Weight Dist. Hitch Revisited

in-too-deep · Sep 8, 2011

Weighed the trailer empty today. Tongue weight is 770lbs (yikes!) and total weight is 3900lbs instead of 3200 like I was told. Plus a 4000lb Case Model C. Looked at the receiver on my pickup, its rated for 9200 with a W/D and the manual says I can tow 8500. Even with a W/D hitch, seems like an awful lot for my F-150. Whadya think? Sorry for beating a dead horse, I just get excited about bringing another tractor home.

sotxbill · Sep 8, 2011

pends on how far and how fast you gotta go.

if very far and very fast, borrow a bigger truck.

landlord7012 · Sep 8, 2011

I wanted to reply yesterday but you had already gotten a few good replies. Today I am compelled to reply. I pull a 4000 lb travel trailer with my Silverado 1500 and have trailer brakes and use a weight distributing hitch (wouldn't go without it regardless of truck size!) Your trailer alone weighs almost as much as my RV but you want to haul a 4000 tractor as well. I wouldn't dream of hauling that much weight behind my truck unless it was a mile or two on back roads and even then my heart would be in my throat.

The reason I felt compelled to reply this time is you sound very unsure and keep asking as if you are waiting for someone to say "go ahead you won't have a single care in the world with that set up". I don't forsee that happening. You have a gut feeling - go with it.

D7 fever · Sep 8, 2011

asking for trouble, use a bigger truck

Offandgone · Sep 8, 2011

One thing that hasn't been addressed is the legal weight. Almost all states are beginning to to check that now. You may find that what is inside the door jam is all you need a hitch for.
Frank

Mike (WA) · Sep 8, 2011

That's too much weight for your 150. 770 lb. hitch weight, empty, needs more like a one ton than a half ton. Trailer is way too heavy- my car trailer is about 2,000, has 2 axles at 3500 lb. apiece, so can haul about 5,000 lb. payload- that's more like what you need, with the truck you have. I've hauled up to 6,500 lb payload (with an F350) without incident, but didn't want any more than that.

in-too-deep · Sep 8, 2011

No, you're right, thanks for replying. I've had a gut feeling the whole time that I don't have a big enough truck, now I have the numbers and I know for sure.

Ken Macfarlane · Sep 8, 2011

7900 lb, you're within your warrantee tow rating. Put a WD hitch on and you're good. I assume with those numbers you have a 5.4 V8 but not the max tow package which would have taken you to 11,300 lb tow rating.

The current F150's have bigger brakes than a 1990's F350 and similar transmissions.

They tow really well and perform well.

Ken Macfarlane · Sep 8, 2011

7200 lb, nice math there lol

Also with the 5.4 you have the 9.75" sterling axle. Its a good unit.

wisbaker · Sep 8, 2011

If I understand all the posts Ford says you can pull 8500#s, your trailer & payload comes to 7900#s. You're okay on the truck, what about the trailer? Does it have two 3500 # axles? Then you'll be 900#s over on the trailer. Don't know what year F-150 you have, yes the newer ones are NICE, my 01 is rated for 7800#s, but it isn't all that happy with that amount of weight behind it. If I don't use overdrive and keep the speed down and use trailer brakes it does okay but I wouldn't want to do it all the time. (01 F-150/4.6 with a 3.55 gear)

Mike in Mn. · Sep 8, 2011

I don't reply to often to these non tractor related questions but, I see way too many people overloading 1/2 ton trucks. Think safety, safety, safety!!! That's just too much load for that pickup, yes you can pull it, but can you control it and stop it?? I use to overload my 1/2 ton and got by with it, now I have a one ton with duals, now that's a real trailer puller and gets better mileage pulling than the 1/2 ton did and rides just as good running empty. Trailer pulling ain't no joke!! Get a rig big enough to do the job properly. Just my $02.

RandyB(MI) · Sep 8, 2011

My understanding is this might just be a one time endeavor to get this tractor home,correct? And I assume you do have some non-freeway routes you can use,correct? So if'n you give yourself a good amount of time and stay around 40-50mph on back roads primarily there shouldn't be a problem , correct? People lose sight of the facts of your little endeavor. Better just hire a Kenworth and low-boy , that ought to handle it.

in-too-deep · Sep 8, 2011

3900 plus 4000 is 7900. Too close to my max of 8500.

in-too-deep · Sep 8, 2011

Trailer is a 14k lb. Two 7k axles. Heavy s.o.b.

in-too-deep · Sep 8, 2011

I guess I trust my owner's manual and hitch ratings. With a weight distributing hitch rated for my load, a heavy-enough trailer with properly set electric brakes AND not to mention driving slowly on sparsely populated rural roads in northern MN...I figured I was being safe. ...BUT... don't think I'm comfortable with that kinda load anyway.

oldtanker · Sep 8, 2011

You seem to have made you decision so I toss one more thing in for the future......you should always pick yer truck by the heaviest yer going to use it for....keeps ya out of trouble.

Rick

in-too-deep · Sep 8, 2011

No, I still can't decide. Last time I borrowed my friends one-
ton, I broke the back window out with a GN stock trailer.
Kinda gun-shy about using his truck again even though he'd
let me. Looked at HD trucks when I bought my 1/2 ton but
they were all either high mileage junk or way over-priced.
Couldn't justify the higher operating costs either for what
little towing I do.

farmer boy · Sep 8, 2011

Just take it easy and tow it. You think you'll be 7900 lb with a truck that has a tow capacity of 8500 lb. Balance it as well as you can, take it easy. Keep to 40-50 mph. I've pulled 5 ton worth of gravity box before down some pretty steep hills with a 1997 GMC K1500. Some weight on the axle would have been nice actually. 10000lb with 50 lb tongue weight can feel kinda scary but it handles it alright. That said, if you have access to a 3/4 or 1 ton truck with a fifth wheel trailer that is by far your best bet.

oldtanker · Sep 8, 2011

(quoted from post at 19:24:00 09/08/11) No, I still can't decide. Last time I borrowed my friends one-
ton, I broke the back window out with a GN stock trailer.
Kinda gun-shy about using his truck again even though he'd
let me. Looked at HD trucks when I bought my 1/2 ton but
they were all either high mileage junk or way over-priced.
Couldn't justify the higher operating costs either for what
little towing I do.

Yea I know about the prices. I'm shopping for one now but want a 3/4 or 1 ton.

You may want to look at a Uhaul or other rental trailer that will carry what you want but may be lighter than the trailer you have access to. From what I've been told you don't want to tell the friendly folks at Uhaul that you are getting a tractor, tell em yer gonna get a car. Last Uhaul I used was 2000 pounds and rated for 7K. Got a rental place near here that rents trailers too so you have more options than just Uhaul.

Rick (near Fungus Flats....er Fergus Falls)

old art · Sep 8, 2011

is the tractor driveable and how far is away from home conyou drive it in a couple of hours give it some thought

TVB · Sep 9, 2011

Try craigslist. "Need Tractor hauled xxx miles will pay xxx dollars" it may cost a liitle bit more but less stress and safer. Think of it this way I Think I can haul it but I know He can haul it.

Anonymous-0 · Sep 9, 2011

for what the mods are gonna cost, you could rent a uhaul and drive it in, or just pay someone to bring it. Just a thought.

Ken Macfarlane · Sep 9, 2011

Why is it too close? Thats the warrantee numbers, most people exceed them.

Ken Macfarlane · Sep 9, 2011

Thats a different story, if you aren't comfortable towing the weight, get someone else to. The F150 is more than up to it as a tow vehicle. They are not the light vehicles they used to be, but you need the WD hitch.

mkirsch · Sep 9, 2011

THAT is the most important thing, right there: YOU are NOT comfortable with it.

Above all else, that is the biggest safety risk of all. If you're not comfortable, you will be white-knuckle driving the whole way. Something will spook you and cause you to do something stupid, like jam on the brakes or jerk the wheel.

People like to paint pictures of you and your truck cartwheeling down the highway in a ball of flames if you merely attempt this... Reality is that most anything that can go wrong will NOT be catastrophic, and you will have plenty of opportunity to move the rig safely to the shoulder without issue.

If your vehicle is well-maintained and in good working order, it will easily tow its maximum tow rating and then some without incident. Try it with cheap/bald tires, and/or 150,000 miles without ever having performed a lick of maintenance... Then you're asking for trouble.

Towing a 7900lb RV trailer with an F-150 is one thing. It's a giant box with huge flat sides that catch the wind and can jerk a small truck around like a dog with a chew toy.

Towing a 7900lb tractor on a flatbed is something completely different. The tractor is fairly aerodynamic by comparison and will pull much more easily. It will not be affected by winds to near the same degree as the RV trailer. It has a lower center of gravity so it will be much more stable. The trailer axles are closer to the rear of the trailer, making it more stable.

It's a lot of load for an F-150, but if I didn't have a heavier truck available to me, I would make a one-time haul like that with full confidence.

Geo-TH,In · Sep 9, 2011

Get the biggest weight dist hitch from Harbor Freight, stop talking about it and JUST DO IT. If you don't like the hitch, return it, HF won't say a thing. Find a 20% off coupon the Sunday paper.

Get it set up right, chain it down properly and your won't have a problem. Adjust the position of the tractor to get 5/8 - 3/4 inch compression on the rear springs with the dist hitch installed and the arms set.

Report back when you get it home.

Just wonder how many give you advice that have never used a dist hitch. GO FOR IT!!!

Anonymous-0 · Sep 9, 2011

George Marsh is giving you good advice. Iam getting ready to buy a 25 ft. 14,000 lb.deckover dovetail. The dealer told me the same thing George told you.

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