DON'T Tow an RV With This - Half Ton RV Towing (BRUTALLY HONEST) 

If you're serious about going to a medium duty truck (4500/5500/f450/f550) stay away from GM trucks, their GCWR will restrict you to well under what you would want to tow with. Any other brand would likely require you to upgrade your licenses to legally tow (depending on the state you are licensed in).

We had an F150 and got a trailer to suite. We headed out debt free and stayed wherever we wanted. At the end of 3 yrs, we lost $2000 on the resale of our trailer and still drive our truck. For us, debt freedom was the best freedom.

Half ton trucks are great for light campers. There are a lot of advantages to small, lightweight campers. You can fit in spots large campers can't go. Your tow vehicle is already in your driveway. You might have multiple vehicles that can tow it. Maintenance will be cheaper on a smaller camper. Everybody loves to check out small campers. There is a cool factor to it. The heavy duty trucks for towing massive campers don't ride great, and they don't get good fuel economy if you are forced to use it as a daily driver. On this channel they're talking about going into debt to buy a truck to tow their massive trailer, then upgrading to a more massive trailer because their truck can tow it. Seems like a lot of debt to take on for depreciatimg assets. You could roll in the half ton pickup you already own with a 17ft travel trailer and save a ton of money.

The headline is misleading. A half-ton pickup is perfectly fine for a lightweight trailer that's within its tow rating. If you plan on getting a fifth wheel with slides, buy accordingly. I just got back from a trip to the Adirondacks towing a Forest River Wolf Pup in the mountains with my half-ton Silverado, and it worked great. The downsides of too much truck include a harsher ride, worse fuel economy, a higher price, more expensive repairs, and more expensive insurance. Do your homework first, because trading up or down will eat you alive with transaction costs and depreciation.

You guys are the most honest people I am aware of on the internet. You made big expensive mistakes and own it instead of doubling down and then take that knowledge to try and help others. Gosh, imagine that in this world... It's getting difficult.

I think first things first, do not buy a truck that is lifted if you plan to tow with it. Putting weight on the back of a lifted truck makes the steering and braking much more difficult and it puts unessasary stress on the truck. Travel trailers and 5th wheels should never be towed by a lifted truck. Love you guys!

In 2019 my wife and I were in this situation. We did a ton of research and wound up ordering a 2019 Ram 3500 and towed a 9000lb 33ft 5th wheel for a number of years. Overkill, yes. But we recently got a 41ft 12000lb destination trailer that I could also tow with no problems. Over truck the trailer, not over trailer the truck. Best advise out there

You two very tactfully handled a topic that can cause a firestorm for sure. Sharing your personal backstory/experience/decisions will no doubt be helpful to many folks. Always be as overtrucked as you can be because cat litter is serious payload!😉. Much love to you guys as well! Dave and Lorrie

I have to weigh in on this one. I was in the same boat as most people and purchased an half ton based on advice from people I spoke to. Most said, "a half ton will pull it just fine! The new ecoboosts have a lot of power". They weren't wrong, the truck has power, but the stability was greatly disappointing. It felt like I was driving in snow a lot of the time, unless I was on flat road with no wind. For reference the trailer is a 28foot, with a dry weight of 6800 and gross of 8500. I had weight distribution with sway controllers (there is a difference between these), plus I had air bags. The only thing that made a slight difference was pumping my rear tires up to 45psi, from the recommended 36 PSI (the max for the tire was 50psi) After one trip that was really windy last year, I was finally done. The white knuckle feeling just made travel terrible. I upgraded to a gas one ton. I couldn't justify diesel. The difference was dramatic and I would never go back. The power was marginally better, but the stability and the braking made a HUGE difference. While I still had the half ton, I started to do a lot of research about max towing capacity and payload. Most people who tow with a half ton are likely close to their max payload without even realizing it. If your payload is 1700 lbs, you have to include all weight on your vehicle including gas, passengers, tongued weight on the hitch, plus all your other cargo. Well, 2 adults and 2 kids is already about 400lbs, full gas was about 200 lbs, and tongue weight should be about 700 lbs for a total of 1300 lbs leaving only 400 lbs for cargo in the box. So you add the generator, extra gas, firewood, kids bikes, and other gear and you are approaching max payload. So my max towing capcity was 10800lbs, based on my manual which people need to realize is the capacity of an unloaded truck. Well, if you subtract 1500 lbs from this number due to the payload, that drops you down to 9300lbs. This means you are at 86 % of your max tow capacity, and almost 100% of the max payload. This is still fine, but you are running that truck pretty hard if you are doing a lot of towing. For reference, I took the trailer on a very short drive without the sway bars or weight distribution hitch. I would say that it felt noticeably better than what the half ton felt like with the weight distribution hitch and sway control. The payload is now 4300lbs with a max towing rating of about 15000lbs. So I sit at about 50% capacity when fully loaded. Knowing what I know now, I agree with the general rule that I read on a forum somewhere: anything 6000lbs to 8000lbs, or over 21 feet (due to the wind factor), get a 3/4 ton or one ton. Anything over that get a one ton. It's better to have capacity and not need it, than not have it and need it. Especially when it comes time to braking. Edit: I always see people say to add airbags, but airbags do nothing for increasing capacities, but only changes the feel of the ride. In my case, I didn't find that they increased the stability at all, but rather diminished forward and backwards rock of the truck, similar to what you would feel going up and down waves on a boat.

My late husband and I started RVing with a 1/2 ton and a 24ft trailer. When we retired, we upgraded to a 37' fifth wheel and a 1 ton dually. We found it difficult to find campground sites to park the 5th wheel, especially north of KC. So we got a lease at a southern RV park and left the 5th wheel there. We then hooked up a little 22ft mini-lite to the big F350, and got a lot of laughs about 'over-kill'. But the little trailer was easy to park and we didn't even feel it behind us. Well, I never learned how to back up a trailer, and I would be too nervous to learn. But I'm not going to give up camping. So I bought myself a truck camper to put on that F350 dually. Start with the big truck.

Our friends store their 42ft 5th wheel and 1-ton truck on our rural property. It rarely gets used, because it’s so big and cumbersome, and they can’t fit into most state parks. It’s past the point of being “camping”. It’s a mobile home. For us, after 30 years of camping, 6 campers and 5 trucks, we are back to a half-ton with upgraded suspension and 10-ply, 65 psi tires. And downsized to a 6,000 pound trailer that is comfortable to tow. Unless you are full-time, going bigger is not always the answer.

Hi guys, I'm a retired truck driver and I love watching you two but these trucks (3/4 and 1 ton) are so expensive now, and the fifth wheels are almost as bad based on a quality unit. And you have the added $5-$7 a gallon bonus towing that awesome diesel truck @ 9-12 mpg. I think the liability is also a major factor when most states don't require a CDL to tow even a 40 foot 5th wheel, and people buy these things that never towed a thing in their life, plus have no clue the dangers involved as I've seen several going down the highway doing 75-80 mph! I would suggest if you're looking to do this, rent an RV to see if that type of lifestyle or vacation is right for you before you spend six figures on that awesome getaway. I'm sorry for being a downer, but maybe someone might put the numbers together and find out that WOW this might not be worth the expense.

Thanks for sharing! This is often a very complicated subject that many miss many subtle points. I've been RVing since 1986 with many different RV configurations and we are currently towing with a Tundra 1/2 ton. It is important to know axle ratings too as often air bags can be added to improve capacity, but you cannot exceed this ever. Often Truck Camper or 5th wheel manufacturers will ignore this and state their Truck Camper or Fifth Wheel will fit a 1/2 ton with some modifications, but in reality will not. This said, our 1/2 has been one of the best pulling and most reliable vehicles by a a very wide margin (reliability is very important to me as I am now older and we've had our share of terrible vehicles when it comes to reliability)! We currently have a 28' TT that is 5800 dry (7800 max gross weight, but never at this) and is designed in a way that the hitch weight is well within our carrying capacity (under 600 lbs). We also use a weight distribution hitch which makes a huge difference What is important with any RV, but especially a trailer IS weight distribution which is often where in videos where one sees a trailer "wagging" the truck is due to driving with full tanks behind the trailer axles. As a pilot I also know how being "aft" heavy is a major no-no, yet I see little mentioned about this in many articles or videos about pulling a trailer, especially lighter duty vehicles. We make sure that our weight is balanced and if anything is forward of the trailer axles to place control on the truck, but never back heavy. If we have to use our portable black and grey tank caddy to empty our tanks prior to higher speed highway travel, we ALWAYS DO.

These two are spot on with their advice. From someone who has been doing the RV thing for well over 40 years, my advice is do your research, and order your tow vehicle rather than buying off the dealer's lot. First off, the average sales person knows absolutely nothing about what makes a good towing platform, so don't waste your time asking them for advice. Just because a pick up says it has a towing package doesn't mean it will make a good tow vehicle. Manufacturers have to play games to get the best fuel mileage on pick ups. That means they will put the most economical gearing in the drive train, and that's completely the opposite of what is needed to be a good towing platform. There is no such thing as a good tow vehicle that gets good fuel mileage. Almost without fail, if you choose to stick with the RV lifestyle, you will always go bigger on your next RV. If you operate on that principal, then you want to buy your tow vehicle with that in mind. It's not uncommon for experienced RVer's to go through two or three RV's while keeping the same tow vehicle, because they set it up to be more than what they needed in the first place. It's much more cost effective to order your truck with the manufacturers best towing upgrades than it is to try and add aftermarket power later. Throw the manufacturer's "packages" out the window. Because pick ups are primarily work vehicles, you have a lot more leeway with the options you can get on them when you order one. I learned this the hard way in my very early days. I bought a brand new 1/2 ton pick up that claimed to have a towing package. It was woefully inadequate for the task. The aux transmission fluid cooler was too small to be of much use, the alternator was the same, as were the brakes, and the rear end gearing was 3.07 for fuel economy. Because of the size of the differential housing, I could only go up to a 3.73 gear ratio, which I was forced to do within a year. What I really needed was at least a 4.11, but I would have had to replace the complete rear end to get that. I could have ordered the same truck with all those improvements already on it if I had only known. With that knowledge in hand, I ordered my second tow vehicle, which served me well from 1992 through 2007 pulling four progressively larger and heavier RVs. The only upgrades I made to it was the addition of a Banks Power Pac ignition and exhaust system to boost the already substantial engine power, and a B&M electronic shift kit for the automatic transmission to improve the shifting under load conditions. Both of those upgrades totaled less than $1000. I should also mention that I did not use that second vehicle for much more than towing because it was a gas hog. Our last travel trailer weighed over 10,000 pounds, and I remember when the dealer's service tech came back from a test drive after the set-up, all he could talk about was how effortlessly that vehicle pulled that trailer. It was the kind of tow vehicle that had the staying power to keep up with the ever heavier loads thrown at it. That should be your goal when you set out to buy a tow vehicle. Go big, or stay home.

I’ve been towing (mostly boats) for decades. Many with 1/2, 3/4, and even 1 ton trucks. I had a 2015 LYZ 1/2 ton and I hated it cause of the weak brakes and shifty transmission, I traded it for a Denali K3500, (same year 2015) and the difference was incredible. I’ve towed big boats (w/ wide load banners) and the Denali pulls awesome. Brakes are still a little weak but it has engine braking as well which changes everything!! Love my truck.

Great topic. Over truck the trailer rather than over trailer the truck. Over the years, we've towed with a 1990 F150 XLT Lariat, a couple of Chevy 1500 pickups and a couple of Chevy Tahoes. We now have a Chevy 2500HD Duramax. The problem with half-ton trucks is that you run out of payload long before you exceed its tow capacity. The same applies to any tow vehicle. We learned about this the hard way. Our last truck (a Chevy 1500 LTZ with a 6.2L V8) towed wonderfully..... AFTER I changed out the P-Metric radial tires for Light Truck tires. The difference was like night and day. But it was at the limit of its payload though we were a long way away from the tow limits. The 3/4 ton trucks aren't really meant for towing 5th-wheels (payload is a bit skinny) but many are used for that purpose. Friendly advice: weigh your tow vehicle loaded like you are ready to head out and compare with the stickers on the door frame of the driver-side door. Then you will know your actual payload remaining. That gives you a number to work with before you buy a trailer. In my experience (40+ years towing trailers), the actual tongue weight will be right around 13% of the trailer GVWR. Add 100 lbs for the weight distribution hitch components to that then compare with your actual payload. Prepare for a surprise if you have a 1/2 ton. We were right at our payload limit with about 50 lbs to spare. 😮 Eeek! That's why we have a 3/4 ton now. With a 5th wheel, the pin weight will be approximately 20-22% of you GVWR. Add to the pin weight the hitch weight (depends on what you buy), which could run in the 150 lb to 250 lb range. Numbers matter. Use wisdom and discretion. Never assume anything. Assumptions are the mother of all foul ups (foul replaces a more vulgar term since this is a family-oriented channel). 😂

I’ve had a one-ton truck with a big 5th wheel, and to be honest, I’m over the big rig bug. I have a 27’ 5800lb (7500lb GCWR) Airstream and tow with my 3/4 ton, but it also pulls like a dream with my son’s half ton F150 with 12k towing capacity with plenty of extra payload for long trips

Great video! We're stuck with a half ton and like you say it can be done, we've gone cross country twice. I'd still like to upgrade. I'd draw the 1/2 ton line at a travel trailer in the low 20ft range, a weekend warrior, and either a small family or limited "toys". More than that you'll really be kicking yourself for not getting a 3/4 ton or more.

Great advice. One of the main reasons we chose to go with a class C is because my truck is a 1/2 ton. I love my truck, but it just wouldn't do the job adequately for a family of 3 and 2 dogs. When we considered the cost of a new truck as well as the camper, it was much cheaper to just go with the class C and keep my truck.

Good information. My wife and I have been watching you for years and love your videos. We’ve told all our friends and family about your RU-vid channel. After years of weekend trips pulling at the maximum capacity of my half ton, I retired ( from 43 years of nursing) sold our house and my wife and I decided to travel full time. We bought a F450 one ton super duty and 30’ Airstream. Best investment We ever made. The one ton is so stable and strong, I some times have to look in my rear view mirror just to check that I’m still pulling the trailer. We hope to one day meet you on our travels.

I went the other route. Got a 2013 Chevy 1500 z71 for $3500 but it had stuck lifters. Replaced the cam (small performance upgrade of the stock one) and all of the lifters. Paid for someone to dyno tune the truck and program it for the new lifters (non DOD lifters). Another $3,000 in repairs. But the engine has all new gaskets lifters, valves and cam shaft. Bought a used 2019 17" camper (3,500lbs) for $10,000. Truck pulls it great and i can comfortable camp with my wife and all 3 kids. No monthly payments and no debt. Sure it took a while to get the truck completed but it was worth the wait.

Also oversize tires will hurt your gear ratio making towing a bit more difficult. Stick to the stock tire size for a tow rig.

My wife and I are new to RVing. We purchased our truck first (took 6 months to get here). Finally a month ago it arrived. We chose to buy a single rear wheel RAM 3500 with a high output Cummins Turbo Diesel. It will pull massive amounts of weight and has a payload of 3,700 lbs. We did this to allow for the maximum 5th wheel options when shopping. We are about a month away from purchasing our first rig! Thanks for all the great videos Hanks clan!

That's the same reason I buy extra-wide shoes..... for Extra Toe Capacity. See what I did there. On a serious note, this is a great video. I think a major issue is people can be too prideful about their truck or a certain brand and they over-estimate what their truck is able to do and accidents do happen. This is why I appreciate videos like this, Chad and Tara's videos on Changing Lanes explaining tow capacity and JD from Big Truck Big RV. You and you alone are responsible to do the math to make sure your truck can safely tow a trailer and you are responsible to make sure you are towing less than your capacity. I've said it before and I'll say it again "Someone on Facebook told me my 1/2 ton truck could handle this size trailer." is not a valid defense in a court of law. If you are ever in an accident and you cause damage to someone else's property or injure someone they will make sure your truck and trailer are properly matched. It's better to have a truck that's overkill. Do the math, Do the math, Do the math. Oh yeah, one more thing..... Do the math! Big hugs from Peru. Logan is next to me chillin. Rockett is at the office with my roommate. Cheers, Your favorite Uncle Mac.

I have a F150 Powerboost, and a Winnebago 2108DS, with a weight distribution/anti-sway hitch...she pulls and follows just fine because it is well within the limits of the truck...Don't overmax your rig and you'll be fine with a 1/2 ton...if you want the big trailer, then yes get a big truck...

Having towed with both 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton gas and diesel, I’ll always recommend at least a 3/4 ton! If you don’t tow a lot or very far then it may not be worth the extra cost but, even if you don’t “need” one, they just tow a lot better! Diesel is usually considered better but honestly gas is probably fine!

We already had our truck when we purchased our 30 ft travel trailer. The dealership said it would pull it, which it did. The problem was it wasn't very safe in windy conditions, or in the mountains. We bought a new F250 in January to pull this trailer and a fifth wheel when we go full time. We love you guys...thank you!

Wife and I had this conversation just over a year ago. We started off with a 2016 Colorado and bought a trailer that maxed out the truck. After camping a year we started talking about what is our next step. Since we were not sure we just ordered a ram 3500 dually so we could get what ever camper we wanted. So currently we are towing a 6k pound trailer with a truck that’s rated for 33k pounds😂😂😂

I have a 2024 Subaru Outback with the 2.4L turbo. Tow package factory installed, added brake controller and 7pin connector (came with a 4pin). Towing a 2023 Jayco Jayflight SLX195RBW. The trailer weight is about 3000lbs dry, tow rating is 3500lbs. Yes, we are maxed. Trailer has electric brakes, don’t feel any pushing when braking. Limit our highway speed to 60mph, have a heavy duty equalizer hitch on it. no issues towing so far, although a passing semi pushes us to the side a bit. The Subaru lane control and other driving assist systems help. Have towed up to 7500 feet elevation, get about 12 mpg when towing.

This was literally the same thing I did. I was living in San Diego, bought a 1/2 ton and a TT. It struggled to pull the 25ft trailer up the mountain roads. So I rolled negative equity into a 3/4 ton Ram. 4 years and 130k miles later, I bought a 1 ton dually. Still pulling that same TT. Is 34k lbs of towing and 5k payload overkill for a trailer with a gvwr of 7400? Yes. But now I’m looking at a Momentum and I have 0 worries.

Great video y'all. I agree with your advice. My wife and I have been researching RVs for when we retire (soon - hopefully). Last year I bought a 2021 F350 6.7 L diesel SRW. We have been researching travel trailers this year and a re near the point where we will buy. Every time a sales rep asks what I have to tow with, they smile when I tell them and say, "so no problems towing them"... I told my wife going in that the trucks are so expensive, we don't want to have to buy one twice...

Probably hurt some feelings, but 1000% accurate. We started with a Ram 2500 3/4 ton and travel trailer; wish we had gone 1 ton. We are good where we are with payload and other stuff, but locked into this 5th wheel. We plan on going to a 4500 or F450 and putting this issue to rest. Happy travels, love you guys.

We started the same way as you. Half ton truck and a trailer that was at the limit. We went from North Carolina to New Mexico and definitely regretted it! We bought a three quarter ton F-250 in New Mexico and have now upgraded to a larger trailer. We've towed from Arizona to Georgia and now back to New Mexico and couldn't be happier with it!

Really enjoyed this video! I can understand the pain of upgrading. Luckily I waited long enough to go from a car with no tow capacity to my first tow vehicle and did research on what the hubby and I wanted. Ended up with an Audi Q7 TDI pulling a Springdale 1800bh. Still well overpowered for the trailer (6600lb rating pulling

This video is for us. We pulled a 24' TT for many years with an Express Van. We bought a 3/4 ton Ram because I wanted a 5th wheel but with the bed in the slide was a must. Well it didn't have a big enough rear. After 3 years hubby found a Power Wagon with a bigger rear not realizing the Power wagon being an off road truck pulls less weight. We ended up with a 30' TT instead of the 5th wheel. We do love both.

My favorite type of ideal camping is 3-6 days boondocking (moderate weather only) on BLM land or any other free spots and go into town, stay at an RV park to shop, refuel, dump, refresh (longer showers), do laundry and head back out the next day. Most times I’ve stayed at an RV park, I WANT TO LEAVE ASAP. 🤣

Just bought a new 23’ TT and picked up a 2017 VW Touareg with a 7700 lb tow capacity and plenty of hitch weight! Great video!

I've had so many conversations with friends about 1/2 tons and towing. One thing to think about with your 3/4 ton is that pretty much the only difference between a 3/4 and full ton truck is an extra leaf spring on the rear axle. I really don't know if it's possible or not, but you may be able to add that and not have to buy a different one-ton truck. Great video. Thank you guys.

Back in 2000 I towed a 18 ft (living space) 25 ft total twin axle camper with a 6 cylinder Ford Explorer for 5 months straight & it did great :)

Great video! We started with a 1/2 ton F150 and a 27’ travel trailer. Used that camper for a year then went for broke. Upgraded to a F350 long bed and a 41’ fifth wheel. Personally find the fifth wheel much easier to tow.

After towing our RV quite a bit in the mountains of AZ and Utah. I would say that if you know you will stay in flat terrain (great plains and east) then a half ton is fine up t it's tow rating. If you think you will drive through the mountains (Rockys, Sierra Nevadas) then cut your truck's tow rating by 30% in your plans, and buy a accordingly. The mountains are very hard on your truck, in multiple ways. Going uphill is tough on the engine, transmission, cooling system, and oil. Downhill is tough on transmission and brakes. The mountains cause a lot of spurious winds in changing directions, which is hard on the frame and tow connecting parts (stabilizers are very useful here). We started with a 2003 GMC half ton pulling a 5700 pound bumper pull trailer, decently under the 8k tow rating. We got frustrated quite a few times with lack of power from the 5.3L V8 engine. Then the trasnmission went out. We traded it for a 3/4 ton Suburban with a 7.4L V8, that was so much better even through the tow rating wasn't a lot higher, 10k vs 8k. It was much more solid driving down the windy and winding roads, the brakes were much stronger, the engine didn't sound like it was straining all the time, I wasn't white nuckled every time the wind got strong. It a much better experience driving a 3/4 vs a 1/2 ton, at least for our 5700 pound bumper pull trailer.

Great video and topic! I just upgraded to a 3/4 ton from a 1/2 ton. I was one of those guys that said there’s nothing wrong with a 1/2 ton truck pulling my camper, yea it’s at the top of the towing capacity (or slightly more) and such, but it’s fine! I have a 35ft Rockwood 8237SS. I just towed my camper last week with my new 3/4 ton, and it’s really night and day difference. I know people are going to think I’m just trying to justify my purchase, but it really is much better, and safe feeling. Until I actually did it I honestly didn’t know the difference.

Hallelujah Brother! Preach it loud and clear! We also started off with a half ton truck (Ram 1500 HD) towing a used 2008 KZ Sportsman Select TT Bunk house rear full bath. Absolutely had some wonderful times taking our grand kids camping with us! We soon became claustrophobic in that 32 foot travel trailer and wanted more room to spread our wings in. Well, so we then began looking at bigger trucks and an RV and became sticker shocked with how costly it became! We decided that we were not going to take on any debt load while we were traveling! So we decided to go the second hand way on both truck and RV, and after much searching and many headaches we found what we both liked. We found a 2015 Ram 3500 HD Limited and a 2016 40’ Sanibel Wide Body TT in of all places in Nevada! Through some difficult negotiations we bought them both under their market values and have really come out on the plus side of things! Let me Preach this loud and clear to all out there, you don’t need to buy new and have to carry a lot of debt on your backs! Our rigs are all so comfy and will meet our needs for years to come! Just saying, it’s so nice and comforting to not have to make any payments each month, as this relieves so much stress while we travel and look for all those ideal fishing spots. 🎣 It’s fish fry night, so enjoy your time in the Smokey Mountains! Take Care

Great 👍 video Carl n Renee very informative but nothing beats good ole American 🇺🇸 made Ford Super Duty

Bought a 30' TT back in 2019 to live in for the summer while we built our house. THAT was an experience all it's own- my wife, son, 3 cats... Since then we have become the 'weekend warriors,' going on 6-10 trips in the summer and really enjoy it. Upgraded from a 1/2 to 3/4 when there was a truck shortage at the beginning of the pandemic. Actually made money on my half ton!

Hey Hanks, just for future information, three-quarter ton can be upgraded for a lot less money by adding an extra leaf spring, adding some airbags, and or even adding some better shocks. You can actually buy tow packages for three-quarter tons that will kick them up substantially. But a nice big F450 would be really really nice to look at!

Out-truck your trailer is good advice. We tow a 44 ft toy hauler. When we bought it we had a 3/4 ton. Very quickly we realized we had no “wiggle room” with our current truck so we upgraded to a 1 ton dually. HUGE difference!!

A half ton is perfectly fine if you've decided that you aren't gonna need a RV more than 7-9k pounds. Our 2021 Sierra 1500 3.0L Duramax diesel is great. We got a great deal and tows 10k lbs and gets excellent range when towing. 12-13mpg and over 300 miles on a single 24 gallon tank. If you're smart about the purchase and know how big you'll ever go with the RV then a half ton works fine.

Thanks for your honesty. I think there are definitely a lot of people who just jump into RV'ing and figure everything out along the way. Only once you dive in do you realize what you should have done differently. Hindsight is always 20-20. I think the moral of this video is DO YOUR RESEARCH and TAKE YOUR TIME. Everyone has different needs, and you really need to know what you NEED as opposed to what you WANT.

This is good advice. There is tons of great content out there about how to determine how much a vehicle can tow. I ended up making spreadsheets of various trucks and trailers to ensure I was getting the right truck for the trailer I wanted. I was also on an extremely rigid budget, so I ended up having to get the smallest RV and truck. But that’s okay. We love it and accept the limitations it comes with. #thankshanks for the solid info!!!

Your video makes sense for full timers, yes. That being said, I’ve been pulling a 6800 lb travel trailer with a half ton for ten years now. Speaking frankly, the truck handles it great and serves as a daily driver. For a vacationer, a 3/4 or a 1 ton is overkill unless the truck serves as a work truck as well. There are PLENTY of half ton towable options out there.

Great video. Helping people out by telling your own story. We started out with a 28 foot TT and an SUV. Upgraded both through the years and never did full time, but camped a lot. The SUV had a 9000 pound towing capacity, but the newer one had limitations (could not put airbags in the rear to stiffen the suspension while towing). Wish that we had purchased a 2500HD from the start or even the second time, but sadly we did not. That is the advise I would give. Purchase what you need, but with room to expand. FYI: Now, looking toward the future, we have purchased a Motor Home.

I like yall. My wife and are looking to buy a camper to sustain in and yalls videos help alot. And yall are a great couple. The humor makes the videos fun to watch. It's nice to learn from others mistakes and you now have the ability to bless others with all your camper knowledge.

You both handled the “sensitive nature” of truck discussion very well. Love my 2017 F250 6.7 turbo diesel, especially given I am pulling a 40’ 5th wheel. As you know, its nice and comforting knowing you can pull about anything over the many passes in the western region, and these turbo diesels, as you know, do it well. Thee best upgrade next to airbags in the rear was removing the original gas tank and replacing it with a 60 gallon tank. Sooo nice and can be more strategic where and when you get gas. Keep rolling campers! D

Advice is very sound. We did end up with a 1/2 ton truck and then purchased our RV within the parameters of the tow capacity. Alot of folks say don't tow with a 1/2 ton and that is right advice in most case but newer 1/2 tons can have alot of tow capacity if you have the right configuration. For example ours is a Ram 1500 Limited 11320 lbs TC with 33 gal tank and air suspension so more than your standard 1/2 so there are several TT within those limits. We got the TT we wanted and kept it within 80 percent of the tow capacity of the truck. We have been doing our trial run for about two weeks and we love and are sad we have to go back to our house until the lease expires and we can go full time. I want to say thank you to you guys as you have shown us its possible. (Side note we did get washer/dryer stackables due to a videos were you have said its one thing you wish you had)

Just love you guys! We had a 1/2 ton truck and then decided to get a camper. We weren't sure how much we would enjoy camping so we started out small. We realized we loved camping but our camper wasn't big enough. We just bought a new, bigger camper that's too much for our truck. Well, it's within the tow capacity but nothing you would take on the highway for any distance. We are fortunate to live in Michigan with state parks within just a few miles. So, this year and next year we are going to enjoy our camper at local state parks and have the ability to still operate our business. I refinish cars and airplanes. Our plan is to get the truck that suits the camper by the end of next year with plans to take it on some big adventures. Love your channel..Cheers!

Hi you two! I have had a 3/4 ton truck the last 8 years. We are weekend campers for the most part due to fact my wife works and is due to retire in 2 years, so I’m hopeful by then gas will be back down so we can go full time. Hopefully one of these days you two will head up to the Great Lake State!

Had a 6000 pound GVW trailer and bought an F-150 Max Tow/Max Payload to tow it with. It pulled great. Fast forward a few years and we upgraded the trailer to something with a GVW rating of 12K. Although the 1/ Ton pulled it great on the flats, I knew we would not be heading for any mountains. We just lucked into a 1 ton diesel and it pulls MUCH better. Which we could have made the change earlier.

We've had no trouble so far with a 1500 with a lot of towing overhead going through Appalachians. But we thoroughly researched gear ratios and stuff beforehand. It's not exactly easy to know to look for that stuff before you buy, though. There are lots of lighter options for fifth wheels now, so you might be surprised when you look in a year or two as to what you can pull with a 2500.

One Ton and Done - 5th Wheel , dually turbo diesel cummings - A TOY hauler - One street bike, one dirt bike, one bicycle and steak, bacon & eggs , let the good times roll - I still have my 2003 dodge cummings and I Love it

Love this video. Great information. Luckily when we got our truck I told my husband I wanted a big truck and powerful and had the torque we’d need to tow whatever toys we got. Our travel trailer is a Geo Pro 19FBS. Basically a 20 footer. About 4,000 pounds loaded. Our truck is a Chevy Silverado 2500HD Duramax Diesel. Way overkill for our little trailer. But at least one day if we want to upgrade our trailer then our truck can still handle it. 😊

Off the topic of RV's, trucks, etc., I'd just like to say thank you to the both of you. Nursing runs deep in my family with two sisters, two daughters and a girlfriend who are all nurses. Not a job for the faint of heart. Thank you very much!

Excellently handled and gracefully stated. I have a 5k trailer, so my stock 2010 Tundra pulls it (and STOPS it) with no sweat (10k tow rating). Any fully loaded trailer over 7K though? Ehhhh no. 70% of manufacturers max rating is much safer than maxing it out. I see too many overloaded trucks out there. Great video!

I'm lucky that I was finally able to convince my with that my 1/2 ton will not pull the type of trailer she wanted. She just knew the I could "tow" 12,400 lbs. I finally was able to break everything down and show her that was not the case. She finally let me take control and figure out which truck to get. I was nice and let her pick the color and options that she wanted. Then I finalized the build. We will be getting a F-450 with everything that she would need (being someone with limited towing experience) to safety drive the truck and 5th wheel if something were to happen to me. I will make sure she is comfortable driving it before we become full timers.

F150 with the ecoboost engine is good enough for our needs (so far). We’re towing a 27.5 fifth wheel, but not full time yet. As for the different RVing options, that’s why I’m watching you guys!

I bought a 2016 F-150 to pull my 6x16 utility trailer. When I was shopping for my camper, I knew what I wanted was going to be too heavy to pull with my F-150 but I was not going to get a camper that did not fit our needs. I ended up buying a 5,750 dry weight camper (about 800 pounds too heavy for my specific truck) and began stripping everything that I could from "Campy" my new camper. I was able to pull over 900 pounds out, still have all of the storage we need and still have all of the comforts we expect in a home (my son's own room and our king size bed in our bedroom with doors). Every time we head out on a new adventure our first stop is a weigh station. Our plan is to make sure we are always at least 400 pounds under our GCVR of 12,000. Hubby and I have even dropped 50 pounds each to keep our GCVR down, win/win!

Terrific info! When we decided to start looking for an RV, my wife and family wanted to go small and then upgrade as our needs changed but I was steadfast in a decision to buy big from the get go. I knew of the financial challenges as we were now retired and thought stair stepping is not a good choice. As it turns out, we made a great decision, both financially and functionally.

You helped put my mind at ease today. We just upgraded from a 1/2 ton SUV to a 3/4 ton truck to pull our 27 ft travel trailer. The SUV was working but it was maxed out, and we wanted to take some longer trips this year. I feel much better about our decision now. Thanks!

We started with a Ram 1500 with a Hemi. We quickly realized how restrictive this was. This lasted all of 7 months. We then upgraded everything to our current rig. We have a Ram 3500 with a Cummings Turbo Diesel as our tow vehicle and a 43’ 5th wheel. We love the extra room and comfort. We also have ZERO issues going down the road. Overkill on the tow vehicle made all of the difference.

You guys definitely recommended the big first question: decide what you want to get. I can't tell you how many people I see way overestimate what they can tow, overestimate how much RV they need, etc. We started tiny, with an RV that could be safely towed with our Jeep, given a reasonable budget, and keeping a big safety margin on capacities. Sure we made sacrifices; but in the end we have an RV that can be towed extremely easily with a 1/2 ton (which we subsequently bought). From there, our outlook is to buying a 5th wheel with a 3/4 ton as price and opportunity allows. There's nothing wrong with growing into a larger lifestyle, and I would never say that "growing" into bigger RV's is a "mistake". If you're not sure, dip your foot in the RV pool!

The number one truck for towing RV'S is the Ram Dually. I used to tow RV'S from the manufacturer to Dealerships and everyone used the Ram Dually. Good luck with whatever you decide

Did the same thing to start out. Got a trailer and a f150 with tow package ect at the same time because the numbers said it was ok. It sort of was ok but we wanted to go on longer trips and it just wasn't stable enough. Moved up to a f350 with a 6.2 gasser. Huge difference! I'm 70 so probably won't get anything bigger. 28ft tt. Love watching you guys

Great advice. When we bought our current camper we were limited due to our older tow vehicle, Jeep Cherokee w/4500 pound tow limit. We went with a Micro Minnie and it towed just fine but was still toward max. Now that we are getting ready for full-time living we have upgraded the truck to a 2500 and will be upgrading to a 38 foot TT. What tires does Dee roll with? Looking for replacing my stock tires soon.

Pulled our first camper with half ton cause that's what we had but when we bought a bigger trailer had to get 2500 fortunately got a duramax now have a 5th wheel and so glad for the big truck. All set up for towing just about anything love you guys be safe. Oh and a tummy rub for Dexter!

This is a great video!

Great video! It amazes me how many people think a half ton truck will haul anything. As you know it won't. Besides having a heavier frame with a beefier suspension and bigger motor you also need to consider brakes. While you need to make it up those hills you also have to come down. Too big of a trailer and you can literally light your brakes on fire in a half ton truck coming down some of those mountains. Bigger trucks have bigger brakes. Safety is so important. So important! Having a much bigger truck than necessary is so much better than the other way around. If you are not sure what size truck you need go to a RV sales store or a RV show. Look at all the RV's. Find one or two you really like then inquire as to what size truck you need to pull it. Just a thought.

Anybody that attempts to tow regularly with a lifted truck are on the spectrum

You guys are correct. Never just leave yourself just some wiggle room. Always buy more than you need. Sometimes you may need to pull with your fresh tank full and maybe you add a generator now you have another 6 or 8 hundred pounds and now you are over your wiggle room. Maybe as I did you add a 46 gallon auxiliary fuel tank in the bed. I have a 35 foot Bighorn GVRW of 15500 pounds. 3/4 ton would not Handel everything that I did. My F350 dully still has a lot of wiggle room. That’s what I started with.

Its not "If you can tow a trailer?" Its more "Can you stop a trailer?"

Hey Hanks! We’re also from PA, Wilkes Barre area, and have the 2020 Solitude 2930rl. We initially bought an F-350 SRW gas and one year later transitioned to an F-450 we found on a Ford lot in Columbus OH. The biggest reasons for us to do this : we were 100 lbs under CCC with the F-350, the full bed size w/diesel gave us plenty of fuel for a travel day, and the F-450 has a great turning radius. We love this Solitude and have been touring out West since March. The F-450 is a BEAST!!!

Hanks!! Always causing trouble eh?

My wife & I sold our house last December and are now in a 2022 Grand Design Solitude 382WB towed by a 2016 RAM 3500 dually. I'm really glad went with the 1 ton dually as it gives us a big safety margin with what we currently have and room to grow in the future.

This is a really great video and a great set of recommendations. Telling from your experience is so great. Our case - We already owned the F-150 (11,000 tow capacity) to tow our 25 foot bowrider, and we weren't 100% convinced we were going to be into camping (not full-timers, just weekenders a lot and wanderers a couple times a year). So we bought the camper (Jayco 25 RB, a lot like your Imagine) to fit what we already owned so that if we decided it wasn't for us, we'd just sell the camper. Turns out we are 100% into camping but the wandering part got a little scary with 18 wheelers blowing us around and the F150 just didn't get good mileage towing, so we upgraded to a F250 with 14,500 tow capacity. As a middle aged couple doing camping, we don't have quite the expansion that you guys might be looking at, but we do want to bring along grandkids occasionally so we checked the F250 capacity against what we thought we might ultimately end up with in a 5th wheel. We didn't need 3rd times a charm like you guys, but we did do what you are advising - be smart about what you think your next one or two moves might be and get plenty of tow capacity and GCVW headroom when you upgrade that tow vehicle.

We have pulled our camper with our Ram 1500's for 20+ years, Yes we have it set up with a few extras. We now tow a Passport Ultralight Grand Touring 3350BH travel trailer (for 6 years now). Honestly wish we had a smaller camper to fit into more campgrounds and would love to do boondocking!

LOL, we started in the 80s with a V6 Chevy S10 and a 25' tt. 😱 Then we went with a diesel dually. The dually is really cumbersome for casual use. So now we have a 3500 SRW diesel. Love it.

Good advice!! Many do not educate themselves on the importance of staying within the capacities of their tow vehicle. Especially the payload capacity. My wife and I have been traveling all over the U.S. and Canada for the past 40+ years. We wanted to stay within the limits of a 1/2 ton truck so we tailored our RV purchases to fit our tow vehicles capacity. We made it a point to leave wiggle room by not exceeding 80% of our trucks towing and payload capacity, and by periodically checking our trailers weight and hitch weight when it is loaded for travel.

We started with a half ton truck as well. Then we let a dealer tell us the current trailer we have is ok for a half ton… boy were we wrong!! We got into the mountains of Wyoming and found out we were severely under powered when pulling a 35foot travel trailer. Stepping into a bigger truck was the best decision we made. More control, more power and considerably more peace of mind! tHanks for the great video!!

The timing of this video is amazing. I literally just traded my 1500 Silverado for a Ram 2500 yesterday!!!! Had barely enough truck for the travel trailer. Did not feel comfortable continuing on with not enough truck. Keep up the great videos

Title vs content was much better than expected. Trucks are a MASSIVE grey area these days. Especially half tons. Some can tow into the 3/4 ton range. It’s all about axles, payload, tow capacity and what’s comfortable for the truck. Even getting into the 3/4 and 1 ton you have to pay attention to those things. We pull a GD imagine 2800bh with a 2018 Ram rebel. The trucks tow capacity is 10,100lbs, but the payload capacity is 1,365(which has to include hitch weight, passengers, cargo and fuel). So we don’t max out the towing capacity but start to creep on the payload capacity with about 10% of the weight of the trailer on the tongue (trailer max weight is 8,995). A 3/4 ton would for sure handle the road ware and wind better but I tell you what the programmer the truck came with and the air ride suspension so a heck of a job keeping control of the trailer. I say all that to say this, there are TO many half ton engine, transmission and rear axle gearing configurations to really confuse a buyer these days looking to pull with a half ton. Cheers, as always thanks for the great content.

I love this video and am sure it will help a lot of folks. I must have heard this content before you even shared it. LOL. My wife and I plan on full time RVing when we retire in about 8 years. When we began researching the process we were actually going to enter in to it buying the 5th Wheel. Then I began to wonder if starting with a travel trailer was a better idea. However, my truck purchase never wavered it was a ton truck in order to be able to have our camper grow with it not the other way around. We bought our GMC 3500HD Denali last year (Clifford--The BART) and then this winter took delivery on our travel trailer. Thanks for sharing this video.

I have a 2022 f350 lariat. With the 7.3l Godzilla motor. Towing a 42ft Alpine 3700fl. And love it.Oh and you two are living the life. God bless

I'm in a unique situation. I took a new job back in January doing outside sales and being the field service manager for an industrial equipment rep firm. Part of that job is sometimes pulling an enclosed 6x12 cargo trailer to do demos on air cannons for cement/power/paper plants. I've usually done 3/4 ton or 1 ton diesels in the past whether I had something to tow or not. This time I was thinking about what I REALLY needed and decided to step down to a 2021 Chevy Trail Boss. It's been a great truck so far but....BUT(you knew that was coming!), my wife has been wanting another camper for a few years and this weekend while camping with our in-laws I decided to text my close friend/ex boss and ask how much he would sell me the 2021 Keystone Passport GT I stayed in while doing hurricane recovery work last year in FL. He came back with a VERY nice price that's about 7-14k less than equivalent units I have seen on marketplace used that are identical floor plans and all. I'd have to replace the motorized awning that buckled in a storm but that's really the only thing wrong with it. So now I have this dilemma where I think, do I pass on the camper and hope he has it when I upgrade trucks eventually or do I go ahead and snag it now and make do with my 1500 for now? He isn't actively trying to sell it, but I'd be worrying something would happen on his end and us not be able to get it a few months down the road.

Had a pop up originally, then an old class A, and now a small lightweight hybrid with 3 queen beds and a dinette sleeper...towing with a 15 passenger Ford Transit 350...3/4 tonn..took 5 seats out...love this set up. Economical, simple, reliable, comfortable, flexible.

I have a mid size V6 which has a capacity of 6250# and my camper is a 4500#. It pulls it fine, but does struggle some up hill, but no worries

Great video my wife and I went with 30ft fifth wheel and a 2000 F350 with the 7.3 diesel. I love my 7.3 not as powerful as most trucks but will be running when they are not. My next RV will be 45ft but I will be pulling it with a 379 Peterbilt 13 speed. I bet that will pull what I buy but I grew up around big trucks and can’t get it out of my system. Watch the videos on HDT and you’ll see why that’s the best way. The weight ratio you want have to worry about the RV pushing the truck and you can stop better. Y’all are great we love watching your videos stay safe and God bless.

Nailed it. Some people exceed their towing and payload capacities and swear by it. It may tow but the issue is excessive wear and tear on the tow vehicle and more importantly public safety. It can lead to fatality and possible liability law suite. It’s just not a good idea.

You mentioned going up to a 5500 near the end of the video, but if you are staying with GMC/Chevy then for towing alone the 3500 is the best. The 5500 is made for attaching work items on the back. So they have more payload capacity, but lower towing numbers. I believe big truck big rv has a video on the 5500 about this topic. The 3500 DRW diesel still has a 40,000 lb GCWR, so you woul be set to tow almost everything. Love the videos you do and maybe I'll see you on the road someday.

we will have to agree with you guys, we already had a half ton and decided to start camping and bought a 26' Jayco them a couple years later bought a 33' passport 3350bh and it took everything that the half ton could do to keep up on the highways for 3 years, 2 years ago we went to a 1 ton diesel SRW and it is AWESOME best thing we could have done. now we have been talking about going to a 5th wheel .... hey we already have a truck for that!! great advise and great videos, keep them coming.

Don't forget Cab Configuration, bed length, 2x4 vs 4x4, axle ratios, lift, wheels and tires all play a roll in towing/handling. Like JD from BTBRV said the medium duty trucks won't offer much more than a one ton if not configured or licensed properly. Thank you for being so open and honest about your experience. My wife is a nurse who was looking into traveling groups and discovered so many getting in way over their heads unfortunately.

Currently, I went with a 2012 Ram 2500 6.7 diesel. I do all my own work on it. Which included a upgraded transmission and a 650 hp cherry bomb. Trans cooler, air bags. The only thing I would have to change on it to be a single axle 1 ton is a rear leaf spring. Like many out here in the west we pull doubles. My upgrades would most likely be 411 or 430 gears, up graded brakes, a better torque convertor, or a manual Transmission swap. I also am pulling a 310 gkr with no chance of any more kids, only grand kids. Forget a ford, I work on my own truck, chevy's has engine problems. My friend has a chevy and it needed a new engine with under 50000 miles. With this forced gas price increase and inflation of this regime, It is cheaper to travel by car that gets 35-40 MPG and stay in a hotel. Good luck guys.