What do you guys think about this 10k trailer?

[KeithT]

I think everyone worries too much.

Lets be honest here. A 2005 F-150 is more truck then a 1995 F-250. Now that F-250 may have a diesel but I am talking chassis, tranny, brakes, ect.

This is not just Ford. GM and Dodges have made tremendous strides also.. All the newer 1/2 ton trucks with the big engine and running gear can safely handle 9,000# or more.

I personally would feel safer pulling a 10,000# in my 2009 Nissan Titan than I would in my Father-N-Laws 1981 3/4 tons Chevy with its old drum brakes, and realtivly weak engine and tranny.

Chris

Very well said. It is a disservice to call a modern F150 a"1/2 ton". I wouldn't hesitate to use a modern truck right up to the manufacturers limits.

 

[wkpoor]

Lets be honest here. A 2005 F-150 is more truck then a 1995 F-250. Now that F-250 may have a diesel but I am talking chassis, tranny, brakes, ect.

This is not just Ford. GM and Dodges have made tremendous strides also.. All the newer 1/2 ton trucks with the big engine and running gear can safely handle 9,000# or more.

I personally would feel safer pulling a 10,000# in my 2009 Nissan Titan than I would in my Father-N-Laws 1981 3/4 tons Chevy with its old drum brakes, and realtivly weak engine and tranny.

I agree with all but the last sentence. Until just a few yrs ago the drive line behind the engine was the same as in the 81 3/4 and 1 ton. And in 81 many 3/4 and 1 tons had the 454/400turbo and 14bolt corporate FF axle. I don't understand why anyone would think the turbo 400 was a weak tranny. Proven realibilty for 40yrs. Ain't no Nissan can come close to those components in a light truck.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I agree with all but the last sentence. Until just a few yrs ago the drive line behind the engine was the same as in the 81 3/4 and 1 ton. And in 81 many 3/4 and 1 tons had the 454/400turbo and 14bolt corporate FF axle. I don't understand why anyone would think the turbo 400 was a weak tranny. Proven realibilty for 40yrs. Ain't no Nissan can come close to those components in a light truck.

I am not sure about the axle but I know all 3 of his 80's Chevy trucks have 350's with 4 barrels and I believe turbo 350 trannys.



Chris

 

[jlrsn]

One thing is having the power to pull a trailer and what always concerns me is having the an adequate hitch, suspension, and weight to control a trailer. If a trailer is mis-loaded and the pulling vehicle does not have an adequate hitch, suspension, and weight and the trailer has inadequate brakes things can get nasty fast!
Jim

 

[wkpoor]

I am not sure about the axle but I know all 3 of his 80's Chevy trucks have 350's with 4 barrels and I believe turbo 350 trannys.



Chris

I do believe the 3/4 t in the late 70's through sometime in the 80's had a light version without the FF axle. I dated a girl in highschool who's dad had a 78 3/4t and it was 454/t400 and FF rear axle. Outside of current day diesel thats about as tough a combo as it gets in a light truck. I don't believe the 350 up front makes a truck light duty though. Just means you get there a minute later and several gallons less in fuel usage. I've owned both and move everything with the 350 I could have with the 454.
Guy at work boat this year thats weighs 8800lbs total w/trailer. He had a new Nissan. Towed it about 3xs and traded for a Ford full size 1/2t. Hmmmm Nissan was rated 1/2t. Wonder why he felt the need for a domestic full size.......could it be the Nissan just didn't stack up in the real world. I know they advertise 10K towing. One day while I'm going somewhere (with a little extra time on my hands) with my rig I'm going to pull into a Nissan dealer and see if he will let me test drive a new truck with my trailer and load in tow. Hehehee yeh right.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I do believe the 3/4 t in the late 70's through sometime in the 80's had a light version without the FF axle. I dated a girl in highschool who's dad had a 78 3/4t and it was 454/t400 and FF rear axle. Outside of current day diesel thats about as tough a combo as it gets in a light truck. I don't believe the 350 up front makes a truck light duty though. Just means you get there a minute later and several gallons less in fuel usage. I've owned both and move everything with the 350 I could have with the 454.
Guy at work boat this year thats weighs 8800lbs total w/trailer. He had a new Nissan. Towed it about 3xs and traded for a Ford full size 1/2t. Hmmmm Nissan was rated 1/2t. Wonder why he felt the need for a domestic full size.......could it be the Nissan just didn't stack up in the real world. I know they advertise 10K towing. One day while I'm going somewhere (with a little extra time on my hands) with my rig I'm going to pull into a Nissan dealer and see if he will let me test drive a new truck with my trailer and load in tow. Hehehee yeh right.

First off the 454 was a good engine but does not hold a candle to the GM 8.1 or the V10 Ford. The trucks themselves were a far cry as far as chassis, brakes, ect go so you are comparing apples and oranges.

That is ridiculous about the Titan. No matter how much you want to believe look at the numbers then actually drive one. If it has the Big Tow Package and proper gearing and suspension its a beast. I have owned every truck other than a Tundra and my current Titan will flat out stomp my 2007 F-150 I traded it on. The Titan does get a little worse mpg but that is the only thing it does worse. My dad hated the fact that I bought a foreign truck until he rode in it to Knoxville with me last August pulling 7K and 1,000# in the bed and 4 guys. I changed his and my old college roommates opinion who currently drives a 2007 2500 HD 4x4 with the 6.0.


I am glad you are happy with the performance of your van and a Chevy 350 but you would not catch me in one. Especially in the Titan going up a hill pulling a load.

Chris

 

[wkpoor]

First off the 454 was a good engine but does not hold a candle to the GM 8.1 or the V10 Ford. The trucks themselves were a far cry as far as chassis, brakes, ect go so you are comparing apples and oranges.

That is ridiculous about the Titan. No matter how much you want to believe look at the numbers then actually drive one. If it has the Big Tow Package and proper gearing and suspension its a beast. I have owned every truck other than a Tundra and my current Titan will flat out stomp my 2007 F-150 I traded it on. The Titan does get a little worse mpg but that is the only thing it does worse. My dad hated the fact that I bought a foreign truck until he rode in it to Knoxville with me last August pulling 7K and 1,000# in the bed and 4 guys. I changed his and my old college roommates opinion who currently drives a 2007 2500 HD 4x4 with the 6.0.


I am glad you are happy with the performance of your van and a Chevy 350 but you would not catch me in one. Especially in the Titan going up a hill pulling a load.

Chris

Chris, I won't argue powerplants at all. I'm sure all the new generation engines are better than their predecessors. But that doesn't mean the older units won't get you there. Allbeit a little slower but I will get there. I'm only relaying that a pilot at work must have thought something was lacking for him to trade in an 07 Nissan for a 09 Ford. But you have sparked more curiosity in me to check it out. I'll try to get a chance to do the same test I did with my bros 07 1/2t a couples years ago but this time it won't be a boat...it will something much more. And if I'm wrong I'll take it like a man.

 

[KeithInSpace]

I have pulled 10K with a 2002 F-150 and had no issues other than horrible 6mpg fuel economy...

I pull my 10k trailer all over the place with my [1/2 ton] Expedition rated for 9.2k# towing. I don't go up very big mountains (so far I've towed in mid-atlantic Virginia and coastal North Carolina), but I can get a solid 11 MPG interstate towing ~6k# between trailer and load.

Something to keep in mind: Just 'cause you BUY a 10k trailer doesn't mean you have to load it to the hilt.

I got my trailer brand-new for $2,500 and would have saved a whopping $300 and ~300# in dry weight going with a 7k# trailer of equal size. All else being equal, I think it's safer to put a 5k# load on a trailer rated for 10k# than a trailer rated for 7k#.

And when I get my next truck (diesel; 1-ton; club-cab; short-bed; SRW; 4WD) that has a towing capacity exceeding that of the trailer, I'm not leaving nearly as much on the table.

I'm all about the 10k trailer. And the one you've pictured looks pretty.

 

[bp fick]

Well, I sure am glad we didn't rehash that old 1/2 ton versus 3/4 ton thing!!!

Bwaaaaaaaaaaahh!!

 

[Gary Fowler]

Well since you mentioned it, I will relate an incident whereby a fellow worker was looking to buy a truck to pull his 35 foot camper trailer. He showed me the GVW and towing capacities of a 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton. I am not a trailer guy or towing novice much less an expert, but his figures made sense. THe 3/4 ton was slightly heavier than the 1/2 ton but the towing capacities were listed the same (1998 Ford) According to him, the combined extra weight of the truck made the 3/4 ton actually able to pull less than the 1/2 ton. We are talking legally here not cabability. He ended up getting one of the big 1.5 ton International rigs that are specially made for towing large campers with air ride suspension and a sleeper on the back. I think it had something like a 8.5 liter engine that had 850 pound feet of torque with a 6 speed Allison transmission. His info didnt allow even the 1 ton trucks to pull his large camper which if I recall was about 15K pounds.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Well since you mentioned it, I will relate an incident whereby a fellow worker was looking to buy a truck to pull his 35 foot camper trailer. He showed me the GVW and towing capacities of a 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton. I am not a trailer guy or towing novice much less an expert, but his figures made sense. THe 3/4 ton was slightly heavier than the 1/2 ton but the towing capacities were listed the same (1998 Ford) According to him, the combined extra weight of the truck made the 3/4 ton actually able to pull less than the 1/2 ton. We are talking legally here not cabability. He ended up getting one of the big 1.5 ton International rigs that are specially made for towing large campers with air ride suspension and a sleeper on the back. I think it had something like a 8.5 liter engine that had 850 pound feet of torque with a 6 speed Allison transmission. His info didnt allow even the 1 ton trucks to pull his large camper which if I recall was about 15K pounds.

Back in those days the trucks were limited by the brakes and chassis more than anything. Today a properly equipped F-350 can tow around 17,000#. If that is not enough just step up to the F-450 and you can tow 24,500#.

Chris

 

[PapaPerk]

I'm not impressed by the trailer pictured. Look at a Moritz or Corn Pro equipment trailer. I have a Corn Pro. I made the mistake of going cheap on a trailer... didn't like it and then got the Corn Pro.

 

[soarkrebel1]

Oh man a trailer question turns into a truck debate.....

But oh well....I still like the bigger brakes on a 3/4 ton and the larger size and weight just make for a more stable tow.
Diesel vs Gas.......not going there right now.

Nice trailer at a good price.

 

[Bama67]

Hi guys, just an update. I did buy the trailer. I am very happy with it and was pleasantly suprised when I saw it, at how well made it is. the first thing I did, was crawl under it and found it to have 3'' i-beam iron every 16-18'' or so. It also has axles that have, "made in USA" on them. I can't remember the brand, Dexter maybe? The trailer is nice, found the white pinstripe that runs down it is not a sticker but handpainted, pulls great, strong drop-down jack, fenders really stout, great brakes. I have used it several times already. I can't really think of anything bad to say, other than I wish I had bought it earlier so I didn't have to borrow one all the time. On the way home from Miss I stopped and at a dealer and looked at his trailers just out of curiosity, he had Top-hat, and Big Texan. They looked no better, although they cost $1500-$1800 more. No thanks.

One of my buddies asked " how much you give for that" I said 2,499 out the door. Him "****, I wish i had known, I would have got you to pick me up one."

Oh, and about the truck debate, I have a 2005 F-150, and my friend has a 2004 Nissan Titan, with a comparable load, the Nissan shames me. That dang truck is a rocket!

 

[Diamondpilot]

Hi guys, just an update. I did buy the trailer. I am very happy with it and was pleasantly suprised when I saw it, at how well made it is. the first thing I did, was crawl under it and found it to have 3'' i-beam iron every 16-18'' or so. It also has axles that have, "made in USA" on them. I can't remember the brand, Dexter maybe? The trailer is nice, found the white pinstripe that runs down it is not a sticker but handpainted, pulls great, strong drop-down jack, fenders really stout, great brakes. I have used it several times already. I can't really think of anything bad to say, other than I wish I had bought it earlier so I didn't have to borrow one all the time. On the way home from Miss I stopped and at a dealer and looked at his trailers just out of curiosity, he had Top-hat, and Big Texan. They looked no better, although they cost $1500-$1800 more. No thanks.

One of my buddies asked " how much you give for that" I said 2,499 out the door. Him "****, I wish i had known, I would have got you to pick me up one."

Oh, and about the truck debate, I have a 2005 F-150, and my friend has a 2004 Nissan Titan, with a comparable load, the Nissan shames me. That dang truck is a rocket!

Glad you got such a great deal. Now we need pictures with the truck, trailer, and tractor. We love pictures.

As for the Titan they have even upped the power since his 2004 was made. I am a Ford man through and through but like you said the Titan is a stout truck and just had to have one. I many regret it some day but so far 23,000 miles and not a hiccup. I just wish it got a little better mpg but hey its a truck and pulls like no other 1/2 ton.

Also, did you spring for the extra brake axle and spare tire and mount?

Chris

 

[Bama67]

Glad you got such a great deal. Now we need pictures with the truck, trailer, and tractor. We love pictures.

As for the Titan they have even upped the power since his 2004 was made. I am a Ford man through and through but like you said the Titan is a stout truck and just had to have one. I many regret it some day but so far 23,000 miles and not a hiccup. I just wish it got a little better mpg but hey its a truck and pulls like no other 1/2 ton.

Also, did you spring for the extra brake axle and spare tire and mount?

Chris

Yeah, I gotta get some pics, I should have took a pic of the first day I pulled it and buried my truck and trailer in the back of a cotton field. I had decided to leave my tractor at my other land, but I wanted to pick up my deerstand and take it to the house while i was there. I didn't want to carry it the entire way back to the truck so I pulled to the back of the field. I made it back there, but on the way out I hit a bad spot and promptly buried my truck. I would have been able to get it out had it not been for the trailer, I couldn't back out the correct way. So I buried my truck up to the frame and slung Alabama red clay all over my two day old trailer. But my father-in-law quickly came to the rescue with his 06 Super Duty on 37's.

I didn't get the other axle with brakes. He would have had to order it, so I would have had to wait a few weeks. Didn't want to wait since already had to drive to that part of the state anyways. I can always add them later.

I do have a spare and I am going to mount it myself, haven't got around to that. Also haven't got around to washing off all the mud either. lol

 

[Diamondpilot]

Putting on brakes is very inexpensive and easy. I am not sure if I would do it but I am sure all the safety police on here say its a must. If you decide to do it give me a PM and I will send you the info from the guy I get all my stuff from. Best prices and service I have found and he ships everything right to your door.

Chris