Rental Yards here now require 3/4 ton truck or better when towing.

[RedNeckRacin]

I got a heck of a funny look when I bought my international. I drove the wife's honda down the flordia to pick it up and decided it would be easiest to put it on a uhaul trailer and bring it home. I had a heck of a time telling the lady on the phone what my truck was and that it was capable of hauling the honda. What was even funnier was to make things easier I just told her it was a dodge dually. The look on the manager's face at the rental yard was priceless when i rolled in with a 4700 international! I asked him "I am not sure if i can pull that honda or not, what do you think?" Needless to say he and i both got a good laugh out of it and I was on my merry way. I dont think the rental yard down the road has a 3/4 ton policy or not, I have never went in there with less than a 1 ton truck? :thumbsup:

 

[pclausen]

I guess the rental years around my parts are a lot more laid back. While I do have a 1 ton truck, my old trailer was a 7ton, and they had no problem letting me pick up this load with that combo.

That boom lift is probably about 13k by itself.

 

[Rmart30]

I agree with everything you mentioned but comparing the weight to the tow vehicle. My f150 can legally tow slightly more than double its weight. It weighs 5600 lbs and rated to tow 11,300 lbs.

Agreed , but trailers with that weight are required to have brakes which makes that a safe combination .... towing a 4200# air compressor with no brakes required with a 3300# truck is a accident waiting to happen.... put that 11k load with no brakes behind a 6k truck and try to stop it.

 

[timswi]

Agreed , but trailers with that weight are required to have brakes which makes that a safe combination .... towing a 4200# air compressor with no brakes required with a 3300# truck is a accident waiting to happen.... put that 11k load with no brakes behind a 6k truck and try to stop it.

Had that happen when the plug disconnected on an 8k#+ 32' TT, going down a 1 mile hill....By the time I got it stopped, the rotors were glowing and was sitting in a cloud of smoke...I don't want to experience that ever again.

 

[jejeosborne]

Agreed , but trailers with that weight are required to have brakes which makes that a safe combination .... towing a 4200# air compressor with no brakes required with a 3300# truck is a accident waiting to happen.... put that 11k load with no brakes behind a 6k truck and try to stop it.

No brakes, is that legal? If so point made.

 

[sd455dan]

I agree with everything you mentioned but comparing the weight to the tow vehicle. My f150 can legally tow slightly more than double its weight. It weighs 5600 lbs and rated to tow 11,300 lbs.

I had to check this out, on the Ford website and sure enough it can tow 11,300 lbs, but only if the trailer is equipped (weight distributing) hitch.. If pulling a standard non weight distributing trailer it is 5000 lbs. And a max tongue weight of 500 lbs. I was starting to think there wasn't a compelling reason to have purchased my one ton..

 

[jejeosborne]

I had to check this out, on the Ford website and sure enough it can tow 11,300 lbs, but only if the trailer is equipped (weight distributing) hitch.. If pulling a standard non weight distributing trailer it is 5000 lbs. And a max tongue weight of 500 lbs. I was starting to think there wasn't a compelling reason to have purchased my one ton..

All trucks including 2500 series require a weight distribution hitch above a certain limit. Some 3/4 ton trucks have a 300 lb tongue/3000 lb limit without one. The 500/5000 limit is actually average to above average in 3/4 tons.

Unfortunately many don't realize this. I see a lot of skid steers and mini excavators being hauled behind 3/4 ton trucks without a WD hitch and 99% of them are exceeding their hitch limits. You can purchase aftermarket hitches but that doesn't change what the manual states.

Having the WD hitch spreads the tongue load across all the bolts holding the hitch on rather than just the rear bolts taking all the tension. Not to mention adding addition weight to your most important stopping axle, the front.

You are correct, towing capacities between the 3/4 ton and 1/2 ton are similar. What you gain is cargo capacity.

 

[Dmace]

All trucks including 2500 series require a weight distribution hitch above a certain limit.

I'm pretty sure the GM trucks don't.

 

[Diamondpilot]

All trucks including 2500 series require a weight distribution hitch above a certain limit. Some 3/4 ton trucks have a 300 lb tongue/3000 lb limit without one. The 500/5000 limit is actually average to above average in 3/4 tons.

Unfortunately many don't realize this. I see a lot of skid steers and mini excavators being hauled behind 3/4 ton trucks without a WD hitch and 99% of them are exceeding their hitch limits. You can purchase aftermarket hitches but that doesn't change what the manual states.

Having the WD hitch spreads the tongue load across all the bolts holding the hitch on rather than just the rear bolts taking all the tension. Not to mention adding addition weight to your most important stopping axle, the front.

You are correct, towing capacities between the 3/4 ton and 1/2 ton are similar. What you gain is cargo capacity.

Exactly.

Chris

 

[Diamondpilot]

I'm pretty sure the GM trucks don't.

They do. On the 3/4 & above its 750/7500# before a WD is required.

Chris