OT 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton truck

I'm needing a newer truck. However, when I want to rent an auto trailer (tractor trailer), they say they won't rent you one unless you have a 3/4 ton vehicle.
We need a new truck, and I would very occasionaly want to move my New Holland T1510 w/ loader. This tractor w/ loader won't even go 3000 lbs.
I plan on buying a trailer, but I want to make sure I won't have any trouble with a 1/2 ton. This tractor would be the most I would ever pull.
Do you guys see any issues?

Thanks,
Chuck

Go for a 3/4. When I was in sales, the most consistent mistake I saw customers make was underestimating the capacity they needed in a pickup.

You'd tell them they needed a 3/4 or one ton, and they'd insist on buying a half ton. Then a month later they'd come back and pitch a fit because the pickup couldn't do what they wanted it to. Of course, it was all your fault.

I pulled a 16ft trailer for years with a Ford Bronco, I had to use a reese equalizer hitch. I have a F250 now, I hope I never go back. But a heavy 1/2 will probably tow better than a Older light duty 3/4 ton.

even the 3/4 ton rear diff axle brgs are a far better setup for load carrying than the single axle brgs on a 1/2 ton. would not even think of a half ton unless was using it like a car.

3/4 ton.

When you consider the bigger brakes, heaver tires, and pulling a trailer without needing the equalizer hitch, I really enjoy the 3/4 over the 1/2 and I have had both.

I have a 3/4 ton GMC for when I need a truck. But it has only got a couple hundred miles on it this year. 6L gas, 4x4, fun to drive, but way too thirsty. I get 30mpg with my little HHR, and it gets used as the daily driver.

I've got an older 1/2ton,it does ok.But I really need 3/4.Sometimes I wonder how come is hasnt broken in half!Buy a 3/4.Steve

Even with a 3/4 ton the factory says to use a equlizer hitch if you are towing over 3000 LBS.
Would not think of towing with a 1/2 ton. unless it was a small utility trailor. 2000LB

Depends on the GVWR of the half ton in question. Many '95 or newer half tons will have a higher GVWR than an earlier 3/4 ton will. As for brakes/bearings trans etc for your ocasional use their supposed weaknesses won't be seen. I'll put my 8,000 GVWR '99 Suburban (w/tow pkg/sway bar) against any pre '90,s 3/4 ton. Bottom line is , they are all just pick-up,s with pick-up frames and tires. If you want guarrantees...get a one ton w/duals. Some will say that isn't enough. Buy for your 95% use and for that other 5% use your head and don't go over 50mph and have good 4 whl brakes on trailer. You won't have problems.

I went to a 3/4 ton in 07 from a 1/2 ton. The 3/4 ton does a better job towing as expected but the other 90percent of the time I would like to use it, it rides ruff and sucks alot of gas. I'm going back to a 1/2 ton next time. Although that maybe a while because I only put about 7,000 miles a year on it towing and drive my car the rest of the time.

i use a 94 f150 straight 6 and haul what ever will fit on my trailer. the trailor can handle 6 ton. ive carry a new holland l160 skid steer and and fertilizer with it and it can pull up hills good in high rang and ive carried up to 12 round bales on it and have also carried a ford 4610 tractor. it pulls everything fine. depends on what size trailor you are using behind a half ton.

I've got an '87 F150 with the 300 straight six and a 4 speed. Several years ago before I got my own trailer I borrowed a tandem axel car trailer from a buddy and pulled a forklift weighing nearly 5000 lbs with it over 300 miles down the interstate at speed, and it didn't seem like it knew the trailer and load was back there. I then turned around and pulled the same trailer back home loade with an '88 Camero. Just like before the truck didn't seem to really know it was pulling the load.

Since them I was given a trailer which is alot heavier than my buddies trailer. Awhile back I loaded it for the first time with a small tractor and went about 120 miles but it seemed like 500 miles.

I also had a buddy give me a secone trailer wihc is a tandem axel Hudson. I pulled it over 100 miles with sixten 55 gallon drums of used oil on it. Soem were full, some half full or less, so I have no clue how much it weighed. I do know the trailer is about the same weight as my other one and it towed like a rock getting started but did great once up to speed.

In other words, in my experience, with the right trailer and weight distribution even a 1/2 ton truck can pull a pretty good load as long as it has the right engine and transmission combonation. If the trailer is too big, the weight distribution is wrong, etc then the 1/2 ton might pull it but it's gonna be one slow, tough, tiring haul if your the one driving.

That said as soon as I can get the funds saved up I'm gonna be looking hard at trading up to at least a 3/4 ton, and more than likely a 1 ton dually, if the price is right, for times I need to tow something.

Doesn't really matter if your half ton will handle the load you intend. It sounds like the problem you are experiencing is the rental company rules that are limiting whether you can rent a trailer. In that case, you probably won't be able to change their rules, so you would either need to buy a trailer, find another rental company or get a 3/4 ton truck.

Doesn't really matter if your half ton will handle the load you intend. It sounds like the problem you are experiencing is the rental company rules that are limiting whether you can rent a trailer. In that case, you probably won't be able to change their rules, so you would either need to buy a trailer, find another rental company or get a 3/4 ton truck.

If you are buying a trailer too then you have to add the weigth of the trailer, the load and the towing vehicle. If that is less than the gross rating for the tuck you can haul it. I like 3/4 and 1 tons myself but one of the new F150 models is rated at 17,000 gross. So if you pull a 3k tractor on a 3k trailer (trailer weight not rating) behind a 7K truck you would still be under the 17K gross.

Rick

i wasn't going to say anything, but when it comes to saftey and my life, i have a 03 1-ton, to pull my 2axle goose, good for 15k. it might be too much for some jobs, but it's better to have more, than not enough. e.i.- braking, stablizing, backing, etc. my $.02......p/s down the road you might haul somthing bigger than you counted on, thinking i should have!

For a 3000lb tractor all you really need is a small car hauler which is around 2000lbs empty.

1/2 ton truck with the bigger V8 engine option is more than enough for a load like that.

If you're looking at a new truck that will also be your daily driver, it's not practical to get a 3/4 or 1 ton "just in case" when your normal load is only 5000lbs of low-profile, aerodynamic (compared to a camper trailer) stuff.

Down the road if you decide to go bigger on the equipment, THEN get a bigger truck if you think you need it.

If you have a place to store it you could probably get a 7000 pound 16' bumper pull for less than the difference in price between a 1/2 ton and a 3/4 ton. Your tractor would fit on that trailer and be pulled by a half ton just fine.

My first truck was a 3/4 ton.Ill repeat what the dealer told me.You have a much heavier rear end.8 ply tires, sure they cost more, but you get more tire for your money.5 speed transmission,old design cast iron with PTO option.Low first gear for starting big loads.Front end is heavy duty with grease fittings.It was a 77 no air polltions junk on the engine.I drove it for 90000 miles until road salt got the chassis.I bought my sons 96 Ford F150 when he bought a new gmc 3/4 ton GMC with a plow.6 years later The Ford 1/2 ton needs new spring hangers and the scrawney chassis is in bad shape.Ive looked a new 1/2 ton trucks, none have a decent chassis.I can fix the Ford and get a few more miles out of it but Im looking at 3/4 ton trucks.Friend says they ride hard but Ive been on 4 trips to get lumber for picnic tables with my son and see no problem with the ride.Ive noticed that you can buy a new 3/4 ton truck for less money than some 1/2 ton pimp mobiles.I drive less tha n 4000 miles per year.Haul some hay, grain, lumber and firewood.Deliver a picnic table for customers who dont have a truck.You do need power steering and power brakes on a truck.The most important job for my truck is to take my boat to the water to go fishing.You can put a ton load in a 3/4 truck and it wont squat.My friend had a hard time moving his Ranger with 8 bales of mulch hay on a level field.The rental companies in the rust belt know that a 1/2 ton truck dosent have enough chassis to haul a big load.The chassis on an F150 is 1/8 thick thats .125.The Ford Ranger chassis is .100 thick.In 1997 Ford went to the famous spark plug spitting Trition engine.I hear they just got rid of it this year.I dont want a new truck, thats wasted money.Truck loses 1/2 its value when you leave the dealers lot.Everybody drives a used truck any way.We were loading a picnic table on a Dodge truck.The owner says the truck has needed 3 water pumps in 66000 miles, the engine ,transmission and rear end have needed work.My 3/4 ton truck got good mileage if I didnt leadfoot it.My sons trucks get 15 mpg, he drives a lot faster than I do.If your fixed on gas milage buy a moped.

There are so many things to consider & take
into the long term plan..

1 st is how often will you be pulling this
outfit??
How many friends do you have now verse"s how
many friends you"ll have once they find out
you have a trailer?

I work for a new car/truck dealer, like others
have posted 1/2 ton trucks built a few years
ago could do the job your talking about. But
today"s 1/2 ton trks are in my mind about 1/2
of what a 1/2 ton truck usta be.. The new Ford
ECO Boost has an unbelievable towing stats..
But for my $$ I"d be looking at a 3/4 ton if I
planned on towing..

Take a look at the chassis where the bumper bolts on your tow truck.Use a flash lite.Post back and tell us what you see.

I dont use a bumper pull-I use a gooseneck.Wouldnt dream of pulling thos e loads with a bumper.as far as that tractor,I only hauled it 20 miles,and only drove 20 mph or so.

I can relate to the friends bit.

My trailer weighs 2,000 pounds empty. When I had a full time shop in town, guys would stop in all the time wanting to borrow it. I'd ask them what they had to tow it with.

They'd have maybe an old van with a fishing boat hitch. I'd tell them, "Forget it".

I finally made a policy that if someone needed something hauled, I'd haul it myself for a price, with my trailer and my tow vehicle, but I wouldn't let my trailer out of my sight.

(quoted from post at 07:07:25 07/13/11) I can relate to the friends bit.

My trailer weighs 2,000 pounds empty. When I had a full time shop in town, guys would stop in all the time wanting to borrow it. I'd ask them what they had to tow it with.

They'd have maybe an old van with a fishing boat hitch. I'd tell them, "Forget it".

I finally made a policy that if someone needed something hauled, I'd haul it myself for a price, with my trailer and my tow vehicle, but I wouldn't let my trailer out of my sight.

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LOL thats the way it is around here. If you have a trailer you better not let ANYONE know it. Wife's uncle has 40 acres for hunting, he keeps his trailer out there so he can tell people that I have it or his son does!

The one thing to keep in mind about a truck is that you should go for one that will haul the biggest load you will haul not your average. With US and state DOT's cracking down to make more money even pickups are getting tickets for over weight and unsecured loads.

Rick

that 300 six was a darn good engine loads of bottom end torque with the right gears you could pull almost anything

I've got a 2002 Duramax Diesel 3/4 ton Chevrolet. Around the farm and in town it gets 15-18 mpg, but on the highway it will get about 21 if the rpms are below 1500. That puts the speed right at 52 mph. Even pulling an 8000 lb camper, the truck still gets about 11. It's the very best truck I've had, and it handles better than most 1/2 ton trucks.

SF

(quoted from post at 17:46:48 07/12/11) I'm needing a newer truck. However, when I want to rent an auto trailer (tractor trailer), they say they won't rent you one unless you have a 3/4 ton vehicle.
We need a new truck, and I would very occasionaly want to move my New Holland T1510 w/ loader. This tractor w/ loader won't even go 3000 lbs.
I plan on buying a trailer, but I want to make sure I won't have any trouble with a 1/2 ton. This tractor would be the most I would ever pull.
Do you guys see any issues?

Thanks,
Chuck

Click to expand...

I pull a 10K GVW trailer with a GMC 4x4, 5.3 v8 gasoline powered truck. In Pa we have some serious hills to climb from time to time and I have never had a problem: pulling or stopping the rig. Heck I haul near 4 tons from time to time and I don't have the expenses associated with a 3/4 ton.

MY TOYOTA......... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: nOT REALLY..........
I did see a Tacoma towing a cabin cruiser once (about 60 mph). A Bertram on a 3 axle trailer................... GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!!!!

Some, but not much was mentioned about stopping..... It's a bigger part of the equation than going. your typ 3/4 ton will have twice (or more) stopping power that your Typ 1/2 ton.

Hope you find what you're looking for...sl

A rental Co. shouldn't care about the model, only the GVW. There is quite a range in available GVW in the 150 from 7200 to 8200. It may be worth your while to check into differences in bearings and brakes between them. My F-350 is loaded to max a high proportion of its miles, but when it's not even though its not a 250, the mid chest tailgate height and roughness of ride are not a plus.

I have two of those sparkplug spitters, one has 135000 and the other one 94000 both 5.4's one is a two valve the other 3 valve. The sparkplugs are not that big a deal. Let it cool over night and use a butterfly 3/8 air wrench with a extension. Can't start it up and drive into shop and then do it. Haven't changed them on the 05 yet still shows a 17 mi average on the computer. the other one is a F250 03 model both 4 wheel drive. Get 10 mpg pulling my tractor and golf cart to pulls, with a 20 and 5 deck over gooseneck. They are without a doubt the best trucks I have ever had, There is a saying around here, when better trucks are built Ford will build them. LOL Vic

I would buy a rust free 77 chevy in a minute.Ford no.Looked at a 3/4 ton GMC yesterday.Noticed that the chassis was much lighter than my sons 06.Dealer came out and said its only got 77000 miles on it.Id guess 2nd time around from the general appearance.Ill wait until the 06s get older.

Ford is building bull nose trucks again.Son says they have to lift the cab to get to the last 2 spark plugs.I got the box of my 96, saw there was no black paint paint on the front of the box.Just gray primer with a little black on the edges.Fords are designed to fail early.

(quoted from post at 01:46:48 07/13/11) I'm needing a newer truck. However, when I want to rent an auto trailer (tractor trailer), they say they won't rent you one unless you have a 3/4 ton vehicle.
We need a new truck, and I would very occasionaly want to move my New Holland T1510 w/ loader. This tractor w/ loader won't even go 3000 lbs.
I plan on buying a trailer, but I want to make sure I won't have any trouble with a 1/2 ton. This tractor would be the most I would ever pull.
Do you guys see any issues?

Thanks,
Chuck

Click to expand...

Chuck if not for the rules a 1/2 pickup with the right engine and transmission would do you just fine. Also are you sure you want to buy a newer truck? Unless you're towing long distances or really want the "cool" new look, why not go with something smog exempt and save some money? Personally I'd get a 1974 Chevy 3/4 ton with disc brakes and go from there.