Towing my tractor

[Professor Marvel]

I have a 2004 F250 crew with a 5.4. My tractor is a NH TC45D w/FEL and a very heavy 5' bushog. I think I want to get a 20' Kauffman tilt bed trailer with 2 7k# axels with brakes on both axels. Will this setup work for occasionally towing my tractor? Normally I would only tow it around my local area but might need to take it up to 2 hrs when I want to get it serviced.

Thanks for input. I do not plan on much towing, I just want it to be safe and do not have much experience besides just pulling it with my 16' car trailer which I do not feel too comfortable with.

 

[farmboy12]

Sounds just about right. Maybe opt for a 22' but 20' should do okay, but you'll soon realize that 2' makes a big difference in adjusting tongue weight or throwing a little something extra on the trailer.


Kyle

 

[Rancher Ed]

I agree an extra couple feet would be nice but a 20' trailer should work. Other than that, you should be good to go.:thumbsup:

Ed

 

[Diamondpilot]

Biggest problem I see is your trucks tow rating. You did not say 4x4 or not but if its a 4x4 your tow rating is only 8,300# and if its 2 wheel drive its 8,700#. If it were the V-10 or Diesel you would have about twice that tow rating. This is the issue with most 3/4 ton gas trucks.

Your tractor weighs 3,740# with no weight or loaded tires. Your FEL is around 1,200# and your BH is going to be right at 800# give or take. That puts you at 5,740# then a trailer is going to be right around 3,000# so you will be right on the edge of what your truck can do.

If you are not comfortable towing what you have now you should not be towing twice the load, especially with this truck.

Chris

 

[farmboy12]

Biggest problem I see is your trucks tow rating. You did not say 4x4 or not but if its a 4x4 your tow rating is only 8,300# and if its 2 wheel drive its 8,700#. If it were the V-10 or Diesel you would have about twice that tow rating. This is the issue with most 3/4 ton gas trucks.

Your tractor weighs 3,740# with no weight or loaded tires. Your FEL is around 1,200# and your BH is going to be right at 800# give or take. That puts you at 5,740# then a trailer is going to be right around 3,000# so you will be right on the edge of what your truck can do.

If you are not comfortable towing what you have now you should not be towing twice the load, especially with this truck.

Chris

Chris, I did think about that but another thing that should be rememebered is he is not towing too often. So I assume he doesnt need tons of power to move this load all up and down hills for miles and miles day after day.

His truck doesn't weigh too much less than a diesel, and still has the same brakes, so stopping his load should be the same or easier than with a diesel.

He may be over on his legal weights, but taking it easy his truck will handle it just fine IMHO


Kyle

 

[Professor Marvel]

Thanks guys
I appreciate the responses. Chris I especially appreciate your detailed answer so I know exactly what I am dealing with. Farmboy is correct though and I absolutely only intend to tow my tractor maybe a few times a year and even more rarely more than about 5 to 10 rural miles. My concern is more safety than towing performance.
I knew I could count on the folks at this forum for legitimate advice.

 

[mjncad]

Do you have the limited slip rear end? If so, that should boost your towing capacity by about 1,000 pounds. That was the main reason I got the LS rear end on mine.

The V8 gasser will be a bit wheezy for the load I suspect, which is why I got the V-10. I couldn't justify the diesel when I bought mine.

 

[Dmace]

If Chris is right on the tractor weight then a trailer with two 7k lb axles is overkill and only adding weight. A good tandem axle 10k trailer with two 5200lb axles would be more than enough plus lighter and cheaper.

 

[arsenix2001]

If Chris is right on the tractor weight then a trailer with two 7k lb axles is overkill and only adding weight. A good tandem axle 10k trailer with two 5200lb axles would be more than enough plus lighter and cheaper.

Plus one on that, my 24 foot 14k deckover wieghs 4250 dry!

 

[Diamondpilot]

5 to 10 miles you should just drive the tractor. I can beat you every time just driving my tractor versus you hitching up the trailer, loading the tractor, chaining it down, driving it there, unchaining it, the unloading it. I will take you 30 minutes min.

I can drive my tractor at 15mph comfortably, faster if I want my ribs beat out.

Chris

 

[Professor Marvel]

Chris
You are probably right. I have been driving my tractors around my neighborhood or pulling them on my 16 ft trailer with the bigger tractor hanging the bucket over the back of my truck because I can barely fit the tractor on with the bushog. I am just trying to become safer and more legitimate with my transportation of my tractors. Your logic has convinced me to keep on doing things the way I have been and save the money.
Thanks

 

[Diamondpilot]

Chris
You are probably right. I have been driving my tractors around my neighborhood or pulling them on my 16 ft trailer with the bigger tractor hanging the bucket over the back of my truck because I can barely fit the tractor on with the bushog. I am just trying to become safer and more legitimate with my transportation of my tractors. Your logic has convinced me to keep on doing things the way I have been and save the money.
Thanks

I am not trying to convince you of anything, just trying to help. Just wanted to show you the other side of looking at things. I get a kick out of a guy who lives about 1/2 mile from his mom on a county road. I am good friends with him and he mows her yard for her. I have tried to convince him for years now to just drive the mower but he insist to hitch up his trailer and take it down to her house. I bet he uses a extra hour each time when he could just ride the mower each way in 5 minutes.

Whatever you do just be careful. Trailering or driving the tractor is a choice only you can make.

Chris

 

[mjncad]

Chris:

Your friend goes through all that grief just for a 1/2 mile drive. I agree with you...just drive the tractor to his Mom's place and be done with it. At least he's being a good son.

 

[Fixemall]

I don't necessarily agree with driving on the streets, I regularly trailer my tractor 3/4 of a mile to my other place, mostly due to idiot drivers. I keep my equipment trailer hooked up unless pulling the dump trailer, I have flip up ramps with feet and can load and bind by my self in under three minutes.

 

[WM75Guy]

My 2003 4X4 diesel can tow 14,700#. My 12GP GN weights 3100#, leaving 8900# for payload. The TC40DA with FEL is 4700# and 6' cutter is 800#, total of 5500#, well below that weight. Weight of trailer and tractor is 8600#. With the bucket lowered at the front of the trailer the cutter sticks off the back about 2', which is the wheel.

The same vehicle with the 6.0 gas is rated for 9800#, still OK. 2WD is 9900# gas and 15,200# diesel, both would be OK.

Tongue weight is 10-15% (not to exceed 1500#) for bumper pull and 15-25% (not to exceed 3000#) for 5th wheel (gooseneck). Either would be OK.

Your Ford is probably close to these numbers. The TC45DA weights 300# more than my TC40DA. Loaded tires would add more weight, 900-1000#. Your close to max depending on trailer type and weight. A bumper pull saves on trailer weight giving more payload capacity.

I prefer diesel and GN to tow heavy loads, Chris prefers bumper pull. That's why they make both types. It's up to you and your budget to decide. Don't let others spend your money.

 

[WM75Guy]

The other consideration would be GCWR. Mine is 22,000#. Truck is 9200# GVWR, trailer is 12,000#. Maxed out I am at 21,200#. That's why I picked my 12GP over the 14GP, 14,000# capacity. It weighs more, costs more, and I legally could not carry the extra ton of cargo. All it takes is one stop by DPS Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) and be put on the scales to show you that overweight tickets are expensive.

I took my Boomer 8N to the shop last week. DPS CVE was working the loop. Had 1 stopped hauling a TLB with the outriggers up and no chains on them, can you say OOPS. Had 2 more look me over but saw I had chains and boomers fore and aft and did not stop me.

Being legal is easy to do and provides me peace of mind when towing. After all, this is supposed to be fun.