how much can it pull?

[palallin]

Watched two guys once pull real mobile homes (10' x 40' and 12' x 50') with 3/4 ton square-bodies. You do NOT want to repeat their performance.

[rsmarr1982]

Id get a 90's dodge with a cummins and swap bodies

[Ken B]

I often watch Tiny House on TV and for the life of me I can't figure out why they use such heavy building materials in these trailers... It seems most people that build these wind up permanently parking them in a friends back yard which kinda defeats the purpose of them being mobile... I have a 1970 C30 Longhorn and I wouldn't feel all that comfortable towing half of what you want to.. IMHO at the very least you are looking at a 3500 series with Duramax power under the hood... Its true, the difference between the frame of my Longhorn and what is under my buddies 2010 K2500 chevy with a Duramax under the hood is night and day!

[dannyboy]

I have a 1972 K20, estimated dry weight is about 4900 pounds, I put on the shippers scale after I loaded it for the move to Michigan, shipping it to Saint Paul MN. Its weight on that scale was 7760 pounds.
It hauls 2800 pounds like that was what it was made to do, because in those days they where WORK tucks, not highway go 90mph trucks.
Just saying?

[davischevy]

I'm with ranger danger in post #11.

I have a 6500 Chevrolet with a Caterpillar and Allison and it pulls 19000 lb comfortably.

Put a vintage body on a late model chassis. It will be better and cheaper than upgrading a 1/2 ton.

[AnotherWs6]

Originally Posted by dannyboy

I have a 1972 K20, estimated dry weight is about 4900 pounds, I put on the shippers scale after I loaded it for the move to Michigan, shipping it to Saint Paul MN. Its weight on that scale was 7760 pounds.
It hauls 2800 pounds like that was what it was made to do, because in those days they where WORK tucks, not highway go 90mph trucks.
Just saying?

I'm sure it worked out fine BUT--- wrong wrong wrong. The basic suspension setup has not evolved much at all over the years. What has evolved is the engineering and strength of trucks. However your truck handled - good or bad - is nothing to how a new truck would handle it. As I said before, just look at the frame. The newer truck frames are MASSIVE compare to the older ones.

I know that we all like our old trucks and think old equals hardcore, work and simple, but the fact of the matter is this - new trucks do everything old trucks do and do them much better. And much safer. Its not JUST proven, it's logical.

And I've had my 2000 Silverado up to 7,500 pounds on the dump scales. 2,000 pounds in the bed. Barely squatting. I wouldn't hesitate to put my wife in the truck to drive across the country like that. It's solid. It stops. It turns. It doesn't get weird. It's got several decades worth of evolution it it compared to our old trucks.

Don't confuse pride and nostalgia with reality. Your 3/4 ton old truck couldn't hold a candle compared to a newer half ton truck. Is yours cooler? Yup, your godam right it is. Does ti look tough? Yuo, your godam right it does.

Technology has moved on bub.

[Alex V.]

My '85 C3500 scales 5,300 empty and it hauls +/- 3,000 lbs. like "it's what it was meant to do", (in the bed - equivalent to about 5K on a trailer) but I've scaled it + trailer at 17,500 and that was too much, especially on a bumper hitch with no trailer brakes. Max rated trailer weight for it is 10K and that's about all the more I'd care to move at close to highway speeds. 19K over curb weight on a frame designed for 1/3 that is something I'd be glad to see pulled over by vehicular enforcement.

[Alex V.]

Spending 2 weeks underneath my FIL's '03 1500HD 4x4 replacing the transmission and 70% of the front suspension, shaking my head at how it's designed compared to my '85 one ton, anotherws6 isn't just blowing smoke. These old trucks are hard workers, but the weight ratings have increased by multiples and the truth is my '85 with a 454, Turbo 400, 14 bolt FF, hydroboost brakes, etc. - the biggest, toughest equipment GM put in a light duty truck that year - is only about equally matched to that 18-year-newer "heavy duty" half ton.

[special-K]

Build a tiny house on a truck. Or why not build on as a roll-off? Do they have to be on a registered trailer?

[James the III]

Originally Posted by special-K

Build a tiny house on a truck. Or why not build on as a roll-off? Do they have to be on a registered trailer?

The tiny house on a trailer.. (basicly a shed on wheels) is to bypass taxes..
most are smaller than the size shed that towns tax the property from lot rate to home rate..
and not a motorhome to bypass the road taxes/fees on them and upkeep..

If it was about being mobil, they just buy a small r/v motorhome..
It's all about not paying any structure property tax or motor home road taxes

[Alex V.]

And so are the looks of the two trucks - in the opposite way. *drool*

[Alex V.]

I guess everybody has their minimums - wifey and I are excited about finishing the renovation on our 31' bumper hitch camper and finding an RV park or plot of land to sit it in. None of the above factors were a consideration - less space just equals less expense and time spent in upkeep, period. The cost is something we can manage without going into decades of debt, and (my favorite) if we want to go on a trip we can take home with us... err, without a semi truck and wide load permits.

[treveiger]

I'd just save up and get yourself a Duramax. In the long run you'll thank yourself for comfort and safety. I have a 69 c20 and my father has a 05 Duramax. There is no way I could haul half of what he does with half the success. Not trying to being you down I just know in the long run you'll be better with a newer diesel.