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Realistically now... How much weight can I tow?

BigArt

BigArt

In for the long haul
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Location
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Check my sig for my truck specs. It tows my 30' Dutchmen, at about 9000 lbs with no problem. The wife (God bless her soul) is now looking at a used Hitchhiker Champagne edition 5er, that states GVWR of 16,500 lbs. Do you think my 6.5 can handle that? Or am I looking at a truck upgrade (Dmax) as well?

Art
 
I think with a complete radiator clean out, blast out the AC condenser as well, the HO waterpump, free fan clutch mod, plastic Duramax fan and a turbo (I know a guy you can get one from) that thing will be plenty. Plus, you'll have money to spare.
 
Could it pull it...yes
Mountains or flat?
Long or short haul?

Should you...Check the GVWR of the truck, some provinces and states very strict on this. That is probably getting close to 3 times the weight of the truck.
 
I wouldn't. Well, let me re-phrase that. I'd like to try it with my truck. Don't know as I'd want to attempt it with 3:73s, srw and non ff rearend. The truck will pull it, heck it's on wheels anything will pull it. And the trailers got brakes, so you should be able to stop it. The question is, will it work the truck too hard, will the 2500 components stand up? I know what some people will say, since there are guys pulling way more than that with half tons. Well I've pulled about 40k (it was on wheels) for about 60 feet, does that mean I should go on the road like that?
If you are going into some hilly country it's going to be too much. Even a big headwind on a fiver can be too much for the truck. I pull about the same weight as your 9k camper and the hills wipe me out.
That said, I know of a stock 6.5 dually that used to pull a pretty big fiver all over the place, not sure how he did it. I've got a lot more under the hood than he does, and before I tried to pull his trailer I would definitely cinch up the seatbelt a little tighter.

Or maybe I'm just not as courageous as some guys. My old man used to say "bravery is just another word for lack of brains".
Let us know how it goes.
 
What do you think the actual weight you'd be pulling is? GVWRs vary, if you look inside the camper you should be able to find dry weight, and compare it to what you think your 30 footer weighs. My 33 footer is 11k gvwrs, dry weights only about 8500. I don't transport water needlessly, so with all our gear I'm probably still under 10k easy. It tows beautifully except on the long steep mountain pulls, and I'm working on that. How comfortable are you with the way it tows the Dutchman?
 
2500 Hd will have a full floating 8 lug same as a 1 ton. The truck has all the same components as the 1 ton with weaker springs small rear drums(maybe), and 3.73's but some 3/4 tons had 4.10's
 
Overweight fines are around a dollar a pound, plus the cost of having the trailer towed.

If someone gets badly hurt in an accident you were involved in you'll end up wishing it was you.

If those trailer brakes ever fail ..................

IF you blow a tire. ................

If someone or a little kid cuts in front of you..........

Your call.
 
I wouldn't pull that with mine due to the stability issue. The LEAST I would pull a 16.5k with (think 18k loaded) is a DMax dually.
 
another thing to consider, if the GVWR of the truck plus the GVWR of the trailer exceed 26000 lbs you need a CDL and must use log books and such when you tow it.
 
Actually you don't need a CDL if it's not commercial. Recreational vehicles are exempt. That's why you see 75 y/o retired guys behind the wheel of 40 foot pushers with air brakes and an operators license. I see haulers at the drags, 40 foot tri-axle trailers behind pusher Prevosts, bigger than a tractor trailer, all you need is an operators license. Unless the racing is a business, then it's falls under commercial.
RVs don't need to stop at weigh stations either, least not where I come from.
 
Detroit Dan said:
Actually you don't need a CDL if it's not commercial. Recreational vehicles are exempt. That's why you see 75 y/o retired guys behind the wheel of 40 foot pushers with air brakes and an operators license. I see haulers at the drags, 40 foot tri-axle trailers behind pusher Prevosts, bigger than a tractor trailer, all you need is an operators license. Unless the racing is a business, then it's falls under commercial.
RVs don't need to stop at weigh stations either, least not where I come from.
Click to expand...

26k is CDL regardless of use, you don't need a commercial reg, but you must have the license, NYDOT has been pinching people for this left and right.

Some states offer an endorsement to make you CDL exempt (operators license) but i know MA does not. Also, most of those people at the track are driving their campers and trailers illegally.
 
You would spend $10-12K getting your truck ready to pull that, with engine, drivetrain, suspension, braking and cooling mods. And that is a decent down payment on a new truck.

But Id say it would pull it then.
 
I dunno, Art... you have a good list of mods, but that's a lot of weight if you get into some hills. Mine was 9800 lb with roughly the same load-out, and the Rockies were some work for it.

I think you can pull it, but if I was you, I'd want a different truck.

FWIW, the wife was looking at a 37' Grand Junction with about the same weight, and not having enough truck was why we finally decided no... I took a friend's Cedar Creek for a tow, and my truck didn't like it hardly at all.
 
Here in Ontario over 4600 kg on the trailer wheels a restricted kind of an A drivers licence now required. Similar to BC I believe .Who Knows ,Manitoba may be next . I have a 30 foot & its no fun sometimes on hills & bucking head wind s.
 
OK next question

Well, it seems that the concensus is that we shouldn't push the 6.5 that much. I would intend to pull it where ever I would want to go, including the Canadian rockies.

How much truck would I need? Dmax? Ford super duty? I'm very much a GM/Chevy kind of guy, but I got to admit I like the looks and feel of the Fords (not wanting to be blasphemous, here in GM country ).

Thanks for the replies,
Art
 
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