Nancy Howell
Well-known Member
At the farm last w/e it started raining around 6:30 Saturday evening and kept it up all night.
We don't have a barn or any shelter for the horses yet and I went out about 10:00 Sunday morning (still raining) to check on them. Water puddling in all the low spots, running down the hill, ground soggy and soaked and rain in the forecast all week.
Temp was in the upper 60's. With the rain being steady all night and into Sunday morning, the horses were beginning to shiver. My big horse trailer (6000 lbs) was still hooked up our 95 Dodge 3500 dually, 4x4, with 5 sp man tranny & Cummins diesel.
I told James we were going to have to take the horses back to Dallas if I could get the trailer out.
The trailer was parked in its usual spot, but to get it out meant a turn around and uphill pull on grassy, soggy ground. To make matters worse, I had to maneuver between a tree and the pipe corral, which is not a problem on dry ground, but any slipping or sliding and things would become a disaster fast. I figured my chances of getting that trailer to the driveway and solid, paved ground were slim and none.
Got the keys, cranked the Dodge up engaged the 4wd to 4 wheel low, then shifted into granny gear. With the tranny in 4 wheel low, granny gear was too low, wouldn't be able to get any speed to make the uphill. Shifted to 2nd gear, eased out the clutch, gave it some gas and started the turn and uphill pull.
Big ol' Dodge never slipped or even spun a tire. Pulled that big trailer around and up the incline (and between the tree and the corral) like it was on dry ground.
We bought the truck new in 95 and I've logged thousands of miles pulling a horse trailer, but even after all these years and miles driving that truck, I was impressed. I really didn't think I was going to get the trailer to the driveway and paved ground, but it did and made it easy.
We don't have a barn or any shelter for the horses yet and I went out about 10:00 Sunday morning (still raining) to check on them. Water puddling in all the low spots, running down the hill, ground soggy and soaked and rain in the forecast all week.
Temp was in the upper 60's. With the rain being steady all night and into Sunday morning, the horses were beginning to shiver. My big horse trailer (6000 lbs) was still hooked up our 95 Dodge 3500 dually, 4x4, with 5 sp man tranny & Cummins diesel.
I told James we were going to have to take the horses back to Dallas if I could get the trailer out.
The trailer was parked in its usual spot, but to get it out meant a turn around and uphill pull on grassy, soggy ground. To make matters worse, I had to maneuver between a tree and the pipe corral, which is not a problem on dry ground, but any slipping or sliding and things would become a disaster fast. I figured my chances of getting that trailer to the driveway and solid, paved ground were slim and none.
Got the keys, cranked the Dodge up engaged the 4wd to 4 wheel low, then shifted into granny gear. With the tranny in 4 wheel low, granny gear was too low, wouldn't be able to get any speed to make the uphill. Shifted to 2nd gear, eased out the clutch, gave it some gas and started the turn and uphill pull.
Big ol' Dodge never slipped or even spun a tire. Pulled that big trailer around and up the incline (and between the tree and the corral) like it was on dry ground.
We bought the truck new in 95 and I've logged thousands of miles pulling a horse trailer, but even after all these years and miles driving that truck, I was impressed. I really didn't think I was going to get the trailer to the driveway and paved ground, but it did and made it easy.
