what tractor do you tow with compact truck?

rico304 · Apr 1, 2006

"Geeeezus, what the F!?! Where are the DOT load and balance police when idiots like that are roaming the streets?"

According to the below facts, they don't sound like idiots to me. Maybe we should keep our emotions to ourselves and stick to facts.

Toyota Tacoma
Fuel
Fuel type Regular
EPA city/highway, mpg 17/20
Fuel refill capacity, gal. 21.1
Dimensions and weight
Length, in. 208
Width, in. 75
Wheelbase, in. 128
Curb weight, lb. 4,115
Percent weight, front/rear 58/42
Typical towing ability, lb. 6,500 "
_________________________________________________
Dodge Ram 1500
Model overview

Fuel
Fuel type Regular or premium
EPA city/highway, mpg 13/17
Fuel refill capacity, gal. 26
Dimensions and weight
Length, in. 228
Width, in. 80
Wheelbase, in. 141
Curb weight, lb. 5,300
Percent weight, front/rear 58/42
Typical towing ability, lb. 6,150

Cut/Pasted from Consumer reports.

Not trying to beat a dead horse, but I'm sure there are nay sayers.
HEY! DOES THIS PROVE THAT SIZE DOESN'T MATTER??? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

KiotiJohn · Apr 1, 2006

( According to the below facts, they don't sound like idiots to me. Maybe we should keep our emotions to ourselves and stick to facts. )
He wasn't talking about towing with a compact truck, he was talking about the people carrying a riding lawn mower on the truck of their car! LOL
John

rico304 · Apr 1, 2006

Gotcha! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
I would have to agree with that one then.

Dmace · Apr 3, 2006

(
Toyota Tacoma
Fuel
Fuel type Regular
EPA city/highway, mpg 17/20
Fuel refill capacity, gal. 21.1
Dimensions and weight
Length, in. 208
Width, in. 75
Wheelbase, in. 128
Curb weight, lb. 4,115
Percent weight, front/rear 58/42
Typical towing ability, lb. 6,500 "
_________________________________________________
Dodge Ram 1500
Model overview

Fuel
Fuel type Regular or premium
EPA city/highway, mpg 13/17
Fuel refill capacity, gal. 26
Dimensions and weight
Length, in. 228
Width, in. 80
Wheelbase, in. 141
Curb weight, lb. 5,300
Percent weight, front/rear 58/42
Typical towing ability, lb. 6,150

Cut/Pasted from Consumer reports. )

I don't know what Ram you are comparing, but my 03 Ram 1500 4x4 QC with the HEMI has a towing capacity of 8850 lbs. Even a 2wd small V8 Ram 1500 has a 7000 lbs towing capacity.
Dodge website

And the even the QC Tacoma with the 4.0 liter V6 only has a towing capacity of 3500lbs. Toyota website

Who do you trust, the manufacturer or some dipshit magazine that will say whatever you pay them too ?

rico304 · Apr 3, 2006

The Toyota you looked at was a 4 cyl. without tow package. The Dodge was an 8 cyl. They had others with considerably lower weights. Toyota's site also said.

"Maximum towing capacity and tongue capacity requires V6 engine with available Towing Package. See Owner's Manual for details."

I'm sure CR uses the best ratings available for vehicles they mark as "best buys". Toyota got the high end tow package while I'm sure Dodge did not.

I do agree with you Derek. I would prefer to use a larger vehicle to tow a heavy tractor with. My point was that just because you have a small truck doesn't mean you need to do "small" jobs only. You need to have the "proper" equipment. ( In a reply to BigDog)

Those were just numbers I could find fast. My point was a properly outfitted compact truck might be better for the job than a full size truck not outfitted properly.
If you read his post I think you will see what I was trying to get across.
(by the way, I was not slamming you for getting marks off the smallest Toyota and a much more capable Dodge, I did the same, just in the opposite! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif)

Jstpssng · Apr 3, 2006

Pulling the load's one thing... handling and stopping it is another story altogether. When a trailer starts fishtailing the more weight in the tow vehicle the better; that 5000lb trailer on the back of a small truck is a sure case of the tail wagging the dog.
One thing missing in all these posts is the disclaimer which appears in the operator's manual; "A PROPERLY EQUIPPED..."
JMHO but that includes a seasoned driver. I'm just learning to handle heavy loads, so I'll continue to ensure that my pickup is able to control the load it's pulling.

KentT · Apr 3, 2006

( Pulling the load's one thing... handling and stopping it is another story altogether. When a trailer starts fishtailing the more weight in the tow vehicle the better; that 5000lb trailer on the back of a small truck is a sure case of the tail wagging the dog.
One thing missing in all these posts is the disclaimer which appears in the operator's manual; "A PROPERLY EQUIPPED..."
JMHO but that includes a seasoned driver. I'm just learning to handle heavy loads, so I'll continue to ensure that my pickup is able to control the load it's pulling.
)

Not picking on you, but doesn't this apply to 6931 lb sRam 3500 which is rated to tow 15,900 lb (properly equipped, of course), just as much as it applies to a 4408 lb Dakota V8 towing 7,000 lb (properly equipped, of course)....

Why is it inherently more dangerous to tow 1.59 times the vehicle weight (Dakota) than it is to tow 2.29 times the vehicle's weight (Ram 3500)?

Is it just "testosterone" talking, or is bigger always necessarily better? If so, why are there even such things as compact tractors or subcompacts -- instead of 100+ HP ag tractors?

Properly equipped, a compact truck can tow (pull and stop) its rated weight just as safely as a 350/3500 can tow its rated weight...

IMO, bigger isn't necessarily better -- if the job doesn't demand that size.....

Jstpssng · Apr 4, 2006

( doesn't this apply to 6931 lb sRam 3500 which is rated to tow 15,900 lb (properly equipped, of course), just as much as it applies to a 4408 lb Dakota V8 towing 7,000 lb (properly equipped, of course)....
)

Yes. And at the risk of repeating myself, operator experience/ability is a very big factor here. Also, that phrase "properly epuipped" is another important consideration. both of the configurtions will move you into the commercial class with regard to licensing and other legal categories; i.e. if you travel over 100 miles you'll need to kep a logbook just like a OTR trucker. There are also registration and insurance considerations.

JoeinTX · Apr 4, 2006

Folowing the debate, but these guys keep saying it......size does matter.

A Tundra may have the tech specs to mathematically do what you want based on OEM engine rating, but when you get out there on the highway it's a whole different world.

You may have the power to pull the weight of the physical load, but do you have the mass and weight to control it?

A friend of mine swears by the Ford 300 cid I-6....he bought a 3/4 ton pickup with the motor and uses it all the time. It's far from ideal, but just about anything that will load onto a 20' gooseneck he can haul with it. The motor is underpowered, but the rest of the vehicle has the weight, tranny, and breaks to handle what's behind it. He may move slow, but he moves with a sense of control. I'd never buy this pickup, but he did....

In the end, it's: weight, control, stopping power, tranny, followed by engine that determine what can be handled. A 4.3l Vortec in a Chevy 2500 will produce far more than the same motor in an S-10. Why? Weight, transmission, breaks, and suspension....

What you pull will depend far more on the size of vehicle and it's set-up than ultimate cubic inches...

KentT · Apr 4, 2006

( Folowing the debate, but these guys keep saying it......size does matter.

A Tundra may have the tech specs to mathematically do what you want based on OEM engine rating, but when you get out there on the highway it's a whole different world.

You may have the power to pull the weight of the physical load, but do you have the mass and weight to control it?
)

Let me clarify -- my point is that the Dakota will control 7,000 lbs just as well as the Ram will control 15,000 lbs... NOT that the Ram won't control 7,000 lbs better than the Dakota...

So, why should a Dakota be significantly less safe pulling 5,000 (28.6 % below it's max), compared to the Ram pulling 11,000 lbs (29.9% below its max)? You see Rams pulling loads like that every day and think nothing of it...

And that 5,000 pounds -- 3,000 lbs of tractor and attachment(s) + 2,000 lbs of trailer -- is exactly the class of tractors many of us are talking about....

We don't all need 15K of towing capacity, just as we don't all need 50 - 100 HP tractors.... Or, putting it in "tractor-speak" -- do you always use a 50 HP tractor to pull a 4 ft or 5 ft mower?

I'm not downplaying the "properly equipped" nor "experienced driver" parts of the equation at all, but this discussion has been about the vehicles, not the drivers...