How much could I tow with a 1/2ton, V6 truck?

[3 on the tree]

When I moved from southern Missouri to Northern Missouri, my brother brought our equip trailer to haul my 71 New Yorker. I know it weighs more than a K5. His tow rig is a 02 F150 ext cab with the 5.4 auto setup. The only problem we had was backing the New Yorker on the trailer. Tried driving it on first, but that big block in the front sagged the truck down way too low. Got it turned around, scrapped the hell outta the front valance, but got it up there. BTW, this car was 21+ feet long, and so wide it just barely fit between the rails of the trailer. Once I got it on the trailer, I had to rool down the window to get out!! The Ford towed it just fine, but really killed the gas mileage. We have brakes on the trailer, so should anyone towing a vehicle on a trailer.

 

[MTMike]

I've owned a 1/2 Ton Chevy w/ the 195hp Vortec 4.3 & 5 spd and it S U C K E D ! It couldn't get out of it's own way. It got 14 in town and 15 on the hiway because it would have to work so hard to keep it moving. I couldn't even immagine towing an ATV trailer with it, let alone anything heavy....

Mike

 

[beastofablaze]

Yup... we had a 4.3 vortech for a while and it had trouble pulling our 2000lb ski boat and trailer up the hill...the earlier 4.3's seem to have more grunt even tho they were before the vortechs.

 

[clstolten]

i had an 03 GMC 1/2 ton 4.3 5 speed 2wd and averaged 23 mpg. Got 24 mpg in the summer(no a/c and windows down). Never towed anything, but overloaded the bed lots of times, and it really had a hard time getting out of its own way. I wouldn't try towing a k-5 except for short distances and at slow speed.

 

[rjfguitar]

It's real simple when Ford (F-150) switched to A-arm IFS in 97 they also switched to the V6 and the OHC modular V8's. Yes Ford used the 302/5.0 in the Broncos and pickups, as a matter of fact they made millions of them over the years.

Got it, thanks. I figured they still used the classic Ford powerplants, and figured they had a "6" option always, just the the inline 6 chevy that was available through the years. Thanks for the info.

BTW a diesel 3/4-1 ton is not always required to tow something like some people seem to think. Gas rigs were used long before diesel pickups ever hit the show rooms.

Wow, gas trucks can tow too? I just thought no one towed anything before the year 1982 when the first production pickup with a diesel was introduced..... Wow..... and here I thought no one ever towed anything before the Cummins/PSD/GMTD pickups...doh....

Pay attention, who said anything about a diesel? I sure didn't, the only thing I said was that he needed enough wheelbase and a V8 with a decent amount of pep if he lives near hills. If you made the diesel comment because I own a Ram Cummins...if all I did was wanted to pull the K5 around I'd own another K5 with some helper springs and a distribution hitch. I have a diesel for much heavier reasons....

A 1/2 ton will handle a K5 on a trailer (with trailer brakes) just fine just so long as its not on steep grades.

I agree, as long as it's got a decent amount of wheelbase and it's a good running V8 with a little pep. If he will only be in flat ground than a small V8 will probably be fine. The only other thing I might be worried about is the rear springs. We had to add a helper spring to the rear packs on my dad's 1/2 Burb to pull our 6,500lbs snowmible trailer, but it's 27'.

 

[bernman]

you could tow with anything, ive seen boats towed by camry's and f150's towed by a caravan

 

[joez]

Wow, gas trucks can tow too? I just thought no one towed anything before the year 1982 when the first production pickup with a diesel was introduced

Geeze Bobby, with how much of a dodge guy you seem to be, you sure are forgetting a big piece of dodge history (even though most dodge guys would like to forget all about it). In the late 70's (1977-78), Dodge 3/4 ton pickups were offered with an optional Mitsubishi inline-6 diesel, it was a non-turbo IDI motor that didnt sell to well, hence the short lifespan. Then there was the 5.7 olds diesel available in 1/2 ton two wheel drive GM pickups in the late 70's as well. I could get into minitrucks/imports and dealer installed options, but i think ive proved my point

 

[rjfguitar]

you could tow with anything, ive seen boats towed by camry's and f150's towed by a caravan

Yes, and they are people that don't know what they are doing, and how dangerous some of that stuff is. Many people don't understand how sheer mass works.

 

[rjfguitar]

Geeze Bobby, with how much of a dodge guy you seem to be, you sure are forgetting a big piece of dodge history (even though most dodge guys would like to forget all about it). In the late 70's (1977-78), Dodge 3/4 ton pickups were offered with an optional Mitsubishi inline-6 diesel, it was a non-turbo IDI motor that didnt sell to well, hence the short lifespan. Then there was the 5.7 olds diesel available in 1/2 ton two wheel drive GM pickups in the late 70's as well. I could get into minitrucks/imports and dealer installed options, but i think ive proved my point

I remember reading in an old Fourwheeler about the first Dodge diesels. Yes, I'm a huge fan of HD Dodge pickups, but nothing earlier than 1994. I am interested in 1993 and earlier Dodges about as much as the history of profesional flower arranging. I didn't mention the Olds diesel, since it's junk basically and hardly any went into pickups. Our modern "towing" type diesel engine equipped pickup was '82 in the GM's and '83 in the Fords, which you know anyway.

Anyway, I was just giving Cory a bad time for making a comment on something that never was even brought up.

 

[Corey 78K5]

Anyway, I was just giving Cory a bad time for making a comment on something that never was even brought up.

I never said I was referring to just this post now did I. Bottom line is Bobby every since You got Your Dodge You have made Yourself out to be a self proclaimed expert in diesels and towing. Being the owner of a particular vehicle does not make anyone an expert. So save it.

 

[rjfguitar]

I never said I was referring to just this post now did I. Bottom line is Bobby every since You got Your Dodge You have made Yourself out to be a self proclaimed expert in diesels and towing. Being the owner of a particular vehicle does not make anyone an expert. So save it.

Bull.

Just like everyone else hear, I try and learn what every nut and bolt is and does on my vehicle. Naturally I've done this with my Dodge and still am. Does that make me an expert on my vehicle or "diesels?" Nope, but I do know a little about them....

I've been towing crap around long before any Dodge ever came along....

I'm no expert, or claim to be one, or even act like I am. Your intrepetation is incorrect. If you've gathered that because I mentioned what I thought what he requires to pull his K5, then I guess everyone that has posted in this thread thinks they are self proclaimed experts on towing, including yourself.

 

[FreedomIsntFree]

So bottom line...get a good trailer with brakes, take it easy...and buy the V8 instead of the V6.

 

[mikey_d05]

So bottom line...get a good trailer with brakes, take it easy...and buy the V8 instead of the V6.

Correct, having a good tow vehicle is only half the equation. Setup makes a huge difference.

 

[FreedomIsntFree]

Yeah...and like I stated in the original post...this is only for an emergency setup.
If I am going to be haulin' my blazer all across the land i'll find a bigger truck.

I just wanted to know the truck's capabilities in a pinch.

 

[vortec]

i've pulled my k5 on a trailer (about 7000lbs total with all the stuff i had in there) with my 4.3L xcab 1/2 ton, 3.42 diff, 4l60e tranny. accelerates fine, cruising at 75 was no problem. don't know how fast i could have gone, but once i hit 80, i backed off for safety. ha. knocks my usual 18-23 down to about 15-20, depending on how much stop-n-go i have to do. traffic here just plain sucks. having driven most of the ford and chevy truck engines at my old job, a lot, i really can't recommend the ford v6. no offense, but it felt like a dog to me. the company got rid of the v6 fords, but kept the v6 gm's. nobody complained.

the 5.4L did pretty well for us.

 

[Corey 78K5]

then I guess everyone that has posted in this thread thinks they are self proclaimed experts on towing, including yourself.

No not everyone is an expert, but I am a professional since I do it for a living and have a number of years under My belt.

 

[beastofablaze]

If you made the diesel comment because I own a Ram Cummins...if all I did was wanted to pull the K5 around I'd own another K5 with some helper springs and a distribution hitch. I have a diesel for much heavier reasons....

dude we get it... you have a cummins. You don't need to type cummins after ram EVERY time. Its in your sig.

 

[mudslinger99]

Pay attention, who said anything about a diesel? I sure didn't,

Short memory

All the new diesel pickups are able to pull far heavier loads than what the truck weighs

Back to towing I have towed a 21ft full cabin fishing boat that had a Chevy 6cyl inboard motor with a S-10 Blazer for 2 years on some long hauls, on a regular basis and never had a problem.. It pulled better than I thought it would, but I was worried about getting it up some of the steep boat ramps but never had much of a problem with that either.. Not counting many other tralers over the years..

I have also towed many different trailers with my 1/2 ton Z-71 shortbed pickup.. I have towed many car trailers loaded with pickups , Blazers, cars, and full loads of stone and wood without much problem.. So if you get a 8cyl motor in the truck and load things properly then you should be fine.. You said it would just be the occasional tow and not a everyday thing so I say go for it

For the sake of getting it out of the way, neither of those 2 that I just mentioned are ideal tow rigs.. Do they work just fine ? YES.. Is a 1 ton dually with a diesel a better towing machine VS. a 1/2 ton pickup ? YES.
For what the OP plans on towing, a 1/2 ton pickup will be just fine to haul his Blazer on the occasional trip..

 

[diesel4me]

It not the truck that matters...

A lot of it depends on the driver,and not so much the truck--of course a 3/4 or 1 ton with a diesel or big block IS the best choice for towing something heavy,but I've seen many guys use a full size GM or Ford 1/2 ton pickup to tow heavy cars and trucks around on car trailers,many of them heavy homebuilt ones..but you have to drive accordingly,and know you probably wont be able to stop in time if someone cuts you off,especially if the trailer has no brakes(illegal here over 3000 lbs,but many people still tow over that without them anyway)..and you wont be able to accelerate like a dragster when pulling into traffic of course..

I rode with a friend who used a borrowed 1/2 ton 1978 F150 Ford pickup with a 300 straight six and a 4 speed--we towed his 69 Caddy coupe deville with a 472 to several ice races one winter-the truck had 9 leaf HD springs in the rear ,and a class 3 reciver hitch--nothing else !..no brakes on his home built dead axle car trailer that weighed at least a ton,all 3" pipe and diamond plate floor...

We could only go 25-35 mph up some of the hills in NH where we towed it too,but could hit 60+ on the highway no problem..but this guy had a lot of experience towing heavy equipment like backhoes around,and knew how fast he should go,how to take corners properly,and allowed a lot of distance between other vehicles..we had a few scares when jerks would pull out in front of us,but no other problems with the truck or trailer.. we both agreed a half ton wasn't the right truck for the job..but it did it!..