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20,000 lb. behind a pickup safe?

S

Speedpup

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roustabout said:
We use an F 250 4x4 to haul wood. We usually haul 16-18 tons on the trailer. The trailer weighs 6,000#. A lot of times we get two loads a day if we don't have to drive too far to the sawmill. Yesterday I drove over a hundred miles with 34,000 pounds of sawmill cut timbers on a three axle gooseneck trailer. Our log trailers have tandem dual axles. The one I used to haul the lumber was someone else's, and had three single trac axles and no brakes. I have been close to 50,000 gross before, but never over. I am not advising anyone to do this, but these trucks will do a lot more that it says they will. I would say it depends on what you are comfortable with, but I really was not comfortable yesterday.
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I may be more of what a contractors lawyer is comfortable with.
 
mitch504

mitch504

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Speedpup said:
I may be more of what a contractors lawyer is comfortable with.
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One of my tri-axle trailers has the heaviest single wheel axles on the market and I run 12-ply lowboy tires on it ( I can't change it to a dual tandem because of it's design). (Relax speedpup, I pull it with a CH Mack.) It would not handle 40,000 pounds on it's six tires. I also have trouble believing that an f-250 would pull 42,000 lbs. day in-day out. I think your repair bills would be astronomical.

Now speedpup, here's my problem with what you said: A lawyer would LOVEthis.:D The only thing better than being the defendant's lawyer is being the plaintiff's lawyer. The insurance company would complain but then just raise all our rates to get their money back plus some. The only people who'd really be upset are the injured people and their families.
 
S

Speedpup

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I still say if you killed someone over loaded like at 30,000 lb with a 2500 it is gross negligence and you may find yourself doing time in jail if you injured or killed someone. Forget about lawyer fees.
 
mitch504

mitch504

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I agree totally speedpup; I was just being a smart aleck saying the lawyers would love it. I got scared today by an f-350 sliding through a red light with his brakes locked up and about 20,000 lbs of gravel on an equipment trailer with 2x12 sides. I had a ch mack carrying a 953 and almost couldn't stop for him to slide by so close my bulldog ran to the back of the hood.
 
jughead

jughead

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soddy-daisy tn.
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retired
pulled a 655 ford hoe about 65 miles on good road. 2k ford dually with tweaked engine. 3 axle goose neck with brakes on 3 axles. didnt think about weight till i got home. rough gross was about 32k aint knocking the ford diesel but it had all it wanted. stopping was safe enough at the speeds it would pull.
 
J

Jfarris

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California-Colorado
2008 Ford F550 w/ gooseneck. I pull my 03' D5G XL on it. Have to be smart no doubt, but I will say that the brakes on the ford are pretty damn good. Would I want to pull anything heavier, probably not. Not everyone should be allowed in a big rig...same goes for these applications.
 
J

jimrr

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common sense rules, if it don't sound right it aint.
 
2stickbill

2stickbill

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keepnontrucking said:
Chevy huh well the transmission is proven. The motor and the rest of the truck not so much if v8 diesels are so great why dont they put them in semis i wouldnt want to keep that truck any longer then i had too oh the parts you would wear out hows the dot in new york are they nonexistent cuz in wisconsin at those weights there gonna get the portables out and you better have everything where it needs to be. overweight tickets get spendy quick
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Well lets see there was Mack trucks with a V8,Cat.Detriot and Cummins all had V8s in Semis Until Al Gores EPA took over the USA.
 
T

TD24

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MS
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dozert8 said:
If you can drive you can tow anything just have to be a wheelman shutup and drive
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For towing, true........
For stopping, you need to be a "Brakeman". Big Grin...
 
T

tuney443

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so close my bulldog ran to the back of the hood.

I haven't seen this thread for a while.That is funny right there.I've got to go move my D9 now with my Dmax and see if that's true. Hey---new format formulating guys--where did the little smiley icons go????
 
Reel hip

Reel hip

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tootalltimmy said:
I have watched a pickup pulling a very large boat on a tandem trailer. He tried to stop for a yellow light and the trailer pushed the pickup sideways through the intersection on a red light. Obviously the trailer brakes were not working well enough.

Stay within the legal limits and keep the brakes setup and you should be good to go. Also check the nut behind the wheel!!
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I pull my boat with an F350 and it grosses out at 10,k. It has trailer brakes and I can stop it when needed with little effort.I pull my equipment with a semi, It all comes down to this... Why would you want to pull such a heavy load with a pickup? Buy a bigger truck !
 
2stickbill

2stickbill

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Reel hip said:
I pull my boat with an F350 and it grosses out at 10,k. It has trailer brakes and I can stop it when needed with little effort.I pull my equipment with a semi, It all comes down to this... Why would you want to pull such a heavy load with a pickup? Buy a bigger truck !
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To look COOL? Give me a Big Rig any day much safer and it will last longer with less repairs.
 
bill5362

bill5362

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Indiana
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I own a excavation company and a rolloff container
Ree & 2stickbill, I couldn't agree more, big rig cheaper to maintain safer....
 
245dlc

245dlc

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Has anybody had any success pulling a small mini-excavator like a Bobcat 323 or 1.5tonne machine behind a 1/4 ton like a Chevy Colorado?
 
R

RTSmith

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245dlc said:
Has anybody had any success pulling a small mini-excavator like a Bobcat 323 or 1.5tonne machine behind a 1/4 ton like a Chevy Colorado?
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Please tell me you're kidding... That thing is made to haul your groceries home, maybe garbage to the dump. But no minis exs allowed!
 
fast_st

fast_st

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20,000 behind a pickup can be safe and it can be mighty dangerous too. I did a cross country run with a 30' deckover GN trailer at 19,000 towed by an F250 4.9 gas. Electric brakes and truck brakes in top shape, it'd stop just fine ( I did stop and adjust the truck and trailer brakes at Cheyanne just to be safe) but overall it would pull it but would max out at 52mph on the flat.

If you never ever forget you've got 10+ tons to stop, you should be fine. Extra space is your friend. A proper hitch is your friend too. GN or 5th over a bumper pull lets you get some load on your steer tires.
 
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