20,000 lb. behind a pickup safe?

[LonestarCobra]

Hauling 20,000 lbs behind a pickup is risky at the least. I have done it with my F-450 hauling round bales and stopping it is where the problem is. I also have vacuum over hydraulic brakes on the trailer which are way better than the electrics, but there is just not much surface area of the brake shoes on a gooseneck like that. I would not think about hauling 42,000 with a pickup. That would be like putting my D6D behind my pickup. Todays pickups have more power than the older ones, but they dont have near the power of haul truck with a 3406 Cat or 855 Cummins under the hood, much less the stopping power also.

 

[joispoi]

Granted, today's 1/2 ton trucks are rated for what 1 ton trucks were 15 years ago. But, allowable stopping distance and optimal stopping distance are not the same. Questions I'd be trying to have answered are: How many miles can you get out of a set of brakes if you're towing that heavy with the dmax? Will an exhaust brake on the dmax be effective enough with that kind of weight? How much can you use the brakes before they overheat and fade? :beatsme

For what a 2011 Duramax duallie costs, there are plenty of medium duty trucks to choose from that will perform better and be safer. Power is not the issue, nor is frame strength. Inertia is what would be on my mind. 20,000lbs is more than double the weight of the truck. What vehicle would you want to put in front of 20,000 lbs if you're coming back from a job and there's was a half inch of snow on the roads that just started to stick and there are a few more hills to descend before you get out onto the main road? Will the tail end up wagging the dog?
:usa

 

[joispoi]

If you can drive you can tow anything just have to be a wheelman shutup and drive

Yeah, I don't understand why so many guys waste their money on heavy trucks when all you need to tow anything heavy is a light duty pickup. ointhead If you can follow the laws of the road, you're exempt from the laws of physics.

 

[adv.wastewater]

i do it almost everyday. i have a dodge 3500 duallie with firestone air bags and tow a load max dual tandem gooseneck with a cat 304ccr... trailer weighs 7,9xx and machine weighs 12,000..... i know people that tow 450 and 650 Deere's behind there ford 350's, 1 of them has a single rear wheel....

 

[Aliate]

i do it almost everyday. i have a dodge 3500 duallie with firestone air bags and tow a load max dual tandem gooseneck with a cat 304ccr... trailer weighs 7,9xx and machine weighs 12,000..... i know people that tow 450 and 650 Deere's behind there ford 350's, 1 of them has a single rear wheel....

You may think its okay because you have never towed anything with a CDL truck, or maybe you have, I dont know. But Im sure it stops eventually and it pulls okay. Power is not the issue at all, but I wouldnt feel safe towing something like that unless I am able to slam on my brakes and stop as fast if not faster than your average car, which sometimes I am amazed how much braking power is in a single axle dump truck towing an air brake tandem trailer.

 

[Speedpup]

i do it almost everyday. i have a dodge 3500 duallie with firestone air bags and tow a load max dual tandem gooseneck with a cat 304ccr... trailer weighs 7,9xx and machine weighs 12,000..... i know people that tow 450 and 650 Deere's behind there ford 350's, 1 of them has a single rear wheel....

If you get in an accident what do you think will happen? In NY if DOT got you it was be big trouble and huge fines. Your truck would not be moving after that inspection.

 

[adv.wastewater]

You may think its okay because you have never towed anything with a CDL truck, or maybe you have, I dont know. But Im sure it stops eventually and it pulls okay. Power is not the issue at all, but I wouldnt feel safe towing something like that unless I am able to slam on my brakes and stop as fast if not faster than your average car, which sometimes I am amazed how much braking power is in a single axle dump truck towing an air brake tandem trailer.

I have several bigger trucks, one that i race motorcycles out of that is a Freightliner toter which is 32' long with a 48' stacker trailer which is air brakes... and actually, i towed that excavator recently 1,000 miles with no trailer brakes, with a little common sense and not driving like your in a ferrari it can be safely done... especially with good brakes... i wouldnt haul a 20,000 lb machine behind it, but its VERY COMMON to see 20,000 lb backhoes and bulldozers behind duallies with 10 ton goosenecks... you talk about a single axle dump, yeah that stops stuff good... but you can always do better... this could be an ongoing thread because it will never end.

 

[2stickbill]

Why spend $40,000 or more for a pick up when you can buy a real truck for the same and sometimes cheaper.You still look cool to your friends.Maybe even cooler.Plus you would be a lot safer.

 

[CM1995]

I would rather have 4 air brake axles underneath me pulling 20K than 2 juice brakes and 2 electric. That's just experience....

Rating pickups to tow 20K lbs that anyone can walk off the street and purchase is a recipe for disaster. A guy or gal can trade in the Family Truckster on one of these pickups, load it to the gills and set off on the road. Scares the crap out of me, like when I see a Uhaul on the interstate running 70MPH with a car in tow.:Banghead

It's the non-experienced, walking off the street that's the real problem. A CDL is not required for "recreational use", like those Greyhound bus motor homes rolling down the highway.

 

[2stickbill]

I would rather have 4 air brake axles underneath me pulling 20K than 2 juice brakes and 2 electric. That's just experience....

Rating pickups to tow 20K lbs that anyone can walk off the street and purchase is a recipe for disaster. A guy or gal can trade in the Family Truckster on one of these pickups, load it to the gills and set off on the road. Scares the crap out of me, like when I see a Uhaul on the interstate running 70MPH with a car in tow.:Banghead

And a Volkswagon at that.

 

[gatorguy]

I don't see a problem with that rating. I have hauled a 17,800lb machine on a 10 ton gooseneck for the past few years and have had no problems from my 03 dodge 3500 or my 02 chevy 3500. The chevy def outperforms especially when it comes to stopping distance.

I personally think the problem is the operator, you can give a sorry driver a moped and he can go out and kill somone it doesnt neccesarily take a 1ton loaded to the gills. The government just needs apply the cdl restrictions to these trucks and say if you have a cdl you can haul full capacity if not your weight must stay under 26,000 lbs whether it is recreational or not.

As far as why not buy a mid sized truck? When you buy a truck like this you get a haul truck and a daily driver and you only have to pay insurance, tag fees, and other owner related costs once. The benefits are obvious for a small owner operator business or a farm. BUT JUST BECAUSE YOU NEED ONE DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN DRIVE ONE SAFELY

 

[Aliate]

I have several bigger trucks, one that i race motorcycles out of that is a Freightliner toter which is 32' long with a 48' stacker trailer which is air brakes... and actually, i towed that excavator recently 1,000 miles with no trailer brakes, with a little common sense and not driving like your in a ferrari it can be safely done... especially with good brakes... i wouldnt haul a 20,000 lb machine behind it, but its VERY COMMON to see 20,000 lb backhoes and bulldozers behind duallies with 10 ton goosenecks... you talk about a single axle dump, yeah that stops stuff good... but you can always do better... this could be an ongoing thread because it will never end.

I think a lot can be done by someone who drives safely and has the experience, but its the fact that anyone off the street with a drivers license can buy a truck rated to pull a lot of weight. Even though a class A is required, I dont think most people even know that. And I think the single axle dump stops with the trailer better than anything else, I was pulling the same trailer/backhoe with a tri axle and I had the tires lock up on the tri axle when I was coming to a hard stop. Anyway, Im not questioning your level of skill, but like I said its the fact that anyone off the street can buy something rated to pull lots of weight.

 

[Aliate]

I don't see a problem with that rating. I have hauled a 17,800lb machine on a 10 ton gooseneck for the past few years and have had no problems from my 03 dodge 3500 or my 02 chevy 3500. The chevy def outperforms especially when it comes to stopping distance.

I personally think the problem is the operator, you can give a sorry driver a moped and he can go out and kill somone it doesnt neccesarily take a 1ton loaded to the gills. The government just needs apply the cdl restrictions to these trucks and say if you have a cdl you can haul full capacity if not your weight must stay under 26,000 lbs whether it is recreational or not.

As far as why not buy a mid sized truck? When you buy a truck like this you get a haul truck and a daily driver and you only have to pay insurance, tag fees, and other owner related costs once. The benefits are obvious for a small owner operator business or a farm. BUT JUST BECAUSE YOU NEED ONE DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN DRIVE ONE SAFELY

There are CDL restrictions, and most people dont know this (which is the big problem), to tow anything over 10,000lbs you require a Class A CDL, regardless of the vehicle or class of vehicle.

 

[qball]

it ain't about the go, it's about the whoa!
my 3/4 ton gasser can pull a d8.
can't stop worth beans.
do it safe or live with your conscience when it goes wrong.

 

[Tiny]

My concern would be the life of the truck,Rated at 20,000 lbs is fine but continuous use at that weight rating will cause a lot of early wear and tear.I would also hope that a mechanic would be looking at it often.

Same truck pulling 10,000 will last a lot longer and be much safer.Its always a worry for me when things are used to their extreme limits.

 

[Cretebaby]

There are CDL restrictions, and most people dont know this (which is the big problem), to tow anything over 10,000lbs you require a Class A CDL, regardless of the vehicle or class of vehicle.

Not true BuckO. :cool2

 

[atgreene]

I pulled out of Jolly Gardener's plant in Poland ME about 6? years ago with my '98 2500 6.5 diesel and 23' Moritz gooseneck loaded with pallets of mulch for my brothers store.

Grossed at 27,000 +.

Nothing I want to try again. Unit handled it fine, but when I hit the steeper hills near home it was working pretty hard.

Not sure that rating a 3500 for that kind of weight is a very good idea.

 

[412neal]

When I started out(which is longer ago than I care to remember) I used to haul an old 530 case with a dodge 1 ton , not a good combo , I don't question the power plant , I guess if the weight is dist. on the trailer properly and the brakes spec. out it's fine ,just doesn't sound right though

 

[Speedpup]

I bet the 20,000 is with a 5th wheel.

 

[LT-x7]

It's the non-experienced, walking off the street that's the real problem. A CDL is not required for "recreational use", like those Greyhound bus motor homes rolling down the highway.

Maybe it's different in other places, in comi-fornia you need a non-commercial class A. I don't know anyone one that has one, or what the difference is, but it's listed in the book.