Posted 2006-07-09 6:01 PM (#44295 - in reply to #44271) Subject: RE: 4 horse straight load on a 1996 Taurus sedan !!!
Expert
Posts: 2828
Location: Southern New Mexico
I love those stories too. Yesterday when I was going through a construction zone exactly like what was described above I watched a F350 pulling a small bp utility trailer pump the barrier. Maybe he should have had a 450 to handle the 10 ft trailer?
I believe that most "trailer wagging the truck" is because the driver is going to fast. Just because the speed limit is 80 (or 65 like the construction zone was) it doesn't mean you need to go 80.
Posted 2006-07-09 7:06 PM (#44302 - in reply to #44012) Subject: RE: 4 horse straight load on a 1996 Taurus sedan !!!
Expert
Posts: 1416
Location: sc
well it looks like another satisfied 1/2 ton user. i just hope none of these "experianced" haulers ever have the chance to find out that a 5000# "tail" can wag ANY "dog", 8000# dually or not.
Posted 2006-07-10 9:41 AM (#44344 - in reply to #44246) Subject: RE: 4 horse straight load on a 1996 Taurus sedan !!!
Veteran
Posts: 225
Location: Kansas City
Originally written by racesarabhorses on 2006-07-07 9:24 PM
IHere's a little story. I was pulling a loaded car trailer (U-haul), about 6300 pounds, with my '91 F-350 DUALLY. Going through Oklahoma City at 12:30 in the morning, I encountered a construction zone on the interstate with those STUPID DADGUMMED cement dividers placed where the lines on the road normally would have been. There was NO room for error.
Needless to say, after some miles of doing okay, I ran over the edge of one of those dividers with the truck's right/rear outer tire. The truck pitched violenty to the left, then the right. I thought I was going to roll the entire rig but stayed calm and saved her.
Any less of a truck and we'd have been through. I had a truck that was more than adequate for the trailer I was pulling in normal situations, and that was capable of getting me out of a bad situation. You don't have that luxury with your half ton pulling that big trailer. I don't care if it will pull it. It WILL NOT stop it nor will it MANEUVER IT if you get into a bad situation. Besides, your insurance won't stand up if you're over your truck's ratings. My wife's 2000 Silverado half ton would barely handle her 2 horse bumper pull trailer... didn't feel safe because that trailer pulled the truck, not the other way around. Handling/steering were vague at best.
In this instance it was not the truck that caused the accident (I am sure semi-trailers were able to navigate the obsticle course) nor was it the truck that saved itself (your handling did). In both cases, it was driver error and drive control that affected the outcome. It is my opinion (arguably) that the one ton truck did nothing. I might argue that there are alot of people who have money who buy big trucks and have absolutely no idea how to drive that are more of a menance than people who have smaller trucks and are aware of their mortaility.