The Best 3/4-Ton Trucks in 2022: Towing, Payload, Power, and More (2023)

FAQs

What three quarter ton pickup has the best towing capacity? ›

MotorTrend's No. 1 rated all-electric powered truck and 2022 Truck of the Year is the Rivian R1T, which can tow up to 11,000 pounds when properly equipped. That's a ton of towing from a truck that straddles the midsize and full-size truck segments. At more than 7,000 pounds, the R1T isn't exactly light.

F-650 Pro Loader (Kick-Up Frame) 20,500-26,000 lbs. 50,000 lbs.

Now Ford has announced the official towing ratings for the 2023 Super Duty lineup, blasting its competitors out of the water with a maximum available 40,000 pounds of towing capacity. That 40,000-pound figure is for the largest Ford F-450 pulling a gooseneck trailer.

As a refresher, traditionally one ton is 2,000 pounds, meaning a half-ton truck would have a 1,000-pound payload, three-quarter tons are rated to 1,500 pounds, and one-ton trucks can carry 2,000 pounds of payload.

The heavier the vehicle, the more weight it can tow with confidence. Modern SUVs and Trucks are lighter than they used to be, but are still capable of towing heavy loads. The wheelbase is the distance between the front and rear axle, and the longer it is, the safer the vehicle is for towing.

The 2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty offers best-in-class power ratings. If you're wondering what the most powerful pickup truck is, here's one answer. The 2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty offers a best-in-class payload and a best-in-class towing capacity, making it one of the most powerful pickup trucks.

Any heavy-duty truck like an F250 with a standard capacity of 16,000 + will have no problem towing any Travel Trailer. Travel Trailers generally use weight distributing hitches to be hauled around, making them much easier to attach and detach than a 5th Wheel Trailer.

How much can a 3 4 ton truck pull? ›

The 3/4-ton truck can haul up to 4,000 lbs in its truck bed and tow up to 14,000 lbs.

F-750 (Straight Frame) 30,200-33,000 lbs.

Chevrolet Silverado

Conventional towing capacity is up to 12,200 lbs. Having the same truck but in a Crew Cab configuration reduces towing by 200 lbs. It still has a 12,000 lbs max towing capability.

The 2023 Ford Super Duty F-350 equipped with the Tremor Off-Road package and a Power Stroke high-output diesel engine can tow up to 23,000 pounds. It achieves this rating with gooseneck towing.

-ft. of torque. This second choice provides its driver with an astounding 40,000-lb. maximum towing capacity¹.

The 2023 Sierra Heavy Duty pickup truck offers up to 36,000 lbs. of available max towing. It's built strong so you can tow strong. The large drive shaft and rear axle will give you exceptional durability and strength, and its powerful brakes and steering offer superior control.

The only way to boost the payload rating is to take weight off the truck: removing the rear seat or bumper, using lighter wheels and/or tires that meet gross axle weight rating requirements, and so on.

A truck's payload capacity refers to the maximum amount of weight you can safely add to a truck's cargo area in addition to its empty weight (or curb weight). Towing capacity, on the other hand, refers to the maximum weight that a truck can tow after factoring in the weight of the truck and any cargo.

A three-quarter-ton or 250/2500 model ranges between 8,500 and 9,990 pounds. A one-ton or 350/3500 truck is likely to be 9,900 pounds or more.

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 13, 2022 – The new F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck adds the prestigious 2023 MotorTrend Truck of the Year award to its trophy case. The win sets a precedent – the F-150 Lightning is the first electric truck to win by a unanimous vote among the judges.

What truck will last me the longest? ›

Maximum Payload – 8,000 Lbs!

For the 2023 model year, Ford increased the maximum payload capacity for the 2023 Ford F-350 from 7,850 lbs to a class-leading 8,000 lbs.

To sum up, torque plays a greater role in towing than horsepower. This is because of the 'low-end rpm' generated by the higher levels of torque, which allows the engine to easily carry heavy loads. A high torque vehicle will be able to tow trailers or other objects with an extremely low value of rpm.

The high compression ratio of diesel vehicles generates more torque, making diesel engines a better choice for pulling or hauling lots of weight. More torque. The high compression ratio of diesel vehicles generates more torque, making diesel engines a better choice for pulling or hauling lots of weight.

Max towing capacity should not be taken lightly. Exceeding what your vehicle is designed to tow can strain your engine and transmission, accelerate brake wear, damage your tires and even warp your chassis. This could in turn trigger catastrophic failure while driving and could lead to property damage or serious injury.

When looking for used trucks with the best towing capacity, RAM trucks are synonymous with towing power. So, if you want 650 lb-ft of torque and the ability to haul over 16,000 pounds, turn to the Cummins Diesel engine in the 2009 Dodge RAM 3500.

The 2022 GMC Sierra 3500 HD Denali is one of General Motors' mightiest heavy duty pickup trucks. The GMC Sierra 3500 HD starts at $39,400, but its highest trim level with options can top a whopping $69,580. The GMC Sierra 3500 HD Denali can tow 20,000 pounds using its 6.6-liter turbocharged V8 diesel engine.

Full-size trucks, like the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and Ram 1500 are the best of the best when it comes to towing. Compact options, like the Chevrolet Colorado, Jeep Gladiator, and Ford Ranger are still plenty capable.

The 2018 Ford Super Duty F-250's optional 6.7-liter Power StrokeV8 turbodiesel cranks out an astounding 450 horsepower and 925 pound-feet of torque.

What is the longest lasting diesel engine? ›

It is important to note that airbag suspension systems DO NOT increase the payload or tow capacity but change how the vehicle handles the load.

Having lots of horsepower just won't help you when you need to tow an object at low rpm. For that, you need that low-end power that torque provides.

A gooseneck hitch's advantages include its greater towing capacity, compact size, and relative simplicity. Gooseneck hitches can pull more than 30,000 pounds, at least 3,000 pounds more than the best fifth wheel hitch.

Three-quarter ton pickups generally have 6,000 – 7,000-pound capacity rear axles, so they can carry the 3,500 pounds of pin weight that these large fifth wheel trailers have.

Drive no faster than your tow vehicle's economical sweet spot. (From what I've read, sweet spots typically are in the range of 55-65 MPH.) According to Roger Marble (a.k.a. tireman9 on RV forums), it's best to tow no more than 60 MPH when using ST tires and some manufacturers recommend not towing faster than 60 MPH.

The range-topping F-150 Raptor R delivers the most torque in the range from its supercharged 5.2-liter high-output V8. It's rated at 700 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque.

Because the leaf springs typically used in Ram's trucks offer more support than the coil springs Ram engineers use. Not because coil springs, in general, are weaker, but because of the way they are tuned. This change means that many new Ram 2500s may have significantly smaller payloads than their 3500 counterparts.

The 2023 Ram 2500 boasts a maximum payload of 4,000 pounds when equipped with the 6.4L HEMI^® V8 engine and an impressive maximum towing capacity of 19,980 pounds 1 when equipped with the available 6.7L Cummins^® Turbo Diesel I6 engine.

Then, for the final answer on what a 3/4-ton truck is, it's simply a marketing term for trucks that fall in between the light-duty full-size trucks and the heaviest of the heavy-duty pickups. These 3/4-ton trucks most often share chassis, drivetrain, and even cabs with their 1-ton counterparts.

What is the biggest tow truck rotator? ›

The Century M100. The world's largest rotator developed by the world's largest manufacturer of towing and recovery equipment.

The heavy-hitting 2022 Ram 5500 Chassis Cab boasts a maximum towing capacity of 35,220 pounds 1 when equipped with the available 6.7L Cummins^® Turbo Diesel I6 engine and a maximum payload capacity of 12,510 pounds when equipped with the 6.4L HEMI^® V8 engine.

Max Payload Weight: 17,000 lbs. Max Loaded Weight (GVWR): 26,000 lbs.

As for GCWR, the F-750 tops out at 50,000 pounds!

Half-ton trucks have tow capacities as high as 14,000 lb, which is impressive. Take the Ford F-150, the most popular truck on the road. It boasts such a rating on newer models with premium tow packages, but there is a catch. Ford states that it can tow 14,000 lb.

The 3/4-ton truck can haul up to 4,000 lbs in its truck bed and tow up to 14,000 lbs.

Three-quarter ton pickups generally have 6,000 – 7,000-pound capacity rear axles, so they can carry the 3,500 pounds of pin weight that these large fifth wheel trailers have.

How big a fifth wheel? Anything under about 12,000 pounds can be handled adequately by a 3/4 ton or 1 ton pickup truck - that's a F250 or F350 or Dodge or Chevy 2500 or 3500. A turbo diesel engine is best, but the largest gas big block V8s work too.

For long trips or frequent towing at or more than 8,000 lbs, a heavy duty (2500) pickup truck is recommended.

Is a longer truck better for towing? ›

Because of the longer wheelbase, long bed trucks handle better on the road. Uneven pavement doesn't affect the drive as much as it does on a short bed truck. Plus, a longer truck has better control over a longer travel trailer. Because of the increased stability, this usually means a higher towing and payload capacity.

Higher Reliability Ratings

Why are used trucks so expensive? The biggest factor comes down to reliability. Many people wonder - do trucks last longer than cars, and the answer is typically yes. Generally speaking, pickup trucks remain more reliable than most cars, allowing for a longer lifespan.

What kind of truck do you need to tow a fifth wheel? You will need at minimum a 3/4 ton truck. A one-ton dually truck with an eight-foot bed would be ideal because it can handle that much more weight.

Add a fifth wheel hitch or gooseneck hitch though, and you can increase towing capacity by up to 50%. Add a fifth wheel hitch or gooseneck hitch though, and you can increase towing capacity by up to 50%. For example, the Ford F-250 that can tow 7,000 lbs. conventionally can tow 10,500 lbs.

It is important to note that airbag suspension systems DO NOT increase the payload or tow capacity but change how the vehicle handles the load.

An upgraded exhaust, along with new air filters, will increase your truck's towing ability. You can also purchase a new programmer to increase your horsepower and torque. It should be noted that not all of these parts need to be purchased to increase your towing capacity.

What happens if you exceed the payload limit? The extra weight puts more strain on the engine, transmission, suspension, brakes and tires, and can lead to repair problems. Overloading a vehicle, for example, will increase braking distances and increase wear on brake pads and rotors.