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

If you are buying a truck to tow an RV with, don't buy a half-ton truck. We share our hardest lessons and biggest financial mistakes in RV life today.

If you already own a half-ton truck, this video is not meant to undermine your decisions, financial status, or lifestyle in any way. RV living is expensive enough, we are showing you how to keep the rubber on the road.

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

🔔 Consider subscribing to keep up with the Hanks:

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

HappilyEverHanks Amazon Page 📦

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

*Playlists You Might Like*

Guides for Full-Time RV Living

Full-Time RV Living with HappilyEverHanks

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

_A large influence on this series has come from content creators like Keep Your Daydream and Changing Lanes. The style of this video is also similar to Kara and Nate or Eamon & Bec in parts._

#rv #rvlife #rvliving

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

*RV Gear & Affiliates*

⚙️ TechnoRV - RV Gear, Tools, & Accessories
Save 5% with our code: HANKS5

🗺 RV LIFE / RV Trip Wizard - RV Trip planning & GPS
Save 25% with our code: THANKSHANKS

⛽️ Discount Fuel Program for RVers - Open Roads/TSD

🏡 Boondockers Welcome
Use the link below to save 15%

🍷 Harvest Hosts
Save 15% with our code: THANKSHANKS

🏕 AllStays Pro

📫 Escapees - How we receive mail on the road!

🛞 VIAIR

🔐 RV Lock

🚽 Valterra Waste Valve

MORE OF OUR GEAR:

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Support Our Work ❤️

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

🎟️ HappilyEverHanks Events, Meet-Ups, and MORE!

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

📈 We grew our YouTube FAST with Tube Buddy!

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

🎶 Our Music

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

_DISCLAIMER: HappilyEverHanks is a YouTube channel intended for entertainment purposes only. We are not RV or towing experts and these opinions are only intended to show what methods we use when it comes to RV Living and towing. Do not use this information as professional advice.

We are a participant in several affiliate programs that allow us a commission on a purchase made through our links at no extra cost to you!
Any purchase you make through our links is kept private for your confidentiality.

HappilyEverHanks LLC, All rights reserved._

[BigTruckBigRV]

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).

[monicalifornia_]

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.

[joeweaver]

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.

[AcmeRacing]

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.

[Redfour]

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.

[thervguyofpa]

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!

[laukc]

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

[corawheeler]

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.

[hobo]

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.

[moore__explore]

You two very tactfully handled a topic that can cause a firestorm for sure. Sharing your personal 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

[FFL-vgro]

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.

[robertcolpitts]

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 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). 😂

[JC-vybo]

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.

[carlstrohmeyer]

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.

[jamesstouffer]

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.

[TomLentz]

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.

[SignalCorps]

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

[Kazukio]

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.

[robrenno]

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 YouTube 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.

[dontfencemein-rving]

That's the same reason I buy extra-wide 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 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.