Used truck to tow with trailer\tractor 7K#

[LBrown59]

77777 I tow about that weight with my 2006 F-150 supercab 4wd with a 5.4, actually it's closer to about 8000 lbs often but 7000 lbs is about a normal load whenever I have the tractor behind it. Would a 3/4 ton do it better? yes it would, there is no doubt about it it would, with the heavier suspension it would carry the load better, a 3/4 ton will have bigger brakes but my F-150 does it fine. My next truck will be a 3/4 ton, probably not a deisel as I can't justify it.
.

If I had a diesel Pick Up it would allow me to Qualify for the 150 Gallon minimum to get off road diesel delivered to me.

 

[Highbeam]

I'm not sure of the terrain in Ontario but a half ton tows 7000 lbs just fine in western washington. I tow that load regularly with my half ton. BUT you are looking to tow extremely high mileages regularly which tells me that you are doing this commercialy, no? Commercial towing for such a long distance means a huge dollar risk if you were to break down since someone is paying by the mile and you have a lot of time invested in the trip. You are crossing the realm from moving the tractor to do tractor work to the tractor moving business even if you intend to run the machine once you arrive. In your shoes I would get a single rear wheel, long bed, 3/4 or one ton (yes they make one ton single rear wheel trucks) diesel or gas big block in a manual transmission with an extended cab or crew cab and a transfer tank in the bed to fuel the truck engine and/or the tractor.

No dually because a dually and snow are not a good combination. If you were hauling these distances in non-snow conditions then a dually would only improve stability and durability in this dedicated hauler.

Gas would be more of an option up north due to the extreme cold and potential diesel engine issues with that. Under a load the mpg of a diesel is less better than gas as compared to empty driving.

Long bed because the truck's fuel tank will have much more capacity plus driving stability with the long wheelbase.

Oh, and I would go for a manual transmission for that load and that distance. Back in 99 there were no 5 speed automatics. The auto trannies were gas engine transmissions that have since been improved for a reason.

I would also be sure that your trailer is rated for more than 7000lbs if you intend to load it to 7000. You are in a different league when you are on the road that much where durability is important. Your situation begs for a gooseneck.

Did you mean 2000 kilometers?

Oh yes, and the payload capcity of a truck has little to do with its ability to tow huge trailers. I am also impressed with the relatively high payload capacity of the little import trucks. That has no bearing on this thread though.

 

[Spark_man]

My 04 GMC 2500HD (Duramax/Allison transmission) is rated at something like 12K lbs for the trailer and 22K lbs GVWT. I've towed some pretty big stuff and I can hardly tell the trailer is back there. I had an older 3500C Chevy dually (454) and it pulled everything I asked it to. Only problem with it was that I could watch the fuel guage drop pulling a trailer up a long climb. It was a great truck and she'd pass everything on the road except a gas station. Dual fuel tanks too - if I had it today, it would cost me almost $400 to fill her up!

Go diesel, you won't be sorry.

 

[George2615]

That is a lot of miles towing per month. I agree with most others that you should get at least a 3/4 ton with a diesel. You'd wear out a gas truck motor in no time. I have a Duramax diesel 3/4 ton and don't tow nearly no where near that much.

 

[777777]

Hi All,

Thanks very much for your valuable input. Well, yah, will be miles and not Km's. And looking at that being a 2 way trip. Maybe the odd time longer but most of the time not. Actually, I drive ( albeit a car ) at least 60K\year.
Probably the 3/4 tons most fit my needs but a 1 ton single wheel would be nice just for the margin. As I said, would prefer gas but that is because between my and my friends we can fix just about anything gas wise. Had a buddy that did diesel but he recently moved a few hundred miles away.
I see a number of the V10 Fords and Dodges and they always seem to be more inexpensive. Are the V10's not that reliable ? Or is it just lousy mileage ?

You can get much better deals stateside that here in Canada but alot of people don't want the mess of cross border. So, I intend to fix that problem for them by doing the cross border thing with customs etc. As well, there is a large developing market for the " find it for me " buyer. See alot of it in cars. I find it, tell the customer the details and price. He pays me along with my markup and I do the rest. Like importing from China. All above board and the customer saves money. I will be understood that time is NOT of the essence once I leave and if I decide it takes me a week to do something, well so be it. Sometimes may haul a car instead but will concentrate on tractors. Also will pick up my own deals once in a while. Maybe dealer surplus of unsold models. Who knows.
Probably most trips will be in the 400-700 mile range ( 1 way ) as I am close to the border for New York or Michigan. Leaves PA, Ohio, etc all within a stones throw.
Do not want to run amok of the law so have to make sure I am legal for hauling but will be " my hauling " at least on the books. What I do back in Canada once product gets here is a different thing.

So, knowing a few more details, any thoughts or recommendations ?

Thanks again. I really appreciate your help.

Tom

 

[LBrown59]

~
1* I would get a single rear wheel one ton truck .
(yes they make one ton single rear wheel trucks)
2*I would get a long bed with an extended cab or crew cab.
3*I am also impressed with the relatively high payload capacity of the little import trucks

1* Dual wheels only increase the payload A mere ----- 853 ---- pounds on the new Chevy trucks but doubles tire cost. Duals ride rougher and bouncer too.
( Back in the nineties the toyota long bed was a one ton single rear wheel pick up. )
With single rear wheels you don't have rear finders sticking out from the sides just waiting for doorways trees fences gates walls and an endless list of other objects to grab them and rip them off or tear them up.
2* There hain't no such thing as this.
3*The new Chevy payload is only 500 pounds more than my Dodge D 50.
----->>.....>>>

 

[LBrown59]

Had a buddy that did diesel but he recently moved a few hundred miles away.
*************
My next door neighbor is a Diesel Mechanic.

 

[Bill_C]

.....
2* There hain't no such thing as this. ....
....

Extended cab with long bed? You bet there is, lots of them. Mine's a '94 Ford F250, 4x4, Supercab, long bed, Powerstroke diesel. Payload? 2900 lbs. Towing capacity? 12K Empty truck weight, around 6400 lbs. Gets around 15 to 17 mpg depending on how fast I go. And no its not for sale, I'm original owner with 104,000 miles.

 

[roxynoodle]

I had a Ford F250 with the V10 and strangely it got the best mpg of any truck I've owned (21-22). No, I don't know why. I've had a Nissan with a V6 that averaged about 17mpg (and yes, had a payload of 1500lbs, it was the lack of towing capacity that caused me to sell that one), a 95 Dodge Ram with the 318 V8 (again about 18mpg when newer but down to 16mpg at 213,000 miles when I sold it) and also my current truck, a 2003 Dodge Ram getting about 19mpg. I would have EXPECTED the Nissan to have had the best gas mileage of them all and the Ford to have had the worst but actually experienced the opposite. The Ford and Nissan were both manual transmissions and both Dodges automatic, with the 2003 Ram having a 5sp. auto.

 

[Highbeam]

Extended cab with long bed? You bet there is, lots of them. Mine's a '94 Ford F250, 4x4, Supercab, long bed, Powerstroke diesel. Payload? 2900 lbs. Towing capacity? 12K Empty truck weight, around 6400 lbs. Gets around 15 to 17 mpg depending on how fast I go. And no its not for sale, I'm original owner with 104,000 miles.

I see crew cab long beds all the time too. Long as heck but certainly available.