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Old 01-24-2019, 10:00 PM   #1
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1500 vs 2500

I'm buying a new tow vehicle and am unsure with what to go with, either a 1500 or 2500HD. Our camper weighs 5000lbs and towed well with my 2001 Chevy Silverado 1500 Z71 5.3L engine. I don't know if we will upgrade to a larger camper in the future, I doubt it. My wife likes the minimum. I want something that I can use regular gas in vs. the 6.2L engine - requiring premium gas, and I would also like a tow vehicle that is very stable in all weather conditions. What are you using and are you happy with it. I am open to all brands, Chevy, GMC, Ford, Dodge and Toyota. Don't care for the looks of the Nissan! Thanks for your input!
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Old 01-24-2019, 11:24 PM   #2
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Hi step bill.

Are you at 5000lbs fully loaded?

I will have to sayim biased and prefer GM products and 2500s and against eco anything or any active fuel mgmt systems. Really any tech driven by the EPA and government instead of the customers who are towing, hauling and using the trucks every day. I like my Yukon 8.1 which takes 87 octane.

That out of the way i think any new 1500 would work well for you with the right rear gears. If I was buying, it would be the 6.2 yukon or maybe an F250 or Ram 2500, but I need more towing and payload capacity right now.
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Old 01-24-2019, 11:47 PM   #3
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Hi step bill.

Are you at 5000lbs fully loaded?

I will have to sayim biased and prefer GM products and 2500s and against eco anything or any active fuel mgmt systems. Really any tech driven by the EPA and government instead of the customers who are towing, hauling and using the trucks every day. I like my Yukon 8.1 which takes 87 octane.

That out of the way i think any new 1500 would work well for you with the right rear gears. If I was buying, it would be the 6.2 yukon or maybe an F250 or Ram 2500, but I need more towing and payload capacity right now.
I too hate the EPA and government rules. Thats why I'm staying away from diesel, along with the cost of fuel. Here, diesel is 80 cents more per gallon of gas.

Fully loaded I'm probably pushing 6000lbs but I'm normally never fully loaded as I drive dry and fill up with water when I arrive.
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Old 01-25-2019, 12:08 AM   #4
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If 6000 max, and i was in your shoes, I would go with a 1500 with a tow package and at least 3:73 gears. Good luck and let us know when you get your new truck
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Old 01-25-2019, 10:02 AM   #5
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Brand is irrelevant. You'll find tons of people who swear by what they have and wouldn't drive a Ford, Chevy, Dodge (fill in the blank) if you paid them. Almost everyone says they don't see themselves going with a bigger camper, but most do. It would be a killer to buy a new truck and then find yourself saddled with a camper you no long want but you can't upgrade because your truck is too small to pull it. Go 2500 and no worries. Just my opinion.
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Old 01-25-2019, 10:09 AM   #6
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Daddy always said "GO big or stay home".
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Old 01-25-2019, 04:44 PM   #7
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Daddy always said "GO big or stay home".
Mine weighs just under 7000 fully loaded,, and I pull it with a 1500, pulls it fine, only have 5.3 pulls it good, could use a little more in the mountains, but in all reality it goes as fast as I want to go
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Old 01-25-2019, 05:37 PM   #8
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We have ford F150 2.7 eco boost with tow package. Our trailer is 22 feet and weighs loaded 5,500, truck is rated over that. Also hwy gas mileage not pulling is 23. around town 15-18, Have never had any problem towing up or down hills.
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Old 01-30-2019, 09:19 PM   #9
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1500 vs 2500

I have a 2012 Denali 289RK. It weighs in the 8000lb range when loaded. I pull it with a 2017 Silverado High Country 1500, 6.2 engine. I use regular gas unless I'm in the mountains.
I have LOTS of power, get about 12 Imperial MPG at 95 kph. Truck handles this trailer with ease.
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Old 01-30-2019, 09:23 PM   #10
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I have a 2016 Aerolite 282DBHS (6300 lbs dry) that I pull with a 14 Silverado 1500 5.3. You will be fine with a 1500.
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Old 01-30-2019, 09:29 PM   #11
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We have ford F150 2.7 eco boost with tow package. Our trailer is 22 feet and weighs loaded 5,500, truck is rated over that. Also hwy gas mileage not pulling is 23. around town 15-18, Have never had any problem towing up or down hills.
I wonder how this would handle in windy conditions with the travel trailer attached. Is a 2500 more stable than a 1500/F150?
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Old 01-30-2019, 09:46 PM   #12
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I wonder how this would handle in windy conditions with the travel trailer attached. Is a 2500 more stable than a 1500/F150?
2500 is for sure more stable. Your decision depends on how you plan to use the truck. Daily driver, 95% empty, 5% towing? 1500. If you're constantly towing and like having more truck than you need, 2500. 2500 will cost you more for the truck, more for fuel, harder to park, stiffer ride. 1500 is a more pleasant daily driver.
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Old 01-30-2019, 09:59 PM   #13
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I have F150 with 3.5 EB towing a 274BH that weighs in at 6400 pounds wet. It walks past anything that doesn't burn oil, and can keep up with some that do. Handles well with a Blue Ox hitch. My first one was a 14 Lariat with 1470 pound payload, up and over the IKE Gauntlet with the 6 spd and 3.15 gears, doing the speed limit with ease.



My current one is now a Platinum with 1560 pounds payload and with the 10 speed and 3.55 gearing is one of the smoothest tow rigs I have driven. That 3.5 EB is a great engine, have had 7 of them over the years in various vehicles and never ever had an issue with one. It will make the 5.3 feel like an old air cooled VW bug. I heard the new 5.0 has also become a very strong puller.



Best part I like about my 3.5 is that it gets 20+ MPG on the highway. I also heard the 2.7 gets 23-27 highway, though I would not get one for towing anything over 5K pounds, that is just not enough engine for me.



Still waiting on the new Ram, going to take at least another 6 months or more before a good track record is out to see how it is fairing. I was very close to getting a 19 Limited, but first year run, plus a Fiat made me stay with Ford for now, but if it turns out that the Ram is holding it's own, I would definitely consider it as well.



GM screwed themselves with me when they blew off the repairs on the crappy brake lines that rotted out on the Silverado I had. Last one I will ever even look at. They wouldn't even give me a quote to repair them, just said, nope we won't touch it. That and their styling is so 20 years ago, just like Toyota. Kudos to Ram on their new styling, really hit a home run on it. Can't wait to see how Ford reacts with the 2021 model.
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Old 01-30-2019, 10:19 PM   #14
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I was toying with the idea of a new truck. the following vids helped me decide which, now all I have to do is win the lottery and go buy one!
I have no affiliation to any of them but found the info useful.
https://youtu.be/3g9Y40QSS-U
https://youtu.be/a5KMGxO9S5o
After all the vids I liked the dodge 1500 with large hemi. To each his or her own!
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Old 01-30-2019, 11:26 PM   #15
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The Ram is nice. Unfortunately, to get one optioned equal to the Lariat 502 or the Platinum, they lose too much payload. That 100 pounds can make or break a tow vehicle.



Hoping Ram comes up with a tailgate step similar to Ford, I find it very handy with my bum knees and back. That was one of the other things that kept me away. Hopefully they don't make one like the GM monstrosity that is prone to damage and overly complex. I mean it looks handy and all, but forget to pull the hitch ball out one time and kiss that tailgate goodbye.



Considering the interior is reaching the 5 year mark, yeah it is getting dated, but Ford is also nearing the end of the 13th gen run, in 2020 they will debut an entirely new F150, I just hope they don't take any design cues from the new Explorer where the center display looks like an ipad add on.



One thing I have always suggested is to drive them all and pay really close attention to what it is needed for, which is towing or hauling. Payload and torque are king.



I noticed most comparisons of Ram Limited vs Ford Limited are 2019 Ram to 2018 Ford. Waiting on the 2019 vs 2019 comparisons where the F150 Limited does 13.7 in the quarter. They have the Raptor engine in them now.



Here is a write up of the three. They also put the Ram at the top.
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...m-1500-pickup/
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Old 01-31-2019, 01:02 AM   #16
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We have an Aerolite 282DBHS (~6100 dry). When we got it, we had a 2013 F150 with the 3.5 Ecoboost. Great engine. More than powerful enough to pull that trailer in most conditions.

However, we ran into issues with the transmission getting hot when going up mountain passes with switchbacks. And coming down a few mountain passes were challenging. At one point, my brakes were getting hot and the engine compression just wasn't enough. Had to pull over for a while to let things cool down. Very unpleasant day of driving.

After that trip, I bit the bullet and invested in an F350 with the diesel engine. It is 10x easier to tow with this thing. I barely feel wind, and the diesel exhaust allowed me to take some twisty & steep downhill grades with ease. I would not go back to a 1/2 ton for towing unless we drastically downsized the trailer.

To each their own, but I agree with those that suggest you over buy on the tow vehicle. I doubt you'll regret it. Also agree with those that say you should drive a few different makes & models and see what you like.
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Old 01-31-2019, 02:27 AM   #17
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Originally Posted by RabidDawg View Post
We have an Aerolite 282DBHS (~6100 dry). When we got it, we had a 2013 F150 with the 3.5 Ecoboost. Great engine. More than powerful enough to pull that trailer in most conditions.

However, we ran into issues with the transmission getting hot when going up mountain passes with switchbacks. And coming down a few mountain passes were challenging. At one point, my brakes were getting hot and the engine compression just wasn't enough. Had to pull over for a while to let things cool down. Very unpleasant day of driving.

After that trip, I bit the bullet and invested in an F350 with the diesel engine. It is 10x easier to tow with this thing. I barely feel wind, and the diesel exhaust allowed me to take some twisty & steep downhill grades with ease. I would not go back to a 1/2 ton for towing unless we drastically downsized the trailer.

To each their own, but I agree with those that suggest you over buy on the tow vehicle. I doubt you'll regret it. Also agree with those that say you should drive a few different makes & models and see what you like.



Good points on the 1/2 ton. I too had heating issues, but solved it by locking out the higher gears. It turned out that when in 5th, the torque converter was unlocked, and that shots temps through the roof.



I would have preferred a 1 ton of the 1/2, but it is also my daily driver, and when it came down to cost per mile, just couldn't justify the expense for the few times a year it would tow.
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Old 01-31-2019, 05:05 AM   #18
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1500 vs 2500

1500 and 2500 don't mean as much today as they used too and is simply a rough reference to how much weight a pickup can hold in its bed before the springs collapse. This is totally different then the amount of weight a pickup can pull. You need to be looking at the Axle Ratio to determine this. Here is a link to a sinple article that explains it better then I can.
https://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/how-to-choose-the-right-axle-ratio-for-your-pickup-truck.html
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Old 02-02-2019, 04:19 AM   #19
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Originally Posted by RabidDawg View Post
We have an Aerolite 282DBHS (~6100 dry). When we got it, we had a 2013 F150 with the 3.5 Ecoboost. Great engine. More than powerful enough to pull that trailer in most conditions.

However, we ran into issues with the transmission getting hot when going up mountain passes with switchbacks. And coming down a few mountain passes were challenging. At one point, my brakes were getting hot and the engine compression just wasn't enough. Had to pull over for a while to let things cool down. Very unpleasant day of driving.

After that trip, I bit the bullet and invested in an F350 with the diesel engine. It is 10x easier to tow with this thing. I barely feel wind, and the diesel exhaust allowed me to take some twisty & steep downhill grades with ease. I would not go back to a 1/2 ton for towing unless we drastically downsized the trailer.

To each their own, but I agree with those that suggest you over buy on the tow vehicle. I doubt you'll regret it. Also agree with those that say you should drive a few different makes & models and see what you like.
In most 1500 vs 2500 threads there seems to be little talk about transmission and brakes, but they can make a big difference. The 2500 has the heavy duty transmission and brake set up, and 1500 vs 2500 is not just an engine and payload calculation IMO. I like knowing I’m not putting extra wear and tear on these components because I’m using the heavy duty versions made for the job. I would worry that using a 1500 for a 7500+ trailer would lead to overheating and premature repairs on the transmission and brakes
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Old 02-05-2019, 12:40 AM   #20
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Thanks for all the great replies! I have pretty much decided to go with a 2500, either Dodge or Chevy/GMC. I really like the Ford F250 but it sits just a tad too high. I just (3 days ago) had right rotator cuff surgery so will probably not buy for another 3 - 4 months. Would like to get something 1 or 2 years old with under 20,000 miles.
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