Need to tow a CAT D3 dozer with my non-dually F350

   / Need to tow a CAT D3 dozer with my non-dually F350 #1  

ncoracing

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Jun 16, 2009
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San Jose, CA
So I started a business promoting motocross races and am currently still renting tractors but am hoping to buy a dozer and skip loader very soon. I have a 08' F350 diesel, crew cab, single rear wheels. Towing the skip loader is no problem but the dozer is about 18,000lb. I dont need to transport this thing often.. I host events about every other weekend. Most of the time they are 10 miles from my home... longest trip I will take is 60 miles or so. I know my truck as it sits has no business towing a gooseneck with a 18,000lb dozer. I should have got an F450 but I didn't so now what do I do? I know the F450 has a 24,500lb 5th wheel rating.. Is it possible to tow this setup with my truck..? I have 3.73 gears and I am planning on changing to 4.3 or slightly lower.. I have looked into dual rear wheel conversions.. Do I need a heavier leaf pack or can I add helper springs or airbags..? Any suggestions or help would be awsome. And no, I'm not buying another truck. This thing is gonna tow my 23,000lb tractor & trailer somehow...

Thanks for the help,
Shawn
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   / Need to tow a CAT D3 dozer with my non-dually F350 #2  
This thing is gonna tow my 23,000lb tractor & trailer somehow...

Thanks for the help,
Shawn
Home Page

Hire the dozer moved by someone with the equipment to do it safely. Or buy the proper equipment to do it yourself. Towing that dozer with a SRW F350 makes you a hazard to everyone else on the road.
 
   / Need to tow a CAT D3 dozer with my non-dually F350 #3  
Hire the dozer moved by someone with the equipment to do it safely. Or buy the proper equipment to do it yourself. Towing that dozer with a SRW F350 makes you a hazard to everyone else on the road.

Agreed. It's not a question of beefing up the springs, etc. Your rear tires won't support the weight. Your axles won't support the weight. You don't want a tire blowout or a broken axle driving down the road with that weight behind you.

We had a nice F250 diesel. We bought a new horse trailer/camper. It pulled it fine, but was 300# overweight on the rear truck axle (without water or horses). I could feel the truck sway a bit on gentle curves. We had to upgrade to a C3500, the proper vehicle for the load. It's 100% solid.
 
   / Need to tow a CAT D3 dozer with my non-dually F350 #4  
Another thing to consider is that if DOT ever stops you, #1) they will not allow you to continue, you'll have to get a commercial hauler to remove your equipment 2) there will be big fines 3) the weight you are talking probably requires a commercial license in most states (26,000# total, truck, trailer, dozer). More fines. You are probably going to need a 26,000# GVW trailer to haul that dozer.
 
   / Need to tow a CAT D3 dozer with my non-dually F350 #5  
Shawn, welcome to the forum. I know you are not getting the answers you wanted but the guys are right. Another thing is if you get stopped with that load the DOT fines are real hefty. You will be using it for a business, which makes you commercial, and opens you to all kinds of liability.

MarkV
 
   / Need to tow a CAT D3 dozer with my non-dually F350 #6  
I've got the same problem just up the road from you...

The only way I can move my D3 is to hire it out... Looked into getting the proper equipment and just couldn't justify the expense and added Vehicle License Fees...

I've seen them towed with older F600 Dump Trucks and a tag trailer and have a farmer friend that moves his less than 2 miles between his fields up in Chico with a F350 dually and goose-neck... he's never on the highway and has a slow moving equipment sign...
 
   / Need to tow a CAT D3 dozer with my non-dually F350
  • Thread Starter
#7  
I'm not 100% sold on the dozer I am purchasing yet. I have a few more demos to check out from a couple dealers in the next few weeks. The Case 550 is also a consideration and is smaller @ 14,300lbs. If I converted to dual rear wheels is this possible.. I'll buy an F450 axel as well if I have to but I'd rather not. I would have to imagine I could tow this one if I had a dually. I've seen some 2 axel, dually trailers and some 3 axel trailers. Which one would have a lighter tounge wieght? I also dont mind paying more reg fees or getting a class A or B license... Just need to figure out how to make this work.

Thanks for being honest with me about the D3,
Shawn
 
   / Need to tow a CAT D3 dozer with my non-dually F350 #8  
IMHO, you will spend more trying to make you truck capabble of hauling the load than it would cost to trade it in and buy the correct vehicle. Also, no matter what you do, your truck will always have the factory ratings. Even with your upgrades, all the DOT would care about is the factory tratings of the truck and the fact that you are way over. Even with the smaller dozer you would be way over....:eek:
 
   / Need to tow a CAT D3 dozer with my non-dually F350 #9  
How far do you have to go with it ?

In Holland, a lot of contractors move dirt, and their equipment with farm tractors. No tag, no license, no weight limit, cheap agricultural dyed diesel, no annual safety inspection. Just get an old tandem truck, remove the cab, bend the chassis beams into a V shape and add a tow eye. Then remove the air cylinders and put hydraulic cylinders on it: When you operate the brakes with the manual external spool valve, you dont even need to use the tractor brakes. When operating both, you'll get a closer view of the windshield ;)

If you need to move that dozer for longer distances, and for your business, i wouldnt try a souped up pickup truck but buy a real truck, and leave a professional impression on your customers.
 
   / Need to tow a CAT D3 dozer with my non-dually F350 #10  
I originally was looking to buy a John Deere 350c dozer because it was within the transport capabilities for my equipment.

I found a very good deal on the CAT D3 and it is much more capable than the 350c...

My blessing and curse is that I have to pay someone to move it for me... this also prevents numerous requests to "Borrow" my Dozer once they find out they have to pay round-trip transport...
 
 
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