Towing with a 3.23 rear end

[mixermarkb]

I'm kind of headed the opposite way. I've always had 1/2 ton GM's with the 5.7 or 5.3, and 3.42s (I think, I may have had a 3.73, im not 100 percent sure). I've towed 20' glass boats from St. Louis to Bull Shoals and Lake of the Ozarks all the time, with no problems. I recently bought a GMC 3/4 ton diesel, and now, I feel like I never knew what I was missing towing with a half ton. The absolute feeling of control, from the stopping power to pulling out on a two lane highway and getting up to speed in a hurry, not to mention fuel economy while towing, is just worlds better with the 2500. Were the 1500's fine? Yep. Would I go back now that I've done it a few times? NOPE.

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

4 minutes ago, Basfis said:

Rear gear ratio isn’t what it used to be with all the extra gears in the transmission. The final ratios are relative. 
 

Fishing boats are no big deal for current gen 1/2ton 4x4 trucks. Press the tow haul switch and shifts firm, points change and engine braking kicks in. 

very true  

[Dutch]

1 hour ago, mixermarkb said:

I'm kind of headed the opposite way. I've always had 1/2 ton GM's with the 5.7 or 5.3, and 3.42s (I think, I may have had a 3.73, im not 100 percent sure). I've towed 20' glass boats from St. Louis to Bull Shoals and Lake of the Ozarks all the time, with no problems. I recently bought a GMC 3/4 ton diesel, and now, I feel like I never knew what I was missing towing with a half ton. The absolute feeling of control, from the stopping power to pulling out on a two lane highway and getting up to speed in a hurry, not to mention fuel economy while towing, is just worlds better with the 2500. Were the 1500's fine? Yep. Would I go back now that I've done it a few times? NOPE.

I totally understand.  I have had the big trucks pulling my 5th wheeler from South Texas to Canada and points in between.  But I’ve been doing it for 20 years and am getting tired of the big trucks.  I’m ready for a 1/2 ton but want it to pull the boat satisfactorily.

[snagged in outlet 3]

9 hours ago, Dutch said:

I totally understand.  I have had the big trucks pulling my 5th wheeler from South Texas to Canada and points in between.  But I’ve been doing it for 20 years and am getting tired of the big trucks.  I’m ready for a 1/2 ton but want it to pull the boat satisfactorily.

How far and how often will you be towing?

[mixermarkb]

9 hours ago, Dutch said:

I totally understand.  I have had the big trucks pulling my 5th wheeler from South Texas to Canada and points in between.  But I’ve been doing it for 20 years and am getting tired of the big trucks.  I’m ready for a 1/2 ton but want it to pull the boat satisfactorily.

I think it's all gonna be what you decide satisfactorily means. The wife and I are looking at a camper sometime in the next couple years, which is why I jumped into the 2500, but I gotta say yet again, I love love love how this truck tows my 20' champion. I wouldn't sell my 3/4 ton until you strap the boat to a 1/2 ton and see what it's like first if I were you. It would be hard for me to go back. I can still see myself occasionally towing with our Yukon once I get it running again, but I'm so sold on the big truck it's not even funny. Makes that 20' with a 225 on the tandem trailer feel like a 14' Jon with a 9.9 back there.

[Dutch]

5 minutes ago, mixermarkb said:

I think it's all gonna be what you decide satisfactorily means. The wife and I are looking at a camper sometime in the next couple years, which is why I jumped into the 2500, but I gotta say yet again, I love love love how this truck tows my 20' champion. I wouldn't sell my 3/4 ton until you strap the boat to a 1/2 ton and see what it's like first if I were you. It would be hard for me to go back. I can still see myself occasionally towing with our Yukon once I get it running again, but I'm so sold on the big truck it's not even funny. Makes that 20' with a 225 on the tandem trailer feel like a 14' Jon with a 9.9 back there.

I know exactly what you mean.  I had a Duramax for 8 years that I used to tow my Champion 206.  It didn’t even know the boat was back there.

[Dutch]

33 minutes ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

How far and how often will you be towing?

I don’t know.  Most of my trips are 100-150 miles round trip.  I like to try for 100 days a year but that may drop since I sold the camper.  I’m pretty sure it will be over 50 plus towing my flat bed trailer and some farm stuff.

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

1/2 tons are totally different than what they were 10-15 years ago. I couldnt believe how much better my brother little 3.5 ecoboost pulled a pontoon compared to my 2003 1 ton cummins.   Granted that little thing was working its posterior off but you never knew it, quiet and shifts so smooth.

Dont get me wrong, ill take the reliability of the cummins everyday but new 1/2 tons are pretty impressive

[Devan S.]

I don't know what rear end is in my 1/2 ton but I have a 2012 F150. My boat is smaller Xpress 17' so weight there isn't an issue. 

However its also my full time farm rig. Hauling calves in 16' bumper pull stock trailer, hauling 6-8 800lb round bales at a time when its time to move bales around.

Is it the best scenario?...No....but pulling power is not the problem. The problem in both of my overloaded scenarios is stopping power and control. If/when things get to bouncing and moving around my truck just isn't really big enough to hold it back. That's where good functional trailer brakes make a world of difference.

Edit to add: Most of my towing is between Cassville/Exeter/Golden. So I'm not exactly flat land towing either.

[mixermarkb]

That's sort of what I'm trying to say about my rig. I have scaled my boat to see exactly what it weighs, but it isn't pulling that I notice the big difference, it's stopping and just general handling. With my 2005 1/2 ton, or the 08 1/2 ton Yukon, I could feel the boat kind of push the truck. It wasn't bad, or unsafe, but man, when I went to the 3/4 ton and all of that push and sway is gone, it just feels so much more solid. It's the suspension, not the drivetrain that I like about the 3/4 ton.