It will be the trailer that determines if either of these trucks are going handle well. Broad generalizations about trailer weight alone simply doesn’t tell the whole story.

 

Well, I can tell you one thing regarding what a 1/2 ton can or can't tow and handle, I'm glad I ignored that "doom and gloom" narrative that guys like you put out.

All of this "night and day" towing experience with half capable and poor tow vehicle compared to the newer HD TV.

One thing I perceived and my towing experience's has been confirming, is that in spite of the lighter weight of the 1/2 ton, stiffening and making the setup between TV and trailer was the way to go with the 1/2 ton.

You "doom and gloom" folks subscribe to the "big anchor" methodology...bigger the truck the better.
If I liked big trucks, I would not have considered the HDPP....just that simple.

Like myself, there are people who really don't care for truck...the larger and more bulkier the truck, the more one dimensional it is to me.

You like a big truck, and you probably would love a huge 1 ton Limited dully diesel....don't park beside me, and if I can't see, if behind you I'm going to downshift to 4th, and zoom past you with my engine approaching peak horsepower at 6,400 rpm...lol.

I get that "big anchor" methodology, but like what the Hensley and Pro Pride does, stiffening the link between the truck and trailer. With stiffer HD trailer tires, good anti sway.hitch, stiffer TV tires along with stiffen TV structure when towing a long trailer, I can get a "move as a unit" in most situations, and only had one sway event, and the truck shut that down cold turkey.

You can't get a "move as a unit" like a Hensley or PP, but the truck along with those stiffer trailer tires will be able to resist the attempts of the longer trailer overcoming the WD hitch to pivot the stiffened TV on its axis due to stiffen tires. Like Glade hound said, the trailer isn't going to break the rear end loose with good properly inflated tires anyway...just attempt to pivot it from side to side.

I don't consider the HDPP to be a 3/4 ton, but a more capably 1/2 ton that can comfortably handle and tow less than 10,000lbs and a 37ft travel trailer.

If I had a bigger trailer, I'd considered a bigger truck that was designed to tow and handle it.
I got 12,000 miles on my truck, and I'm giving my LT tires to a friend who want to buy them, and getting 5 Michelin Defenser LTX D rated, for even more stiffening between TV and trailer.

That's the methodology I went with when I got the HDPP as opposed to the big "anchor" 3/4 ton.

That big anchor was just a bigger headache.

 

I ordered my HDPP specifically for one purpose: to tow my 7500lb travel trailer, my family, and either my motorcycle, my dirt bikes, or my atv. The ATV puts me right at GVWR but I’m still legal.

Max tow wouldn’t stand a chance. It was either stay with the HDPP for various reasons or move up to a gas 2500 or 3500.

Lou

 

So, is your HDPP also a Max Tow?

When I ordered my Platinum, I could have ordered an HDPP instead, but since it spends more time taking me to and from work than it does towing my RV, I went for the comforts instead since I knew it could tow what I have now. I had also planned to one day get an F350 or 3500 Ram. I now have the F350, and man, does it tow nice. A lot boils down to what the majority of use is. In my case, I spend 2 1/2 hours a day, 5 days a week in it going to work and back, and maybe 3 times a year on a long trip with the RV, so I bought a truck that has what I needed. The shorter WB does lend to some lack of stability, but a really good WDH properly setup, with the proper weight bars, makes all the difference in the world. Once I got that nailed down, the truck handles the trailer just fine. I am also fairly certain that if I had an HDPP, it would have had the same handling problems with the wrong bars, but would have been a little less squirrely due to the WB. If you can't tension the spring bars properly to activate sway control, even though it properly distributes weight, sway will happen, and it will affect the TV regardless of how long or heavy it is. I think this we can all agree on.

So no matter what truck one gets, even a Superduty, make sure the WDH is correctly configured and set up as well.

 

Not all trailers need additional sway control. If the CG is sufficiently forward on the trailer for the travel speed the trailer will self correct if wind initiates sway. Indeed, some of the hitches out there are amazing, but combos can be very stable without a fancy hitch. My round bar WDH with no anti sway (not even a friction bar) is just window dressing. I've towed at up to 86MPH when passing and it is steady as a rock with just 20% to 25% FAWR. I believe it would be steady as a rock with just a WC hitch as well. But my trailer is running at 18% - 20% tongue weight and has more distance in front of the axles vrs behind the axles compared to most TTs. Both of these make it inherently stable. It goes back to something HD8100 said, each trailer is set up different and there are a lot of factors that make a trailer more or less likely to sway regardless of TV. That's why it's so hard to answer when someone askes can my truck tow X safely. There are more factors than can typically be communicated in these discussions.

 

This is something that can't be argued with. Sounds like your trailer is setup similar to a Horse trailer, which doesn't need sway control either, at least not the one I have, just needed WDH since it is 650 on the ball. I use a Husky Round Bar for it as well. What's funny, that same hitch, with a single friction sway, worked very well on the 2014 F150, but sucked royally on the new design truck, even though it is with the same trailer with the same weight.

 

My HDPP is a max because I selected a 3.5 eco-boost. HDPP’s with the 5.0 are a normal tow. I consider the 5.0 because it has an additional 70 pounds of payload due to its lighter weight but the eco-boost is such a better towing platform I went that route.

IIRC the difference in towing capacity between the HDPP 5.0 tow and the HDPP 3.5 max tow wasn’t much. I think 10500 vs 11500?

 

Thank you all for your time. I have learned a great deal from these posts. I definitely want HDPP.

 

For towing a travel trailer with a 1/2 ton, you can't get any better than the HDPP.

 

If only they would offer a few extra creature comforts with the HDPP. Even just power-fold tow mirrors would be enough...parking in my single stall garage and having to roll your window down every time you pull in/out to fold in your mirror is not my idea of fun. Especially in the middle of snowstorms, rainstorms, etc.