Posted 2007-05-05 11:38 PM (#60452) Subject: Help! Enough truck to pull my trailer?
Member
Posts: 38
Location: marcola, oregon
I've just purchased a 2000 Trails West Sierra 3 horse gooseneck trailer with a side tack and a dressing room in the gooseneck (no living quarter). It's about 19' 7" floor length with a 7' gooseneck. According to the brochure I have, the weight would be around 6100#.
Now I'm wondering whether my truck has enough power to pull this trailer safely--that's a priority for me! If I haul my 1200# horse, that puts the weight at 7300#. If I haul 2 horses, it would add another 1000#.
I have a '98 3/4 ton 4WD GMC Sierra V8. It's a 7.4 L with a 454 Vortec engine. The manual says with a 3.73 axle ratio, the max trailer wt. is 8500# (with a 4.10 axle ratio, the max trailer wt is 10,500# and that's for fifth wheel hitch rate). I don't know what my trucks axle ratio is--I'm not even sure what that means!
Would pulling 2 horses put me close to my weight limit (I'm going by the 8500# limit). Would hauling 3 horses be out of the question as far as safety and wear on the truck is concerned?
I'm wondering if I will need to upgrade my truck to a 1 Ton if I ever plan to haul 3 horses or to just be over trucked when I haul 2 horses. I live in Oregon and we will be having to ocasionally haul up mountain roads. I'd appreciate anyone's input on this! Thanks....
Posted 2007-05-06 10:53 PM (#60490 - in reply to #60472) Subject: RE: Help! Enough truck to pull my trailer?
Member
Posts: 38
Location: marcola, oregon
thanks. i just want to be sure i'm not overloading my suspension or putting too much weight on the hitch (see post a few lines up re:POLL:GMC w/8.1 ) I guess I'll see how it does when I pick up my (new) trailer this weekend--I'm getting a turnover ball installed in my truck this week (we upgraded from a 2H bumper pull).
Can't wait to load up the horse(s) and see how they like it!
Posted 2007-05-07 7:06 AM (#60498 - in reply to #60452) Subject: RE: Help! Enough truck to pull my trailer?
Expert
Posts: 1723
Location: michigan
Its aluminum 3 H with LQ/midtack..about 27' long. most steel and aluminum trailers weigh about the same. i used to pull a 25' aluminum/steel Trails west with my 1/2 ton...did the job.