billfires
Gold Member
Back the pack, I have a NH 1920 w/ 7308 FEL, 758C BH, and loaded rear tires and it is just shy of 6000#. Hope this helps.
Bill C
Bill C
Will my truck work?
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fractal
Gold Member
I don't know for sure, but I can tell you two sides of the story.
First of all, I have a kubota b7200 and a chevy s-10. There is no way that the s-10 will tow that tractor (with me in the truck). I pulled a yard of concrete in a gondola home with that truck so I know it can pull that much weight, but there is no way that I will tow that tractor with a s-10. So, I started to look to upgrade my truck to something that could safely tow the tractor on a trailer.
The people at the ford store pointed at the 5500 pound towing capacity on the bumper hitch of a 1/2 ton pickup and said "no problemo".
The people at the tractor store say "1 ton truck minimum" for that 18 hp tractor.
Me? I am confused.
I have talked to people who "seem to have a clue" and they all say that a 3/4 ton pickup should be able to handle a 2000 pound tractor on a trailer in all but the worst situations. A 1 ton pickup is "a little better" but probably not worth the extra cost if you don't NEED a 1 ton truck. A 1/2 ton pickup is fine if "everything goes fine". Get in a bad spot going down a hill in a 1/2 ton truck pulling a 2000 pound tractor on a trailer ... give my regards to st peter.
Pulling isn't the issue. Stopping is. I learned that when I was driving a 2 ton truck in the bay area many years ago, standing on the brakes to stop "just in time" at the 85/280 ix just before a vw decided to cut me off. Thank god the chp was on the scene as a witness and wrote it up as his fault as they hauled him off in the ambulence or I probably would have gone to jail instead of just feeling bad about hurting the twit. I did had to fill out a form about the scratch on the front bumper when I got back to work..
I guess it depends on your terrain. On flat ground with good visability I suspect your Dodge will stop ok, especially when the brakes on your trailer are working. I myself would feel more comfortable with a heavier truck (with appropriately bigger breaks and tires) in front of the load. Your 30 hp tractor on a trailer will weight pretty close to the same weight as your dodge... kinda like my kubota on a trailer weights about as much as my s-10...
You decide. You can probably get away with it.
p.s. I still own the b7200 and the s-10 but no trailer. I haven't found a good deal on a 3/4 ton truck yet.
First of all, I have a kubota b7200 and a chevy s-10. There is no way that the s-10 will tow that tractor (with me in the truck). I pulled a yard of concrete in a gondola home with that truck so I know it can pull that much weight, but there is no way that I will tow that tractor with a s-10. So, I started to look to upgrade my truck to something that could safely tow the tractor on a trailer.
The people at the ford store pointed at the 5500 pound towing capacity on the bumper hitch of a 1/2 ton pickup and said "no problemo".
The people at the tractor store say "1 ton truck minimum" for that 18 hp tractor.
Me? I am confused.
I have talked to people who "seem to have a clue" and they all say that a 3/4 ton pickup should be able to handle a 2000 pound tractor on a trailer in all but the worst situations. A 1 ton pickup is "a little better" but probably not worth the extra cost if you don't NEED a 1 ton truck. A 1/2 ton pickup is fine if "everything goes fine". Get in a bad spot going down a hill in a 1/2 ton truck pulling a 2000 pound tractor on a trailer ... give my regards to st peter.
Pulling isn't the issue. Stopping is. I learned that when I was driving a 2 ton truck in the bay area many years ago, standing on the brakes to stop "just in time" at the 85/280 ix just before a vw decided to cut me off. Thank god the chp was on the scene as a witness and wrote it up as his fault as they hauled him off in the ambulence or I probably would have gone to jail instead of just feeling bad about hurting the twit. I did had to fill out a form about the scratch on the front bumper when I got back to work..
I guess it depends on your terrain. On flat ground with good visability I suspect your Dodge will stop ok, especially when the brakes on your trailer are working. I myself would feel more comfortable with a heavier truck (with appropriately bigger breaks and tires) in front of the load. Your 30 hp tractor on a trailer will weight pretty close to the same weight as your dodge... kinda like my kubota on a trailer weights about as much as my s-10...
You decide. You can probably get away with it.
p.s. I still own the b7200 and the s-10 but no trailer. I haven't found a good deal on a 3/4 ton truck yet.
fractal -
<font color=blue>The people at the tractor store say "1 ton truck minimum" for that 18 hp tractor.</font color=blue>
No way, man! The guys at the tractor store must own a portion of the local car dealerships too! That is TOTALLY bogus that you need a monster truck like a 1-ton for a 18 HP tractor!!! I'm not saying you can't tow it with a 1-ton - I'm just saying that it is WAY overkill for a small tractor like that...
<font color=blue>A 1/2 ton pickup is fine if "everything goes fine".... Get in a bad spot going down a hill in a 1/2 ton truck pulling a 2000 pound tractor on a trailer ... give my regards to st peter.</font color=blue>
If you get in a "bad spot" with ANY ton-rating you can be in big trouble. OK, so you have a stiffer suspension, stronger transmission, bigger engine, stronger ring/pinion, and more weight (which means more friction with the road surface for braking). Nice things to have, but not necessary for what I'd call "medium" towing.
1/2 Tons are a lot more capable than I think the folks you've talked to have given them credit for. My family has never had anything over a 1/2 ton truck (parents/myself). We've towed LOTS heavier stuff than a 2000 lb tractor - no breakage - no problems.
Again, a diesel would have made it easier at times (e.g. mountains/steep grades and MUCH better mileage) but 1/2 ton DOES work. If braking is the main issue, I'd MUCH rather have a trailer with brakes on a 1/2 ton instead of a trailer without brakes on a 3/4 or 1 ton. If stopping is a huge concern (which I agree, it should be in my opinion) have brakes put on both axles of your tandem trailer. I haven't run the math on it (and admittingly, there are lots of variables that you could mess with), but 2 extra tires of braking on the trailer (bringing the total "braking tires" to 8 instead of 6 with a single brake axle on the trailer) I bet would outweigh any benefit of the heavier tonage truck braking with 6 tires (4 vehicle + 2 trailer.)
Please, don't get me wrong - 3/4 & 1 tons are GREAT for towing. If you are going to tow a LOT, and it will be heavy stuff (horses, 5000# + tractors, BIG 5th wheel trailers, rock crawler Jeeps /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif, etc.) I'd say a 3/4-1 is the way to go - but for "small" stuff (e.g. 2000# tractor/1500# trailer, etc.) I see nothing wrong with a 1/2 ton w/ trailer brakes.
If you just "feel more comfortable" with a 3/4 ton, that's OK - just don't let someone "Scare the Heck" out of you with horror stories about 1/2 ton towing.
Just my $.02
<font color=blue>The people at the tractor store say "1 ton truck minimum" for that 18 hp tractor.</font color=blue>
No way, man! The guys at the tractor store must own a portion of the local car dealerships too! That is TOTALLY bogus that you need a monster truck like a 1-ton for a 18 HP tractor!!! I'm not saying you can't tow it with a 1-ton - I'm just saying that it is WAY overkill for a small tractor like that...
<font color=blue>A 1/2 ton pickup is fine if "everything goes fine".... Get in a bad spot going down a hill in a 1/2 ton truck pulling a 2000 pound tractor on a trailer ... give my regards to st peter.</font color=blue>
If you get in a "bad spot" with ANY ton-rating you can be in big trouble. OK, so you have a stiffer suspension, stronger transmission, bigger engine, stronger ring/pinion, and more weight (which means more friction with the road surface for braking). Nice things to have, but not necessary for what I'd call "medium" towing.
1/2 Tons are a lot more capable than I think the folks you've talked to have given them credit for. My family has never had anything over a 1/2 ton truck (parents/myself). We've towed LOTS heavier stuff than a 2000 lb tractor - no breakage - no problems.
Again, a diesel would have made it easier at times (e.g. mountains/steep grades and MUCH better mileage) but 1/2 ton DOES work. If braking is the main issue, I'd MUCH rather have a trailer with brakes on a 1/2 ton instead of a trailer without brakes on a 3/4 or 1 ton. If stopping is a huge concern (which I agree, it should be in my opinion) have brakes put on both axles of your tandem trailer. I haven't run the math on it (and admittingly, there are lots of variables that you could mess with), but 2 extra tires of braking on the trailer (bringing the total "braking tires" to 8 instead of 6 with a single brake axle on the trailer) I bet would outweigh any benefit of the heavier tonage truck braking with 6 tires (4 vehicle + 2 trailer.)
Please, don't get me wrong - 3/4 & 1 tons are GREAT for towing. If you are going to tow a LOT, and it will be heavy stuff (horses, 5000# + tractors, BIG 5th wheel trailers, rock crawler Jeeps /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif, etc.) I'd say a 3/4-1 is the way to go - but for "small" stuff (e.g. 2000# tractor/1500# trailer, etc.) I see nothing wrong with a 1/2 ton w/ trailer brakes.
If you just "feel more comfortable" with a 3/4 ton, that's OK - just don't let someone "Scare the Heck" out of you with horror stories about 1/2 ton towing.
Just my $.02
Soundguy
Old Timer
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I have to agree. I have a 1/2 and a 3/4 ton truck. The 1/2 ton is a dodge 1500 setup for towing, gooseneck, etc, .
My 33 hp tractor is 35XX lbs, and the 16' trailer is 1720. Never had a problem. I DO have trailer brakes, which I think is a must.
Heck.. 2000# just exceds the limit of a class II hitch.. no where near what a III or IV can do.
Drawtite has specs on thier website.. but most 1/2 pickup, except some of the smaller versions, and front wheel drive suv's, etc qualify for class III hitches and capacity.
Also.. 4wd helps when you get that heavy tractor and trailer rig stuck... believe me.. I know..
Soundguy
"No way, man! The guys at the tractor store must own a portion of the local car dealerships too! That is TOTALLY bogus that you need a monster truck like a 1-ton for a 18 HP tractor!!! I'm not saying you can't tow it with a 1-ton - I'm just saying that it is WAY overkill for a small tractor like that..."
My 33 hp tractor is 35XX lbs, and the 16' trailer is 1720. Never had a problem. I DO have trailer brakes, which I think is a must.
Heck.. 2000# just exceds the limit of a class II hitch.. no where near what a III or IV can do.
Drawtite has specs on thier website.. but most 1/2 pickup, except some of the smaller versions, and front wheel drive suv's, etc qualify for class III hitches and capacity.
Also.. 4wd helps when you get that heavy tractor and trailer rig stuck... believe me.. I know..
Soundguy
"No way, man! The guys at the tractor store must own a portion of the local car dealerships too! That is TOTALLY bogus that you need a monster truck like a 1-ton for a 18 HP tractor!!! I'm not saying you can't tow it with a 1-ton - I'm just saying that it is WAY overkill for a small tractor like that..."
Egon
Epic Contributor
Check the load ratings for your truck and hitch and go by that. It may be on your door post or it should be in the manual.
Egon
Egon
Bird
Rest in Peace
RanchMan, I agree. Lots of variables involved; weight of towing vehicle, weight of trailer, brakes or not, one axle or both, short trips or long, occasional or frequent, distribution of weight on the trailer, flat and level trips or steep hills, smooth roads or rough, all the weight on the rear or load distributing hitch platform, experience of the driver, weather, condition of the towing vehicle . . . aaahhh where do we stop?/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif I've owned and towed with 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, 1 ton single rear wheel, and 1 ton dual real wheel trucks, not to mention a few sedans and a couple of station wagons (first towing experience was with a clamp on bumper hitch on a '46 Chevrolet 2 door sedan./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif And the first time I tried it with a negative tongue weight was a terrifying experience/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif). And even the pickup salesmen frequently know nothing about pulling a trailer./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
hosejockey2002
Gold Member
Like I was saying a couple of posts back, I tow a small Yanmar (17 hp) with a Ford Explorer. I have a class 3 hitch and a tandem axle trailer with electric brakes. Properly adjusted, I can stop just as fast with the trailer as without. You hit the nail on the head, going isn't the most important issue, STOPPING is.
Bird -
<font color=blue>the first time I tried it with a negative tongue weight was a terrifying experience</font color=blue>
EEEEK!! Definitely something that would scare me to death!!
Attached is a pic of "Towing with a 1/2 ton".... I've taken this setup to Colorado & back several times (~1900 mi round trip). Mileage was poor & some steep slopes were SLOOOOWWW going, but it works! Not sure how many of you folks are familiar with Colorado, but took this up the "Million Dollar Highway." Definitely interesting..... /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
<font color=blue>the first time I tried it with a negative tongue weight was a terrifying experience</font color=blue>
EEEEK!! Definitely something that would scare me to death!!
Attached is a pic of "Towing with a 1/2 ton".... I've taken this setup to Colorado & back several times (~1900 mi round trip). Mileage was poor & some steep slopes were SLOOOOWWW going, but it works! Not sure how many of you folks are familiar with Colorado, but took this up the "Million Dollar Highway." Definitely interesting..... /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Attachments
Bird
Rest in Peace
<font color=blue>negative tongue weight</font color=blue>
Yeah, I should have said the first and only time. I was 16 years old at the time, and regained control without wrecking it or any damage, but I sure never forgot it.
And I really had a ball pulling a 16', deep, wide, aluminum boat with a 35hp motor behind my Austin Healy Sprite; used to draw a crowd at the launching ramps waiting to see if I was going to be able to pull it out. And I guess I nearly caused several accidents by drivers who came up behind me and could only see a boat going down the road, and couldn't wait to come around to see what was in front of the boat./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
Yeah, I should have said the first and only time. I was 16 years old at the time, and regained control without wrecking it or any damage, but I sure never forgot it.
And I really had a ball pulling a 16', deep, wide, aluminum boat with a 35hp motor behind my Austin Healy Sprite; used to draw a crowd at the launching ramps waiting to see if I was going to be able to pull it out. And I guess I nearly caused several accidents by drivers who came up behind me and could only see a boat going down the road, and couldn't wait to come around to see what was in front of the boat./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
Phred
Veteran Member
Fractal,
The other guys are right. The 3/4 ton is capable of 5-6x that 2000lb load. I have pulled trailers in the neighbor hood of 10K with no problem using my 3/4 ton. Also I have pulled small trailers (~1500-2000) with a 1/2 ton SUV.
Don't listen to whoever told you that you need a 3/4 or 1 ton for small trailers. As long as you are within the load capacity of your 1/2 ton (normally about 5-6K) and you have trailer brakes you should not have any trouble.
Fred
The other guys are right. The 3/4 ton is capable of 5-6x that 2000lb load. I have pulled trailers in the neighbor hood of 10K with no problem using my 3/4 ton. Also I have pulled small trailers (~1500-2000) with a 1/2 ton SUV.
Don't listen to whoever told you that you need a 3/4 or 1 ton for small trailers. As long as you are within the load capacity of your 1/2 ton (normally about 5-6K) and you have trailer brakes you should not have any trouble.
Fred
fractal
Gold Member
I suppose you are all right. Trailer brakes must have improved a LOT since I heard the rule "make sure your tow vehicle weighs twice what you tow" rule. Semi's rely on trailer brakes, why should't we. I suppose the adjustment of trailer brakes has improved since the last time I saw someone spend the afternoon in the parking lot getting them "just right" tweaking the settings on the control box under the dash in the cab before heading up state with his trailer. This too was over 20 yrs ago when trailer brakes would pull the hitch off your vehicle if set too aggressive and push you into a ditch if not set aggressive enough and had to be manually adjusted as you changed the load in the trailer. I am not easy to scare but the though of being pushed over one of the many cliff we have around here by what I am towing not wanting to stop is not an easy though to get rid of.
There is something to be said about modern laws requiring electric brakes on trailers these days. They have to be better than the ones I remember seeing.
Modern vehicles have MORE than enough power to pull, and the ratings on vehicles is how much they can PULL. Myself, I am more concerned with how much they can STOP than how much they can PULL, and the sticker in the door only tells you how much they can PULL.
We have foothills around these parts of coastal california, not the mountains some of you folk have. From what I hear you guys say, I would be better off spending my money on putting brakes on both axles of a tractor pulling trailer rather than getting a bigger tow vehicle. I will take that into consideration as well as modify my suggestion to the original author of this thread appropriately.
There is something to be said about modern laws requiring electric brakes on trailers these days. They have to be better than the ones I remember seeing.
Modern vehicles have MORE than enough power to pull, and the ratings on vehicles is how much they can PULL. Myself, I am more concerned with how much they can STOP than how much they can PULL, and the sticker in the door only tells you how much they can PULL.
We have foothills around these parts of coastal california, not the mountains some of you folk have. From what I hear you guys say, I would be better off spending my money on putting brakes on both axles of a tractor pulling trailer rather than getting a bigger tow vehicle. I will take that into consideration as well as modify my suggestion to the original author of this thread appropriately.
Egon
Epic Contributor
Fractual:
It is my impression that braking ability of the tow vehicle is taken into account for rating the vehicles towing capacity.
Egon
It is my impression that braking ability of the tow vehicle is taken into account for rating the vehicles towing capacity.
Egon
fractal -
<font color=blue>had to be manually adjusted as you changed the load in the trailer</font color=blue>
The control box I use does require manual adjustment depending on load - but adjustment is something I generally get "fixed" on my way out and I'm generally done with just a pedal push or two before I hit the end of the block. Generally I never have to spend more than about 30 seconds on adjustment now, although I probably spent about 20 minutes "figurin' stuff out" the first time I set everything up (e.g. learning curve).
During a long trip, I do have to "tweak" the adjustments every so often based on different road conditions (i.e. rain, ice, gravel, etc.) but not that big an issue for me. I only spent about $40 for my box - so there may be a lot more advanced versions out there that eliminate this "setup."
<font color=blue>I am not easy to scare but the though of being pushed over one of the many cliff we have around here by what I am towing not wanting to stop is not an easy thought to get rid of.</font color=blue>
I hear ya! That is an unfun thing to think about. Of course, if someone drives like an idiot, they're bound to have an "issue" but it sounds like you don't fall in to that category.
<font color=blue>I would be better off spending my money on putting brakes on both axles of a tractor pulling trailer rather than getting a bigger tow vehicle</font color=blue>
If you're in to DIY, for about $200 you can upgrade your existing axle to a "brake" axle. Here's a link to some parts, of course, you may be able to find them somewhere else cheaper, but at least this gives you an idea of what's out there.
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.northerntool.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/NTE_LLSEARCH.d2w/report?PHOTOS=on&prlngth=12497.0000>http://www.northerntool.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/NTE_LLSEARCH.d2w/report?PHOTOS=on&prlngth=12497.0000</A>
<font color=blue>had to be manually adjusted as you changed the load in the trailer</font color=blue>
The control box I use does require manual adjustment depending on load - but adjustment is something I generally get "fixed" on my way out and I'm generally done with just a pedal push or two before I hit the end of the block. Generally I never have to spend more than about 30 seconds on adjustment now, although I probably spent about 20 minutes "figurin' stuff out" the first time I set everything up (e.g. learning curve).
During a long trip, I do have to "tweak" the adjustments every so often based on different road conditions (i.e. rain, ice, gravel, etc.) but not that big an issue for me. I only spent about $40 for my box - so there may be a lot more advanced versions out there that eliminate this "setup."
<font color=blue>I am not easy to scare but the though of being pushed over one of the many cliff we have around here by what I am towing not wanting to stop is not an easy thought to get rid of.</font color=blue>
I hear ya! That is an unfun thing to think about. Of course, if someone drives like an idiot, they're bound to have an "issue" but it sounds like you don't fall in to that category.
<font color=blue>I would be better off spending my money on putting brakes on both axles of a tractor pulling trailer rather than getting a bigger tow vehicle</font color=blue>
If you're in to DIY, for about $200 you can upgrade your existing axle to a "brake" axle. Here's a link to some parts, of course, you may be able to find them somewhere else cheaper, but at least this gives you an idea of what's out there.
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.northerntool.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/NTE_LLSEARCH.d2w/report?PHOTOS=on&prlngth=12497.0000>http://www.northerntool.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/NTE_LLSEARCH.d2w/report?PHOTOS=on&prlngth=12497.0000</A>
hosejockey2002
Gold Member
I have one of those Tekonsha brake controllers with the green light and a gain adjustment control. With the trailer empty, I adjust it to have almost no braking to avoid locking wheels on the trailer. With my tractor on I apply the brake pedal and turn up the gain until the light just starts to turn red. That usually ends up being just about right- I can stop quickly and smoothly.
Here are some similar links:
