Rental Yards here now require 3/4 ton truck or better when towing.

[Gary Fowler]

A few years ago (1998) a co-worker was looking for something to pull a 40 foot camper trailer with. Some interesting stats from then was that a 1500 series could pull more than a 2500 series (comparably equipped)as the GCVW was the same but by taking off the weight of the truck you ended up with a few hundred pounds less capacity on the 3/4 ton because it weighed a bit more. Just something to look at when comparing. BTW, he found that a 1 ton dually didn't meet the strict requirements for legally pulling his 14,500 trailer so he went with a $150K International custom job with sleeper, diesel 8L? 850 pound feet of torque, air ride suspension, hydraulic adjustable towing hitch, in other words all you can think of to put on a towing rig. His big concern was liability in case of an accident and loosing his life savings (over $1MM) due to towing outside the capacity of the vehicle

 

[TomSeller]

I always would want to tow with something that could stop the load adequately if the trailer brakes were to fail. I have rented trailers before with poor, if any, brakes and you don't really know until you are under load and need to stop.

 

[Nooodles]

I always would want to tow with something that could stop the load adequately if the trailer brakes were to fail. I have rented trailers before with poor, if any, brakes and you don't really know until you are under load and need to stop.

I asked my dad about this. He said you should never pull big loads with anything less than a 2500 series truck

 

[Diamondpilot]

Have they upped the brakes in the F150 line as well? I have not studied them or the Eco Boost 3.5. Is the Eco 3.5 built as heavy duty as it should for truck use? I sure am hearing lots of good things about these. I like the looks of the Atlas concept I see on their website, I hope they build it.

http://social.ford.com/our-articles/trucks/f-150/atlas-concept-should-ford-build-this-truck/?fmccmp=pro-truck-atlas-rvl

All F150's have great brakes, 4 wheel vented disc standard. You can also gey a factory brake controller that applies anti lock technology to the trailer for under $200

Chris

 

[tractchores]

The worst overload situations I have seen on the road were a Bronco II towing a Bobcat, a 4Runner towing a Bobcat on a tandem axle snowmobile trailer and an early 90s Grand Caravan towing a Bobcat 763 on a homemade trailer.
If people had some common sense, these rental rules wouldn't be needed.

The 4runner may have been ok (minus the trailer of course which is nuts). I can tow my tractor and a mini ex with my 4runner (7300 lb tow limit). The guy at the rental place gave me grief until i showed him the rating in the manual. Plus i tow a 7,000 lb boat regularly and am not a towing newbie. I just hate it when blanket policies get made for the lowest common denominator and make life more difficult for people who have a clue. Strangely enough now the rental places down here won't rent trailers due to liability.

 

[jejeosborne]

All F150's have great brakes, 4 wheel vented disc standard. You can also gey a factory brake controller that applies anti lock technology to the trailer for under $200

Chris

The diameter of the rotors are larger on the F150 front and back compared to the super duty. That said, the super duty rotors weigh more so they are thicker.

 

[ultrarunner]

The 4runner may have been ok (minus the trailer of course which is nuts). I can tow my tractor and a mini ex with my 4runner (7300 lb tow limit). The guy at the rental place gave me grief until i showed him the rating in the manual. Plus i tow a 7,000 lb boat regularly and am not a towing newbie. I just hate it when blanket policies get made for the lowest common denominator and make life more difficult for people who have a clue. Strangely enough now the rental places down here won't rent trailers due to liability.

I guess this is my gripe... a blanket ban against using a tow vehicle that exceeds the load of the ditch witch and trailer by at least a factor of 3 if not 4...

I understand it is their equipment and they make the rules...

When a big storm came through I contacted Bandit Industries to rent a mid size chipper... they reserved on for me and I went to get it... contract was already made out... only thing they needed was a copy of my California Contractor License... I never said I had one and they never asked. After some back and forth... they decided they couldn't rent it to someone for personal use...

Anyone remember the Lucy Movie the Long Long Trailer... were they vacation with a huge travel trailer towed by a convertible?

So many with horses and race cars used everyday vehicles as tow vehicles... in the 60's my uncle's race career was sponsored by Oldsmobile... he took an AC ACE and put an Olds 215 ci aluminum V8 in it and called the mongoose... it was featured in many write-ups back then and I have the Hot Rod magazine feature article... the name was mongoose because mongoose ate cobras...

Anyway, the point is his official race tow vehicle was an Oldsmobile Convertible and later a Vista Cruiser Wagon... no one ever talked about tow ratings for individual vehicles.

 

[strum456]

Why would any rental business feel then need to create and enforce more strict towing regulations than that of the state in which they reside?

In the state of PA, most all F-150s are registered as a 3/4 ton (weight class 2). I don't know how much that ditch witch weighs, but I would be pretty aggravated if they wouldn't allow me to rent something that is within the manufacture's limits of my truck and state law.

 

[ultrarunner]

Why would any rental business feel then need to create and enforce more strict towing regulations than that of the state in which they reside?

In the state of PA, most all F-150s are registered as a 3/4 ton (weight class 2). I don't know how much that ditch witch weighs, but I would be pretty aggravated if they wouldn't allow me to rent something that is within the manufacture's limits of my truck and state law.

Ditchwitch is about 1500 lbs plus the weight of a single axle trailer... maybe 2400 lbs max?

 

[strum456]

Ditchwitch is about 1500 lbs plus the weight of a single axle trailer... maybe 2400 lbs max?

WOW. That is barely even loaded for an f-150. Next time you need something, I would walk in with a copy of the state and manufacturer specifications for your truck and trailer. If it was a close call, that would be different, but they will look pretty stupid if they try telling you that you can't tow something 5x less than the limit for your truck.

 

[TomSeller]

The tow restrictions are to protect the public as much as anything. I have seen trailers manhandle cars that never should have been towing and cause huge accidents. The last one was on a mountain pass and the whole car/trailer jackknifed and was going sideways down 3 lanes until it rolled and separated with debris going everywhere. Miraculously I missed every bit of it, but not everyone did. It is one thing for a driver fatality when someone does something as thoughtless as this, it is another thing when they cause fatalities and injuries of other innocent travelers.

 

[RobertN]

Yes, it is really hard to even call them a 1/2 ton anymore. Even the old '64 F100 I used back in the early 80's consistently handled A LOT more than 1/2 ton in the bed, even though it had had the tar beat out of it for almost 20 years before my Dad got it.

The "ton's" are a nomenclature that should be dropped or changed to reflect now, not the 1920's or whenever a 1/2 ton really was.

Half tons are far from what they used to be. Their better then 3/4 tons from just a few years ago. Most half tons are rated at over 10k these days. They have the larger brakes, lower rear end gearing, same engine, HD axles, HD cooling, etc...

 

[newbury]

<snip>

The "ton's" are a nomenclature that should be dropped or changed to reflect now, not the 1920's or whenever a 1/2 ton really was.

Yes, my "1 ton" has a 2 ton payload capacity and the new duallies have a 3 ton payload capacity!

 

[Diamondpilot]

Yes, my "1 ton" has a 2 ton payload capacity and the new duallies have a 3 ton payload capacity!

Ya, I am right there with you. My 06 F350 srw 4x4 Power Stroke has 11,500# GVWR. It weighs 7,600# That leaves me 3,900# payload.

I weigh all my vehicles with me in them, 2/3 tank fuel, and my normal stuff that lives in each vehicle.

Chris

 

[ultrarunner]

The tow restrictions are to protect the public as much as anything. I have seen trailers manhandle cars that never should have been towing and cause huge accidents. The last one was on a mountain pass and the whole car/trailer jackknifed and was going sideways down 3 lanes until it rolled and separated with debris going everywhere. Miraculously I missed every bit of it, but not everyone did. It is one thing for a driver fatality when someone does something as thoughtless as this, it is another thing when they cause fatalities and injuries of other innocent travelers.

Maybe restrictions? Like no freeway driving or 45 mph like the U-Haul folks do.

In my case... just 25 and 30 mph city surface street between yard and home...

Off topic... two weeks ago I let my neighbor use my 12,000 axle flatbed trailer to pick up a 5,000 gallon poly tank.

We turned it on it's side and rolled it right up the swing ramps, secured it and took it home... had to avoid underpasses because the top of the load was close to 14 feet about the road... he tows for his business and every 3 years a new vehicle... now he has a 2012 3/4 Suburban which I can borrow anytime... just hate asking to borrow anything... let alone a new 65k vehicle.

PS... my 1930 Model A pickup is nominally a 1/4 ton truck... I have used it to pick up as much as 800 pound of dry concrete in 80 pound sacks...

 

[Rmart30]

I have worked in the construction equipment rental industry for almost 20 years now. The major company I previously worked for rented dump trailers, skid steers, tow behind manlifts, tow behind air compressors and generators etc.
In about the past 5+ years it became mandatory for us the look at the vehicle that was picking up the equipment and check its towable weight rating to see if it was rated to tow what they wanted to rent, and also to look at the hitch to see if it was satisfactory. I cant tell you how many people I turned down who came in to rent a 8k # skid steer and a 1500# trailer and put it on a ball mounted on their bumper. No reciever hitch , just on the bumper.

Previously we would have guys come in in little toyota pick ups and want to tow a air compressor that weighed more than the truck. Sure they could tow it, but they couldnt stop it... IIRC from the DOT anything that weighs under 6K is not required to have brakes on it.

its all due to liability from lawsuits of renters, or people they hurt in accidents from wrecks suing the rental company because "they" the rental co, "let someone" tow something that they shouldnt have.

 

[RandyT]

In Illinois, trailer over 3000 required to have trailer brakes. Or let me rephrase that, Trailers licensed over 3000 require trailer brakes. Trailers 3001-5000 brakes on one axle. 5001 and up brakes on all axles. The problem is there are a lot of 7000 tandem axle utilities running around with 3000 lbs plates. I tow a 14 ft 7000 lbs rated trailer with 8000 lbs plates, and brakes on both axles, and have to have it DOT inspected every 6 months. If the plates were 8001, the truck would also have to have DOT inspection.

 

[jejeosborne]

I have worked in the construction equipment rental industry for almost 20 years now. The major company I previously worked for rented dump trailers, skid steers, tow behind manlifts, tow behind air compressors and generators etc.
In about the past 5+ years it became mandatory for us the look at the vehicle that was picking up the equipment and check its towable weight rating to see if it was rated to tow what they wanted to rent, and also to look at the hitch to see if it was satisfactory. I cant tell you how many people I turned down who came in to rent a 8k # skid steer and a 1500# trailer and put it on a ball mounted on their bumper. No reciever hitch , just on the bumper.

Previously we would have guys come in in little toyota pick ups and want to tow a air compressor that weighed more than the truck. Sure they could tow it, but they couldnt stop it... IIRC from the DOT anything that weighs under 6K is not required to have brakes on it.

its all due to liability from lawsuits of renters, or people they hurt in accidents from wrecks suing the rental company because "they" the rental co, "let someone" tow something that they shouldnt have.

I agree with everything you mentioned but comparing the weight to the tow vehicle. My f150 can legally tow slightly more than double its weight. It weighs 5600 lbs and rated to tow 11,300 lbs.

 

[sd455dan]

I hear you on that. but I can tell you from experience that 650 foot pounds of torque out of a cummins and pulling only 5 tons, makes the engine work on any time of situation. Plus the 9and half inch rear and heavy duty springs. Imagine the disaster waiting to happen on a f150 with 6 cylinder. There is no way that truck is gonnna make it out of the hole on a grade with 11,000 pounds. Plus the a.s.s end of the truck will be sagging even with proper load displacement. very unstable and unsafe,

agree- and the 3/4 one ton dodge Cummins base weight is somewhere north of 7200 lbs. that weight is in things like heavy duty frame, brakes, suspension axles oh and of course the engine... same is true for the other 3/4 and one ton manufacturers, kind of wonder about (slightly optimistic towing ratings, to gain market share on these half ton trucks??)
I remember when the 03 3500 Dodge Cummins was released- Dodge was very proud of the fact that the durability testing consisted of working the truck at 95 percent of its ratings for 100,000 miles wonder how the test on the above listed 1/2 ton would do ? seems that v6 would get the work out of a lifetime?? Or is it tested like that? All come with load rated E tires from the factory? And one more question do these new 1/2 tons have full floater rear axles?? because if they don't, it doesn't take a whole lot of imagination to understand what can happen when pulling a trailer at these max ratings, and have an issue with a flanged axle...

 

[Diamondpilot]

I agree with everything you mentioned but comparing the weight to the tow vehicle. My f150 can legally tow slightly double its weight. It weighs 5600 lbs and rated to tow 11,300 lbs.

Yes, and most 1 ton Diesels are about 8K but now days are rated for 3 times that.

Same holds true for a semi. The tractor is usually around 18K while the trailer is pushing 60K plus.

Chris