Towing Capacity Of A 1/2 ton Truck?

If I buy this '77 (going to go look at it tomorrow and decide) I am going to need a way to get it home. Worst case scenario, I'll be towing it home with my 1500. The 2500 really isn't in the shape. What is the towing capacity of the 1500? 5.0 V-8 4L60-E trans. I don't want to overheat/damage anything. The trip home with be ~ 30-40 miles. The car itself weighs near 5500 pounds, plus a trailer, plus me and a helper. I wish the temperature gauged worked properly.

if you tow it with a car dolly youll be fine.. a full car trailer might be a little to much tounge weight depending if you have a trailer hitch or its built onto the bumper..

This has a Reese towing hitch assembly mounted to the frame. I wouldn't dare use the bumper to tow it, lol


I also know no one who owns a car dolly

Yea, just take it easy and keep it outta O/D.

IIRC your 1500 was rated from the factory to pull 7500lbs. That being said, your Reese hitch should have max towing and tongue weight ratings that should not be exceeded.

The Resse is prolly rated at 10,000 lbs. We have pulled some crazy heavy loads of logs over 7 hours away with our 03 i/2 ton Silverado 5.3 with no problems so its gonna do fine.

im sure you have a uhual around your way.. its 45 bucks to rent a car dolly.. how are you gonna be towing it?

There is a U-Haul in Williamsburg, but the car is too wide for the car dolly. Plus, the max vehicle weight allowed is 3,500 #, and this car is about a ton over that.

William IIRC you live on a farm correct? Do you have any agricultural trailors you could use to carry it home?

i towed a 70s jeep cherokee cheif behind my jimmy with one of them uhual dollys well over 100 miles home without a problem.. they say it will only tow 3500 pound but as long as your carefull and not an butt then you would be ok.. its the speed you have to be conserned with reallly cause they only have 55mph tires on them...

merlin5577 wrote:

William IIRC you live on a farm correct? Do you have any agricultural trailors you could use to carry it home?

I grew up on a farm. Mom, myself, and my younger brother now live on a farm house, with no trailers or anything to speak of.


I may go the U-Haul route as a last option, but I believe the car is slightly too wide for it. May not be. It's also a long one, the wheelbase is 137 inches, from what I measured.

Could you drive it home?

the uhual dolly is really wide.. trust me.. it aint wider then a 70s cherokee cheif.. it was litterally wedged between the traler fenders.

Will the uhaul should be wide enough and as far as the towing question... Well my 92 1500 with a 5.7 and a 700r4 I've personally towed in excess of 12,500 pounds. It wasn't fun and it left my truck gasping for air but it did it not for a long ways either about 10 miles and I burned through about 20 bucks in gas but it'll pull that lincoln just take it easy don't try to pass going up hill and don't try to stop for the cat the darts across the road!! You'll be ok.