LiveNupe

So I bit the bullet and bought a 3/4 ton GMC diesel. I towed my 8000 lb trailer 3 hours and was amazed at the difference vs. my previous experience towing with my long wheelbase SUV (Cadillac Escalade) that’s rated for 7800 pound (In you’re tracking the numbers, please know that I didn’t carry as much extra stuff when towing with my SUV to make sure I stayed below 7800 lbs.). A few observations:

1) I’m still being pushed around by the 18 wheelers and buses. Some how, I thought I wouldn’t need sway control bars, but I was clearly mistaken. The truck is a bit better, but it still needs some help
2) The ride is definitely “bouncier”. I noticed road imperfections, bumps, surface undulations, etc that I never noticed before
3) I miss my toys!!! I never realized how much I like super-cruise, lane keep assist, and a gps/entertainment system that’s not google-based. If anyone from GM is reading this, IMHO you guys took a big step backwards with these “improvements”

RennPart

We had a 1/2 ton 14' Silverado with the 5.3.

I could not stand the downshifts up hills. The truck always looked squatted even with an empty trailer. The GM 5.3 sounded like it was going to fall apart at all times (under load, coasting, cold start etc).

--Aaron

gerryros

Good move. Even if not zero I have minimal push from trucks. Have done several 13 hour tows on the interstate no issues. My setup is a 28’ enclosed 8500-9000lbs loaded (have had it on a scale), a longer wheelbase Ram 2500 (megacab) w/factory load leveling airbags, and I don’t use sway bars. Before this I had a L5P Sierra 2500 with same setup and similar experience. Maybe add tongue weight?

lgusto

A $100 tongue weight scale was one of my best investments. Yes, you can figure it all out with a couple of trips to a local truck scale, but knowing tongue weight every time you hook up, or at least whenever the your cargo load changes, is invaluable.

LiveNupe

Great suggestion! I'll work with the tongue weight a bit to see if I can get better results next time.

lgusto

If we're really getting into the nitty gritty here's some other tips (I've towed an 11,000 pound boat from Maine to Florida and back for several years with an F250 diesel, and a 911 on an open Trailex with an F150 ecoboost):

• tongue weight is super important. too much and you greatly reduce handling and braking. too little and the trailer becomes unstable. start with 10% and adjust for your particular setup until it looks and feels right.
• rear air bags are great for leveling the truck and greatly improve the ride. I use manually adjustable (a simple schrader valve in the rear bumper), didn't want or need all the extra gear necessary for the automatic systems. I paid about $500 installed.
• tire pressure is critical on all wheels. too low and the rear end will sway no matter what else you do to the truck. run the high end of the tires' recommended range for towing.

Follow guidelines but don't get locked into anyone else's recipe. You'll know it's right when you forget you're towing.

Igooz

A lot of good Towing comments this time. One comment that is missing is about wheelbase: Always buy the long bed truck - without going through the math, the longer wheelbase diesel pickups have a significantly better stability than the short beds.

Even on a “big” rig, on my Alaska trucks or Canadian trucks I used to have my people order a 6”-10” longer wheelbase tractor and it made a huge difference on those crappy roads.

OP, congratulations but did you get a short bed 2500? DuraMax?

LiveNupe

Yes, I bought a 2500 DuraMax… now wishing I bought the long bed as you mentioned. This thing won’t fit in my garage anyway so I might as well have bought the long wheelbase. Unfortunately, there not as readily available. But with a bit of patience and a bit more diligence, I’m sure I could have found the options I wanted in the LWB format. Oh well, we live and learn…. I’ll know next time!

Igooz

I am glad that you bought the diesel! “Mass” on the right spot is your friend for truck/tractor trailers. Heavier nose diesel will stabilize the front end, and the correct tongue weight will balance the rear. (Bumper pull?)

Measure the ride height of the truck empty. Then measure the ride height of the truck with the loaded trailer at the correct tongue weight; ideally the truck becomes level. Weigh each axle so that you know! You will see the ride will improve with a loaded trailer.

Before you spend any money on any gimmicky helpers, go for a long drive with this combination to have a baseline. Personally, I have never needed to add air bags or any stability devices to any of my (pick up) trucks. I always set them up so (when young) daughters could pull multiple horse trailer without thinking, or me running 1000mi day at speed limit with no worries.

Locker537

I'd rather the long bed as well, but the added length makes day to day use more challenging if you daily drive the truck. Worth it? Likely.

lgusto

Airbags may not be "needed" but they greatly improved the ride on my F250 short bed, both loaded and empty. For me the cost worked out to less than $0.01 per mile.

LiveNupe

This isn’t a daily driver, so the added length wouldn’t have been much of an issue. I can’t park it in my garage as it is so it wouldn’t have really mattered much

Igooz

Respectfully, can you get into the specifics please? What did you actually do to the rear suspension of your F250 SWB to improve the ride both empty and loaded?

1) Simply adding air bags to the stock spring suspension. Helps with leveling when loaded or provides no benefit if the air pressure is low and actually increases the spring rate if the air pressure is high enough for the air bag to work.
OR
2) Change the stock mechanical springs and went to lower rate springs or removed leafs, and then added air bags?
OR
...?...

Thank you.

lgusto

I retained the stock suspension and added rear air bags with an operating range of 10-50 pounds. With no load I ran 15-20 pounds and the truck rode like a Cadillac (sorry for the old school euphemism). MUCH better than before. With the boat I ran 40-45 pounds, the truck was level and the ride was reassuringly solid. I'm not an engineer and can't speak to spring rate, but difference was night and day.

Mussl Kar

250/350 series trucks with long beds and crew cabs are really big trucks and useful to some contractors, tough to park for any DD use. But useful if you ever decide on switching to a Gooseneck or 5th wheel. Much better turn radius. I tow a 28 Gooseneck (very rare) and all you notice is fuel use and slightly sluggish acceleration when pulling. F350 SD short bed with crew cab. Weight distribution with a goose is fairly simple too. But short bed backing up is tricky because you need to watch mirrors for direction AND if attic part of goose is going to impact A pillar. Tapered nose helps some, but an oops and there will be a small crease if lucky. If not lucky the trailer will open up the A pillar like a can opener and explode your rear window in the process.