How bad is a 3/4 ton truck off road?

[TheJason]

Yep, sure is. I believe it's manufactures spec is a little over 10k lbs.

I didn’t think it was that much, but my information probably isn’t current nor memory accurate.

 

[npaden]

I would look at the Dodge Power Wagon if I were you. It's not gonna tow as nice as a diesel but if you are spending a ton of time under these scenarios I don't think it can be beat for what you will be asking it to do. One BA truck! I own the diesel and wouldn't have it any other way for towing. It's limitations don't bother me much and I use it often on rough dirt roads and some two track. If I didn't have such a heavy trailer I would own a power wagon.
At a minimum test drive one and keep it as an option as you look. In my eyes the power wagon is the only "best of both worlds" 3/4 ton on the market. Grocery getter, daily driver, capable 4x4 and tow rig all wrapped into one in a 3/4 ton package. My .02

I'm not a fan of the power wagon. I'm not sure how they can call it a 3/4 ton because it's payload capacity (1,510) and towing rating (10,350) are significantly lower than several of the 1/2 ton trucks. Not much of an upgrade from the 2012 1/2 ton truck I currently have. They are very expensive on top of everything else.

The F250 Tremor with the 7.3L gas is the only one that somewhat piqued my interest. It still has good payload capacity and towing rating and the power of the 7.3L gas is better than Chevy's 6.6L gas and it has the 10 speed transmission. The difficulty so far has just been finding one for sale, Ford doesn't help much on their website for finding specific models at various dealers and none of them seem to filter based on that Tremor package.

 

[ntodwild]

Her is car and drivers review of the new Power Wagon. As stated, it's a best of both worlds truck. Under the circumstances stated by the original poster (he never told us what his trailer weighs). Given a typical 6-7000lb trailer the power Wagon would tow it just fine and it would outperform any of the other 3/4 ton trucks in the off road category in stock form and without modification. Yes it's a compromise as a "Heavy Hauler" but if the poster is not looking for or needs a rig that will tow 14k lbs and would rather lean more in the off road capability (how I understood his post) the power wagon is a very solid choice.

As stated I own a Diesel and wouldn't have it any other way given my current trailer. It's a hauling machine but It's my trucks primary purpose. Off road capability as a priority is a distant 2nd and maybe even a 3rd for me.

The Power Wagon is just an option for the poster given the way I understood his post. Not looking to start some sort of truck war.

2020 Ram 2500 Power Wagon Remains a Hulking Heavy-Duty Off-Roader

Ram's lifted and fortified 2500 Power Wagon is still the king of off-road heavy-duty pickups.

www.caranddriver.com

 

[npaden]

I am the original poster and didn't specifically say how heavy my trailer was in my original post but did say that I felt that it was heavy enough that I was going to need to upgrade to a 3/4 ton truck. If I was pulling a 6-7000lb trailer I would be fine with my current 1/2 ton. My trailer weighs close to 10,000lbs the way I normally pull it but it has a GVWR of 11,000 and change. With the height of a toy hauler it catches wind exceptionally well. I wouldn't want to upgrade from a truck rated to tow 9,600lbs to one that is rated to tow 10,350lbs. Doesn't seem like much of an upgrade. My 1/2 ton does fine on the stuff I take it on, I'm just wanting to make sure that a 3/4 ton won't be a huge downgrade.

 

[ntodwild]

I am the original poster and didn't specifically say how heavy my trailer was in my original post but did say that I felt that it was heavy enough that I was going to need to upgrade to a 3/4 ton truck. If I was pulling a 6-7000lb trailer I would be fine with my current 1/2 ton. My trailer weighs close to 10,000lbs the way I normally pull it but it has a GVWR of 11,000 and change. With the height of a toy hauler it catches wind exceptionally well. I wouldn't want to upgrade from a truck rated to tow 9,600lbs to one that is rated to tow 10,350lbs. Doesn't seem like much of an upgrade. My 1/2 ton does fine on the stuff I take it on, I'm just wanting to make sure that a 3/4 ton won't be a huge downgrade.

Fair enough and nope the PW won't work for you. A diesel will have to be the way you go. I own a trailer that tips the scale loaded at over 10k lbs as well. Love my 3/4 ton diesel. All the big 3 will do the job it's just a matter of what you like best. I don't think you will regret the upgrade. Good luck in your search.

 

[BuckRut]

I am the original poster and didn't specifically say how heavy my trailer was in my original post but did say that I felt that it was heavy enough that I was going to need to upgrade to a 3/4 ton truck. If I was pulling a 6-7000lb trailer I would be fine with my current 1/2 ton. My trailer weighs close to 10,000lbs the way I normally pull it but it has a GVWR of 11,000 and change. With the height of a toy hauler it catches wind exceptionally well. I wouldn't want to upgrade from a truck rated to tow 9,600lbs to one that is rated to tow 10,350lbs. Doesn't seem like much of an upgrade. My 1/2 ton does fine on the stuff I take it on, I'm just wanting to make sure that a 3/4 ton won't be a huge downgrade.

The reason the power wagon has such a low towing capacity is not due to the power or breaking capabilities of the truck it is just the travel in the suspension. Adding airbags (while it won't change the GVW of the truck) will drastically improve the towing capabilities.

 

[TheJason]

Honestly if I had a Razor to pair with a diesel pickup, I’m not sure I would have bought a half tone.

 

[npaden]

Honestly if I had a Razor to pair with a diesel pickup, I’m not sure I would have bought a half tone.

I think the new diesel pickup is going to cost more than I paid for my Rzr, Toy Hauler and 1/2 Ton Pickup combined! When I bought the 1/2 ton in 2012 I didn't have the Rzr or the Toy Hauler though. Bought the Rzr and Toy Hauler both used. Big savings on buying those used. Not much of a savings buying a pickup used.

 

[Gr8bawana]

I keep reading here about how stiff and harsh the ride will be on a 3/4 ton. Yes I suppose if you keep your tires inflated to the 80psi a lot of people do, it will ride rougher.
My brother's 3/4 ton Ram seems to get around pretty good on rough 2-tracks.
If you let the psi down to about 40-45 psi once you get where you're going you probably won't feel any difference and you'll get better traction.
Just get a 12v air compressor to re-inflate the tires and you'll be good to go.
Also the $ you'll save when towing will make you wonder why you waited to get a diesel, I know I did. Towing our TT is such a pleasure now.

 

[jabber]

I have been doing it with a 3/4 ton Duramax since 2006. Plenty of pinstripes on the side of them. Wouldn't do it any other way. Makes pulling the trailer to camp so much more pleasant. When you get in the mountains pulling the trailer, you don't slow down going uphill unless you want to. It will handle the two tracks just fine. Obviously you have to use a little common sense, but that goes without saying. If you are overly concerned get a winch. I have been taking one with me that I can mount front or back the last couple of years and have never needed it, but the piece of mind of having it does help.

 

[npaden]

I keep reading here about how stiff and harsh the ride will be on a 3/4 ton. Yes I suppose if you keep your tires inflated to the 80psi a lot of people do, it will ride rougher.
My brother's 3/4 ton Ram seems to get around pretty good on rough 2-tracks.
If you let the psi down to about 40-45 psi once you get where you're going you probably won't feel any difference and you'll get better traction.
Just get a 12v air compressor to re-inflate the tires and you'll be good to go.
Also the $ you'll save when towing will make you wonder why you waited to get a diesel, I know I did. Towing our TT is such a pleasure now.

Yes. This is kind of where I first started thinking a 3/4 ton might be an option. A year or so ago we rode with a guy who had a new Chevy 3/4 ton that hasn't ever pulled a trailer in it's life. My son commented about how much smoother it drove than our truck. We tow fairly frequently and I tend to just leave my tires inflated to 70 psi. He had his tires at 45 psi. The difference in the air pressure on the tires made up for the difference in the springs and the 3/4 ton actually did seem to be smoother on the mild gravel roads we were riding around on.

 

[npaden]

Thanks everyone for the comments and input. It has helped a lot with my thought process. I'll most likely be buying a new 2021 3/4 ton diesel with the current employee pricing for everyone deal they have going on right now.

Thanks again.

 

[tzone]

I’d skip the Diesel unless you want to look cool in High School parking lots. If you’re truly using it for off-road it will suck. Much of that 2000 pounds more is over the front axle.

 

[mdhunter]

I have had four 1/2 ton 4x4’s thru the years and I tow a large heavy boat. “Can tow” and “should tow” are different things. I just switched to a 2021 Duramax GMC 2500 and I don’t think I will ever go back to the 1/2 ton. Yes, there are trade offs however imho they are worth it.

 

[tzone]

Yeah, this is where I could probably "get by" with a newer 1/2 ton pickup for towing if I had to. I've been towing it with my current 1/2 ton for 3 years, it is just at the absolute limit of what it will do and I find myself leaving my trailer home instead of taking it because it is such a pain to pull especially in the mountains.

I'm trying to figure out if the 3/4 ton on the 2 tracks roads is going to end up being the same way and I'm going to just not take it places because it is such as pain driving in on the 2 tracks and rough roads.

Sounds like it will be a trade off, but maybe not as much of one as pulling a 10,000lbs+ toy hauler with a 1/2 ton truck.

if you’re truly pulling 10k+ pounds, it’s not a question of whether or not you need a 3/4 ton. Just whether or not you want a Diesel.

 

[beginnerhunter]

I've never owned a 3/4 ton but I drive my FIL F250 quite a bit. I'm actually impressed with the ride and acceleration of it (and it's the base 6.2L). He's gotten it stuck once or twice with street tires which is pretty good considering it lives off road (row crop farmer). Minimal problems at 60k miles despite the fact he treats it like trash. I think the 7.3 was designed for durability vs towing and fuel economy. Unless I was towing or putting 30k miles/year I dont think the diesel is worth the weight and cost.

Long story short, if I had the $ and need I like the F250 Tremor with 7.3L for off road for your purposes. But I'm just a dilettante.

 

[dcopas78]

Thanks everyone for the comments and input. It has helped a lot with my thought process. I'll most likely be buying a new 2021 3/4 ton diesel with the current employee pricing for everyone deal they have going on right now.

Thanks again.

I'm (hopefully) going to he picking up my Rocky Ridge K2 custom here in a few weeks. You'll love the tow with the diesel and sounds like you know the limitations or preparations of offroading it. I'll still have the 2011 Cummings if I need it for the long hauls. The Rocky Ridge is something I've wanted for a long time. Figured I have the money, and a dealer is giving me a sweet deal on it so I'm jumping on it. Good luck huntin and enjoy that new truck when you get it.

 

[F250]

npaden, We had a Ford 2011 F250 6.7 diesel. Traded it for a new one in 2016. Traded wife's F150 for a F250 with that new 7.3 gas this past summer. We will not buy another diesel. The 7.3 pulls our goose neck horse trailer and my cargo trailer with ease. Gas is cheaper than diesel and the engine is way cheaper than the diesel option. Mileage towing with the gasser is only slightly less than the diesel.

 

[Pajarito]

Well, I’m leaning very strongly toward buying a new 3/4 ton truck. Most likely a 2021 Chevy 2500HD Diesel. Pulling our toy hauler has just gotten too much for our current 1/2 ton and I think the right thing to do is make the step up to a 3/4 ton and might as well go all the way with the diesel.

This thread isn’t about whether I need a 3/4 ton to pull my toy hauler, I think I’ve read and watched enough YouTube videos on that, but what I’m trying to decide is just how much of a pain is it going to be to be driving a 3/4 ton truck around on crappy 2 track roads.

The 3/4 ton diesel is over 2,000 pounds heavier than my 1/2 ton which is great for towing but not for driving in mud and soft ground. It actually has more ground clearance, but a longer wheel base so my approach and departure angles are going to suck and chances of high centering on a hill are a lot higher. Going up a steep hill seems like it would be harder as well with all that extra weight and not a lot more ground contact.

I’ve watched a few videos where they go through some obstacles and stuff but nothing really out there just talking about how they do in real world situations.

I would have a Rzr for ATV trails and stuff hence the toy hauler but I still do a lot of driving in the truck on 2 tracks earning my racing pinstripes and all that fun stuff. My side steps on my current truck are pretty dented up from banging on rocks and stuff, it definitely gets used as a 4wd vehicle.

Am I going to be shocked at how crappy the 3/4 ton does off road or am I just going to notice a slight difference in turning and have to pay attention to approach and departure angles?

Any real world input from people who have taken both 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton trucks on some sketchy roads?

Thanks, Nathan

Do not, under any circumstances, get your diesel high-centered while in the backcountry. And just in case you do, carry 2, 8000 lb come-alongs. Long story short, after high centering a 1999 F250 Powerstroke 4 miles deep and hiking out to get help, it took 2 full size trucks anchored to one another and 2, 8000 lb come-alongs working in unison to get it out. Those trucks are heavy and even with a winch you can get it really stuck. That's one big draw back to taking those diesels back country, if you get it stuck you will have your hands full. My 2 cents.

 

[tzone]

npaden, We had a Ford 2011 F250 6.7 diesel. Traded it for a new one in 2016. Traded wife's F150 for a F250 with that new 7.3 gas this past summer. We will not buy another diesel. The 7.3 pulls our goose neck horse trailer and my cargo trailer with ease. Gas is cheaper than diesel and the engine is way cheaper than the diesel option. Mileage towing with the gasser is only slightly less than the diesel.

I hate to even ask. But what are you seeing for mileage loaded and unloaded? I know it's not something to worry about with a truck, but I do run about 100 miles a day minimum.