THSCC Forums

Short version: why would I not want to haul with a light weight truck on a regular bassis?

Long version: Comfort aside, if I wanted to haul 5000lbs (decent size car, trailer weight, tires in truck bed, bag of cloths, driver, 1 passanger, other odds and ends, plus any other normal things I am currently forgetting) 3 to 4 weekends a month, would there be any reason to not pick a mid sized truck over a full sized truck besides confort reasons? eg, would the tranny burn out even though they are both rated to haul atleast 5k lbs?

I am toying with the idea of getting rid of my truck for another, but want to set myself up for the future if I do. Money is a concern, so buying an f350 is out of the question, and why I am looking at mid weight trucks (plus they are easier to move around.


another question, is there an advantage for opting for 4x4? or is it a wast of money (in respects to hauling).

My rule of thumb:

- Towing at 2/3 or less of mfg rating = pleasant
- Towing at closer to mfg rating = white knuckles

I wish I had 4x4 once in a while at rallycross sites. Plus I have lit up the rear tire when pulling from a stoplight in the wet. Not a big deal though.

What do you mean by light weight? F150, Expedition, Durango, etc will all haul 5000 lb with no problem.

_________________
Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

and what are you towing. It really adds up quickly. What if you have a second person? You got to figure in trailer weight, car weight, tire weight, tools, humans extra tires blah blah blah. My guess is you have minimum of 4500lbs tied up with the trailer and car alone.

It is not so much the going either but the stopping

by light weight I am talking about tacoma's frontieers rangers etc. I know my dad's sacoma (basicly an SUV version of a fronteir according to my dad) is specked to pull 5000lbs.

Rob, Right now, im not hauling anything. other then what fits in the truck bed. What I am looking to do is reasonably consider the unknown future. In doing so, I hope to avoid buying a truck that I like, (the smaller trucks for manuverability in thight spots) but not end up having to buy yet another truck in 3 years (picking a random point) because I didnt expect to be hauling 4500lbs at that point.

Mike, When you say hauling close to mfg rating = white knuckles is that due to what rob points out? not having enough physical truck to slow it down quickly?

also, for 99% of towing, 4x4 isnt needed, and then that 1% is something that can usually be gotten around by just driving to the conditions?

Thanks all for the advice. I dont know if I will ever have a use to haul more than a flat bed trailer and the lil miata, but thats part of the unforseeable future.

with a short aluminum trailer and a miata you might get away with a smallish tow vehicle rated for 5k lbs. otherwise you're gonna want a tahoe/durango/expedition, v8 toyota or nissan, etc. look around the paddock at any race track and see what other people are using. this issue has been discussed a thousand times on various car forums, do a search. 2wd should be fine unless you find yourself in mud or wet grass often.

Short wheelbase means less weight on the front wheels and poor braking performance. Wheelbase also will cause more sway and instability from wind and passing traffic. "Barely adequate" engine power means slowing to 45 MPH on hills on the interstate, not enough power for passing, etc etc. Overstressed trans, brakes, and engine. Smaller trucks won't handle road debris, dropping 2 off, emergency lane changes, etc as well as a larger truck.

Even the crazies in Europe know not to tow anything heavier than their tow vehicle. The kinds of trucks you are talking about probably weigh low 4000's.

_________________
Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

Jason,

I had an older Durango 5.2L V8 and the extended cab Chevy 1500 - 5.3L like you have now. The pickup is MUCH more pleasant to tow with - using the same steel trailer (~2000 lbs), same Miata (~2300 lbs?), extra tires, jacks, air tanks, EZ-up, overnight gear, tools, fluids, etc.... I was continuously looking for ways to get more low-mid range power with the Durango, would have likely needed weight and/or sway control devices once I started towing the M3, etc.... The Silverado just works - it's decent around town and can hitch up the trailer and just go.

Mike's comment of "white knuckles" to me means that instead of feeling like you are pulling the trailer under full control, the vehicle is constantly struggling, you are always correcting because the "tail is wagging the dog", etc...

IMO, I would only recommend a lighter duty vehicle if you get a lightweight AL trailer and don't intend to upgrade to a heavier vehicle, as I can Definitely tell a difference between towing my Miata and my M3 (~800 lbs) on my rig. Of course, you'll pay a bunch more for that AL trailer, too.

With the G80 locking rear diff option in my Silverado, I have never had a need for 4x4 with my truck. And that includes towing across the fields of the BMW farm on a rain soaked day with well worn tires. And I enjoy better fuel economy and less drivetrain parts to maintain every other day of the year, too.

While I'd LIKE a nice 1-ton Diesel/Big Block truck for effortless towing duty, it wouldn't be the multi-purpose vehicle I need/want my truck to be. I think the Silverado 1500 is "just right" for a multi-purpose open deck towing vehicle, and I get as good or better fuel mileage loaded with 6000 lbs than I did around town in the Durango. Go figure.

_________________
Dustin Fredrickson
-- I'm a nobody --

This. My co-driver got a steal on his 20 ft aluminum trailer at $3500 new, which is about a grand lower than it should be new. Aluminum trailers sell used for about 85% of their new price. - AB

_________________
'14 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD
Super Westerfield Bros - '93 Integra - LeChump Du Jour
STX 93 - Scion FR-S

Even the crazies in Europe know not to tow anything heavier than their tow vehicle. The kinds of trucks you are talking about probably weigh low 4000's.

What Mike Said....

I currently tow with a 99 tacoma regular cab, 4x4 4cylinder... and it 100% SUCKS. My trailer has brakes, but its a moot point. when your hauling a 3100lb car on a stout steel car trailer with a 3800 lb truck. Its pretty bad when you are more jittery about towing up there and back rather than jittery about your track time.

This is the largest reason I don't frequent other tracks than VIR... (Towing within 1.5 hour radius of the house) Until I can afford a larger tow rig, its what I'll have to run. very very slowly and carefully.

If I had my choice I'd step into diesel expeditions from the late 90's.. 4 door trucks are just too expensive these days.

_________________
http://greenjacketracing.blogspot.com/
1987 Mustang GT Track Car-
1999 Toyota Tacoma
1988 BMW 735i 5 speed
1989 BMW 325i running like German Junk
2004 F-350 Super Duty (NC taxpayer owned)

When I got my enclosed trailer my Dodge Ram 1500 that was nice towing the open trailer became like Mike said a white knuckle.
My 2500 Suburban is a relax towing with the enclosed trailer. Its one of those thing where bigger is better.

_________________
Patrice
1973 911 former track and AX car.
2016 VW GTI
2002 Nissan Sentra (Olivier car)
2012 Nissan Juke (Kathy car)
2010 Suzuki Kizashi (Audrey car)

"because towing with a tacoma is like bringing a rubber knife to a gunfight"

i had to use that line once more, sorry. it was a big hit over at Bimmerfest.com

BTW, Jason i DD'd a F350 diesel long bed crew cab 4x4 for over four years.

_________________
BenchWarmer Motorsports

another one of those damn LeMons heads

just another Chump

we are an Autocross Club Dammit............

one word: transmission.

our white 97 f250 turbo diesel, is good. not fast, but a solid truck that can pull anything anytime.its old, but so what. the bus is a f350... its goes fine.. pulling with the white rig, 18 mpg towing a heavy trailer and a 7.3l turbo diesel v8. heavy truck.. explorer v6.. less than 18 mpg and a frail auto trans.. they are not too good for towing reallly heavy loads, great truck for hauling.. not so good for towing. Now the ideal, is a LSD or locker rear end on that ford, our rig is open.. and is spooky when things get soupy.

_________________
hey yall,watch this...

I have a Ranger V6 and it struggles towing a utility trailer with two yards of mulch in it. I would not EVER tow my miata with it as I'm sure that I would end up towing the truck with the Miata home It is just too much weight. Frankly, the gas mileage sucks too, less than 20mpg open with a lot of highway. You probably get that in your pickup. (GM stuff seems to get better milage than Ford stuff.)

Jason what are you towing with now?

_________________
Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

thats the funny thing, im not currently towing anything.

I have a 99 1500 v8, factory towing package. The reason I have started looking into this is the truck is getting old, hast 169K+ (last time I commited it to my memory) Truck bed is toast (two dents, one on each side, but cosmetic) Lifters are making noise, and the tranny is STARTING to show signs of acting up. I was considering just replacing the truck before more issues popped up but wanted to buy something I could grow into and not have to worry about for a long time. but I am quickly getting up to 35-40k with some quick looking for new (plus the cost of the trailer)and am just not feeling this.

I think at this point, I am not considering this as an option. I will probably get my tranny up to speed when/if it gets a hair worse. and buy a open trailer.

Thanks all for the imput, at the very least, I understand alot of the reasons a bigger tow rig is better.

PS sorry for typeo's here, I would run it though word, but I dont have access to it at the moment.