Half ton vs 3/4 ton pickup?

[scott_vt]

Hi Pete,
Until your last post I was just kind of monitoring this thread. Dont get me wrong, there is a place for every kind of vehicle.

I bought a new 4x4 Dodge Ram 1500 in 2000. I had the same concerns that you had. So I ended up getting a 1/2 ton truck that was beefed up in not only suspension, but snowplow package, gearing 4:10 rear, transmission cooler and all the other goodies, including electrical upgrade. To date the truck has 83,000 miles over the past 6 years and other than the power steering pump letting go, still under warranty I have had very good luck with it. The truck hauls wood, amognst other things and occassionally tows tractors. I couldnt justify buying a 1 ton pickup to use it the way I do. Other than poor gas milage around town, 5.9 L gas /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif it does the job for me.

scotty

 

[Egon]

Why trade the water tank. Just don't fill it as much!

You have a 1/2 ton now. It could be upgraded suspenion wise to what the new one you have been driving.

Many of the 1/2 - 3/4 ton have the same powertrain so milage is a sorta iffy.

Bells and stuff - well - thats kinda like taking the little car on a challenging road! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Just short of yelping tires!

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[RonR]

Pete, this is part speculation and part fact, but you might be running into what "appears" to me to happen.

Over the years, I've owned ford pickups: 72 F100 2WD, 85 F100 2WD, and 91 F150 4WD. I borrowed an 05 F150 4WD for awhile. Each has improvements for mileage and bells/whistles. But also, I think the GVW of each has been MORE than the previous one.

If that holds true for your comparison, just going up a few years might get you a higher cargo capacity, and not so much that your suspension is shot.

Might be worth checking.

Ron

 

[RobertN]

Because a partially filled water tank makes a more dangerous load. Unless it has baffles, the water will move on you as you accelerate, brake, and turn.

This is why most areas in the US require a tanker endorsement for Class-A and B licensed drivers(commercial).

 

[HGM]

Pete,
One question.... Will you be happy with another regular cab?

I had a Ranger regular cab for a while years ago, when I wrecked it I needed some wheels while it was in the shop.. To make a long story short, I bought a '94 F-150 Super cab 4x4.. To this day, I dont think I would ever be satisfied with a regular cab again, even though they have more room than they used to.. I even bought a Super Cab Ranger when I needed fuel economy..

Maybe you didnt drive the other one enough /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif, but if your getting the new truck for you, your wife, and dogs and it doesnt put you in a financial bind, my vote would go for the 3/4ton Super Cab(or Crew Cab would be my next /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif).. Its hard to beat the extra room they provide, plus they are more stabil and smoother riding.

Good luck either way, hope you enjoy the new truck..

 

[ToadHill]

Boondox. I have a situation like yours. Have an F150 that I put a heavy load on now and then. I bought a helper spring kit from a company called RoadMaster. It bolts to the spring plate and runs to the back shackle with a coil spring. It only works when the spring is compressed, the rest of the time you have a normal ride. I bought the helper kit designed for the F250, one size above my trucks normal rating, and have been using it for 4 years. I load about 1 face cord of wood on the truck to haul from the farm to my home in the city. For me it has been a very good system.

 

[Boondox]

Egon -- I did the half load of water in the tank thing and it was a pucker-generating experience! With the tank half full, every bump in the road got the water to sloshing...and every slosh made the entire truck wallow like a stricken freighter in high seas. If I stay with a half ton I'll sell the 400 gallon tank and go for a 200 gallon model so it could be filled all the way.

I took a 1500 Silverado 4x4 regular cab longbed home last night for an overnight test. It's essentially the modern version of the truck I already have. A few more HP, some tweaks for better mileage, and more creature comforts. Tuppence and I drove up to Morrisville on the bumpiest road around, and it handled it better than my '02, but nowhere near as well as the 2500HD.

And I just like the regular cab. Partly because it lets me have that wonderful 8 foot bed for hauling hay, but also because the extended cab models just don't feel trucklike to me. Subjective, I know, but there you go.

At first I was thinking the bigger engine in the 2500HD would result in a huge difference in gas costs annually, but after computing it I think the difference will only be about $550 per year. I could live with that.

Pete

 

[Boondox]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Because a partially filled water tank makes a more dangerous load. Unless it has baffles, the water will move on you as you accelerate, brake, and turn.

This is why most areas in the US require a tanker endorsement for Class-A and B licensed drivers(commercial). )</font>

Yeah, what Robert said! It felt like I was on the verge of losing control with half a tank!

Pete

 

[Egon]

My mistake on the water tank. Spent too many years around oilfield tank trucks to even think about no baffles. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Vehicle choices are a very personel thing for most of us.

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[RobertN]

This is all my personal preference, of course.

From growing up till about 9 years back, I was always around regular cab trucks. My Grandfather had them as did my Dad, and then myself.

About 9 years ago, I moved from a regular cab F250 4x4 to a x-cab F250 4x4. The thing that really sold it for me, was when we put our sons carseat in the back, he had his own window he could see out of. When we test drove it, he just sat there grinning at us through the window as we got in to the truck. He told us to get the truck! The dogs loved it too. And, we could haul all of our kid stuff ect inside, out of the weather. Only bummer, it was an '89 with no back doors.

Since then, we have sold that truck, and have this '01 we got new. It is a Dodge 2500 xcab longbed 4x4. Same thing, the kid fits, the dogs(golden retriever and Aussie Sheperd) fit, and we can put gear inside to keep it dry, or locked up. It gets used a fair bit since we're involved in Scouts too.

It does make my truck a bit long. I am a firm believer in a long-bed. But, I still go where I need to go, whether in the woods or in the parking lot(sometimes it takes a bit of manuevering in parking lots).

I could never go back. It is just so handy to have.

We do have both Dodge styles, the '01 is the quad-cab type xcab(with the small suicide doors), while my wifes '04 1500 is the quadcab 4-door. I am fine with the sorter xcab compared to the crewcab style(even though the crew type quad cab is smaller than most full crewcabs).