Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

[dave11]

Re: Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

Ford, of course!

 

[itsaboattime]

Re: Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

Ford decided not to ask for a fist full of my tax dollars....nuff said.

AMEN BROTHER!!!

I have always owned fords. I watched friends put trannys in chevys and rear ends in Dodges. All I have ever had to do to my Fords is change the oil and filters.

Had a 94 F150 with 480,000 miles on the original 302 and e4od trans. Got rid of it because the wife traded it in when I was outta town for work. Loved that truck!!

My present F150 doesn't bat an eye at towing my boat and I'm looking forward to putting half a million miles on it too!!

 

[Wee Hooker]

Re: Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

Nissan Frontier! 6500# towing capacity, 265hp, lots of torque. Gets 20mpg when not towing. Wouldn't trade mine for anything else!

 

[This_lil_fishy]

Re: Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

AMEN BROTHER!!!

I have always owned fords. I watched friends put trannys in chevys and rear ends in Dodges. All I have ever had to do to my Fords is change the oil and filters.

Had a 94 F150 with 480,000 miles on the original 302 and e4od trans. Got rid of it because the wife traded it in when I was outta town for work. Loved that truck!!

My present F150 doesn't bat an eye at towing my boat and I'm looking forward to putting half a million miles on it too!!

Every truck has a weak link, to me GM is electrical and tranny, Dodge is mileage and rear ends, Fords had a bad go with the 4.2, and front ends.

HOWEVER, I still stand by my statement...

Ford decided they didn't need a fist full of MY tax dollars....

Ian

 

[IVAZ]

Re: Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

If you want a Sunday truck then buy a Chevy.But if you want a work truck that will take abuse and keep going then buy a Ford.

This statement is so wrong.
Both trucks if cared for will last a long time. Check out Craigslist and you will find tons of old Chevys and Fords still in good running condition. It?s a matter of taste which one anyone picks.
What I will say is that the 04 Ford I had was a piece of crap. Mine and 5 others at my work developed lower end problems. The work trucks were driven harder by field crews and ended up requiring new engines. Mine developed a knock and I sold it before it totally crapped out. I bought my boat with the truck money and an old Bronco. I?m not against Fords, the Bronco runs perfect and has 176,000 miles. In my opinion the 04 Fords were junk. I?m sure Chevy has had its years of troubled trucks as well.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

04 Ford F-150 was the first year of the new body style and had problems with wheel shimmy. That is the year I had. Also, the weak link in the Ford is the tranny...especially those in the 3/4T trucks. The strong point in Chevy is the tranny.

I have owned both...both have their strong points and their weaknesses.

 

[IVAZ]

Re: Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

AMEN BROTHER!!!

I have always owned fords. I watched friends put trannys in chevys and rear ends in Dodges. All I have ever had to do to my Fords is change the oil and filters.

Had a 94 F150 with 480,000 miles on the original 302 and e4od trans. Got rid of it because the wife traded it in when I was outta town for work. Loved that truck!!

My present F150 doesn't bat an eye at towing my boat and I'm looking forward to putting half a million miles on it too!!

Go to a Ford enthusiast website such as http://fullsizebronco.com and you will see that the e4od is considered a pos.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

It's the torque that turns the wheels and that is what is needed for towing.

I would advise to get anything you feel like. 99% of the 1/2Tons will do the job for you.

 

[QC]

Re: Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

As noted the Chevy has more HP than the Ford but develops it at a higher RPM where you never tow at. It's the torque that turns the wheels and that is what is needed for towing.

Oh, and bruce has said the Magic Word Actually he is right, but torque only starts the wheels turning, I prefer my wheels turning fast and that takes horsepower . . . He is also right about RPM, but who the flyin' flip cares when he is planning on towing 2500 lbs? . . . Heck a 4 cylinder SAAB will do that, Volvo too. Yes, I know they don't make pickups, but I can't imagine a half ton, any year, any make, any engine and any tranny that couldn't. I am going to recommend a 4 cylinder T100. Makes as much sense as any of them . . .

I would advise to get anything you feel like. 99% of the 1/2Tons will do the job for you.

I could've saved some typing if I had simply posted "what he said ^^^^"

 

[mrdude]

Re: Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

i pull a 24t tracker pontoon with a toyota tacoma v6 6 speed stick with no problem... worth checking out huh

 

[skargo]

Re: Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

Just ask anyone here. Oh nevermind, the one everyone recommends is the one they own.

Any little half ton will handle 2500 lbs, maybe drive them and whichever tickles your fancy, go with.

Despite all the chest pounding they are all VERY close in reliability today. The manufacturers don't want them to last forever, they want people to come back to their showrooms and buy newer junk from them.

 

[danfrompgh]

Re: Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

Hate to say I told you so but after 50 responses... I told you were opening a can of worms. Everyone likes what they like for different reasons and all of them have pros and cons. The fact is they will all tow your 2500lb rig with very little problems because that weight is nothing to todays tow vehicles. I have downsized and I'm now towing my 3500lb setup with a 4.0 Ford Explorer and don't miss or need a V-8 or a full size pickup. Find the one that fits your butt the best and enjoy the summer
I still stick to my original request tho (49 post back) Buy American-- Help Americans.

 

[Lou_F]

Re: Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

Since it looks like GM is going to claim bancruptcy soon and the government (we the people) will own most of the company, I think I will wait for them to issue me my company vehicle.

 

[Sparkler]

Re: Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

Silverado as far as I am concerned. One thing that most people are unaware of is the fact that 2WD trucks are rated to tow more weight than their 4X4 counterparts. This is because the transfer cases and 4 wheel drive components add weight to the truck thus reducing both towing capacity and fuel economy. The 5.3 in the Silverado is the good old 327 cubic inch engine. Very dependable truck rated to tow up to 7600 pounds.

 

[skargo]

Re: Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

Silverado as far as I am concerned. One thing that most people are unaware of is the fact that 2WD trucks are rated to tow more weight than their 4X4 counterparts. This is because the transfer cases and 4 wheel drive components add weight to the truck thus reducing both towing capacity and fuel economy. The 5.3 in the Silverado is the good old 327 cubic inch engine. Very dependable truck rated to tow up to 7600 pounds.

The 5.3 is not the "good old 327" at all, completely different animal. In fact, 5.3 liters converts to 323.425 CI.
Again, it is nothing like the old 327s I run.

Not saying they are bad, just a clarification.

 

[QC]

Re: Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

Agree, 5.3s were a complete new redesign . . . nothing common with the original SBCs. Same thing with Ford's 5.4; nothing to do with 302s, 351s etc.

 

[dmas]

Re: Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

2008 Chevy Silverado 5.3 with trailering package...period

 

[Rowroy]

Re: Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

2008 Chevy Silverado 5.3 with trailering package...period

I guess that "trailering package" comes in handy when it's on the trailer being pulled by a Dodge or Ford.

 

[dmas]

Re: Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

I guess that "trailering package" comes in handy when it's on the trailer being pulled by a Dodge or Ford.

funny..that's what I said to my buddy while I was pulling his Ford out of a ditch a month ago...

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: Best 1/2 Ton Pickup for Towing?

The best tow vehicles are free with a gas card belonging to someone else!
Mine is a 2008 silverado Vmax LTZ 8600lbs-with a company gas card. Do i win?