Towed heavy yesterday

[bdog]

Normally we haul this load on the semi but decided to give the 17 F-450 a workout.

Trailer was a 32' PJ tandem dual with 15k axles, 17.5" tires, electric over hydraulic brakes.

Gross weight was just over 42,000 lb. It handled it great on the 425 mile trip. The only downside was I averaged about 4.5 MPG though having the cruise set on 75-80 most the way didn't help.

We went through some good sized hills, at least for Texas on I-10 between Junction and San Antonio and the worst it slowed down was to 60. Temps were 100 degrees and neither the truck or transmission never got hot. Pretty impressed with this truck.

 

[sandman2234]

If you didn't take any pictures, then it didn't happen! (just kidding, lol....got any pictures of the load?)
David from jax

 

[BoylermanCT]

So how does the pickup compare to the semi in gas mileage, power etc? Pics of both please!

 

[ovrszd]

So how does the pickup compare to the semi in gas mileage, power etc? Pics of both please!

That's a good question.

I've dreamed for several years of having a tow rig that could haul 5 or 6 rockcrawlers. I'm pretty sure I could get in much cheaper by going big truck. But then you limit what other tasks it will perform. :confused3:

 

[bdog]

I have to tow it back either tomorrow or Sunday and will snap some pics then. The MPG's with the semi and truck are very similar. A little better with the semi actually. The semi hauls the same load but I also put my pickup on the trailer so the semi grosses about 65k.

The pickup has more power going up hills than the semi but is 23k pounds lighter. My Peterbilt has a small motor though a C-13 with around 430 HP.

 

[white cloud]

I would really enjoy pictures. Especially of the Peterbilt.

 

[bdog]

Here is a picture of the Pete with the F-450 on the back of the trailer. The load I pulled with the F-450 is the stuff in front of the pickup in this picture.

 

[bdog]

Here is a closer pic of the truck. Shame it hasn't moved in over two months.

 

[white cloud]

Thanks for the pictures. That is quite a load. What do you do for a living that requires such equipment? Can you tell me more about the Peterbilt?

I am constantly amazed at what a truck like that can pull. We have the Ram 3500 in my avatar that we use to pull the tractor down to our farm and tow the travel trailer. The Ram was a big step up from what we had before but nothing at all like your Peterbilt. Since we started towing the travel trailer and tractor we have a lot more respect for those that drive semis.

My wife is from Ft. Worth and likes trucks almost as much as I do. We live in S.C. but I told the wife that I would move to Texas if we could move to Comanche. I am not getting much traction with that idea. You guys have real summer down there. I think that is her biggest problem with the idea.

 

[rustyshakelford]

Normally we haul this load on the semi but decided to give the 17 F-450 a workout.

Trailer was a 32' PJ tandem dual with 15k axles, 17.5" tires, electric over hydraulic brakes.

Gross weight was just over 42,000 lb. It handled it great on the 425 mile trip. The only downside was I averaged about 4.5 MPG though having the cruise set on 75-80 most the way didn't help.

We went through some good sized hills, at least for Texas on I-10 between Junction and San Antonio and the worst it slowed down was to 60. Temps were 100 degrees and neither the truck or transmission never got hot. Pretty impressed with this truck.

What did your trans, oil and water temp get to? I grossed 38k last week and the trans hovered around 235 on the highway cruising 65, water was 219-223. Seemed pretty warm to me. Trans would cool down in town which was the opposite of what I expected it to do

Brett