1/2 Ton Pick-Up Pulling 24ft Enclosed Trailer????

Any of you guys out there doing this?????? Reason I ask is Im picking up a 07 Silverado 1500(Hopefully Im impressed over my OLD BLUE OVAL) this week and wanted to know how a trailer of that size would tow with a truck of that size. Truck info is: 5.3L-Auto, Extended Cab, 4x4, Z71, 3.73 gears, and have a brake controller waiting to put on the truck. Please share any opinions or experiences you have had with something like this. My next purchase will be a enclosed trailer, I just dont want to over do myself. Thanks

Brett


NOTE: FORD or CHEVY

You'll want to add sway bar to level your truck out. You have the power but your rear end will sag down.

Not all 24ft trailers are built alike. I pull a 24ft travel trailer that weighs in around 6000 pounds, 7000 tops. I used to pull it with an older suburban 1/2 ton. No where near enough truck for the long hauls. Fine for around the local area.

My enclosed sled trailer is an Aluma 14ft. Significantly lighter than many of the steel framed trailers out there. The suburban pulled that just fine but that trailer only weighed in around 3000 pounds.

I have a reese 10,000 pound dual cam weight distribution hitch. Arguably one of the best weight distribution hitches on the market. The cams act as sway control. That is the hitch i use on my travel trailer. The 97 suburban lacked the stiff enough suspension to control the travel trailer. The length was a huge plus though.

I have since moved up to a 06 GMC sierra 2500HD crew cab short bed. That truck is well suited to towing the travel trailer. It has the 6.0 liter engine and 4.10 gears. I load the back of the truck with fire wood. Hitch weight on the trailer is about 650 pounds. With the new truck the tongue weight almost isn't enough to make the dual cam setup work.

I think it will be fine locally. I don't think your going to want to load up all your gear, 5 or 6 sleds and a cab full of people and head out west with it.

Plans are only to use it to travel from either Metro area to Gaylord area(220mi.) or Gaylord to UP. I dont have any intentions of heading any where but Michigan as of now. Im only looking to load it with 4 sleds, whatever gear, and me and one other person in the truck(Whole point of only getting extended cab, Im no taxi). The 4 place sled trailers Im looking at weigh between 3000-3500lbs but thats if I go steel, if I end up with aluminum Im obviously looking at less weight.

I would go for a steeper gear i'm telling ya, find a truck with 4:10/11's and the G80 locking rear end. , you'll be glad you did when your pulling and watching your gas gauge.

daman said:

I would go for a steeper gear i'm telling ya, find a truck with 4:10/11's and the G80 locking rear end. , you'll be glad you did when your pulling and watching your gas gauge.

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Its to late truck is already waiting for me at work(Holiday Chevrolet), suppose to get it on thursday. I spend more time driving than hauling anyway, so Ill deal with shouting out some extra cash when hauling it. Basically looking for a 3-4 place V-Nose Enclosed Steel or Aluminum it all depends what I find a better deal on...... used of course. If I end up with a steel trailer(pending its weight), Ill end up buying a weight distributor.

trailer

Get an aluminum trailer and you will be fine with the load level bars

You should be fine, just don't run it over 70 mph very much, and stay out of overdrive for the most part. Keep a good deal of weight in the truck if you can. A simple weight distrbution hitch and a swaybar if needed will work wonders for you. A set of Timbrens can easily increase the support of the rear as well.

I have pulled 12,000 lbs of backhoe and trailer numerous times with various different 1/2 ton pickups. This would not be legal now, and probably wasn't then either. The key when hauling a trailer that outweighs the truck several times is to keep a good deal of tongue weight, and don't do anything rash while driving. Look ahead, beside, and behind you more than you would with just the truck. You will need a great deal more time and space to avoid trouble that may come from other vehicles. Leave more space, and let off the gas sooner. Keep the whole rig straight and just give yourself way more time and space and you should be fine.

Did I mention to leave more time and space while driving.

On a legal note, be sure that the combination is legal. Several Detroit suburbs are targeting personal tow vehicles that appear overweight and are issuing citations.

Ding said:

I have pulled 12,000 lbs of backhoe and trailer numerous times with various different 1/2 ton pickups.

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with a 1/2 ton P/U????

sorry Ding i call B.S on that one,i haul heavy equipment almost every
day and there is Know way a 1/2 ton P/U would do it,and stop it.

I pull a 33 foot travel trailer that weighs about 8000 lbs (if not more) loaded with a 1995 Chev 1/2 ton with junk gears and no power - it's not the trucks favorite thing to do, but if I stick on the 2 lane and under 65 in 3rd it's all right with it. Also - I have electric brakes on the trailer and use a weight distribution hitch. Works good. You should be allright.

Back in the day, I pulled an open place steel 4 place up north with my old 1/2 ton Suburban. On level ground, it was okay, but it was the hills that were rough. I personally think any truck can pull almost anything on level ground, it the grades get you. I now have an enclosed four place, and I'm glad I now have my 2500 GMC Burban with my 454. It pulls it fine fully loaded with four sleds, riders and all the gear you can imagine. Not to mention tools, welder, etc. Now, the wind is what gets me. I'm concerned about a 1/2 holding that trailer when the winds hit, and the hills. Something to keep in mind.

-Vince

daman said:

with a 1/2 ton P/U????

sorry Ding i call B.S on that one, i haul heavy equipment almost every
day and there is know way a 1/2 ton P/U would do it,and stop it.

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Your basically calling Randy a liar, which I really dont appreicate cause I know him on a somewhat personal level and calling people out isnt what this thread is about. But Randy really doesnt come off to me as a fairy teller in anyway, so Ill take his word for it. If a 1/2ton truck has a towing capbility of 10,500lbs. Please explained to me how it cant be done for short distances if you have the motor, gear, and break controller. Im not out to make you look bad but what you posted above makes it sound like its impossible. Reason for my original post was get an idea of safety, mainly cause of it size not so much of its weight even though they both play a major role.

BTW: Thanks for all the replys fellas, diff. helped out.

daman said:

with a 1/2 ton P/U????

sorry Ding i call B.S on that one,i haul heavy equipment almost every
day and there is Know way a 1/2 ton P/U would do it,and stop it.

Click to expand...

Nope it is for real. It's sitting out back right now, come over and see it if you want to. It is the same ole 98 Chevy extended cab P/U that I use to pull the sled trailer or toss the Viper in the back. Many on here have seen the truck at Muni or other rides. The trailer is a homemade 24' - 3 axle job with electric brakes on 2 axles and a pintle hitch. The hitch has to be almost even with the bottom of the tailgate to get the trailer somewhat level. The backhoe is an old 580 Case from before they started using letters after the 580. The key is the electric brakes, and enough tongue weight to give the rear tires traction, but not make the front too light so you can't steer. I have tried all kinds of combinations till I found which works best.

One time when the brake controller fried on me, I simply took a switch like the ones on the wall in any typical house, and wired it up direct. I wrapped the wire around the turn signal lever to keep it handy. Flip the switch and the brakes are full on. I wouldn't recommend this except in a pinch. It got me home that day after a pretty good scare when the controller quit going around a downhill corner in the rain. You are right a 1/2 ton pickup has a hard time stopping that kind of weight without trailer brakes. But throw on good trailer brakes, and the trailer stops the truck. I used that same switch setup to go pick up a S-tine Harrow, and it would lock the brakes up with the trailer empty. Strange, but it was harder to stop without any weight on the trailer then it was loaded.

I grew up in the construction industry. Talk about child labor, I was working when I was 10. Not full time or anything, but a little every day and most weekends. Between us and the cousins, we have rigged up all kinds of things to get stuff to and from the jobsites. Many of these contraptions were likely unsafe, but we didn't know any better, and the job had to get done so we could eat.

You are gonna freak, but I pulled a slightly lighter backhoe (Massey Ferguson 202) all the way from New Baltimore out herer to Howell. I went right down I-696 going about 65 mph. Probrably shouldn't have, but it needed to get moved and all I had was my truck.

Ding said:

You should be fine, just don't run it over 70 mph very much, and stay out of overdrive for the most part. Keep a good deal of weight in the truck if you can. A simple weight distrbution hitch and a swaybar if needed will work wonders for you. A set of Timbrens can easily increase the support of the rear as well.

I have pulled 12,000 lbs of backhoe and trailer numerous times with various different 1/2 ton pickups. This would not be legal now, and probably wasn't then either. The key when hauling a trailer that outweighs the truck several times is to keep a good deal of tongue weight, and don't do anything rash while driving. Look ahead, beside, and behind you more than you would with just the truck. You will need a great deal more time and space to avoid trouble that may come from other vehicles. Leave more space, and let off the gas sooner. Keep the whole rig straight and just give yourself way more time and space and you should be fine.

Did I mention to leave more time and space while driving.

On a legal note, be sure that the combination is legal. Several Detroit suburbs are targeting personal tow vehicles that appear overweight and are issuing citations.

Click to expand...

They have weight rules on the highway? Next you will tell me they have size rules too. LOL Its only illegal when they catch you. Maxdlx

I believe Ding. I have done it throu the mountains of Pennsylvania with my f250. but with electric brakes. It was my best friends rubber coatings trailor.
You guys thinkin you have to have a big motor and change your gears and do this and do that. Come on. I did what ding is talkin about bro. LOL

And yes it was about 12,000 no less than 10,000.

just cause you can, doesn't mean you should.... if your buying new anyway why not buy the correct tools for the job?

daman said:

with a 1/2 ton P/U????

sorry Ding i call B.S on that one,i haul heavy equipment almost every
day and there is Know way a 1/2 ton P/U would do it,and stop it.

Click to expand...

The F150 with the 5.4L has a tow rating of 11,000 pounds. If they are willing to RATE it at that (obviously with a weight-distributing hitch) you dont think it could pull 1,000 more? Yes Ding I have to say I believe it definately could have been done. As you said maybe not the safest thing in the world, but sometimes circumstances dont leave you much choice. Keep her out of overdrive and have good trailer brakes and you can at least do it relatively safe. In my opinion if you want to tow or haul something real heavy Ford suspensions are lightyears ahead of the others. I am not brand loyal by any means but for towing all the time I think there is a clear leader.

i'm not calling anybody a liar,when i first read your post Ding all that popped
in my head was me haul'en our hoe with our 1/2 ton P/U,no f*k'en way would me or any one of our guy's do that,she wouldn't even get her outa the pit let alone down the road @ 55 0r 60 mph, i'm not risking my life or any one else when we have the right equipment to do the job right.

a hoe is a lot different then a camper or long trailer it's got height, top
heavy,at least on our tri-axle dove tail.

all i got to say,you guy's crazy F***'ers,and let me now when your doing
it so i can stay clear of that road..

daman said:

i'm not calling anybody a liar,when i first read your post Ding all that popped
in my head was me haul'en our hoe with our 1/2 ton P/U,no f*k'en way would me or any one of our guy's do that,she wouldn't even get her outa the pit let alone down the road @ 55 0r 60 mph, i'm not risking my life or any one else when we have the right equipment to do the job right.

a hoe is a lot different then a camper or long trailer it's got height, top
heavy,at least on our tri-axle dove tail.

all i got to say,you guy's crazy F***'ers,and let me now when your doing
it so i can stay clear of that road..

Click to expand...

lol, i like the punch line.
My pop's company has two Cat 320's, a 315C, a 215C, and a Link Belt 210LX. They all get hauled on the 35 ton lowboy behind the Mack CH613. Right tool for the job But the skid steer (Cat's biggest, the 262) and the Kubota mini excavtor have no problem behind the F350 Super Duty PowerStroke on a tandem axle trailer on a pintle hook.

1/2 ton

There are folks that will haul 4 place trailers with a S-10 with a 4.3. I see them every year. They will tow but they DO NOT STOP !!! Even with the FORD or CHEVY diesel trucks pulling bobcats and backhoes they will pull them but they will scare the S_ _T out of you when they DO NOT STOP. The 1/2 ton will tow OK and may stop OK with trailer brakes but it will be a long way from a 1 ton truck that was built ( brakes, shocks, springs, gear ratio etc. )to haul heavy loads.

I just read an article in Road & Track on the 07 chevy Z-71 1/2 ton that in stock form real life was getting an impresive 13.4 MPG. That SUCKS !!! Why are we accepting getting fuel mileage similar to a F-700 dump truck that weighs 15,000 lbs empty and will get the same mileage loaded ?

Bottom line is be prepared to accept the 1/2 ton is what it is. 1,000 # Maximum capacity. 1/2 ton.