Hauling Tractor opinion please

[JeffSpencer]

My wife's 2003 Ford Excursion (PowerStroke) gets about 17 mpg around town. The excursion has the same frame as an F-250. The Excursion is absolutely AWESOME. It has some serious "get-up-and-go". Unfortunately, I don't get to tow my tractor around with it. I have a 1990 F-350 7.8 diesel for that.
BTW- I will probably be selling the F-350 pretty soon, so if ya'll know of anyone looking for one, let me know. It has about 200,000 miles on it and is a dually crew cab (four door).

I will want around $4,000 for it.

Jeff

 

[Moon]

Thanks Dave! Good info. I'm hoping it also helped the original poster; sure didn't mean to hijack the thread.
At least it all applies to towing.

Moon of Ohio

 

[Moon]

Depending on when your selling it, I might be interested.
I'll PM you.
Thanks
Moon of Ohio

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Then consider you don't always get to load a trailer just the way you want. An unusually long implement will make you load the weight of the tractor forward or to the rear of the trailer, as opposed to right where you want it. That may load the trailer "heavy" or the truck.... You need a margin of error.
)</font>

AMEN there buddy.

When I brought my ford 660 with 1-arm front end loader home.. I used my 16' car hauler. gross weight was fine. Accept that the loader sticks out about 4' in front of the tractor.

I couldn't load it backwards as the loader would hang out over the road unsupported. And i couldn't drive the tractor up any carther than the curled bucket would allow with the trailer jack... plus it had an agresive tool bar that I wanted to keep away from the back of the truck if I made a sharp turn. What this made was a rear heavy load. I drove at 45mph the whole way home.. and give myself plenty of turn and decel/accel times. The e-brakes were a godsend, cause a few times the rear wanted to fishtail.. a quick squeeze of the trailerbrakes pulled it in line.

I think for trailering it int he future.. I'm going to back it on, and make a bracket that the bucket can rest on.. that angled down to the rear of the trailer. then strap it down. Onc ehte tractor is bound, and the loader has stress on it.. it shouldn't be able to move.

Soundguy

 

[JeffSpencer]

Moon,

I have responded to your PM.

Jeff

 

[Larry_T]

Thanks guys it has been very very helpfull. Larry

 

[RobertN]

Is the legal limit for towing? Here in California, the legal limit varies between 65mph and 70mph.

But... Anything towing a trailer is 55mph limit. Don't ask me how I am very very sure about this /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif That's a mini-van towing a little utility trailer, pickup with a flatbed and tractor on it, big rig, don't matter. Even the guy towing his bass boat. Sit in the slow lane at 55mph...

I would guess some states would vary on this though?

 

[penokee]

Larry - my rig weighs about the same as yours. Trailer weighs 3,000#+ and L3130 HST 3,000#+. I tow with a Chev. Silverado 2500HD, 6.0L Vortec engine, Locking differential, 4WD, HD Trailering Special Equipment, rated at 9,200# GVWR, Load range E tires. Haven't had any problems towing, but never exceed 55mph - slower on County roads. Two previous pickups were 3/4 ton Dodges, and haven't noticed much difference, except the Chev HD is made a little heavier (someone told me it's a 3/4 ton on a 1 ton frame?) I like to slant towards a larger towing unit, have seen a few accidents where the trailer bossed the towing pickup - not good. A picture of my rig attached.
penokee /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
ps: much good info on the truck Boards also.