Difference between 3/4 ton & 1 Ton

[Aepozzi]

Greetings,

Besides the weight rating, what is the difference between a 3/4 ton and a 1 ton 2007-2008 Chevy/GMC with a Duramax and Allision Transmission. Are the radiators and transmission oil coolers the same size. I know the rear end is different. What about brakes.

I tried a 3/4 ton 2007 Duramax with airbags to tow my 5th wheel. WOW it pulled just as good as my 2003 GMC 1 ton.

Respectfully Submitted,
Andy

[DmaxMaverick]

There are subtle differences, but they are essentially the same. The axles and brakes (size and capacity) are the same, except the accommodation for dual wheels.

[kelloso]

Everything I have found is telling me that the biggest difference between a 2011 2500HD and a 3500HD is one leaf spring. That being said the almighty sticker states my max tow for a 5th wheel is 16,700. The toyhauler I am looking at is at max load 18,000. I already know that this will be over the manufacturer recomendation. I also know that these trucks will haul a house off its foundations without breaking a sweat. My question is that if I install a set of Hellwig progressive helper springs to eliminate any rear end sag and am only 1300 pounds at most over the load limit, will that tear anything up? Any adlvise would be great.

Thanks.

2011 GMC Sierra 2500HD LML
2011 Forest River Greywolf 28BH
2005 BMW 330CI(Hers)
2010 Harley Davidson Road King Classic
2001 Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom(Hers)

[a5150nut]

I would go with air bags instead of more springs. They can be adjusted where springs would have to be removed for a better ride.

[Robyn]

Common sense is the key factor.

I have stuffed two 2000lb pallets of wood pellets in the bed of my dually 3500 truck (which is way more than the sticker says) but drove carefully and only a short distance.

Pushing the limits is always a bad plan. I prefer to stay within the load ranges, with some safety margins.

As soon as you go above the manufs limits is when trouble begins.

Sure, these rigs can do a butt ton of work, buttttt, if you get into an issue on the road, even if its none of your doing, the law, the insurance companies (somebody else's ) get involved, and life gets misserable from there.

Be safe and size things accordingly.

Missy

[DmaxMaverick]

I agree. Common sense.

In any case, an 18K 5'er is way too far over the top for a SRW light truck. Excessive still, for a DRW 3500HD. Can do and should do depart company by a large margin here. Also, DPS/TDOT is looking for any source of revenue these days, and a rig several K over GVWR/GCWR is a cash cow. Not to mention what it does to a vacation. If the dealer lets you drive off the lot with it, they should be jailed. That combo is well into commercial regulation, local and federal.

Like Robyn, I've done the crazy with my trucks, 200%+, in one case (60-ish foot mobile home). BUT, local short trip under very controlled conditions. This was a far cry from hauling the toys and family down the interstate for a holiday.

[Zip from Tenn]

You should take a look at the Ford F450 to tow that 18K toyhauler. It's very capable of doing the job. Or, why not consider a HD truck? There are plenty of good reasons to tow a heavier rv with a semi. An active discussion group can be found at www.escapees.com (http://www.escapees.com) or www.irv2.com, for instance.

[Robyn]

Looking into a medium duty like Zip mentioned is a great thought.

I had considered a "Baby" Freightliner toy hauler at one time, after dealing with many issues with hauling with a pickup.

The Single axle " Town Tractors" commercial rigs can be bought pretty cheap, when the large companies upgrade.

Many of these are in great shape too.

Depending on your location and jurisdiction, you may or may not need a CDL to operate one.

Here in Oregon, anything under 26000 GVW does not require a CDL, but this varies state to state

A lot of the horsie folks have gone to the medium duty rigs to afford themselves a far greater margin of safety while hauling.


Back in the mid 90's we looked very hard at the Freightliner mini trucks, but had bought a new GM dually diesel, then traded that for a Dodge V10, and ended up with a Pwerstroke 350.

The wasn't a decent hauler among the lot, with all of them failing misserably.

But after the pickup fiasco, we sold and traded off all the new trucks, then bought an 86 GMC crewcab dually 4x4.

Although still a pickup, it had a 10,000 GVW rating and it had enough ooooomph to handle the 4 horse slant load gooseneck trailer with all 4 slots full, plus 4 people in the rig too.

Even though that rig did the job, it was still shy of what we should have used.


The horse thing slowed down a lot and we just got by.

Our situation is a far cry from an 18k trailer.


There is simply not a pickup made (3/4 or 1 ton) that can handle that load.

As Maverick said, a special ferry move, under controlled conditions is way different than a trip down the super slab heading out with the toys.

Good luck with your quest.

Missy