Rental Yards here now require 3/4 ton truck or better when towing.

Verticaltrx · Mar 27, 2013

mikehaugen said:
This has been my thinking for a while now. I hear a lot of people on here talking about how much better the newer 1/2 ton trucks are compared to the old ones, how they are nearing the older 3/4 ton trucks of a few years ago. Everyone will agree that many of the older trucks were rated very conservatively, and I have a feeling that manufacturers are now just rating their trucks higher.

I have done my share of work on 1/2 ton as well as 3/4 ton trucks and there is just a huge difference in how much heavier the stuff is built. Admittedly, I don't do a lot of work on newer trucks, so I kind of keep this to myself usually because I can't confirm it. I don't think they are putting dana 60/70/80 full float rear-ends into the 1/2 tons yet, not the much beefier yokes and u-joints that I see in older 3/4 tons. The tranny's might be a little better (not sure), but I don't think the transfer cases are any different. They also still use 5 lug wheels (some 6). Also, do they have the larger radiators, steering boxes (actually I know that many have gone to rack and pinion), power steering oil coolers, larger alternators that came from the factory on many 3/4 tons? Again, I don't know because I don't have a new truck, but find a lot of the hype about how much better the newer 1/2 tons are a little exaggerated. It would be hard to convince me that they are "about as good or better than the old 3/4 ton trucks". More powerful with better trans... yes, but I doubt that they are just as heavy duty- just rated higher.

I am sure I will get flamed for this, and maybe I am way off... so go ahead and educate me, maybe I need it.

I think you are spot on. The difference between the modern 1/2 and older 3/4 ton with the same towing capacity is going to be longevity. My '88 F-250 is rated to tow less than 10,000lbs, but 25years and 240,000mi later it is still doing it well. It has a 460, ZF 5-spd, BW1356 transfercase, Dana 50 front axle and Sterling 10.25" rear axle, overload springs and the super-cooling package (large radiator, oil cooler and PS cooler). It may not have the latest and greatest engine or braking technology that the new 1/2tons do, but all of the components are a lot bigger with more built in 'reserve.'

An even more pronounced example is the modern 1-ton truck now pulling what medium-duty trucks are rated for. Sure they will do it, but not safely or for very long. The construction and ruggedness between a 1-ton and a 2 or 2.5ton truck is night and day different.

Nowadays they don't care about service life as long as they can make a sale. On the same token, people aren't willing to buy the truck they really need (a larger model) when the smaller one will do the same work and they can spend the extra money on satellite radio, leather seats and power everything.

jejeosborne · Mar 27, 2013

Diamondpilot said:
They do. On the 3/4 & above its 750/7500# before a WD is required.

Chris

How long have the ratings been this high for the lack of WD?

Lt CHEG · Mar 27, 2013

jejeosborne said:
How long have the ratings been this high for the lack of WD?

I know GM HD pickups with 2.5" hitches have been 1,300/13,000 without W/D since at least 2011.

Bigkrank · Mar 28, 2013

Lt CHEG said:
I know GM HD pickups with 2.5" hitches have been 1,300/13,000 without W/D since at least 2011.

Since 2007.5 they were using 2.5 hitches but they were paper thin and rated for 7500. I replaced mine with a 15,000# Curt as did many others. Caused some accidents cause guys never looked under at the wimpy hitch and read the tag. Since 2011 the factory 2.5 hitch is beefy.

Soundguy · Mar 28, 2013

after reading this I called the rental yard we use and they have a 3/4 ton limit as well. which is not an issue as i drive a 3/4 at work..e tc.

not sure when allthis happened...

jejeosborne · Mar 28, 2013

Bigkrank said:
Since 2007.5 they were using 2.5 hitches but they were paper thin and rated for 7500. I replaced mine with a 15,000# Curt as did many others. Caused some accidents cause guys never looked under at the wimpy hitch and read the tag. Since 2011 the factory 2.5 hitch is beefy.

Thanks for the information. My earlier post is not 100% correct but hopefully everyone will look at the tag on their hitch. Just because the truck is a 3/4 ton doesn't necessarily exempt it from needing a WD hitch. Even these new GM configurations would be a lot safer if one were used with high tongue weights.

CHDinCT · Mar 28, 2013

Interesting thread. I had a tussle with U-haul a few years back renting a 12' aluminum trailer to pick up a JD garden tractor up in MA. Back then I had my Tacoma V6 with the 4.10 rear end. It was rated to tow 5,000 lbs max. I think the trailer and tractor might have totaled 2500 lbs. The guy kept saying that I had to have a full size truck but finally rented me the trailer. I sure hope the next time I need to rent a trailer or piece of equipment that's within my tow ratings of my 2010 F-150 that they don't tell me I now need a 3/4 ton truck. If that happens, I'm wondering how I can "prove" what my vehicle's tow rating is? Took a look at the ratings on the door placard and it only shows the GVWR in total and for each axle. Doesn't show the tow rating or GCVWR. Why don't mfg's put that info on the door placard? Can they look up your ratings by VIN? If not, how would they know the rating without knowing what axle ratio I have or even engine displacement?

Diamondpilot · Mar 28, 2013

CHDinCT said:
Interesting thread. I had a tussle with U-haul a few years back renting a 12' aluminum trailer to pick up a JD garden tractor up in MA. Back then I had my Tacoma V6 with the 4.10 rear end. It was rated to tow 5,000 lbs max. I think the trailer and tractor might have totaled 2500 lbs. The guy kept saying that I had to have a full size truck but finally rented me the trailer. I sure hope the next time I need to rent a trailer or piece of equipment that's within my tow ratings of my 2010 F-150 that they don't tell me I now need a 3/4 ton truck. If that happens, I'm wondering how I can "prove" what my vehicle's tow rating is? Took a look at the ratings on the door placard and it only shows the GVWR in total and for each axle. Doesn't show the tow rating or GCVWR. Why don't mfg's put that info on the door placard? Can they look up your ratings by VIN? If not, how would they know the rating without knowing what axle ratio I have or even engine displacement?

Like you said, it would make it nice if they posted those numbers. You need to know axle, 4x4 or not, bed, cab, motor, and axle ratio then look it up in the book.

Chris

CHDinCT · Mar 28, 2013

Diamondpilot said:
Like you said, it would make it nice if they posted those numbers. You need to know axle, 4x4 or not, bed, cab, motor, and axle ratio then look it up in the book.

Chris

So I guess they'll take my word on the axle ratio? Most of the rest they can probably figure by looking at it.

Lt CHEG · Mar 28, 2013

Bigkrank said:
Since 2007.5 they were using 2.5 hitches but they were paper thin and rated for 7500. I replaced mine with a 15,000# Curt as did many others. Caused some accidents cause guys never looked under at the wimpy hitch and read the tag. Since 2011 the factory 2.5 hitch is beefy.

Thanks for the info, I didn't know they changed their 2.5" hitches up with the redesign in 2011. I'm very pleased with the beefiness of my hitch. I can hitch up my equipment trailer in a matter of a minute or two as is and would hate messing around with W/D bars. Even loaded within 1,000 pounds of my trailer's capacity I find that my truck handles the trailer very well. Frankly even though my 6.4 Powerstroke had more power I feel like my Vortec powered Chevy tows the load better overall.