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

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).

For pickups I'd stop at 3500/350, you aren't getting much going further up to 4500/450 if anything at all. Maybe consider looking at the commercial International , Peterbuilt, Kenworth ,etc offerings they have medium duty ( their lighter duty models). You'll get a driveline and braking system much better suited for long term towing of multi ton trailers. All those HD pickups look too small for 20 30 thousand pound trailers to me as a retired diesel mechanic.

I have a 2018 Silverado half ton i tow a 29 foot keystone premier only mods to the pickup was rear coilovers and airbags

its already DUMB, once you describe your first truck and I guess towing with it... you might be trying to tell folks to be smart, but you're too dumb to take advice from...
oh... now you buy an HD truck, still floating along on your thoughts that it can take it?
(I've Neve seen it... but know the title... you all are "DUMB and DUMBER".. didn't either of you have a dad you could turn to for advice,,, I'd hate to think your parents were as dumb as you.
Did it ever occur to your tiny brains to notice that any real haulers you saw, were NOT lifted and otherwise ruined?
I can just tell.. this is gonna get better and better!
(sure, you're tying to help others, I guess?????... but help from idiots is no help at all.)
oh... ad popped up, so here I am again...
My first tow vehicle, was an F350.. loaded with all tow packages and weight ratings... I bought it 4 years before I even got the "thing" I towed... plan for the worst, survive the least... oh, and borrowing, then slamming that loan on another? guess you never got good financial advice from your parents, or whoever misraised you... buy with cash, or don't buy at all... easy lesson, for free.

upgrade to a bigger truck, or downgrade to a smaller living space... a dilemma no intelligent person would have to face... DONT THINK YOURE GONNA LIVE A HAPPY, FREE LIFE, on the cheap... freedom isn't free.

ok.. vid end... you finally got smart, but now she wants a 550... she's overcompensating... you'll never haul a 10 ton trailer... and he's never gonna be a 10 ton man.. relationship fail. lol.
my advice for any who painfully watched this whole vid.. think of your wildest dreams, baed on reality,,, get that truck... and don't finance it, because if you need to finance the truck, you'll need to finance the thing behind it, and you'll get trapped in the 'negative finance' situation they are STILL in...GO BIG... or stay at home.

OOPS... edit... just spotted a "Just for laughs" vid... it seems appropriate.

I know plenty rvers that go full time in a decommissioned semi and they turn it into a fifth wheel puller. Save your money on stupid little trucks designed to break and get a used automatic Volvo. They are easy to drive considering you're used to running over loaded toys. Don't waste another dollar on pick-up trucks. A good used automatic Volvo can be had for $20-30k.

Not just one ton. One ton Dually is the best option.

in fairness yes you should have went 3500 dually from the get go. however doing all the traveling and hard miles you should probably replace your truck every 100K. that way you always have a truck you can count on so you don't get stranded in the middle of nowhere. Flip side don't feel bad 90% of people have no clue about trucks towing abilities only what they see advertised not realising that its really about the hitch weight and the tongue weight of the trailer. 5500 you likely will need to get your CDL better look into that.

Yap yap yap... I'll buy a half ton if I want to! Don't need the added expense of a bigger one. In fact I will likely buy a USED one! I'm not a high paid travel nurse or a high paid anything. I do like the Grand Design products and I DON'T need a monstrosity of a rig flailing behind my truck. Not everyone is like you guys, we all don't have the same needs or requirements you feel you need. I fly solo. I sleep in one bed and I usually sit in one chair. I rarely have company. You are "brutally" way off base with your clickbait title... but I guess it worked. Hope yer happy!

These people are dangerous out there on the road. There is a reason working trucks are not lifted.

I found your antics annoying as hell at first but you have grown on me

It's always better to have more truck than you need. The 1/2 tons will do it but you will be working that engine hard and shortening the life but it is cheaper to replace the engine than upgrade. Bigger trucks are ridiculous in price. Hopefully they drop soon

Nice kitty

Your 2500 Denali Duramax has a 4inch lift did I hear you say in this video? What brand of lift kit? And are you using air bags in the back to handle additional weight? What size tires? 33's or 35's?

Thanks for the information
Dr. Helpers!!

buying a chevy 1500 with a lift (it was new) was the biggest mistake ive made. I live in the mountains and pull a boat. welp my truck is now fked after 65k miles.

Hey Hanks - just wanted to say a belated thanks! We have spent a couple of days thinking about downsizing our truck and getting a smaller RV...then we watched this and thought, what were we thinking!?! We'll keep our big truck, because some day we'll want a bigger rig!

Ok so i need to go from Florida to wyoming. And live in something for a year. With two large dogs..I was just at Ford. Looking at trucks. Im more a Chevy gal. No i havent got a trailer yet either. Im perplexed on travel trailer and pull with a truck or get a Class A and toad the truck.( Why i went to ford..4x4 and lighter vehicles)
I dont plan on steep hills ect. Is a 4x4 f150 v8 good enough? I know everyone has their own taste. Just confused about this video. Like now i need to invest in a 250?!

I’d say the majority of the chat against you. Lol

I think that you would've been much happier with that half ton had it not been lifted and bigger tires. The lift and big tires really took away from its towing capability and capacities 😂

i tow my camper with a diesel gladiator😂 just awsum👍 but its a 20' and gladiator is on 5" lift and 37" tires😝

General question: your video shows you have a 5th wheel. Is this video based off of just that towing or a regular travel trailer that sits and pulls differently?

I agree with some of the previous comments. Forget the lift kit and bigger tires, Not really great for towing. Otherwise great advice and love the vids!!!!

The rule of thumb is never exceed 80% of the truck’s towing capacity especially to compensate for hills, mountains, bridges, and other inclines. An example would be a truck that has a towing capacity of 10,000 pounds should only tow a load that has a maximum weight of 8,000 pounds. As for me and for this reason, I bought a class c motorhome instead because a towable rv plus the correct tow vehicle would cost more than the motorhome and buy a tow dolly to tow my Nissan Altima (many people use jeeps because they are usually one of the lightest, very reliable and versatile, can be flat towed, and one of the easiest vehicles to hook up and tow) behind the motorhome.

In Texas, you are ok with a class C license as long as the total GVWR is under 26,000 pounds if the GVWR of the vehicle or trailer being towed alone is under 10,000 pounds, however, if the vehicle being towed has a GVWR of over 10,000, then the combined GCWR must he under 26,000 pounds or you will need a Class A Non-CDL driver’s license.

Even as a child, I remember my parent's chevy 1500 suburban being sketchy towing an average sized camper. It felt like the RV was pushing the vehicle around. The rear was squatted bad. I didn't know anything about vehicles at the time and it felt unsafe in the rocky mountains. That suburban struggled to pull that camper.
I know vehicles have come a long way, but there is no way I'd tow an RV with a 1/2 ton.
I'd go 1 ton diesel. They tow like a dream. Buy once, cry once.

Great Tips for sure. There’s is noting worse than rolling negativity equality into a new loan only finding out that I made a big mistake. Been there,done that ,and have the T-shirt. Love Your Videos,

It simply comes down to you don't know what you don't know when you start out camping. You don't know if you're going to like it, if it's going to be worth it, how long you're going to be doing it for, where you're going to go, etc.

Our first camper was a used pop up because we wanted to get out of a tent. No problem towing that with the 2011 Pathfinder we had at the time. Took it from Michigan to Disney and back. As much as we liked the extra room and being off the ground, setup and tear down was a major pain in the rear. Especially since it always seems to rain on pack up day.

The pop up lasted a year before we traded it in for a 28-foot travel trailer. The following spring, we got a 2012 Nissan Armada. That towed our 28-footer perfectly for 9 years.

That camper sprung a leak and the floor got mushy. We put the insurance money towards a 35-foot Jayco White Hawk. We then decided to get a 22 Tundra to take the pressure off of our now 11-year-old Armada. The Tundra does an amazing job with the Jayco.

So, things definitely change throughout the camping journey. One thing we do know is that we don't plan on living in our camper full-time. So, we don't need a bigger trailer, and we will never buy a camper that necessitates a diesel, because that would mean that I would be stuck living with a diesel truck on a daily basis when I'm not using it to tow.

How much is the payload of “Dee” on the door jamb sticker?

Check out a topkick or something. Better bang for the buck than a "passenger" vehicle. It's pretty much the same footprint as a 1 ton.

We have a Dodge Ram 1500, 5.7 Hemi. We will buy a travel trailer..about 29 footer. Any advice?

I did notice you had a 5th wheel, NOW it makes sense, good video, thanks for the tips👍

Thanks!

Go BIG or go home👍🏻

Step 1: Find a wife who is also a travel nurse like myself so a $150,000 truck and camper combo isn't so expensive...

Nothing about gas vs diesel towing……?

Ya'll are great. I'm a retired ER nurse, travelled east coast but lived in hotels. I just retired and got my first rv. I'll park it for 6 mos on my hunting property and move it to Grand Isle for the summer red fishing. But, I digress. We are discussing your "struggle'' lol. I hope my 1/2 ton pulls whichever one I buy but I will consider your advice. You guys dont forget to have fun.

I have a Crewmax Tundra and recently bought a 26’ Rockwood. It’s 5,281 lbs. I think that’s as big as I’m comfortable pulling with the Tundra and will keep it a couple of years. I do not want to buy a newer or new to me bigger truck with todays prices.

Stop pussyfooting around and tell people they are screwing the pooch by pulling with a half ton truck. Why are you worried so much about making people feel bad? Would you rather they feel bad or potentially die?

Lifting ANY truck and putting huge wheels and tires on it DESTROYS its tow ability.

Started with 2005 F-150 5.7 l and 27’ (6k lbs dry) trailer which worked fine for level roads. Later bought 34’ (8k lbs dry) trailer and after one white knuckle 8 mpg trip decided to get a 2008 F-250 super duty turbo diesel. Just now downsized to a 20’ (4k lbs dry) for my wife and I for extensive travel and flexibility camping in National and State Parks. Planned to use our f-150 for car-like comfort ride until we drove the rig home. Thought that it would tow super easy but I became very disappointed in the short ride home. So We hitched it up to our f-250 and the difference was like night and day! And we were getting 18 mpg at highway speeds too! The safety, comfort and economy was no comparison. I’m definitely sold on having way more truck than you need.

Half ton all the time.
Is still the best all-around
I tow 7000# 30' TT w/o problem
For regular use, then TT for vacation 1/2ton is capable.
And is upgradable with weight distribution hitch +air lift +rancho 9000. Done ✔️

Thanks for sharing the RV life in a fun and informative way. One question, do you ever regret not having the advantage of an appreciating home along with the sticker shock you can expect buying a home in the future?

Definitely don’t agree. Fells like you didn’t do enough research before diving in and the video still is to get clicks. I did a ton of research and the f150 with max tow is fine and we go up one of the roughest pass in the country all the time (million dollar highway). Feels like you are projecting, you should just say the advantage of each and with the price of trucks don’t overbuy.

YOU TWO ARE FULL OF CRAP. YOU CAN TOW A CAMPER WITH A 1/2 TON TRUCK. JUST MAKE SURE IT IS IN THE WEIGHT LIMITATIONS AND USE AN EQUALIZER. OF COURSE IT WILL NEED TO BE A FORD AS CHEVY AND DODGE 1/2 TON TRUCKS ARE TOO WEAK.

Where we live, the most common vehicle on the lot is trucks we started with a Tacoma and quickly moved to a f250. We will not be upgrading the rv due to our age but for most folks, starting out with the biggest you can project and afford is cheaper in the long run. Pulling the 2600 rv behind the 3/4 ton is a great match. Enjoy your videos.

Just went from a 250 to a 150 because my family is growing. I did get the most equip f150 I can find but my dreams for a 5th wheel have gone out the window for now..

Come on Kyle, man up... 1/2 ton trucks completely SUCK for towing anything more than a 5x8 utility trailer or a popup.

Thanks for sharing. Not all half tons are created equal.

well i would never tow a dual axel or a 5th wheel with a half ton lol..........

I drive a 2004 Chevy Aveo, I have never towed before and looking to buy a runaway camper coolcamp 4x8. My car says the towing capacity is 1000lbs, am I good to go?

A half ton pickup is great for grocery shopping and maybe a pop up tent trailer, a one ton duel Axel, well pull your trailer and your camp buddies, ya ! !