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tnraptor
10-15-2014, 12:30 PM
Looking for people with experience on pulling these heavy pin weight raptors or other heavy weight pins on 3/4 ton trucks. Tricks or tips on doing it or any advice on certain tires, bags, springs, weight distribution, or hitch combos that's helped you get down the road easier.
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/10/15/71359582a549ad3a03e818e005c91ea1.jpg

kansas bow hunter.
pickwick lake is home though.

therink
10-15-2014, 02:46 PM
What is the gvwr and loaded pin or tongue weight of the raptor you plan on Towing? More info is needed to get accurate advice.

cblong
10-15-2014, 03:27 PM
whats your payload and gvwr from the sticker on your drivers door jam say. which model raptor are you looking at.

Festus2
10-15-2014, 03:33 PM
I've already pointed out to you in another thread, that airbags, spring helpers, tires, "fancy" hitches, will do nothing to increase your towing capacity or payload. They might soften the ride, reduce the sway, make the TV and 5th wheel sit more level, but that is about it.
Do you want to get "down the road easier" or down the road "safely and easier"?

Look at the sticker on the door of your TV as well as the toy hauler and give us some numbers to work on. Never mind about the dry weight of the toy hauler - it isn't important.

You really need to take the truck - complete with any passengers and any other cargo that you usually put in the truck or in the bed - to a weigh scale and obtain some real weight numbers. Don't forget to add in the weight of hitch to these figures.

bsmith0404
10-15-2014, 04:22 PM
My guess is the GVAWR on your truck is 6200. The rear axle curb weight will be somewhere around 2600-3000 depending on what you have loaded and options. Your tires will be a 121 load index which is 3197 per tire, putting your tire carrying capacity at just under 6400 so your axle is the limiting factor. I haven't seen a Raptor with a pin weight under 3k, probably closer to 3500. Pretty much anything you do to "help" the suspension will not help the axle. Additionally, you will be very close to the limit on your tires.

My experience towing with the 2500 was that the stability just was not there with the tires. When I moved up in trailer weight I noticed a definite tail wagging the dog effect as the tire sidewalls flexed under the weight. When I upgraded to a 3500 dually it was night and day difference.

I've been there, done that. I was not a fan of dually's, did not want one.....until I put a 15,000 lb 5er behind my 2500, my pin weight is about 300-400 less than a Raptor.

tnraptor
10-15-2014, 04:31 PM
Thank you BS smith
Im pretty sure pin weight is 3k on trailer. Was gonna try to haul everything from clothes to four wheeler in toy hauler to help with weight. I don't like the dually either. I'm thinking 1500lb cargo is max I'll carry. I know the weight is over loaded quite a bit but just wondering how fast is comfortable on a good interstate. I'm pulling long ways and I hear guys on pipeline say they drag them everywhere with f250. All the research Im seeing doesn't look good for my setup. I've just bought it and probably got into a mess listening to the wrong folks say its k to pull it with f250

kansas bow hunter.
pickwick lake is home though.

Ken / Claudia
10-15-2014, 05:18 PM
The F250s are great trucks, I have owned one and used 3 others at work. There is a big reason they make 1 tons, to tow big trailers. The basic 250 and 350 are not much different, that difference is towing/carrying weights. If you upgrade the springs and tires you have a 350. Likely at more cost than just buying the 350. I get a kick what people say they pull, here DOT E- trucks which are 3/4 or 1 tons come out to crash sites and move 80,000 lbs truck off the roadway with tow straps. I would not buy a used truck from them and their trucks are replaced every 2 years before they nearly worthless.

tnraptor
10-15-2014, 05:26 PM
I'm looking at new trucks now lol this is an expensive lesson. Key word looking and wishing lol

kansas bow hunter.
pickwick lake is home though.

chuckster57
10-15-2014, 05:28 PM
I'm looking at new trucks now lol this is an expensive lesson. Key word looking and wishing lol

kansas bow hunter.
pickwick lake is home though.

Very smart. Don't rule out DRW's...and it doesn't have to be "new".

PARAPTOR
10-15-2014, 05:56 PM
I'm looking at new trucks now lol this is an expensive lesson. Key word looking and wishing lol

kansas bow hunter.
pickwick lake is home though.

We have had this discussion before in previous posts concerning Raptors and 2500's you can use search to read more. Reading your last post not sure if you need to read more, Raptors and 2500 TV are not a recommended match to be legal/safe. Yes you will see 2500's dragging Raptors down the road, hopefully not around me.

Think this may have been a less expensive lesson as compared to a possible future more expensive experience had you not realized what combination TV Trailer you were working with.

Been there and did that with a 2500, see my Sig :banghead:

Be Safe

bsmith0404
10-16-2014, 02:51 AM
I still miss my 2500, it was a very nice looking and riding truck....I miss it except when connected to the 5er. I will never pull this trailer with anything other than a DRW again. The trip with the 2500 that made me make the move to the dually was a 40 mile drive down a very nice highway.

While looking at my options, I considered different tires and wheels. The 350/3500 SRW have a different size that are available in 124 load index, gains you about 800 lbs in total carrying capacity. That may have made a difference, but I wasn't willing to take a chance and spend $2k+ on tires and wheels to find out. That also doesn't address the axle rating, and I definitely didn't want to have problems with the rear end, bearings or whatever, due to overloading the rear end. With your set-up, I'd look at a DRW. JMO based on my experience.

I found used DRW trucks seem to sell a little slower on the lots, you can make a pretty good deal trading in a 250. I went from the 2500 to the 3500, blue book value was over $7k difference, made the deal for $2k difference. Made it a much easier sell with the DW when I told her we were gaining $5k in equity value :)

tnraptor
10-16-2014, 09:48 AM
Thanks yeah my f250 is personal vehicle for trips and such why I don't wantdually . I gave every day work truck also just like driving my 250 and pretty much the dually will be for camping only. I do that a lot anyways so maybe haul camper everywhere.

kansas bow hunter.
pickwick lake is home though.

mbedock
10-18-2014, 06:02 PM
We had a nice F-150 but I talked my wife into going to an F-250 "it's just this much bigger" I said. We ended up buying a Matrix 27' TT and it towed it pretty well. The RV dealer said it would pull most anything they had. After a long trip in a thunderstorm, I was a little nervous about adding a 5er. Weight is no issue but stability and handling is different. I got an e-mail offer to upgrade trucks and I jumped on an '15 F-350 Dually. It has a rated 31,000 lb capacity with a bigger turbo and 50ft lbs more torque and ""it's just this much bigger". It pulled the TT like it wasn't there. We upgraded the TT to a Raptor 395LEV Monster. At 18,000 lbs the F-350 squats a little under the weight, but WOW. I LOVE TOWING THIS RIG. The weight keeps the truck down flat and we pulled in gusting winds and only knew it by the movement of the trees. The truck get's 11.5 mpg ...always... The tow mode combined with the exhaust brake make it a dream to drive on trips and it handles beautifully with the Raptor. We are going diving in Balmorhea, Texas next weekend, a 5 hour drive, and I look forward to taking the Raptor out to play. By the way, the F-350 is named Godzilla. (Godzilla was a girl)"bouncey:

tnraptor
10-18-2014, 06:46 PM
That sounds awesome! The fuel mileage is way lower than a 3/4 ton mines around 17 empty 14 loaded.

2012 f250 4x4 four door lariat.
06 raptor 3712 toyhauler
kansas bow hunter.
pickwick lake is home though.

bsmith0404
10-19-2014, 04:21 AM
That sounds awesome! The fuel mileage is way lower than a 3/4 ton mines around 17 empty 14 loaded.

2012 f250 4x4 four door lariat.
06 raptor 3712 toyhauler
kansas bow hunter.
pickwick lake is home though.

If you slow down a little you'll do better. Granted mine is GM so a little different characteristics, but I found the sweet spot is about 62-64, basically of I keep it between 60-65 I get 22 empty and 10-14 loaded (depends on trailer, 10-11 with the 15k 5er, 12-14 with the 7k car trailer). As soon as I go over 65 the empty starts to drop. I don't know about the loaded since I don't tow faster than 65.

When I bought the dually my DW said there was no way she was driving it......until I got tired one day and told her she had to take over, I wasn't really, just wanted her to drive it. Now she drives it all of the time. Just have to think a bit about where you park. The wheels aren't any wider than the mirrors so really no different than driving a non dually down the street.

tnraptor
10-19-2014, 04:57 AM
Yeah I run 80mph all the time if I was running 68 mine gets 18.5 mty 15loaded

2012 f250 4x4 four door lariat.
06 raptor 3712 toyhauler
kansas bow hunter.
pickwick lake is home though.

SmittysRV
10-28-2014, 12:13 PM
My guess is the GVAWR on your truck is 6200. The rear axle curb weight will be somewhere around 2600-3000 depending on what you have loaded and options. Your tires will be a 121 load index which is 3197 per tire, putting your tire carrying capacity at just under 6400 so your axle is the limiting factor. I haven't seen a Raptor with a pin weight under 3k, probably closer to 3500. Pretty much anything you do to "help" the suspension will not help the axle. Additionally, you will be very close to the limit on your tires.

My experience towing with the 2500 was that the stability just was not there with the tires. When I moved up in trailer weight I noticed a definite tail wagging the dog effect as the tire sidewalls flexed under the weight. When I upgraded to a 3500 dually it was night and day difference.

I've been there, done that. I was not a fan of dually's, did not want one.....until I put a 15,000 lb 5er behind my 2500, my pin weight is about 300-400 less than a Raptor.

I did the same thing. We upgraded fro a double axle Toy Hauler 5th Wheel 32' that weighed 11K to our current Raptor triple axle that weighs 18K. I originally had a 2002 F350 CC LB SRW and the dealer wouldn't even let me pull it off the lot. Long story short, I got the 5er home and took it on our first trip with the F350. Well that was the last trip the ol F350 would tow the new 5er, I could tell it was way over the weight rating of the truck. I ultimately located a super clean 2006 F550 that had been completely set up to tow a Raptor as the previous owner also had a Raptor. He was selling the 5er and the truck. This truck with the commercial sized tires and wheels, giant rear end with 4.88 gear, large fuel tanks (110 gal) and Link Ultra Ride air suspension makes for a great tow vehicle. I still need to weigh the F550 by itself but I did hit the scales with the Raptor empty (pots, pans, tools, linen, dry food, extra generators) and this is what the scales read.
Steer: 5240lbs
Drive: 7820lbs
trailer: 12680lbs
Total: 25,740lbs

Granted a new dually will prob tow just as well if not better, I just couldn't take on the cost of one... Good luck!!

Desert185
10-28-2014, 12:24 PM
Folks talk of "investing" in a good TV. If buying a tow vehicle could be considered an "investment", then buying used wisely makes more sense than buying new and suffering the initial depreciation. You're a good case in point.

bsmith0404
10-28-2014, 03:13 PM
I still need to weigh the F550 by itself but I did hit the scales with the Raptor empty (pots, pans, tools, linen, dry food, extra generators) and this is what the scales read.
Steer: 5240lbs
Drive: 7820lbs
trailer: 12680lbs
Total: 25,740lbs

Granted a new dually will prob tow just as well if not better, I just couldn't take on the cost of one... Good luck!!

Wow I thought an F550 would be heavier than that. I just hit the scales with my 3500 today. This is the first time I've had the 5er fully loaded with full water tanks so had to see how it looked.

Steer: 4260
Drive: 6700
Trailer: 11640
Total: 22600

Nice to have a GAWR Rear of 9375, GAWR Front of 5600, and a GVWR of 13,000. Still a lot of room for more cargo, but I can't think of any more crap I would want to pack, other than the occupants. I have to add 700 lbs to the cargo for the family of 5, but still well under what the dually can carry.

SmittysRV
10-29-2014, 08:32 PM
The 550 is right at about 10k by itself. So the Raptor is coming in at about 15740lbs empty, no rzr, dirt bikes, fuel, water, clothes, gear, food, dogs, wife kids or me... I really wanna hit the scales loaded one if these times but then again maybe not...


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jjboyz1
11-03-2014, 01:40 AM
My TV is a 2013 Ram 2500 Cummins, added air bags and have no problems towing my 2013 Raptor 395, pin weight 3650. Have towed one way 800 miles and the Ram didn't even blink. SWD pulls great and wouldn't trade it for nothing. No swag no fish tailing just straight down the road.

Javi
11-03-2014, 04:10 AM
My TV is a 2013 Ram 2500 Cummins, added air bags and have no problems towing my 2013 Raptor 395, pin weight 3650. Have towed one way 800 miles and the Ram didn't even blink. SWD pulls great and wouldn't trade it for nothing. No swag no fish tailing just straight down the road.


Out of curiosity... what tires are you running on that truck?

ncbound123
11-03-2014, 05:03 AM
I have a Fuzion 395 with a pin weight of 3,200 pounds and pull it with our 09' Ram 2500 with a set of Firestone air bags as well. We live in the southeast and our trips are mostly within 4 hours of home base. If we were to travel out west then we would upgrade to a DRW truck just to easy my mind. However with our current setup there is no wagging or anything, rock solid down the road. I know that we are at the limits of our current TV and with that in mind I take it easy, always leave room ahead of us and keep an eye on the idiots around me. The biggest help with our current setup is the factory engine brake, it takes over on decel and except for an emergency stop condition I hardly have to apply much brake. The tires I am running are Michelin LTX A/T2. I have the size on the truck of LT265/70R17/E 121 R. I check my tires everytime and have them inflated to the proper specs. These have a load rating of 3195@80 psi. The key to anything is safety, and even though we are pushing the limits, we are within MY comfort zone.

Desert185
11-03-2014, 08:21 AM
There was a date range in the Rams when they went from a 265/75R16E (3415#) to 265/70R17E (3195#) tire. This never made sense to me.

For reference, later years changed wheel/tire sizes again. When towing, tire load rating seems to be an important consideration, I think.

285/75R16E 3750#
275/70R18E 3640#
275/65R20E 3750#

The larger wheel sizes happened around the time Dodge stopped using Dana axles. You'll notice they also went to higher ratio diffs at the same time to handle the larger diameter tires.

Lots to consider in the GW equation...

jjboyz1
11-05-2014, 11:09 AM
Out of curiosity... what tires are you running on that truck?

Firestone 17", original tire that came on the truck

tnraptor
11-05-2014, 06:58 PM
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/05/3c9a34cd6c17312eaec0da6d016cb6a6.jpg

2012 f250 4x4 four door lariat.
06 raptor 3712 toyhauler
kansas bow hunter.
pickwick lake is home though.

rnkburg
11-09-2014, 07:57 PM
How did the ford do with the trailer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

rhagfo
11-09-2014, 09:29 PM
My TV is a 2013 Ram 2500 Cummins, added air bags and have no problems towing my 2013 Raptor 395, pin weight 3650. Have towed one way 800 miles and the Ram didn't even blink. SWD pulls great and wouldn't trade it for nothing. No swag no fish tailing just straight down the road.

There was a date range in the Rams when they went from a 265/75R16E (3415#) to 265/70R17E (3195#) tire. This never made sense to me.

For reference, later years changed wheel/tire sizes again. When towing, tire load rating seems to be an important consideration, I think.

285/75R16E 3750#
275/70R18E 3640#
275/65R20E 3750#

The larger wheel sizes happened around the time Dodge stopped using Dana axles. You'll notice they also went to higher ratio diffs at the same time to handle the larger diameter tires.

Lots to consider in the GW equation...

Exactly why I didn't "Upgrade" from my stock 265/75-16E's to to 265/70-17's due to the loss of 220# per tire of weight capacity.
The max the tires on the rear axle can carry is 6,390# with the 265 17". Meaning if Jjboyz1 has a pin of 3650 his empty rear axle needs to be less than 2740, way too close for me.

jjboyz1
11-11-2014, 04:39 AM
My rear GAWR is 6200# with tire size 265/70R/17E with all the numbers everyone is crunching, I have towed my toy hauler for 2 years and about 15000 miles and my Ram hasn't missed a beat. I service it ever 6 months and have Dodge check it out completely never had an issue. So I'm happy

Desert185
11-11-2014, 06:31 AM
Like many designs there is more than likely a design exceedance factor. What that limit is, I don't know, but going near or over it a bit (technical term) more than likely will result in nothing more serious than comments from the payload police. :)

tnraptor
12-28-2014, 02:46 AM
The Ford did fine!! Was absolutely impressed with the way it handled the fifth wheel. The air bags are lil bit low in pic above but finding exact pressure to run is key. I had everything in the toy hauler and 46# air in bags 80# trailer tires 80# in truck tires Toyo at2 20in wheels I run 80mph at times with it but on interstate I set her on 70mph and cruised all the way from TN on Alabama line to Wichita KS no problem what so ever. I did touch my cab barely turning somewhere I never knew it until I got there. I'm glad I didn't get dually for sure! I'm sure dually would be better in windy conditions and all around but I could stop that camper no problem the brakes and transmission on new ford plus camper having 3 axles it stops very well.

2012 f250 4x4 four door lariat.
06 raptor 3712 toyhauler
kansas bow hunter.
pickwick lake is home though.

Randy_K
12-28-2014, 03:16 PM
The Ford did fine!! Was absolutely impressed with the way it handled the fifth wheel. The air bags are lil bit low in pic above but finding exact pressure to run is key. I had everything in the toy hauler and 46# air in bags 80# trailer tires 80# in truck tires Toyo at2 20in wheels I run 80mph at times with it but on interstate I set her on 70mph and cruised all the way from TN on Alabama line to Wichita KS no problem what so ever. I did touch my cab barely turning somewhere I never knew it until I got there. I'm glad I didn't get dually for sure! I'm sure dually would be better in windy conditions and all around but I could stop that camper no problem the brakes and transmission on new ford plus camper having 3 axles it stops very well.

2012 f250 4x4 four door lariat.
06 raptor 3712 toyhauler
kansas bow hunter.
pickwick lake is home though.

You should not be on the road. I hope its not some other family you kill.

tnraptor
12-29-2014, 11:24 PM
Wow that's lil bit rude! Truck did fine pulling IMO! Hwy 55mph no problem very good interstates 70mph rough interstate 65mph windy day 55mph I honestly felt safe pulling the camper and was very impressed in how it handled. I actually saw a guy with same setup as me pulling a 16ft boat behind his camper. While I wouldn't do that I wouldn't hesitate to go anywhere with my rig.

2012 f250 4x4 four door lariat.
06 raptor 3712 toyhauler
kansas bow hunter.
pickwick lake is home though.

jsmith948
12-30-2014, 05:38 AM
You should not be on the road. I hope its not some other family you kill.

X2!!!!!!!! 80 MPH.....is just crazy/reckless :eek:....JMHO

2014301ktmhauler
12-30-2014, 01:30 PM
Really????

I don't tow 80 mph but I have seen briefly getting past some peeps for multiple reasons. The rig felt pretty much the same as 65-70 mph.
80 mph does not equal killing families any more than some non driver towing 65mph .
Please no dissertations on the stopping differences 80vs.65, I am well aware.

Happy New Year.

larry337
12-30-2014, 01:31 PM
Wow that's lil bit rude! Truck did fine pulling IMO! Hwy 55mph no problem very good interstates 70mph rough interstate 65mph windy day 55mph I honestly felt safe pulling the camper and was very impressed in how it handled. I actually saw a guy with same setup as me pulling a 16ft boat behind his camper. While I wouldn't do that I wouldn't hesitate to go anywhere with my rig.

2012 f250 4x4 four door lariat.
06 raptor 3712 toyhauler
kansas bow hunter.
pickwick lake is home though.

I'll try not to be overly critical. Just try to understand a couple things. A typical F250 diesel has a max payload of approximately 2500lbs. With a 3-3500lb pin weight, fuel, cargo, and passengers you are way over this. Also keep in mind trailer tires are speed rated to only 65mph. So when you boast of 80mph its going to rub some people the wrong way. Your trailer should be pulled by a 1 ton truck but if you're going to do it with a 3/4 it would make sense to use some caution and slow down. Please don't keep telling us how it "feels" so solid. Lots of people here have towed trailers of all sizes for many years. Those ratings on your truck and tires are there for a reason. I know you're going to do what you want, just don't be surprised when others aren't impressed. Again, not beating on you, just trying to get you to take a different perspective.

notanlines
12-31-2014, 05:22 AM
Most dealers I have dealt with wouldn't let you tow it off the lot.

x96mnn
12-31-2014, 08:19 AM
Most dealers I have dealt with wouldn't let you tow it off the lot.

LOL, most dealers I have dealt this would have sold it to a guy with a halfton.

To the OP, glad your happy with it and hope you have many years of camping. Not something that I think I would want to do let alone a short burst of 80mph but to each their own. As long as you keep it on your side of the road I will try to do the same.

Take care and safe travels.

Actually I may have done something along this lines, towing a 27ft TT with a Jeep Liberty for a season...my experiance was not fine to say the least lol. Might be why I went DRW.

jtyphoid
12-31-2014, 12:55 PM
There was, and may still be a lot of discussion about the difference between the F250 and F350 on a Ford Diesel forum that I used to follow. There was quite a bit of payload capacity difference between the two back in '08 with little, if any, difference in parts.

Although I'm personally a firm believer in staying under the manufacturer's ratings, to the point that I moved up from an F350 SRW to a DRW, the OP may not be as far outside the box as it appears on the surface.

Javi
12-31-2014, 01:13 PM
There was, and may still be a lot of discussion about the difference between the F250 and F350 on a Ford Diesel forum that I used to follow. There was quite a bit of payload capacity difference between the two back in '08 with little, if any, difference in parts.

Although I'm personally a firm believer in staying under the manufacturer's ratings, to the point that I moved up from an F350 SRW to a DRW, the OP may not be as far outside the box as it appears on the surface.

He would be pushing the upper limits of an '11 - '15 F350 SRW that trailer is in dually territory..
I quit commenting awhile back because sometimes you just got to ignore some things you read on the internet... And sometimes you just got to shake your head at the dumb XXXX some folks will do.

I hang around a bowhunting forum where hardly a day goes by that someone isn't ranting about the folks that won't get out of his way cause he's pedal to the metal running 95-110mph and can't understand the audacity of those who are going slower in the left lane while passing yet another slower vehicle.

I lost a daughter and grandson to just such an individual going more than 30mph above the posted speed limit in a large truck.. So I generally stay out of the discussion when the bragging about how fast they run starts..

JRTJH
12-31-2014, 02:23 PM
Some folks apparently believe that standing on the hood of a "tuff truck" beating on their hairy chest while boasting about how much above the speed limit they tow will increase their testosterone level. Those of us whose chest hair has started to gray realize just how lucky we were "when we did it back then".

Unfortunately, not all of us came through that "manly phase" intact. Some lost loved ones to the act, some were injured significantly by doing "stupid things" and some of us didn't make it and are no longer here. Back then, when those with gray hair took the risks, the highways were significantly less crowded and about the only people we put at risk were those in the vehicle. Nowdays, with the crowded highways, it's no longer "just us" that we put in peril.

Driving 80 MPH, even "just to pass a car" is illegal on almost every highway in North America and certainly towing a 16000 pound trailer behind an overloaded truck is taking the term "RISK" to an unacceptable level.

Every day the newspapers carry reports of accidents that could have been prevented. Whether it's a driver that runs into you or a driver that didn't get out of your way, either situation results in the same loss of property and/or loss of life. It's just not worth pushing the envelope that far. Even if you don't respect your own life, you have a moral duty not to injure others on the highway by being foolish. Yes, I do believe driving 80 MPH towing an 8 ton trailer is foolish. Or maybe it's just plain stupid ???

larry337
12-31-2014, 03:04 PM
Some folks apparently believe that standing on the hood of a "tuff truck" beating on their hairy chest while boasting about how much above the speed limit they tow will increase their testosterone level. Those of us whose chest hair has started to gray realize just how lucky we were "when we did it back then".

Unfortunately, not all of us came through that "manly phase" intact. Some lost loved ones to the act, some were injured significantly by doing "stupid things" and some of us didn't make it and are no longer here. Back then, when those with gray hair took the risks, the highways were significantly less crowded and about the only people we put at risk were those in the vehicle. Nowdays, with the crowded highways, it's no longer "just us" that we put in peril.

Driving 80 MPH, even "just to pass a car" is illegal on almost every highway in North America and certainly towing a 16000 pound trailer behind an overloaded truck is taking the term "RISK" to an unacceptable level.

Every day the newspapers carry reports of accidents that could have been prevented. Whether it's a driver that runs into you or a driver that didn't get out of your way, either situation results in the same loss of property and/or loss of life. It's just not worth pushing the envelope that far. Even if you don't respect your own life, you have a moral duty not to injure others on the highway by being foolish. Yes, I do believe driving 80 MPH towing an 8 ton trailer is foolish. Or maybe it's just plain stupid ???

Without trying to offend anyone in particular... A younger man is definately a more aggressive driver then a guy who's been around the block. They feel their reactions and skills are better. I did some pretty stupid stuff. Some of us were just lucky to be still be around today. I'm a truck driver. I drive 100k miles a year and have pulled loads up to 100,000 lbs. I've seen a lot. A young guy just doesn't know what he doesn't know. I won't preach too much cuz you just gotta learn by yourself for it to sink in. Having run the same routes hundreds of times I can prove to you driving 5-10 mph faster doesn't save you enough time to worry about it. Don't worry about the math cuz it doesn't work in real life conditions. You'll get there when you get there. You'd be lucky to save an hour on an all day drive, 15 minutes on a shorter drive. More time is wasted on stops then by lower speeds. But your odds for a successful trip will decrease with higher speed and will also decrease the more you push your equipment. You might get away with it a hundred times, might get away with it every time, but the odds are still lower. Risk vs. reward. I don't drive slow, I stay at the speed limit or just above, barely. I never pull a camper over 70mph. A trailer tire failure isn't a pleasant experience at any speed. But people are gonna do what their gonna do. I think the OP's setup can be done, just with lower odds then a big dually. And the driver needs to respect the situation for what it is. People are funny when they drive. It turns into an all out competition. Their whole personality changes. I've learned to just let it go and enjoy the drive. Everyone says they like to drive so then why are they in such a hurry to get it over with? :)

tnraptor
01-03-2015, 03:35 AM
Let me repeat 65-70 is average speed on interstate with occasional 75-80 passing or in fast traffic. There was no difference between 65-80 is what I was meaning. Anyways I feel comfortable at 65-70 will I get a dually next time I trade probably. Am I gonna spend 20k just for a dually before I'm ready to trade no. Wished I'd just kept it to myself and never mentioned it.

2012 f250 4x4 four door lariat.
06 raptor 3712 toyhauler
kansas bow hunter.
pickwick lake is home though.

ncbound123
01-03-2015, 10:52 AM
Maybe we can finish beating this dead horse. Some of us have larger trailers than others, some of us have 3/4 ton trucks. In a "perfect" world we would all have a dedicated tow vehicle. If that was the case we would all have a dedicated 1 ton or better with all the bells and whistles that make towing so much more comfortable for everyone. However this is not a perfect world and a lot of us tow with the best equipment we have and we all want to do it in a safe manor. I truly do not believe that anyone here would try to be unsafe in any way. That being said I personally tow a heavy 5th wheel with a 3/4 ton and when time, money and circumstances permit we will upgrade to a dedicated tow vehicle. For now our truck serves multipurpose items for our family. When we are out camping and traveling with our setup I keep within my comfort zone, obey the speed limits, (slower than the speed limit for the most part), keep safe stopping distances and always remind myself that getting in a hurry and trying to push the limits of our setup is not in anyone's best interest. Keep it safe, keep it under control and above all else enjoy the time you get to spend with family and friends.

chuckster57
01-03-2015, 11:34 AM
It is time I believe to let this thread go. I hope it has at least served to enlighten our members to the care, concern and respect we should all have to each other on and off the highway. This thread is now closed.