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Towing with 1/2 ton

Glen Bell

Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2009
Messages
24
Location
Cranbrook BC Canada
Occupation
Heavy Equipment Operator at a coal mine
Was reading another thread about towing capacities etc., and brought this to mind: What are your thoughts on towing a small skid (under 6000lbs) with a half ton? Would be short in town, job to job, job to home trips. No highway or high speed travels. Was thinking of picking up one of those 12' dump trailers so I can haul the loader as well as the loads. '00 Chevy Silverado 1500, 4wd, 8cyl (forget the size just now). Thoughts? Comments?

Glen
 

bill onthehill

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2008
Messages
661
Location
pa/ny border
If you are going to tow with a 1/2 ton you better have some good trailer brakes. That skid and trailer are going to push it around. If your terrain is mostly level ground you should be alright. Check your local regulations for trailering and the max trailering capacity on your truck. I have a 98 3500 and would not hesitate to do it but a 1/2 is a lot lighter in driveline. What rear ratio are you running? Mine is 4.10.
 

roadrunner81

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2009
Messages
275
Location
Tacoma Washington
Occupation
Managing member KSR Excavating, LLC
Dont do it, I sell truck accessories and have people coming in all the time telling me how much their new truck can pull. New trucks are overrated on towing capacities. Now one takes into account what the tow vehicle weighs compared to load. Your 1500 probably weighs 5K maybe 5500, your load will be 6k plus a dump trailer, at least 3k, thats 9k. That much weight will be throwing your truck around not to mention burning up brakes, tranny and stering parts. I have a 12' dump trailer(14Kgvw) and when I tow it with our company 2500 Dodge or my old 76' highboy the trailer can push the rear end around, like say when turning from a highway onto a gravel road, not to cool. Our 3500 on the other hand weighs 8600lbs and is a lot smother sailing.
 

bobcatmechanic

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2008
Messages
429
Location
kansas
Occupation
bobcat mechanic
i have seen guys pull an s185 bobcat with a 1/2 ton a s250 bobcat with a half ton and a guy tried to come get a t320 with forestry cutter with a toyota tundra 1/2 ton and a two axle steel deck trailer with no trailer brakes that machine alone weights 10,000 plus all the extra protection put on and the cutter your around 14,000 -15,000 and our rental counter asks us should i let this guy pull this with this set up? Um no. yeah its done and to a degree ok but some guys really push the envelope and as said before "Its not what you can tow, its what you can stop"
 

wroughtnharv

Charter Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2003
Messages
6
Location
Wylie, TX
Occupation
self employed maker of things
It's not just what you can tow or what you can stop.

It's about what happens in an emergency, like a blow out, someone cuts you off, accident in front of you etc and so on.

If you have to swerve to avoid a pedestrian, a vehicle, an object like a refrigerator of fifty five gallon drum of whatever, anything too big to hit, and the trailer has more than the tow vehicle, you're overloaded. You've also put everyone and everything else around you at risk, including everything you own or might own in the near future.

It's not just about starting and stopping. It's also about control under even under the most unlikely of circumstances.
 

bonanno23

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2007
Messages
131
Location
Long Island NY
Occupation
union drainage foreman, also own a full time lands
I would say its not worth risking it. You're responsible for keeping your truck and trailer under the legal limit. You get in any kind of accident, small or large, you're screwed.

Just because the trailer wieghs more than the truck, doesn't mean its over wieght. Whats the towing capacity of your truck?


My ten wheeler was in the shop one day and had to tow with my tak with my pickup. Tell me that doesn't scream pull me over
 

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Willis Bushogin

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2007
Messages
855
Location
NC
Occupation
owner
trucking

Was reading another thread about towing capacities etc., and brought this to mind: What are your thoughts on towing a small skid (under 6000lbs) with a half ton? Would be short in town, job to job, job to home trips. No highway or high speed travels. Was thinking of picking up one of those 12' dump trailers so I can haul the loader as well as the loads. '00 Chevy Silverado 1500, 4wd, 8cyl (forget the size just now). Thoughts? Comments?

Glen
I think someone else said it first, in another tread
Dont do it, the people that are going to sue you, when you get in accident, will love you. Your owners manual should tell you this isnt a good idea.
I would buy a dually and then you got to watch out what you tow, then you have the CDL thingee
Be careful, you are asking for trouble
 

Lil' Puss

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2008
Messages
352
Location
WA
FWIW,
Towing capacities or GCW ratings by truck manufacturers are purely arbitrary and subjective because there are currently no SAE or ASTM standards to measure by, but you must use a little common sense to avoid the tail wagging the dog. If you try to argue with Archimedes I guarantee that you will eventually lose.
 

caseaddict01

Active Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2009
Messages
30
Location
Tennessee
Ok I'm a little confused by the tow ratings, can someone explain how to figure out exactly what you legally are allowed to tow with a particular vehicle?? I have a 1995 F-350 dually with a steel flat bed dump (12 ft bed I believe) and I want to tow a 2001 Case 1845C skid-steer, I have 16,000 lbs tags on the truck. What ratings do I look for, GCWR, or GVWR???
 

wilddanz71

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2008
Messages
165
Location
MA
I tow a 8k lbs skid steer in my 10k lbs gvw 12' long dump trailer with our 2002 f250. I had to put 1 ton springs in the rear just so it did not sag so bad that I was just asking for trouble with the cops. I can tell you that I know that I am over loading the trailer, and I know this is not that safe. But I only go a few miles down the road. I think the problem with these dump trailers is there lenghth, they put alot of weight on the tonge. I have pulled the same load with my buddys trailer a 18' flat bed trailer. And it towed like a dream with my truck.
But in my opion you work with what you got so good luck!!
 

Lil' Puss

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2008
Messages
352
Location
WA
Ok I'm a little confused by the tow ratings, can someone explain how to figure out exactly what you legally are allowed to tow with a particular vehicle?? I have a 1995 F-350 dually with a steel flat bed dump (12 ft bed I believe) and I want to tow a 2001 Case 1845C skid-steer, I have 16,000 lbs tags on the truck. What ratings do I look for, GCWR, or GVWR???
What you can legally tow will vary by state but the bridge formula applies to all states: http://www.randmcnally.com/pdf/tdm/Federal_Bridge.pdf
The 16,000 lb. rating is for the single truck only.
I have a class 3 '08 F-350 4x4 dually 6.4 diesel that is rated for 16,000 lbs GVW (which is contradictory of the class code for this model) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truck_classification) also, and the hypothetical GCWR is 22,000 lbs. It is rated somewhat less than the 4x2.

Anyone that alters the suspension, axles, tires and wheels from OEM or OEM equivalents or "type accepted" is just begging for disaster - personally and/or financially.
 

KSSS

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
4,318
Location
Idaho
Occupation
excavation
I would consider taking down the following information the towing specs of your half ton including the weight of the truck, dry weight and capacity of your trailer and the weight of what you are hauling and stop in at your local DOT or State Police/Highway Patrol DOT enforcement office and talk to them. Everyone can offer their advice, but your local enforcement agencies will have the last say. I do this when I need to as well. When licensing dump trucks or tractor trailers I take my measurements in and go over it with them. Several advantages to this, one they see and get to know you which is not a bad thing. They are the ones that will take enforcement action if it is necessary. Having them get you lined out at the begining gives you some additional piece of mind.

I was pulling a 6K pound roller with an 08 half ton Chev. as needed. Handled it fine. I did this by necessity not as a rule of practice. I prefer not pulling anything with a half ton. If possible I would get a 3/4 ton for that load, just for an addded level of comfort.

However honestly I don't think it would give any problems, I doubt it would be illegal.

Not sure where the arguement of the load weighing more than the power unit comes into play. I think it is very common that the load will outweigh the tow unit and the trailer.

What is amazing is the headaches you will endure pulling a 6K skid steer. A 75 year old man will hook up a 32' pull behind RV up to Tundra and travel across the US like that with zero interference from L.E.
 

Yellowdog

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2004
Messages
208
What is amazing is the headaches you will endure pulling a 6K skid steer. A 75 year old man will hook up a 32' pull behind RV up to Tundra and travel across the US like that with zero interference from L.E.

you know that guy too? I'm related to him. pulls a heavy 27' rv with an expedition. Scares me but I guess it's legal.
 
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