Towing with a Pickup - weight?

[jc7622]

I have a Chevy 2wd, 1/2 ton P/U. I am looking to buy about a 50hp tractor with cab. The one that I am probably going to buy weighs about 5200#. I also want to add a FEL.

I routinely rent and haul a Bobcat 753 that weighs 4800# with no problem at all.

I'm not sure how much weight will be added with the FEL and probably a mower (and the heavier duty trailer). I will only be towing it about 5 to 10 miles max on backroads. If I can easily tow the Bobcat will I be able to squeeze by towing the tractor with the 1/2 ton P/U?

 

[tillboy2001]

You should be able to ask your dealer (truck) what your towing capacity is. My 'official' capacity is 8,800 pounds. In my case, I'd be probably right at the official towing capacity with a tractor like the one you describe. Just for reference, I've got a 2004 F-150 w/5.4 V8 (300 HP and 365 lb ft Torque). The 6' finish mower I have weighs between 500 and 600 pounds. Loader is more than that. Then add the weight of the trailer. With a 5200 lb tractor and attachments and trailer, I might actually be OVER the official limit for my truck. I'd see if you can find out what your towing capacity is on your truck.

 

[RedRocker]

I wouldn't recommend a 1/2 ton truck for towing any kind of weight, 3/4 minimum, 1 ton is better and diesel is best.

 

[HuckBB62]

jc, my tractor's not as heavy as what you're saying but with all the implements and trailer, it was near 7000lbs. If you have a good brake controller like a Prodigy and ten ply tires, you'll have no problem at all, especially if you have the tongue weight set right and keep the speed down.

 

[Scrounger]

I have a Yukon XL and I have pulled loaded up to 8000# combined with it and the only issue I've had is the Vortec 5300 is a bit weak for the weight. Its long and has the air suspension so it always tows level. I think your truck is at 8800# like my Yukon.

Good trailer brakes are a must however.

 

[Indydirtfarmer]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have a Yukon XL and I have pulled loaded up to 8000# combined with it and the only issue I've had is the Vortec 5300 is a bit weak for the weight. Its long and has the air suspension so it always tows level. I think your truck is at 8800# like my Yukon.

Good trailer brakes are a must however. )</font>

I fwe're talking "get away with" you might pull this off. BUT... I wouldn't want to do this very often, nor take the chance of crossing paths with the D.O.T.

As long as you carry the bulk of the weight ON THE TRAILER, and only scale rated weight on the truck, and on the hitch point, you are safe in that regard.

Brakes.... That's a whole 'nuther ball game. Even with adiquate trailer brakes, a panic stop will likely over-tax your 1/2 ton truck brakes.

Cooling system? Depends on towing conditions... Hills? Stop and go?

Power/ rear axle/transmission? If we're talking once in a great while, you might get by with that too. Just wouldn't want to do it all the time...

I like to think not in terms of 99% of the time, but that 1% when you need to panic stop/deal with SOMEONE ELSES bad driving/bad road conditions(chuck holes/ect..) or some other unforeseen circumstance. Better to be over-kill than under-kill....

 

[CTyler]

As long as your within the rated towing capacity and trailer rating you will be ok with D.O.T.

My 99 Silverado 5.3 is rated at 8800#, however that is with 4:10 gearing. A 3.73 gear drops that number a fair bit. I max out my 7k car trailer with the tractor and for occasional pulling its fine. Just make sure your within the ratings!

If I were pulling that everyday or a couple days a week I'd go with a 3/4 ton and a heavier trailer.

 

[bdog]

The bottom line is yes you can pull it but you won't get there in a hurry, your brakes will be overloaded, and your trucks GVWR will be exceeded. If you are only going a few miles on the backroad than more than likely you will be fine if you take it easy but remember if something bad happens it is going to be your butt for being overloaded and I have even heard stories of insurance companies denying claims because people were overloaded. I have pulled trailers severely over the rated weight the worst being a combined weight of 40,000 lbs pulled by a Dodge deiesel. Was it smart and safe? NO. Did it work - yes.


Another thought - If you are only going a few files on the backroads why not just drive the tractor? Put on the hazards, make sure you have the SMV emblem and drive it there.

 

[Highbeam]

You didn't specify the year of the truck. I will asuume it is the 88-98 body style because this is what I have and I know some numbers.

There are only two numbers that mean a hill of beans. The GVWR, GAWR, and the GCWR. The tow rating is a bogus marketing number but if you have a 350 and 3.73 gears, yours is 6500 lbs. The GVWR is the weight on your 2 axles, should be 6200 lbs. The GAWR is the weight allowed on each axle, don't exceed this one, the tire weight ratings as delivered from the factory will not limit you. The GVWR and GAWR are available on your door jamb sticker. The GCWR is the total combined weight rating. The GCWR is not easy to find, it isn't in the owner's manual or on your door jamb sticker. For a half ton with 3.73 gears and the 350 it is 12,000 lbs your truck dealer can verify this, it is recorded with your VIN at GM.

So your truck should weigh 5000 lbs empty but with you and fuel, my K1500 weighs 5800. Looks like you really have 7000lbs left in GCWR and 1200 lbs of cargo capacity. These weights require that you know the actual weight of the truck. Go to a scale somewhere. 7000 lbs trailer/1200 lbs cargo is pretty good.

A trailer needs 10-15% tongue weight to avoid swaying. 10% of 7000 lbs is 700. Life is good, you are within the cargo capacity even with the tongue weight.

Your class 3 receiver hitch has a max tongue weight of 500 lbs unless you use a weight distributing hitch system then you can go to 1000, see the sticker on the hitch to verify. You need a WD system with the spring bars.

The 7000 lb trailer is a typical car hauler and will weigh a good 1000-1500 all by itself. This leaves you with an allowable tractor weight of 5500-6000 lbs. This weight is safe and sane, legal, etc. Drive across the country if you wish.

Now you may choose to exceed your ratings. This is a personal choice. I exceed my GVWR but not the GAWR because I refuse be limited to 400 lbs of cargo capacity in a full sized truck. The more you exceed your ratings the slower you should go. I don't care if you drive ten miles from home with an overloaded setup, you are just as likely to have a problem in those 10 miles as you are in 1000.

 

[tillboy2001]

The whole issue with 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton is sort of muddy these days with towing capacties, cargo load, etc. For example, my truck is technically a '1/2 ton' truck...but the max allowed cargo payload in the bed is 1,650 lbs (just OVER 3/4 ton). Towing is 8,800 pounds with 3.73 limited slip rear end and 330 CID engine (5.4 L). And I have the factory installed hitch, tranny cooler, bigger altenator and bigger radiator. Could I haul more or tow more than the official specs?...I'm sure. Would I want to? Nope. I vote for driving the tractor to wherever you need it, if it's practical. Fortunately I never need to take our tractor anywhere. There might be a need for me to go 7 miles away, but it would be so infrequent that a little 20 minute drive on the road with the tractor wouldn't matter to me.