Towing

mac3897 · May 16, 2002

I have read so many posts about people towing various things and most of them have a 3/4 ton truck. Most posters also seem to say no matter how big the load is to go with a 3/4 ton truck or above for towing. What do people usually tow with a 1/2 ton truck? These trucks have tow packages and other equipment for that reason but it just seems that no-one actually tows with one. How much is to much in terms of weight to tow??

Just curious!!

kaspar139 · May 16, 2002

I tow a boat every now and again (unfortunately not mine). This weekend I will be hauling 2 trailered 4-Wheelers. And, whenever my sorry butt moves, I tow the U-Haul 6'x12' trailer. Other than that, I do mostly hauling of various things.

But, very satisfied with the performance, though the only thing I have towed with any "noticeable" weight is the U-Haul trailer!

bassdog · May 16, 2002

I tow my 18ft bass boat all the time. Total length is 22ft and weights ~2200lbs. Haven't had any problems so far.

My dad used to tow his camper with his 1/2 ton Dodge, weighed 6400 lbs.

MarkD · May 16, 2002

I will be towing a 91 Z28 on a U-haul trailer and about 800 pounds of parts in the bed of my 99 Z71 saturday. The trip will be 200-250 miles one-way.

I have a 3.73:1 differential, the HD towing package, and stock tires. I also have a Tekonsha Prodigy Brake controller.

silverado man · May 16, 2002

I have towed a 66' mustang on a U-haul car trailer, and will be towing a 19' boat when my buddy gets it in a couple of weeks.

MountaineerTom · May 16, 2002

Lumber, furniture, junk, etc on a utility trailer. No boat or anything for me, but hopefully some ATV's in the future. And a couple times, a vehicle on a dual axle car trailer.

01z71 · May 16, 2002

I have a 16ft. Utility trailer I pull with my truck. I have towed, furniture, cars, tractor equipment, lumber, shingles, and lots of junk to the land fill.

SilveradoWV · May 16, 2002

My Silverado is rated to tow 7200 lbs. The most I have towed is 3000 (Utility Trailer and 3 four wheelers) with no problems!

carguru · May 16, 2002

I just towed an International Travelall last night on a Uhaul car hauler. Roughly 8000 lbs. My truck did not even break a sweat.

gmcjoe · May 16, 2002

I've only had 1/2 tons. I've towed our Camaro on a full open trailer with no worries

Jpshostr · May 17, 2002

Depends what you are towing. Something like a fishing boat or small trailer is no problem with a half ton, but you get anymore than that you'll want to step on up. Half tons have smaller trannys, smaller axles, smaller brakes, basically everything is smaller in the drivetrain of these trucks and won't stand up as well to repeated heavy usage that some people like us give trucks while towing.

Basically, the general rule of thumb for new trucks is the half tons are designed mainly for general transportation with light duty work on the side, but if you are wanting a truck for regular work that involves any sort of load you'll want to step up to the next level for better peace of mind, more durability and reliability, and more safety.

For example, I'd think anyone that tows a trailer such as the one below with a half ton is some sort of lunatic. I've seen it done, with not very pretty results.

SilveradoWV · May 17, 2002

Yeah 1/2 tons can pull stuff like pictured above, but it is the repetative usage that you might want a 3/4 ton or larger truck for, unless you just dont have the $$$$$$ for more than a 1/2 ton!

Shaners · May 17, 2002

When I had my G20 (heavy half-ton) conversion van with a 5.7L in it I towed my older 30 foot travel trailer all over with it. It worked it hard but I never had any problems. The van had 90K on it when I traded it, and everything was still original except the general maintenance stuff. I'm guessing this camper was about 6500 lbs...

HillHound · May 17, 2002

Most posters also seem to say no matter how big the load is to go with a 3/4 ton truck or above for towing.

That's flat out not necessary. Some of GM's 99+ 1500s are rated to tow as high as 9300lbs. That's pushing it but there's no reason why you can't tow up to 5000lbs on a regular basis as long as you have the proper equipment. I guess the main concern would be to have some type of trailer brakes if you need to pull more than 2 or 3 thousand pounds with a 1500. Personally, if I had to tow more than 5000lbs very often I would opt for a 2500 or higher. The way I see it a modern half-ton is a nice compromise-you get a heavy enough drivetrain to haul/tow light loads but you get decent mileage and a better ride than most heavier trucks. Here's some photos I've posted before. One is towing for fun and one is more for work!

droptail · May 17, 2002

I use to work as a general contractor and have hauled many things including 2.1 tons of demoed spa (in the bed) to the dump via freeway (I was dragging my tail so much they made me scale before and after); a horse in a 2-stall trailer; 3/4 yard of ready mix (4500 lbs.). Some of the hauling was done prior to my brake mod, which was the biggest limiter, stopping. There was always enough power, and everything else seemed up to the task, just had to stop loading before axle contact.