How much towing capacity does a vehicle need to tow a 67 GS400?

1 ton diesel dually..... crew cab too

 

Remind me to never loan you guys my trailers...1 ton is smartest...I have seen many campers,boats,cars and trailers destroyed on just my section of I 80 over the years..Not worth it to attempt it anymore, My truck is registered 21,000 lbs and the 7.3 pulls like a freight train..as well as stops great..No more under dog for me..

 

Towed my open trailer with the car on it to BG a few days ago as well. 7 hour drive 1 way with no issues. If I was towing more often I would step up to a diesel 3/4 ton.
I have seen a ew people here and there tow with a smaller truck than a 1/2 ton.

 

Common sense > 1 ton for occasional towing with no common sense


If it’s well within the manufacturers specs and you’re not a moron, I don’t see a problem. Most do not have common sense though. How many semi truck have you seen crashed and flipped over? That’s their profession and their license is specifically for towing large loads with the proper truck.

Also you should probably reread the thread and the location of the OP.

 

It's easy enough to tow with a half ton. Panic stop/ evasive maneuver once and you'll quickly realize you don't have enough truck. Hopefully you're lucky enough to never be in that situation.

 

The new trucks are so much more better at everything than the pre 2010's used my pops 2015 Gmc 1500 z71 to pull a 8600lb Bobcat and the 2895lb trailer it sat on. I dont pull anything over 60~65mph it's just not smart imo. But it stopped great, pulled off from stops perfectly fine and never hunted for years, just engine brakes like its designed to do. It pulls a 4klb GS and trailer like it's a lawn mower

Used my brother's GMC Denali canyon to pull his 4200lb GS and the ungodly heavy Uhaul trailer, went up and down Saluda grade and every where else up I40 and 26 with no issues but it does require more attention, but no swaying to speak of and the trans temp never hit 200°

 

For 80mph towing up grades and whatnot a diesel dually is hard to beat but for occasional use it's like shooting a squirrel with a slug

 

You’re looking at 3/4 ton,and preferably a diesel. I tow Ingenue in a 24’ enclosed trailer that weighs 4500 empty,with a 2K race car and 500-1,000 lbs of gear,we’re at 7500 lbs and my ‘07 Chevy 2500 HD crew cab long bed tows it without issue...1/2 ton “would “ work but just silly.

 

I have pulled a lot of Buicks with my 2003 Chevy Silverado standard cab short bed 4.8L V8 2WD. It pulls fine and its great to go get cars under 200 miles away. I like it because it's easy to maneuver a trailer if your going to get a car that may not run or in a odd place. I wouldn't go across the US with it but I think it could without much trouble. Its a great truck for going to get cars around the area.

FYI I have logged well over 1.5 million miles driving 24' box trucks all over the US. I know what I am doing and I know to be very careful in a shortbed pulling a car. I wouldn't say this is best for someone that has not driven professionally.

 

Have you never had trailer brakes before?

 

The trailer and it's brakes are in good working order. You're getting a little emotional here ace.

 

I still vote for the dually, they are the most stable vs singles.
I think a lot of people overlook how stable the whole rig will be when cruising down the highway, then factor in crosswinds, and the humps/tire troughs on the highway, the height/profile of the trailer to the wind.
People get caught up in how much weight can it tow, but forget "how stable will it be at speed"
IMHO, 1 tons without duals are silly, I don't get it

 

Now THATS what Im talking 'bout!
A SERIOUS tow vehicle, for a serious load

 

Don't flame me for saying this but I find it kind of odd that in the US the feeling is that its unsafe to tow practically anything without a 1-ton dually. Most other parts of the world the find ways to tow things with much smaller vehicles because trucks just aren't as common. I have seen people in Europe pulling horse trailers with small 4-cylinder SUVs. I realize a horse trailer isn't the same as pulling a trailer full of 2-tons of old Buick. It is possible (maybe not ideal, but possible) to tow occasionally, for short distances, with something less than a dedicated diesel tow rig.

 

Duallys suck off road. Single wheel one tons are very handy in the farm world

 

Obviously the bigger the tow vehicle the more control it has over the load it is hauling or towing, but there is such thing as overkill. A 1\2 ton towing a 2000lb trailer with brakes should be fine for normal drivers who practice defensive driving. Now if you are one of these clowns who travel at 80 to 85 MPH while towing your odds are better with a 1 ton dually but still not safe. I towed my open two axle 1800lb trailer from Tacoma Wa to Milbank SD with my 65 Skylark convertible and picked up a 38 Ford Sedan with no engine and hauled it back to Tacoma with 4 adults and luggage. I wouldn't do it again but if I would have had a 1/2 ton with trailer brakes it would have been easy and safe.

Bob H.

 

diesel dualie= $65,000 and UP !
way over kill for the guy, who tow's every now and then,
manufactures rate their trucks as to what they can SAFELY tow, ( think liability here)
any trailer should have trailer brakes, (common sense here)
no dualie will stop better than a 1/2 ton when both have trailer brakes,
the weight of average dualie is 7500 lbs
typical 1/2 ton is 5000 lbs.
my 4x4 is 5200.
a 5000 lb trailer (with car) and dualie= 12,500lbs
same 5000lb trailer with 1/2 ton = 10,200lbs
logic says 2000lb lighter WILL stop sooner.

stability? driver ability is the biggest factor here,
dualie or 1/2 tn, the driver controls the actions of the entire unit.

 

My 2016 diesel Colorado is rated to tow 7600 lbs. It came with an integrated in-dash brake controller and is also able to control sway. I had no problems whatsoever towing around 5800 lbs the 540 miles to BG at around 70 mph. My trailer does have brakes on both axles and had no problems stopping.

As long as you're loaded correctly, and are within your vehicles towing capacity, there shouldn't be any problems. My truck is my daily driver, and I couldn't see paying 15k-20k more for a 3/4 or 1 ton truck when I only tow a couple times a year. A bigger truck, in my case, is overkill. As a daily, my Colorado Crew Cab long bed is perfect. It gets 22mpg in the city, and about 28mpg highway, and 16-17mpg towing my car.

A bit of common sense goes a long way when towing.

Being that the OP is in New Zealand, and I'm biased, the Holden Colorado would probably be perfect for him, IF, he could get by with a truck and not an SUV. Having a crew cab long bed gives a bit more stability due to the longer wheelbase.

 

Thanks for your comments.