Can I legally tow a 20,000 lb. trailer with my F-450?

[Gamma]

This is one of those topics that have never seemed to had a definite answer when discussed on a web forum, but here I go with it anyway. lol

Basically I want to know if I can LEGALLY tow a 20,000 lb. goose neck trailer with my 2000 Ford F-450?

The F-450 has a GVWR of 15,000 lbs., but I don't know what the GCWR for it is though. I just had the truck weighed yesterday and the weight was 9,330 lbs. with a full tank of diesel fuel.

The trailer in question would be a 20'+5' goose neck trailer with a GVWR of 20,000 lbs. and an actual weight of 5,440 lbs..

The load for the trailer would be an ASV RC-100 with a Fecon Bull Hog mounted on it for a combined weight of 12,440 lbs. I'm also considering a grapple rake for an additional weight of 820 lbs..

Here's a little chart that I made:
Avail. Capacity
GVWR of trailer 20,000 lbs.
Weight of trailer 5,440 lbs. 14,560
RC100 + Bull Hog 12,440 lbs. 2,120
Grapple rake, 73" 820 lbs. 1,300

I haven't even figured in the additional weight of 100 gallons of diesel fuel that I'd put in the transfer tank mounted on the flat bed of my truck, or misc. things like chains, load binders, extra fluids, grease guns, tools and so on.

So... can I legally tow this trailer if it was maxed out at it's full 20,000 lbs.?

If the trailer was maxed out at 20K, that would definitely put me over 26,000 lbs.. How's that going to effect things as far as licensing the truck, trailer and a CDL?

I don't doubt that the truck and trailer could safely handle the loads, I'm wondering about the legalities of it all though.

Thanks!!!

 

[Gamma]

Well, I don't understand it, but the chart that I inserted looked fine when I entered it and also when I try to edit it. It gets all messed up when I post it though.

The weights in the 2nd column are the available trailer capacity leftover after subtracting the weight in the 1st column. It's a running total as you go down.

 

[BarryinMN]

Your chart should transfer tongue weight to the truck as well.

CDL log book may be as simple as an office time card if you stay local. Chck with your state DOT.

 

[Builder]

This is one of those topics that have never seemed to had a definite answer when discussed on a web forum, but here I go with it anyway. lol

Basically I want to know if I can LEGALLY tow a 20,000 lb. goose neck trailer with my 2000 Ford F-450?

The F-450 has a GVWR of 15,000 lbs., but I don't know what the GCWR for it is though. I just had the truck weighed yesterday and the weight was 9,330 lbs. with a full tank of diesel fuel.

The trailer in question would be a 20'+5' goose neck trailer with a GVWR of 20,000 lbs. and an actual weight of 5,440 lbs..

The load for the trailer would be an ASV RC-100 with a Fecon Bull Hog mounted on it for a combined weight of 12,440 lbs. I'm also considering a grapple rake for an additional weight of 820 lbs..

Here's a little chart that I made:
Avail. Capacity
GVWR of trailer 20,000 lbs.
Weight of trailer 5,440 lbs. 14,560
RC100 + Bull Hog 12,440 lbs. 2,120
Grapple rake, 73" 820 lbs. 1,300

I haven't even figured in the additional weight of 100 gallons of diesel fuel that I'd put in the transfer tank mounted on the flat bed of my truck, or misc. things like chains, load binders, extra fluids, grease guns, tools and so on.

So... can I legally tow this trailer if it was maxed out at it's full 20,000 lbs.?

If the trailer was maxed out at 20K, that would definitely put me over 26,000 lbs.. How's that going to effect things as far as licensing the truck, trailer and a CDL?

I don't doubt that the truck and trailer could safely handle the loads, I'm wondering about the legalities of it all though.

Thanks!!!

In MOST states, including mine, you can tow as much as you want so long as the trailer & truck combined do not exceed 26,000lbs. If your trailer weighs 20,000 lbs, then your truck would have to weight 6,000lbs to be legal. That is not the case with your situation since your truck weighs 9,000+ lbs. Sounds like you'll be well in excess of 26,000lbs, which would require a class A CDL.

You are also in excess of the GCWR of your truck, which in your case is probably 26,000lbs. Ford does make a HD trailering option for the 450 which bumps it up to either 28 or 30K, but we don't know if you have that package. Even if you did, you'd be over the CDL limit and very close to the F-450 HD trailering GCWR.

If you exceed Ford's GCWR of your truck and you're involved in an accident, you'd have a lot of explaining to do since it is assumed that as the owner of the truck you are required to have knowledge of your trucks' GCWR. If overloading your truck caused an accident or a knowledgeable plaintiff/lawyer can prove it was a contributing reason, I'd say you'd be up a creek without a paddle.

Anyway, I'm sure you're in excess of the limit of a standard driver's licence and most likely well in excess of the GCWR of your 450.

 

[dbear]

Here's a link to an "official" Ford towing guide:

https://www.fleet.ford.com/showroom/rv_trailer_towing/2002/2002_SD_F350_550.pdf

According to it, the answer is "no." You'll notice this is for '02 models, but the front page did not offer anything older.

https://www.fleet.ford.com/showroom/rv_trailer_towing/2002/2002_default.asp

 

[Gamma]

Here's a link to an "official" Ford towing guide:

https://www.fleet.ford.com/showroom/rv_trailer_towing/2002/2002_SD_F350_550.pdf

According to it, the answer is "no." You'll notice this is for '02 models, but the front page did not offer anything older.

https://www.fleet.ford.com/showroom/rv_trailer_towing/2002/2002_default.asp

I've noticed that they only go back to the 2002 model year too.

 

[George2615]

The truck will probably tow it and stop it with the proper brakes. The weight of the truck plus a fully loaded trailer puts you above the 26,001 requirement for a CDL. I'd agree with dbear, builder, and the chart that you couldn't legally tow 20K with your truck.

 

[John White]

In ohio here is how it was explained to me. My truck is a 5500 GMC with a gvw rating of 19000. Unloaded weight is 8700. My trailer is rated at 14000, empty it weights 2500. I have used F350 and simular hd pickups over the years and they just do not provide enough braking abililty, even with bakes on all 4 wheels on trailer. My little dozer weighs 10,000, fully loaded, truck 8700 trailer 2500 dozer 10000. a total of 19,500lbs. I went through a weigh check point (dozer was not on trailer). My combined weight was 95000 across the scale. They pulled me in and give me a tilcket which cost $150. He said my truck was rated at 19000 and my trailer was rated at 14000 which could put me over CDL if fully loaded. My truck would not pull 33000 lbs I tried to explain and would be right back where I started from a truck with not enough braking ability, making it unsafe in a sudden stop. He could care less about safety. I didnt have a cdl so he made me unhook my trailer and leave it. I went home and got my little Ford ranger, and it just fried his but when I showed up to get my trailer. Totaly legal (but not safe) . No wonder truckers hate the puco. You cannot reason with them.

 

[Gamma]

John,

Your numbers don't add up when I do it myself. I get a total of 11,200 lbs for the truck & empty trailer together and I get a total of 21,200 lbs with the dozer on the trailer.

I don't understand how you could get a ticket when you didn't even have the 10,000 lb dozer on the trailer?

Where does the 33,000 lbs that you mention come from?

 

[wroughtn_harv]

John,

Your numbers don't add up when I do it myself. I get a total of 11,200 lbs for the truck & empty trailer together and I get a total of 21,200 lbs with the dozer on the trailer.

I don't understand how you could get a ticket when you didn't even have the 10,000 lb dozer on the trailer?

Where does the 33,000 lbs that you mention come from?

It's about capacity my friends, all about potential. If your truck is rated at 19,500 lbs and your trailer is rated at 20,000 lbs then you are legally capable of carrying the combination of 39,500 lbs which is over the 26,000 lb limit of a non-commercial drivers license.

Here in Texas DPS loves to see a one ton coming down the road with a dual tandem float gooseneck hooked up to it. It's money in the bank.