What size truck do you need?

It's also called a full-floating axle, similar to what18-wheelers have. While 1/2-ton pickups have a semi-floating axle similar to a car, with just 2 bearings, 1/2-tons and light duty 3/4-tons will have a flush axle housing matching the wheel. With the heavy duty 3/4-ton and 1-ton trucks and larger, the rear axle housing will actually stick out past the wheel and have an additional 8 bolts on the end of the hub holding the axle into the differential.

On the first two pages of my web site, I show pictures of the different axles at http://www.mrtruck.net. Heavy-duty 3/4 tons, 1 tons and larger will have heavier springs, shocks and in some cases thicker, stronger frames. In recent years pickup truck manufactures have designed a different look between the 1/2-ton and 3/4-ton. The majority of the time, if you compare a 1/2-ton to a 3/4-ton pickup with the same gas engine option, the price is very close. And the 3/4-tons will usually have more rear axle ratio and tow package options.

Because of the value of a 3/4-ton verses the price of a 1/2-ton, I usually recommend a heavy duty 3/4-ton. But keep in mine that the slight weight difference and the higher axle ratio in a 1/2-ton pickup will mean that a 1/2-ton can have better gas mileage. The EPA doesn't test fuel mileage on most 3/4-ton trucks if they are over 8500 lbs. GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating), so you won't find a mileage rating on 3/4-ton and higher trucks.

Here is the break down of manufacturer models:
1/2-ton trucks
Ford - F100, F150
Chevy, GMC - C or K10, 15, 1500, HD 1500)
Dodge - D100, 150, Ram 1500
Toyota - T100, Tundra

3/4- ton trucks
Ford - Light Duty F250, Heavy Duty, Super Duty, F250
Chevy, GMC - C or K 20, 25, 2500, HD 2500
Dodge - D200, 250, Ram 2500

1-ton trucks
Ford - F350
Chevy, GMC - C or K 30, 35, 3500, HD 3500
Dodge - D300, 350, Ram 3500

1 1/2-ton trucks
Ford - Super Duty, F450, F550
GM - Heavy Duty Series and soon HD 4500

If you are pulling a 5-wheel or gooseneck trailer, I recommend a long bed. Sometimes, in some RV parks or in a corral, you will need to "jack knife" your trailer (your truck and trailer at 90 degrees). Your trailer should generally be attached to your truck 5 inches in front of your rear axle; this is where I recommend for proper steering weight and a level load. If you have a short bed and you jackknife, your trailer may kiss your cab! Full sheets of plywood or sheet rock fit into a long box with the tailgate closed. Short boxes are popular today with the mini-garages and those famous drive-up windows. If you end up with a short bed, there are "sliding hitches," you can buy to move you trailer hitch forward or backward to give you more room between the cab and the neck of the trailer for jackknifing.

I have pulled a lot of trailers and remember how glad I was when I could afford to go from a bumper-pull-type trailer to a gooseneck. Fifth-wheel or gooseneck trailers pull so straight with very little "whip" if loaded correctly, compared to bumper types. And talk about backing a trailer. Bumper type trailers seem to react twice as fast as an easy going slow reacting "anybody-could-back-it" gooseneck trailer.

Till next time,
Good Truck'n
H. Kent Sundling (MrTruck)
To ask MrTruck questions visit his site at www.mrtruck.net.