Posted 2015-09-17 3:08 PM (#164727) Subject: Which truck for this trailer?
Member
Posts: 5
Location: pacific NW
Really bad experience with a Ford 250 2006 pulling a new Logan 3 horse LQ- so looking at the 2015/2016 new Dodge RAMs 2500 vs 3500. My trailer maximum weight fully loaded with my 3 horses will be about 16,000 lbs, usually only take 2 horses. I travel about 5,000 miles a year, mostly on highway. We don't use truck for much else, occasional trips to Home Depot or to get wood pellets.1. Numbers in book say they both can tow same weight. therefore any reason to get the 3500 vs the 2500? I don't carry much in trailer bed.2. any reason to get the heavy duty AISN turbo diesel engine vs the regular turbo diesel engine?Thanks in advance for your thoughts-
Posted 2015-09-17 8:51 PM (#164730 - in reply to #164727) Subject: RE: Which truck for this trailer?
Veteran
Posts: 124 Location: Calgary, Canada
We are in a similar position to you. We pull a 3H x 13 ft LQ that weighs 16,718 lbs with two horses, tack, panels, water, firewood, hay and everything else we take horse camping. We pull with a 2011 F350 dually with the 6.7 L diesel. The pin weight with this load is 4405 lbs (works out to 26% of the trailer weights). You have to look at all the limiting factors (not just the towing capacity) when choosing a tow vehicle. With our 16,718 lb trailer, our load ratings are as follows (based on actual scale weights and truck / trailer / tire ratings):
1) Truck GVWR – 100%
2) Truck Rear Axle Capacity – 91%
3) Truck GCVW – 85%
4) Truck Trailer Towing Rating – 78%
5) Trailer GVWR – 90%
6) Trailer Axle Capacity – 88% (assumes equal loading)
7) Trailer Tire Rating – 82% (assumes equal loading)
As you can see from the above, we are only at 78% of the truck trailer towing rating but 100% of the truck GVWR. I find the Trailer Towing Rating to be a very misleading number for a gooseneck horse trailer which normally has a heavy pin weight. In this case, Truck GVWR often becomes your limiting factor.
I feel that you would need a 1 ton dually for pulling your trailer (which is similar in weight to ours) to safely be within ALL of the capacity ratings (not just the Trailer Towing Rating).
Regards, 3CW
Posted 2015-09-18 8:13 AM (#164735 - in reply to #164727) Subject: RE: Which truck for this trailer?
Veteran
Posts: 133 Location: NC
3CW that is probably one of the best breakdowns I've seen! It can be difficult for people(myself included) to figure things like this out at times especially when the people selling you the truck or trailer are like "yeah you can pull that huge 4H 12ft LQ trailer with an F250"(exaggerated example). People think they can trust the knowledge of the "pros" but at the end of the day if it helps make a sale i feel like many of them will talk you into too much trailer for your truck. you have to also remember just because you can pull doesn't mean you can stop it.
Posted 2015-09-18 8:54 AM (#164736 - in reply to #164727) Subject: RE: Which truck for this trailer?
Expert
Posts: 1989 Location: South Central OK
Love the last two posts, great numbers breakdown and 100% agree that just because you can make it move forward does not mean you can stop it! (Some)People also don't leave any room for safety in their tow rating. This makes my heart stop when I see a monster LQ trailer roll in behind a 3/4 ton truck. Being under-trucked is a very scary thing to realize as you merge onto a highway or worse, coast through an intersection with your horn-a-blowin! (Ask me how I know)
Posted 2015-09-18 8:57 AM (#164737 - in reply to #164727) Subject: RE: Which truck for this trailer?
Expert
Posts: 1989 Location: South Central OK
Tylersmom, have you checked the bed rail height on those new Ram trucks to see if fits under your trailer? I see more smashed tailgates and side rails with those new Ram trucks because people don't realize how much room they need. (Or order a chassis cab and put on a flatbed, problem solved.)
Posted 2015-09-19 10:25 PM (#164755 - in reply to #164727) Subject: RE: Which truck for this trailer?
New User
Posts: 3
Location: Woodstock, GA
ThreeCW gives a good explanation and his numbers are sound. Some of the new 350/3500 SRW offer some very high GVWR’s and you might be able to make the numbers work. For example the 2016 Dodge 3500 SRW is rated for 4100# payload capacity. That still is far short of the same year dually that can handle 6700# payload. The problem is that with time you will always continue to add more weight in the trailer, in the truck bed, more people in the car, etc., etc. I often pulled loads similar to what both you and Three CW are pulling. It was decked out Sundowner 3 horse. When we first started out we were around 16,000# with the two horses and two people. On a long trip once we had it loaded up with 3 horses, 4 people in the truck, and the 3-50 gallon water tanks, grey, blackwater, and generator gas tank were all full. In addition it had about 15 bales up top. We went thru the scales in Utah with a GCVW at 25,998# and I was astounded as I didn’t think we were close to that. Our truck is a 2007.5 Dodge 3500 DRW 4WD and rated to handle a GCVW of ~25,000#. With time you always end up adding a little more load than you did the previous trip. More things in the kitchen, more gear in the closets, etc.…. Pretty soon you find out almost all the horsey stuff is in the trailer and not in the barn. In your case I wouldn’t go with anything less than a 350/3500 dually. The reason is stability. You’ll notice the difference. In a few years they’ll have some 350/3500 SRW with better tires that will do it well but it’s not there yet. In regards to the AISN, it is an outstanding tranny but I don’t think you need to go that far unless you start pulling CDL loads. The 68RFE transmission has a very good torque converter nowadays and now provides a very good service life. Since you’re mostly using it for towing I’d go with a 4.10 and then it won’t be scrambling back and forth between 5th and 6th in the mild hilly areas. The book on it says you can pull 22,000#. I know it seems like a lot of truck for only 5000 miles/year but unfortunately you’re pulling a whole lot of trailer and it’s not going to get smaller.Huntseat makes a good comment about the height of the 4wd
Which truck for this trailer?
