perfectly fine with the 1500 (actually, I tow a heavier rv camper for longer distances with an older setup---see sig). A 2500 is overkill imho, unless you just want to hook up and go, without worrying about the added equipment and getting it adjusted for your setup. There's a lot to be said for that, but I'd rather put the effort into getting the 1500 setup, than paying the (much) higher cost to drive an empty 2500 daily. FWIW: if you towed all the time, my opinion would reverse.

fiziksgeek · June 23, 2014

Thanks for the continued replies. Sounds like a 1500 is the way to go. I am going to stop thinking about a 2500, it would really be overkill.

If I go Chevy/GM, I'll likely get the 5.3. crew cab, standard bed in either LT or LTZ trim. It seems the LT with 5.3 and max towing price is getting close to the LTZ price. Good marketing upselling people.

I don't see trailer mirrors as an option of either the Chevy or GM 1500 sites...? I'm not against installing aftermarket mirrrors, but I would prefer a factory option.

Are there any option I should get, or stay away from? Is the max trailering package a must? Should I stay away from the Z71 offroad package? Will any of the wheel/tire options negatively affect my towing capabilities?

I'll definitely look into a weight distribution hitch. As I understand it, this is something that goes on the trailer, and does not require modification of the hitch on the truck, is that correct?

ATMINF · June 24, 2014

I will say only one thing, and you already hit upon it. Once you load up on passengers, gear, how much payload do you have left over for a trailer? I'm not saying that 3/4 is a great daily driver, but my only negative is the gas mileage. I have driven mine as a daily driver since new and for you only driving 17k a year the mileage difference between a 1/2 vs 3/4 is what I would consider minimal over the much higher capabilities a 3/4ton has. My payload is around 3700-3800pds, so even with my family and gear I can safely tow a lot of stuff. In my world I always want overkill vs maybe just enough. Again I think a 1/2ton with a tow package is okay, just don't be one of those guys that go overboard and then wonder why their suspension is shot, trans blew up, etc etc.. Good luck!

Blue2500CC · June 24, 2014

I had to drill out the fourth hole ( there is an indent where the hole would be drilled from factory )

They work great

Glad to hear it sounds fairly easy to do, once the nerve of drilling a new truck is overcome! Lol

Fiziksgeek,

Factory brake controller is a must! The tow mirrors if you so choose, though to see around the tractor should be easy even with the stock mirrors.

Z71, not sure about the new '14/15's, but the 900's had the same tow rating Z71 or not as long as you had the tow pkg (from what I remember!).

Are you looking at 2 or 4wd? As a comparison, our '13-2500HD 4x4 CCSB has 2750(ish)lbs payload. As I mentioned, our '10-1500 4x4 CCSB had about 1550lbs. Options are almost identical, except power pedals, brake controller, and 6.5' bed vs. 5'8" bed. I know the new 1500 trucks have a little more payload.

Correct on the wd (weight distribution) hitch. Brackets attach on the tongue of the trailer. WD head works the same as a standard ball mount. Hook trailer up, then raise tongue back up (power jack is great for this!) to hook the wd bars up. Check Etrailer.com for some great videos on wd set ups!

Biggest thing to think about is just how much will be in the bed or truck when towing the tractor as you have already mentioned which puts you ahead of the game before buying the truck!

Jon A · June 24, 2014

I think the dead weight limit on the oem hitch is around 600 lbs, but bumps to ~1200 with a wd hitch.

The actual hitch on the new 1500's is rated for 1200 dead weight and 12000 trailer weight. However the truck itself is rated to 800 dead weight and needs WD to go over that to 1200 max. The truck is rated for up to 7000 lbs bumper pull without WD but needs WD after that.

That's for '14's, the '15's may be different as they have now adopted the J2807 standards (but the '14's were built to the tests so differences should be minor).

In any case, I'd consider a 2500 for what the OP describes (6K trailer, 50 miles only a few times a year) serious overkill, a 1/2 ton (these newer ones, at least) can easily handle that. If he wants a 2500 that's fine, but it's certainly not needed for this. If safety is the main concern, I'd recommend a set of airbags for added stability and more solid ride while towing--not really needed but make the rig feel much better when loaded.