Towing Issues: 150 or 250 Truck needed to tow 7000 lb boat, dual axle trailer, hitch setup

Question
I'm getting ready to buy a truck to tow my 7,000 lb cabin cruiser which is on a 25 foot dual axle trailer.  I'll use a normal bumper located 2 5/16" ball hitch.  I'll mostly be driving secondary roads but occasional I'll take a trip on the interstate of a few hundred miles.  The rest of the time the truck will be a daily driver.  Do I need to buy 150 and add on heavier springs etc.  Or should I go with a 250 truck that already has stronger axles, suspension etc.?  I asked the other guy but maybe I should have asked you.

Answer
Howard,

I have towed an enclosed car hauler with up to 8000 pounds all over the place with 1/2 ton (really heavy half) Suburban and Tahoe (2WD) and two different Silverado pickups (4WD).  Most 1/2 ton pickups with the heavy duty tow package are rated for 7500 pounds or more.  Going with the 3/4 ton doesn't raise the towing capability all that much, it helps with the load capacity of the bed more.

I have had two 3/4 ton trucks in the past, and while they towed just fine, they were not as comfortable unloaded, and I won't even consider a 1-ton truck!

I prefer a 1/2 ton for the better ride the 95% of the time we are not towing.  It was more important to get a decent engine and the right gears than the suspension because I use a load equalizing hitch setup from Reese (other companies make good ones too).  With a load equalizing hitch, a 7000 pound trailer will put approx 350 pounds extra on each axle (you want about 10% of total weight on the ball, which the load equalizing hitch spreads between the front and rear axle when set up right).

I have never needed extra springs, air bags or super heavy duty shocks.

The 5.3L engine in our 2003 Silverado has 285 hp, and makes very good torque down low.  Newer ones are even better, but a 3.73 rear axle ration also helps a lot.  I would get at least that ratio, and stay away from 3.50 or 3.40 gears if possible.  With modern overdrive tranny's you won't get hurt much on an empty cruise in MPG.  And a 4.11 or so isn't really necessary with those kinds of loads.

If you are ONLY going to tow the boat with your new truck and not drive it unloaded much, then the 3/4 ton suspension might be worth considering, but you indicated that most of the time you would be driving without the load.

Also, if you aren't towing all the time, the axles on most 1/2 ton trucks with the tow package are plenty strong to take the load.

Drive both vesions of the trucks you are considering.  The difference in ride may be noticable to you or not.  Also check out the differences in the suspension between the two.  Sometimes it is just a different spring, sometimes it is a whole new suspension that makes the ride a lot more harsh when you go 3.4 ton or more.

As long as the truck is rated for the load you will tow, you should be fine.  Remember if you load in a bunch of people, and stuff in the truck and boat when you go on a trip, that adds to the GCW (Gross Combined Weight).  Sometimes people forget to add that in.  So if your truck is rated for 7000 pounds and your boat and trailer are 7000, you might seem OK, but put 800 pounds of people, and 500 pounds of luggage in the truck and then another 500 pounds of coolers, and other stuff in the boat, and you can see you can get a ways over the limit!

Happy boating!  And consider 4WD for any vehicle launching a boat on wet/slick boat ramps!  Nothing like having the boat drag your truck into a lake to ruin your day!  :)

Don