How close to tow ratings do you dare go?

[cockeyedMFer]

Pretty much, If it don't blow tires or bend anything, I roll with it. Truck is pretty ugly but the 383 stroker pulls and the Wilwood brakes stop, Trailer is electric hydro discs, it stops too.

The older trucks would take just about anything, especially with that granny gear 1st in the NP435 4 speeds. Even the 250 6cyl could move 12,000lbs if you took your time.

Remember the good old days when a 454, 4 speed, and 4.10 dually rear was the king of the hill? We were all convinced we could pull down houses...Now an F150 could out-tow that setup, and get better mileage doing it.

 

[Soundguy]

'03 Expedition 4x4, 5.4L engine. She's getting a little long in the tooth at 158,000 miles,

Uh-OH!

If yours is long in the tooth..my 99 F350 4x4 7.3L 2xx,xxx miles must be toothless!

 

[joefromga]

Those two rows of seats probably weigh 200lbs. That will help your tongue weight issue if you remove them.

 

[hawkeye08]

Depends on which rating it is. For me, I have no problem going over my "tow rating" for my truck. The exact same truck with 4.10 gears instead of the 3.73 that I have has a higher rating. I am not in a hurry so don't worry about it.

If I was close to tire ratings or hitch ratings, I would be more concerned.

 

[Renze]

TBN needs a "Redneck" forum where the question would be: "How many multiples of the tow rating do you dare go over by?"

Since i have my own trailer finished, i get more and more confident. Lowprofile tires that track well, and wide axles with the same trackwidth as trucks so it tracks superb even in wavy asphalt that have a truck track ridden into it. i have overhauled and well maintained brakes on both axles, which i find a must, even when staying within "limits"
And a V towbar that extends till the first axle, gussetting the entire front end, making it very sway resistant. I pull twice the official rating of my S70 at ease... pulling 2.5 times the manufacturers rating stilll doesnt make me sweat, but I do get cautious when pulling things with a high center of gravity, because that makes a trailer much more sway prone.

 

[fried1765]

Since i have my own trailer finished, i get more and more confident. Lowprofile tires that track well, and wide axles with the same trackwidth as trucks so it tracks superb even in wavy asphalt that have a truck track ridden into it. i have overhauled and well maintained brakes on both axles, which i find a must, even when staying within "limits"
And a V towbar that extends till the first axle, gussetting the entire front end, making it very sway resistant. I pull twice the official rating of my S70 at ease... pulling 2.5 times the manufacturers rating stilll doesnt make me sweat, but I do get cautious when pulling things with a high center of gravity, because that makes a trailer much more sway prone.

Sure; you can pull "2.5 times the manufacturers rating".
Schipohl is -3m/-11' below sea level, and Vaalserberg is 323m/1059' above sea level.
An elevation difference of 326m/1070' over a distance of 237 km./147 mi.
Big hill!
Supplemental oxygen not required!
Lovely country, and delicious bakery goods!

 

[RaydaKub]

Well guys, I appreciate all of your opinions. The hitch rust issue is not one I've ever thought about. It's a solid piece of steel that has no wear on it. Should last forever....
So now I'm looking for a 1/2 ton pickup maybe 2 years old within a given price range and a tow rating high enough. That's a tough combination to find around here. Most have tow ratings at 5000-7300 lbs, mostly, I think, because most people want the better mileage, so they put 3.23 gears in the rear end. The thing that has really blown me away is that for towing, Ford recommends the 3.5L ecoBoost V6 instead of the 5L V8. And that seems to be a theme across Dodge and Chevy too. I've no doubt about their torque rating, but I find it hard to believe a smaller engine would hold up as well as a V8.
What I really want is something that rides and maneuvers like this Expedition, can tow a house like the big diesels, but gets mileage of a Prius. Tough combo.

 

[George2615]

So now I'm looking for a 1/2 ton pickup maybe 2 years old within a given price range and a tow rating high enough. That's a tough combination to find around here. Most have tow ratings at 5000-7300 lbs, mostly, I think, because most people want the better mileage, so they put 3.23 gears in the rear end. The thing that has really blown me away is that for towing, Ford recommends the 3.5L ecoBoost V6 instead of the 5L V8. And that seems to be a theme across Dodge and Chevy too. I've no doubt about their torque rating, but I find it hard to believe a smaller engine would hold up as well as a V8.
What I really want is something that rides and maneuvers like this Expedition, can tow a house like the big diesels, but gets mileage of a Prius. Tough combo.

Most 2 year old half ton pickups have better tow ratings than 5000-7300 but usually that's with 3.73 gears. Most trucks in my area are 4x4 with 3.73 or 4.11's. Very few 2WD 1/2T's sold here.

Friend of mine has an ECO boost V6 and says it tows better than his previous V8. I think his tow rating is 7500 but not sure.

The vehicle described in the last sentence doesn't exist but we all wish it did.

 

[Snowback]

TBN needs a "Redneck" forum where the question would be: "How many multiples of the tow rating do you dare go over by?"

We already have that forum... http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/.../284456-share-pics-people-hauling-towing.html

As to the term Redneck, I own it loud and proud. Even when wearing my suit in a room full of New York bankers. Snowback could be derogatory for Canadian like me in TX, but I think it's funny too.

As to pucker factor on tow ratings, I push it every time I load up all the gear tractor/loader/grapple/bucket/boxblade and misc tools and lubricants. Definitely feel the load, but an "Equalizer" brand WDH and rear bags make it track like a train, and my only real worry is making sure I have plenty of emergency stopping space as the half ton lacks a little bit in that department with 8,250lbs behind it. Half ton Rams ride like cars around town which is 95% of the use, but they are a bit limited on tow ratings.

 

[fried1765]

We already have that forum... http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/.../284456-share-pics-people-hauling-towing.html

As to the term Redneck, I own it loud and proud. Even when wearing my suit in a room full of New York bankers. Snowback could be derogatory for Canadian like me in TX, but I think it's funny too.

As to pucker factor on tow ratings, I push it every time I load up all the gear tractor/loader/grapple/bucket/boxblade and misc tools and lubricants. Definitely feel the load, but an "Equalizer" brand WDH and rear bags make it track like a train, and my only real worry is making sure I have plenty of emergency stopping space as the half ton lacks a little bit in that department with 8,250lbs behind it. Half ton Rams ride like cars around town which is 95% of the use, but they are a bit limited on tow ratings.

View attachment 500975

That rig is just too perfect!
Beautiful!
Don't get it dirty!

The Equal-i-zer hitch is the absolute best!
I have the 14,000 lb. model
I have air bags also (love em)
Pulling 12,000 lbs. with a K2500 Suburban 7.3L 4x4

I live in Florida, but have a summer home on the coast of Nova Scotia.
Does that make me an ..... "orange head"?