Minimum truck for 9,000 gross towing

[Snobdds]

That is F250, 2500 territory.

Towing is about chasis stifness. Half tons today are about comfort and have very soft suspensions. They float too much with a load.

Towing with a short wheelbase SUV... .

Heck, I remember how my dad in the 90's would tow a fifth wheel with a 200hp, 450tq F250. That was considered the ultimate set up back then too. It's not about power, it's about suspension and gearing.

 

[paulsharvey]

Using the above KBB towing capacity link, I see the traditional big-3 half ton PUs can tow 12-14K pounds, properly configured. That's crazy. And what does "1/2 ton" even mean?

It's Payload, and most of them are around 1500-1800 lbs Payload. That's actually one of my complaints about trucks; they put such soft suspensions in them, when a F150/R1500/GM1500 could easily be outfitted to have a Payload of atleast 2500#. I personally would like to be able to get a pallet of quikcrete in the bed, or deer corn, or block, whatever, without having to deal with the trailer. My trailer is a landscape style, and you can't side load pallets, and most places don't have a Lull to load over the axles with rear loading.

Yes, I cheated out 5 years ago, and should have bought a flat deck trailer for the extra $1000,

 

[dfkrug]

It's Payload, and most of them are around 1500-1800 lbs Payload.

In my neck of the woods, a half of a ton is still only 1000 pounds. Payload for my small Tacoma and a gigantic modern F150 is listed at about the same number: about 1500 or so pounds, or 3/4 of a ton. A "3/4 ton" PU these days does fine with 1.5 tons payload, from experience.

Back in the 70s, I used to put a ton in my old Datsun PU. It was not happy, but it did haul it.

I regularly haul 1200# of con-mix from the materials yard, using my Taco and a Load Handler. I tried 1500# shortly after I bought it 20y ago, but that was too much. My '89 Toyota 4x4 V6 handled both loads better.

As you say, PUs today are built with soft suspensions for a car-like ride.

 

[paulsharvey]

In my neck of the woods, a half of a ton is still only 1000 pounds. Payload for my small Tacoma and a gigantic modern F150 is listed at about the same number: about 1500 or so pounds, or 3/4 of a ton. A "3/4 ton" PU these days does fine with 1.5 tons payload, from experience.

Back in the 70s, I used to put a ton in my old Datsun PU. It was not happy, but it did haul it.

I regularly haul 1200# of con-mix from the materials yard, using my Taco and a Load Handler. I tried 1500# shortly after I bought it 20y ago, but that was too much. My '89 Toyota 4x4 V6 handled both loads better.

As you say, PUs today are built with soft suspensions for a car-like ride.

Yeah, but take 250# for an average driver, another 250# for a passenger, their crap, some misc tools, straps, ect, and you are at 1000# in the bed.

You are correct on Tacos, and many of the other small trucks having virtually the same Payload as the 1/2T.

Even the car based Maverick has 1500# Payload, although, if the FWD version, I'd guess that feels funny.

 

[dodge man]

Using the above KBB towing capacity link, I see the traditional big-3 half ton PUs can tow 12-14K pounds, properly configured. That's crazy. And what does "1/2 ton" even mean?

You just almost half to ignore those crazy towing numbers. They always say “up to 14,000 pounds towing”. That’s always something like a regular cab two wheel drive low option truck.

 

[4570Man]

Trailer brake controller should be less than $400 with a professional install. Air bags and/or helper springs firm up the rear end a lot. There are also towing brake set ups that are pretty affordable, and easy to install. Some are two piston calipers, better rotors, better pads, ect. I dont think they quite are equal to a 3/4T, but I don't know. Just getting a firmer rear end will help a lot on towing; keeping the back level, and keeping more pressure on the front wheels too, allowing the brakes to work the way they are meant. Might be $1200 total in upgrades, but that's a lot cheaper than a new vehicle.

Edit: also how and where you put the weight of the tractor on the trailer is a huge factor. With a 20ft trailer, I would think that will give you options to shift the weight, even if you have to place an impliment upfront, and then pull the tractor on seperately.

Most trucks even old ones have a plug under the dash to plug a brake control into. I put one on my 2004 ford last weekend and the install took like 5 minutes.

 

[deserteagle71]

In my neck of the woods, a half of a ton is still only 1000 pounds. Payload for my small Tacoma and a gigantic modern F150 is listed at about the same number: about 1500 or so pounds, or 3/4 of a ton. A "3/4 ton" PU these days does fine with 1.5 tons payload, from experience.

Payload sticker on my 2016 F150 says 1937 lbs and that's without any of the heavy payload options that were available. So essentially 1 ton. I understand that with the optional "Max Payload" package that sticker reads close to 2500 lb.

 

[garry1p]

My son had to pull a boat 40 miles one way the boat 10,200 lbs 3 axle trailer 3,000 lbs.
We had to make this trip 6 times and no way would think about pulling with his truck a Ford F150 4X4 5.0 V8 engine rated from 10,500 lbs.

So we rented from Enterprise Truck Rental. All came with built in brake controller and 2024 models.

F250 4X4 diesel 6.7 No problems 15 MPG Some local roads and mostly interstate 65 mph.
F350 Gas Dulley 4X4 No problem pulling but not a daily driver, a very stiff suspension.
Dodge 250 diesel 6.7 6 cyl 4X4 This is the only truck you could tell there was a heavy load being pulled.
Chevrolet 250 6.6 V8 4X4 15mpg diesel No problems was by far the most comfortable vehicle and would be our choice if purchasing a new truck as a daily driver.

For driving just a few time a year I suggest a rental Enterprise was $100 a day with my military discount.

 

[Panik]

Ahh heck I'll throw my thoughts in here as a data point...

2014 GMC Sierra 5.7L Crewcab shortbed
6 speed / 3.42 (I think)
~9800lbs tow capacity
~1500-1700lbs "bed capacity"
w/Adjustable air bags
w/22' 10k trailer weighing b/w 2.5K & 3K

** Can't remember the exact truck numbers as I no longer own the vehicle

My personal experiences? - the combo was put together for a different intent, but I did scale and tow up to 9k combined trailer + load weight (typically vehicles) a couple times a year while I had that combo. I did run the real, scaled numbers a couple times to make sure I was within combined vehicle "weight spec" & tongue weight, even if I wasn't using a weight distributing hitch

For the occasional across state tow job (every other year), or around the hilly, but not mountainous rural county (5-6 times a year) I live in that weight combo worked just fine with care and understanding about the limitations involved.

For better or worse I also have had to run that combo through Atlanta traffic any number of times and while it certainly made me sit up and pay attention in terms of speed, braking distance and traffic spacing, it was never a huge white knuckle issue. Mostly I slide into or behind a semi truck carvan and took my cues from their spacing, speed and braking.

By comparison in the early 2000's I ran 1 ton singles or duallies for the state of Florida towing large boats and manatee carcass trailers cross state and my personal truck combo general felt as stable under normal conditions. (yes, I do acknowledge the increase braking and reduced risk of tail wagging inherent in a 1 ton truck - it is a very REAL advantage)

That said details start becoming more and more important once you start pushing up to the edge of a vehicle's performance envelope. Were it me and I were to be:

-Be towing up around 9-10k on the regular (monthly/every other month?)
-OR having to deal with real elevation changes while on the road i.e. going over real mountain (I ran through the foothills of N GA)
-AND/OR regularly in heavy traffic

I would want and do advocated for some type of tow vehicle with a longer wheel base, increased suspension & braking performance and engine/transmission cooling capabilities than what is offered by today's 1/2 ton trucks.

I learned that lesson in an abject fashion with the trailer I've been mentioning in this post. Bought that trailer before I had my GMC & was using it & a 2006 Jeep Commander w/the big V8 to tow my BX2360 around town - everything was well within spec based on published tow rating for my vehicle, real scaled weights and correct load distribution on the trailer for pin weight.

In any case, one afternoon I was coming home with the tractor on the trailer. It was raining very lightly & as I started slowing down coming up to an flat 3-way "T" intersection the Jeep locked up and the trailer pushed me straight through the intersection. Thankfully no one else was at the intersection & I moved up my already existing plans to upgrade the tow vehicle I could afford AND that met the vast majority of my towing needs - typically a total trailer+equipment weight of 5k-6k.

As others have mentioned there are work arounds to having a 3/4 - 1 ton truck as a daily driver . Something else to keep in mind too is that using a 1/2ton up near edge of the tow envelope will likely eventually have some real world impacts in terms of wear on suspension and drive train components over the life of the vehicle.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Using the above KBB towing capacity link, I see the traditional big-3 half ton PUs can tow 12-14K pounds, properly configured. That's crazy. And what does "1/2 ton" even mean?

Good point!