Montana Owners Club - Keystone Montana 5th Wheel Forum - View Single Post

sreigle · 09-20-2005, 04:29 PM

It's really not enough these days to automatically say 1 ton is more capable than 3/4 ton. That used to be pretty much universally true in terms of towing ability but not any more. Maybe it's still true within a specific brand but Ford this year changed the equation. For example, I went from a 2003 Ford F350 to a 2005 Ford F250. Folks right here on this forum asked me how come I "traded down." And that's the way it appears on the surface. Legitimate question.

Well, the truth is I "traded up.". My 2005 3/4 ton Ford has ratings (tow, gvwr, gcwr, and I think gawr but would have to check) higher than my 2003 1 ton Ford and higher than many of the 1 ton trucks being used to tow fifthwheels. That doesn't make any of them good or bad; it just says we can no longer automatically assume a 1 ton is more capable than a 3/4 ton.

By the way, I agree about the small price differential between 3/4 and 1 ton trucks, having had a 1999 and a 2003 F350 and had I been able to find an F350 with the equipment and colors I wanted when I was looking that's what I'd have bought. But Ford was selling these trucks so fast very few dealers had more than 1 or 2 on their lots. I was fortunate to find this 3/4 ton with the equipment and colors I wanted.

I also have to agree with Dave about airbags. There likely are situations where the bags are used to help a truck that is not really up to the job. I think that's what was referred to in the earlier post. But there are good reasons why they're valuable on a truck that's capable without them. In my case, our pinweight brought the tail of the truck down a little under two inches. I want my truck level. Thus the airbags. If this truck had the extra leaf in the rear springs avaialable in the Camper Package option then I'd not have had the sag nor the airbags. The truck would otherwise be identical. In my case, the airbags do what that extra leaf would have done. Our pinweight is 3300 lbs.

These are all just my opinions and may or may not have any value to anyone else. But I'm very pleased and comfortable with this 3/4 ton truck. Nobody else has to agree with me and that's fine. I smile at the job it does and have no concerns about its ability to continue safely towing this Montana.

In re-reading this I hope it doesn't come off wrong. I'm just trying to state my opinions.

09-20-2005, 04:29 PM	#34
sreigle Montana Master Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Oceanside Posts: 20,028 M.O.C. #20	It's really not enough these days to automatically say 1 ton is more capable than 3/4 ton. That used to be pretty much universally true in terms of towing ability but not any more. Maybe it's still true within a specific brand but Ford this year changed the equation. For example, I went from a 2003 Ford F350 to a 2005 Ford F250. Folks right here on this forum asked me how come I "traded down." And that's the way it appears on the surface. Legitimate question. Well, the truth is I "traded up.". My 2005 3/4 ton Ford has ratings (tow, gvwr, gcwr, and I think gawr but would have to check) higher than my 2003 1 ton Ford and higher than many of the 1 ton trucks being used to tow fifthwheels. That doesn't make any of them good or bad; it just says we can no longer automatically assume a 1 ton is more capable than a 3/4 ton. By the way, I agree about the small price differential between 3/4 and 1 ton trucks, having had a 1999 and a 2003 F350 and had I been able to find an F350 with the equipment and colors I wanted when I was looking that's what I'd have bought. But Ford was selling these trucks so fast very few dealers had more than 1 or 2 on their lots. I was fortunate to find this 3/4 ton with the equipment and colors I wanted. I also have to agree with Dave about airbags. There likely are situations where the bags are used to help a truck that is not really up to the job. I think that's what was referred to in the earlier post. But there are good reasons why they're valuable on a truck that's capable without them. In my case, our pinweight brought the tail of the truck down a little under two inches. I want my truck level. Thus the airbags. If this truck had the extra leaf in the rear springs avaialable in the Camper Package option then I'd not have had the sag nor the airbags. The truck would otherwise be identical. In my case, the airbags do what that extra leaf would have done. Our pinweight is 3300 lbs. These are all just my opinions and may or may not have any value to anyone else. But I'm very pleased and comfortable with this 3/4 ton truck. Nobody else has to agree with me and that's fine. I smile at the job it does and have no concerns about its ability to continue safely towing this Montana. In re-reading this I hope it doesn't come off wrong. I'm just trying to state my opinions.