I towed a 9K boat/trailer from Raleigh to Wilmington for years. I had several different trucks durning this time (13 F150 EB, 12 Duramax, 15 Silverado 1500 and 16 F150 EB)

while the EB engine is a beast for what it is the suspension on the F150 towing somethat that heavy is the weak spot. The Silverado 1500 had the better suspension setup but the engine was the weak point compared to the EB and of course the duramax was the best at everything.

I will say say in the Duramax it was a no stress event. Engine power never stressed me out it was ALWAYS the suspension and how much the trailer was pushing the truck around.

In your case with the short commute I would go 2500 all the way. The suspension on a 1500 is just not all that great when you get above 7K reguardless of the towing capacity.

I would do a GM gasser in that application. IFS front suspension is a must have for me. Only other one I would consider is a max trailer/max payload F150 with the 3.5eb, and airbags if necessary.

Titan XD also fits the bill, however I am very gunshy of anything Nissan other than the frontier.

If you’re looking at Ford F-150s in Lariat Dress or above and are OK with SRW F-350 Gasser, the price difference between the F-150 and the F-350 Lariat is almost negligible or at least it was in the Northeast last October. Could have saved a lot of $$ with an XLT F-150 and it probably would have met my towing needs but I was looking for a Lariat and the deals on F-150 Lariats didn’t really exist in my area.

I ended up with a Crew Cab Lariat SRW F-350, Gasser long bed, less the 4000 miles but so far I am in love......

I'd lean more towards a 1/2 ton max tow and/or max payload because 90% of the time you'll want the more plush ride of the 1/2 ton.

I had a 3/4 ton for towing my RV and it was absolutely amazing. But when not towing (which has become most of the time now), the harsher ride and low MPGs just started getting to me. And I was pretty sure I was keeping that 3/4 for a long time when I got it.

If your truck is nearing the end of the line, ya sure, consider 3/4, but IMO you don’t tow enough to worry about excessive wear/tear on your current truck.

fyi...my 3/4 ton burb rides like I’m in my living room just like my 1/2 ton did.

With all due respect to the Tundra guys, I would shy away from towing an 8,000 boat with a Tundra. I did that for two years and never quite felt like the truck had a big enough foot print (braking power) when towing at speed . Of course I was doing mountain passes but still, I always worried what the outcome would be in a panic situation

So I sold the Tundra and bellied up to the bar for a Nissan Titan XD—-call it a 5/8 ton. I got the gasser when it first came out in 2016 and never looked back. Burly brakes, burly frame and first time I did my 250 mile trip up to Canada through a mountain pass, I was forced to do a panic move (sweeper truck parked in my lane; brake pedal to the metal at 60 mph) and lived to tell the tale. It’s a kush ride, way slicker interior then the Tundra. I put air bags in it and never looked back. Use it to carry my camper when I ski in the mountains, use it to tow my boat in the summer.

Yes, I can see the wisdom of a 2500HD but seems like overkill. I suggest the Titan XD because it sits nice and comfortably between an F150 and a 2500 and their well made and offer a stable ride with beefy brakes for towing

Why everyone saying go gas in this thread? I’m about days away from pulling the trigger on a 2500 Cummins ram to tow my 25 reg.

X2 on the Nissan Titan XD. It’s a 5/8-ton (bigger than 1/2 ton, smaller than 3/4 ton) that is a great riding truck. Just traded mine in - but only because I needed a 1-ton dually - otherwise I’d still be driving it.

Mine was the diesel with the 5.0L Cummins.

I was not aware any truck had a ower limit.
Get the 3/4 ton, no one complains they have too much capability.