Can I haul a 50hp tractor with a Ram 1500?

[Renze]

Hey Renze,
As I recall Holland doesn't have many (what might generally be described as) HILLS ?

nope indeed. Yet we have more legislation, anything above 750kg must have its own license plate and brakes (on all axles) no matter what pulls it, any trailer over 3500kg axle weight must have ABS. I find it quite amusing to read people write here about deciding between brakes on one axle or on two axles... regardless of law, having brakes on both axles would be a no-brainer for us here, because traffic is much more hectic so you need your braking capacity more, and more often...

Another thing that i see from reading TBN, is that many Americans think they are underpowered for towing if they have to let passenger cars pass going uphill, and ride up with the big rigs. Do you guys all drive the fast lane at 70mph with 12.000 pound behind you ? When there is a lot of traffic i prefer to stay behind a truck in the trucking lane, passenger cars in the fast lane can step on the brake out of nothing, they drive much more dynamic, which is tiresome to follow when towing because you have to stay on high alert the whole time. When theres no traffic i tow 5000 pounds behind my Volvo in the fast lane at 70mph, but during rush hour i follow the trucks because their driving is far more predictable and less ad hoc.

 

[Code54]

I'm thinking there is a difference between 1/2 and 3/4 tons. Like stiffer frames and heavier grade axles&differentials and suspension components.

Correct -on the Dodge I believe there is over a 1500 lbs difference in the 1500 to the 2500 Hemi trucks, add the Cummins and it is even larger. Makes a BIG difference in towing!

 

[C4Ranch]

What kind of trailer? You have to add that weight as well. Is this a 1 time deal or will you be doing it regularly?

You can do it, but I think the wiser question to ask is should you?

I could do this, but I shouldn't have and will never do it again. Luckily nothing bad happened and I got caught up in rushing out and picking up my new/used tractor and grossly underestimated the wight. Got it home and started looking adding up the weight (loaded tires, FEL, HD Bucket, CAB) before I drug it out to the land and realized I over taxed the trailer by around 4k lbs!! :shocked:

Weight distributing hitch + Good trailer brake helped but I'll be borrowing my BIL's Megacab CTD and HD trailer from now on.

 

[Reg]

I'm thinking there is a difference between 1/2 and 3/4 tons. Like stiffer frames and heavier grade axles&differentials and suspension components.

Not THAT MUCH that is affected by what hangs around on the ball back there, trailer stresses are fairly independent (loosely coupled) to truck stresses.
...ASSUMING... that it is adequately braked, that the limits aren't pushed, etc.

 

[Ken45101]

I'm thinking there is a difference between 1/2 and 3/4 tons. Like stiffer frames and heavier grade axles&differentials and suspension components.

I don't know that the frames are different but you are right about the heavier suspension, probably heavier duty tires (often 1/2 ton trucks today are designed for car type comfort). Gary Fowler was wrong to say there is no difference except an extra spring. I've been there, and there was definitely a difference in handling the identical load between a half ton and a 3/4 ton truck.

That brings up another issue: tires and axle weights. For any kind of safety, weigh the entire rig (each axle) and make sure the tires are not overloaded and you are within the manufacturer's axle ratings. You do not want to have a blow out from an overloaded tire hauling a rig like this. There are plenty of pictures on the net of overturned pickups and trailers when something goes wrong.

Also, check your tire pressures and make sure they are maxed up when heavily loaded.

 

[Renze]

Gary Fowler was wrong to say there is no difference except an extra spring. I've been there, and there was definitely a difference in handling the identical load between a half ton and a 3/4 ton truck.

Between half ton and 3/4 ton, or between half ton -with an extra spring- and a 3/4 ton ? We experienced first had how the handling improved after adding an extra spring, and as an added bonus, the SRW tracked better when driving on wet roads.

 

[Diamondpilot]

My tractor is 5,600# and I tow it all over with my 1/2 ton Nissan Titan. I have a F350 diesel but don't bother getting it out till I am over 10,000#.

Chris

 

[Renze]

Correct -on the Dodge I believe there is over a 1500 lbs difference in the 1500 to the 2500 Hemi trucks, add the Cummins and it is even larger. Makes a BIG difference in towing!

Dodge Towing Guide - By Vehicle Results

Dodge Towing Guide - By Vehicle Results

looks like its only 100 pounds... which sounds about the difference of two additional leaf springs and perhaps a torsion bar... and indeed, THAT makes quite a difference in towing, but nothing more than a 3 to 600 dollar RideRite kit

 

[joshuabardwell]

I think it's worth pointing out that there are two separate questions that we could be discussing here. One is, "What is it reasonably safe to tow with this truck," and the other is, "What has the manufacturer rated this truck to tow." If you change out your torsion springs, add air bags, upgrade the brakes, and so forth, you may increase your truck's functional ability to tow, but you haven't changed the manufacturer's tow rating. And, IMO, it will be the manufacturer's tow rating that your load will be compared to if you end up having an accident while towing. For this reason, I try never to tow over the manufacturer's rating, no matter what upgrades may be on the truck. The upgrades are just gravy to give me a little more comfort and head-room. I heard a story on TBN once of a commercial driver who was towing over-loaded and a lady ran a red light and he T-boned her and she died. The accident was 100% her fault, but because he was over-loaded, he went to prison for manslaughter or something like that. Really stuck with me.

 

[Egon]

No argument from me on those facts.