1/2 Ton vs 3/4 Ton for Family Adventures?

[B^2]

So I use to drive a 2017 Chevy colorado z71 crew cab until I got rid of it early last year. With all the sheltering in place we've been doing in CA, I'm looking at getting another truck and I keep going back and forth between a full size ie f-150/ram 1500 or a 3/4 Ton like a f-250 / ram2500. It seems like most of the 3/4 ton trucks have about the same cabin size with their 1/2 ton equivalents. The biggest difference being engine size and payload capacity.

My priorities are

1) More leg room in the rear. Right now it's my wife, myself, our 2.5 year old daughter and our 60lbs dog. The colorado was okay but long term wasn't going to work.

2) Comfort. My wife isn't going to be into rock crawling but I would like something I can take off the beaten path and still be comfortable. It seems like the 1/2 trucks like the f-150/ram1500 have the advantage here but then again the Ram 2500 has the coil sprung rear suspension. I don't see myself towing regularly so I wonder if the leaf springs on the f-250 would be overkill and not quite as comfortable for what I need.

3) Aftermarket support/upgrades. I like the idea of getting a platform that has decent aftermarket support. With the diesel 3/4 ton's, it seems like it's a lot easier to go with 37's without a regear. I don't necessarily need 37's but I like the idea of what they can provide and don't mind the trade off on mpg.

4) Range. I tend to like the diesel engines on the 3/4 ton trucks because they tend to have a longer range and more options for aftermarket fuel tanks.




It seems to me that it's a wash on #1, #2 goes to half ton's, #3 is probably debatable on which category is better and #4 goes to 3/4 ton trucks.


Given that a nicely loaded f-150 3.5L lariat msrp's for mid 55's, is there enough of a reason to spend the extra 10k or so for the f-250 with the 6.7?

 

[Herbie]

We're missing the most important design criterion here - what is your load likely to be? Specifically, you need to do a realistic assessment of your payload needs.

Will you be tossing a pile of gear into the bed and sleeping in a ground tent? Or are you planning to fit a slide-in truck camper? Those are the easiest to answer for. If you're splitting the difference and going with something in between like a bed rack+RTT/Wedge-camper/shell+furniture kit, etc. then you need to start adding up realistic weights for your passengers + gear + camper-solution and see where you land.

Staying close to (note I did not say "under", but even staying close to) the designed payload of a 1/2-ton truck is harder than most people realize. Before you start sweating details of which suspension feels nicer, etc., you need to have a clear concept of the load in/on the truck.

 

[joshjan]

So I use to drive a 2017 Chevy colorado z71 crew cab until I got rid of it early last year. With all the sheltering in place we've been doing in CA, I'm looking at getting another truck and I keep going back and forth between a full size ie f-150/ram 1500 or a 3/4 Ton like a f-250 / ram2500. It seems like most of the 3/4 ton trucks have about the same cabin size with their 1/2 ton equivalents. The biggest difference being engine size and payload capacity.

My priorities are

1) More leg room in the rear. Right now it's my wife, myself, our 2.5 year old daughter and our 60lbs dog. The colorado was okay but long term wasn't going to work.

2) Comfort. My wife isn't going to be into rock crawling but I would like something I can take off the beaten path and still be comfortable. It seems like the 1/2 trucks like the f-150/ram1500 have the advantage here but then again the Ram 2500 has the coil sprung rear suspension. I don't see myself towing regularly so I wonder if the leaf springs on the f-250 would be overkill and not quite as comfortable for what I need.

3) Aftermarket support/upgrades. I like the idea of getting a platform that has decent aftermarket support. With the diesel 3/4 ton's, it seems like it's a lot easier to go with 37's without a regear. I don't necessarily need 37's but I like the idea of what they can provide and don't mind the trade off on mpg.

4) Range. I tend to like the diesel engines on the 3/4 ton trucks because they tend to have a longer range and more options for aftermarket fuel tanks.




It seems to me that it's a wash on #1, #2 goes to half ton's, #3 is probably debatable on which category is better and #4 goes to 3/4 ton trucks.


Given that a nicely loaded f-150 3.5L lariat msrp's for mid 55's, is there enough of a reason to spend the extra 10k or so for the f-250 with the 6.7?

 

[phsycle]

Given that a nicely loaded f-150 3.5L lariat msrp's for mid 55's, is there enough of a reason to spend the extra 10k or so for the f-250 with the 6.7?

Nope.

Too many people seem to be looking for the mythical truck that: is good off-road but handles awesome on road and with a load, gets good MPG/range but has a ton of power, not expensive, easy to drive daily, not too small/big, no maintenance, etc.

The right truck will be subjective and lots of compromise. I’m almost in the similar boat as you but with 3 kids. For me, as much as I’d like a 3/4 ton, I don’t tow or haul enough to justify it. I’m not beating on it offroad that much. A regular old 1/2 ton crew cab will do just fine for me.

Now tires, I don’t have the need for 37’s. But you can make them fit though. Plenty of suspension kits available for pretty much every 1/2 ton out there. Mods, too. Unless you’re looking for stuff for the Rubicon.

 

[joshjan]

I would vote for 3/4 or 1 ton with your list. I have a tundra and while it’s been amazing and wonderful I know that I’m maxed out on payload. Once you have a big truck it’s inevitable that you’ll want to do things with it...having the capacity gives you a lot of wiggle room for just how much you want to do with it safely. I know my family of 4 and a dog doesn’t pack lightly when we go places!

 

[B^2]

We're missing the most important design criterion here - what is your load likely to be? Specifically, you need to do a realistic assessment of your payload needs.

Will you be tossing a pile of gear into the bed and sleeping in a ground tent? Or are you planning to fit a slide-in truck camper? Those are the easiest to answer for. If you're splitting the difference and going with something in between like a bed rack+RTT/Wedge-camper/shell+furniture kit, etc. then you need to start adding up realistic weights for your passengers + gear + camper-solution and see where you land.

Staying close to (note I did not say "under", but even staying close to) the designed payload of a 1/2-ton truck is harder than most people realize. Before you start sweating details of which suspension feels nicer, etc., you need to have a clear concept of the load in/on the truck.

I imagine our setup would likely be a cap with a rhino rack pioneer platform on top. We're having a small m416 style overland trailer being built but I'm sure there will be some adventures where it won't necessarily be needed. Ideally, we'll be going with a RTT mounted to the trailer, not the truck. I like the idea of a FWC but with a dog, a toddler and my wife, I'm not sure it's enough space for how much money it is. A hardsided camper like a Lance would definitely need a 3/4ton if not a full 1ton truck but I don't see us spending 55-70k on a truck and another 40k+ on a hard sided camper.

Short of weighing every piece of gear we pack, I'm trying to get a better understanding of what a realistic payload is. I didn't have any armor/bumper on my colorado but it's definitely something I'd consider in the future. Most of our trips so far have been a four person tent, 2 nemo roamer sleeping bags, 3 sleeping bags, a 58 quart hard sided cooler, cassette toilet, camp chef table and 2 burner stove, misc pots pans, and some clothes. Nothing we're packing is super heavy but that's not factoring in any tools, floor jack etc for more rugged trips.


In an ideal world, I'd have a super tricked out fwc on a 3/4 ton but I'm trying to be realistic about the type of camping/adventuring I'll do and not what I'd like to do.

 

[jonathon]

I don’t like the 13.2 MPG overall average I get in my gas 2500, but the truck bone stock fits 35’s. With the stock 4.10 gears and 8 speed auto that has a 4.7:1 first gear it only needs the tire size programmed and no gear change. If you’re the kind to install your own lift the solid axle Ram and Ford trucks are simple and only need the steering wheel centered after install. With a gas F250 or Ram 2500 you get at least 3000lbs of payload while staying in the in the class 2B category for registration. Some states will charge you a lot more to register an F350 or 3500.

 

[Herbie]

I get it. It's hard to pin a number down when there are so many variables.

Sounds like you'd want a crew-cab and 4x4, so let's guess than a theoretical 1/2-ton truck will have a 1500lb payload. Some configurations absolutely will carry more, but fully loaded with all the factory goodies, some of them definitely take less.

Rule of thumb I'd estimate 500lbs worth of bodies. Yeah yeah, maybe you're a jocky and your wife is a yoga instructor and the kid is only a toddler and the dog is a chihuahua, so maybe you all add up to less than 400lbs, but you know how it goes. So ballpark it at 500lbs of meat. That leaves you with 1000lbs.

Steel bumpers add up pretty quickly, as does armor, rock rails, etc. - so you might need to take a guess at which of those you'll install and get ballpark weights on those too. If you were going to do the typical overlander thing and throw in a fridge, and a 2nd battery, and 20 gallons (160lbs) worth of water, and solar, and an RTT, I'd start to worry. The trailer will help a lot, if you're sure you going that direction. Even the smallest trucks these days can tow more than any m416 type trailer will likely weigh. (Hell, even a Subaru could pull that.) Keeping all that stuff out of your rig will mean you're more lightly loaded overall and maybe actually safely in 1/2-ton territory.

I'm not a believer in "bigger is always better" - you might be much happier in a 1/2-ton rig *if* you're reasonably sure you wouldn't overload it. As billiebob says right above, an empty (or very lightly loaded) 3/4-ton truck will lose out big-time on comfort, and in either case you're burning more fuel to carry around an overall heavier truck you maybe don't need.

 

[B^2]

Ram Mega Cab is the winner hands down. Not sure if it is made anymore tho.

You don't mention are you towing anything? If yea then an F150 is ideal but if everything is kept on and in the pickup it is easy to exceed the payload of a 1/2 ton and I'd get something heavier. If you consider the Power Wagon which is based on the 2500..... since it is built to articulate it has a payload capacity closer to a 1/2 ton than a 3/4 ton.

Ride...... if you are loaded the 3/4 tons are as smooth as the 1/2 tons, the only place 3/4s lose is empty.

Range, yes diesel with an after market tank is the winner.

Isn't most of the room in the megacab behind the seats and not in front of them? Not sure how important reclining rear seats are for the kiddo since she's in a car seat for at least another few years. I think the f-150 ecoboost has a max payload of 3250 lbs which seems pretty good to me.

I like the idea of a power wagon but if I'm going to go with a 3/4 ton I'm probably getting a diesel. The new 7.3L gas motor is intriguing but weary of newish motors from ford.

 

[Porkchopexpress]

It kind of seems like you would be fine with a 1/2 ton but are fishing for reasons to go bigger.
Just flip a coin, then ignore the coin and buy what you want.

 

[Mickey Bitsko]

Why not Get another Silverado ?
What was wrong with what you had?

 

[phsycle]

Isn't most of the room in the megacab behind the seats and not in front of them? Not sure how important reclining rear seats are for the kiddo since she's in a car seat for at least another few years. I think the f-150 ecoboost has a max payload of 3250 lbs which seems pretty good to me.

I like the idea of a power wagon but if I'm going to go with a 3/4 ton I'm probably getting a diesel. The new 7.3L gas motor is intriguing but weary of newish motors from ford.

The most you’d get with an F150 SCrew is around 2k lbs. That’s with a base level package.

Now, if you’re ordering new, you can add a HDPP that gets you few hundred pounds more. You need a 6.5’ bed for that though.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

I'd get a F150 with the HDPP waaaaay before I'd buy a diesel powered 3/4 ton to haul something as trivial as camping gear.

 

[F5driver]

I love my 2020 Ram Rebel. Super roomy inside. Super smooth on and off road. Quiet, well appointed cab. I hate to say it but it blows away my Land Cruiser except for when things get technical.

 

[Porkchopexpress]

My preference for new 1/2 ton would be Ram and Ford Super duty for 3/4 to 1 ton.