1/2 Ton vs. 3/4 Ton Pickup

[srud]

I currently have a Chevy Sivlerado 1/2 ton pickup (5.3, 3.73 rear end) that I've used to tow my vRide for the past 4 years, a job it performed pretty well. I recently took delivery of an '09 vlx and have noticed that this boat and trailer combination is considerably heavier than the vRide. So, I've been considering trading for a 3/4 ton as the tow vehicle and I'm wondering if anyone out there has experience with both and would share their observations. Is the 3/4 ton that much better?

Most of the trucks that I have looked at are the Chevy 2500 with the 6.0L gas engine. I'd consider a diesel if I could find a used one I can afford.

[auto]

I currently have a Chevy Sivlerado 1/2 ton pickup (5.3, 3.73 rear end) that I've used to tow my vRide for the past 4 years, a job it performed pretty well. I recently took delivery of an '09 vlx and have noticed that this boat and trailer combination is considerably heavier than the vRide. So, I've been considering trading for a 3/4 ton as the tow vehicle and I'm wondering if anyone out there has experience with both and would share their observations. Is the 3/4 ton that much better?

Most of the trucks that I have looked at are the Chevy 2500 with the 6.0L gas engine. I'd consider a diesel if I could find a used one I can afford.

If you tow a lot, the 3/4 ton is the only way to go. I have a diesel and a 1/2 ton, and I am dreading the tow to Beaver, AR this weekend with the 1/2 ton.

[pup]

For one season I towed a 4 place snowmobile trailer with a 2004 f150. The engine had enough power but you could really feel the trailer push the truck around. The next year I got an 05 2500 chevy crew cab. 6.0 engine is hard on fuel but has great power. The truck handles the weight much better. It is much more stable in turns & at highway speeds. The crew cab is more comfortable for everyone .

[Lakenut]

Night and day difference. The GM 6.0 liter pulls really well. I think you will also find the durability of the 3/4 to be longer lasting than the 1/2.

[DC_UGAFAN]

I have an '04 chevy 1/2 ton 4x4 with the 5.3 (Aftermarket exhaust, K&N) it really does pull my VTX w/o a problem. My friend who I rides with me and who's house I keep the boat has a Duramax with the banks 6 gun and I can barely tell my boat is back there with his truck, it also gets about 15 MPG and I get about 11 with mine I've considered trading up when I get back from my deployment next year. You should be able to get a duramax in the '03-'06 range for 14-20k depending how many miles you want.

My sole advice would be that if you do trade up go to a diesel. The big gas engines just aren't efficient.

[DONTW8]

I estimate the useful life of a 3/4 ton diesel pickup to be double the life of a gas 1/2 ton.

I've owned 7 pickups and 20 cars in my lifetime. Four were half ton. The last two were HD 2500 GMC. The Duramax diesel will easily go 300, 000 miles. Two of my buddies drive 50,000 miles a year. One has 300,000 highway miles on his. My other buddy owns a highway construction company and uses his for 150,000 miles and then hands them down to his employees and they stay in the fleet to 300, 000 miles. The HD 2500 GMC's have humongous disk brakes all around, huge radiators, Allison transmission and considerably more radiator capacity. Plus the HD 2500 has a completely different Heavy Duty frame under the same body that the similar appearing 1/2 ton uses.

My previous HD 2500 was a 454 gas extended cab. I kept it 5 years. Nice truck but no match for a Duramax. My Duramax is a 2002 extended cab and I expect to keep it another 5 ( or 10?) years. No signs of fatigue at all and I tow a travel trailer and do ALL of the boat towing for me and my other 2 ski buddies. One has a Durango the other a 1/2 ton suburban.

I was towing my travel trailer over an unfamiliar steep mountain pass a few years ago. I started going downhill and encountered a really steep downhill grade. Part way down I overheated the drum brakes in my 2002 Komfort trailer. I could just tell they had stopped working. Using the tow/haul braking feature on the Allsion transmission and the humongous vented disk brakes on my GMC we made it down the circuitous downhill grade with very little drama. I was concerned but no disaster.

Half tons are for people who don't tow. At least in Oregon where you routinely climb to 4500 ASL and descend.

[txwakejunkie]

2500 ram with cummins!! the only way to go! Ive always had 1/2 tons and they are fine with small loads but when you get to vlx or bigger then i really think you will be happier with the 3/4. If you only go a few miles back and forth to the lake then 1/2 ton is all you need, but if you pull any distance at all then go 3/4. IMO if you are going 3/4 then forget gas and go diesel!!

Could not be happier with the 6.7 cummins and the 6sp auto. unloaded highway mpg is 22-23 and loaded with the 23lsv full of fuel and all the gear has been in the 15-16.5 range.

Edited May 18, 2009 by txwakejunkie

[shade]

My 2001 Silverado 2500HD w/ 6.0L has been a great truck (I did have to replace the flywheel though), but gas mileage is pretty poor. 10mpg highway towing boat and 15 mpg highway not towing and 11-12mpg in town not towing. Thats a 4x4 w/ 4.10 rear end. I may be wrong, but I think that most new 1/2 tons are rated to tow about the same as my truck and I'm sure they get better gas mileage. The brakes may not be as heavy duty on the 1/2 ton though. I normally don't tow my boat a long way so my next truck will probably be a 1/2 ton, but only if I can get the crew cab w/ the 6.5 ft. bed. It may have to be a Ford because I don't think GM offers a 1/2 ton crew cab w/ the 6/5 ft bed.

Edited May 18, 2009 by shade

[bigD]

I have a 1/2 ton 2001 5.3L GMC 33" tires and a 2007 3/4ton 6.0 GMC work truck, both ext cab both 4x4 The 3/4 ton has better brakes 4:10 rear and the 6 speed trans which is more than enough to tow our little inboards.

Now if you want to spend the extra money or plan on driving your truck 200k+ miles and tow more then 50% of the time you probably need a diesel.

My 1/2 ton does it but your foot is really in it up the hills.

Heres a slightly exaggerated equivalent of a diesel pulling an inboard, but it does a real good job and will last for thousands of hours.

[hattric73]

gotta love the Diesels!!!! We have had a few of the Duramaxes and love them!!! They just pull and pull and pull, no worries!

[Bill_AirJunky]

I pull the Vride with a 1/2 ton Avalanche, 5.3 liter, 4.10s. It does a great job on the short hauls or relatively flat terrain. But you can definitely feel that big load on any steep hills. A mountain pass would be slow goin.

The truck gets about 15 mpg city/highway combined. And it drops to about 11 mpg with the boat. About the same 11 mpg when pulling a 2200 lb ATV trailer too.

I never understood why the Big 3 haven't made 1/2 ton diesels available for us. I guess thats why their going under.

[Sandbagger]

I think it is important to determine how you will use the truck. If you do a great deal of towing and/or long distances or extensive mountain driving, a 3/4 ton is definitely the way to go.

My truck is the only vehicle I drive and the only thing I tow is the VLX during the summer mostly once, maybe twice a week, 20 to 30 miles to the lake. I just do not want a 3/4 ton truck when most of my driving is general in town/freeway not towing.

I had a F150 with 5.4 engine and it was OK on power but kind of a dog, definitely knew the boat was in tow.

I now have a Sierra Denali with 6.2 engine, power is no problem, lots of HP and torque. This truck has the six speed tranny with tow option, definitely a plus. The Denali has a better suspension and handels the towing job much better, sometimes forget the boat is in tow. Still no match for a 3/4 ton but definitely does the towing job well for a VLX.

One thing that might help is to get a weight distributing hitch, that would most likely increase the handling of the 1/2 ton while towing the VLX. I do not feel I need it with the Denali but definitely considered it when I had the F150.

[AzSyndicate]

I have an 06 Sierra Denali with the 6.0 For a 1/2 ton class truck it is the best towing option available, in my opinion. I have towed with a F150 and a Silverado before this and both felt a little weak and seemed to be pushed around a tad bit.

I will be making my first long haul with the 23LSV and the Denali in early June. I will post my results after that trip.

Edited May 18, 2009 by AzSyndicate

[gregtay]

I was towing with an 08 Tundra 5.7... you didn't know the boat was back there... pulled strong. Switched to an 08 Armada 5.6L ... again.. very good at towing.. never an issue. IT actually towed better with more people in it... helped settle the rear suspension a bit more. The Tundra had a stronger motor and trnny (6sp).. but at 75 on the freeway the Armada drove just like normal.. like nothing was back there. I got tired of driving big trucks around just to tow my boat on the weekend.. so i am switching to an V10 TDI VW Touareg... Not your traditional truck for pulling a 23ft boat.. but it does it just as easily as the big trucks.... and it tows with better MPG's then most people get without towing:).

[zzbutler]

3/4 for just the brakes alone is reason enough.

i love to justify things with safety

[hookblade]

Go with a 06 or newer gmc duramax and smile all the way to the lake.

[Sandbagger]

Brakes are important, checked GMC Sierra 2500 and they are 13x1.8 frnt and 13.9x1.39 rear

Denali 1/2 ton are 12x1.1 frnt and 12.9x1.2 rear

08 Ford F150 are 13x.55 front and 13.7 x .47 rear.

Definitely a lot more brake material on the 3/4 ton

The Ford rotors on the 1/2 ton are not very thick, which are probably why mine warped and needed replacement after 25k miles.

Definitely important to consider brakes when buying a new tow vehicle and if you drive the hills and steep grades the bigger the rotors the less likely they will overheat and fail.

[Soon2BV]

I have a 1/2 Ton 4x4 crew cab Silverado, 5.3L with the towing package (HD radiator, Trans cooler, tow mode).

Towing a 21' Sunscape, so not quite as heavy. Tandem trailer with brakes.

Not a problem towing or stopping, but no really big hills for where i go (from 1 to 5 hours to the water).

Since i only tow 10 - 12 times thru the season, and it is just me in the truck most of the other time,

i am happy with this. I don't feel the boat at all, except that i am a little slower starting off.

My 5.3 has active fuel management and shuts down to a V-4 when cruising. You don't feel it step up or down,

and i get about 22+ MPG on the highway when not towing.

Like others said - if you are going to tow all the time, or have major elevations, then the 3/4 ton, diesel is the way to go.

If not so often, that is a step price to pay for a limited need and a 1/2 ton with a towing package is a good compromize.

[wakeup]

Went from a basic F150 pulling a 06 Vride to a 08 2500HD Duramax with Allison transmission pulling a 08 VLX. Wow!! Incredible difference and we love it.

Anyone who is seriously considering towing and hauling often should look at diesel. Not only are they generally more capable due to their stronger design and torque production, but they are also more fuel efficient.

In 08 the 6.6 Duramax produced about 365 horse power and massive torque at 660lbft.

No matter what we put behind it, there is no doubt the truck is in command.