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RE: [RC] RE:trucks - David LeBlancWhen I first started getting into this, my wife started
educating me about towing (because she wanted a truck and trailer
<g>) - I'm not sure where the article came from, but there's really
only about 3 things to consider:
1) Wheelbase - you don't want the tail wagging the dog.
Live loads tend to do that. It's why it isn't a good idea to pull virtually
anything with something like a 4Runner, which is an otherwise good vehicle. The
longer the wheelbase, the better a tow vehicle it is. The heavier the trailer,
the more important this is. I don't know of a good rule of thumb for figuring
this.
2) What you can safely stop. I can't emphasize this enough.
I've been through the school of hard knocks on this one, didn't crash, but sure
was scared. This shows up in GCVW rating - gross combined vehicle weight - it's
the total of the weight of the truck, the trailer, the horses, the people,
water, hay, and whatever other stuff you put in it. People worry about _pulling_
a trailer. Pulling is NOT the problem. If you don't have enough power, you just
go up the hill more slowly - if you're very underpowered, then you will wear
things out sooner than they should. Going up the hill too slowly is a nuisance.
Not stopping safely means you, your horses, and anyone who happens to be in
front of you can be injured or killed. Let's get our priorities straight
here.
The brakes that they put on normal trucks really bothers me
- my 4000# sports car has more brakes than a Chevy 3500 or Ford F-350. Something
to think about - a large truck and trailer combo weighing 25,000# and moving at
60 MPH has 30% more kinetic energy than a 4000# sports car moving at 140 MPH.
The numbers here vary depending on size of each, but what it boils down is that
it is harder to stop your truck and trailer than it is to stop a car moving at
racetrack speeds. Within the Ford line, I think you get better brakes when
moving from a 150 to a 250, and much, much better brakes when you get to a 450
or 550.
Suspension is another factor - if the suspension won't take
the load, you can't steer the vehicle. Keeping well under the GCVW usually
solves this. Suspension and braking are also tied together - stopping in a
straight line is one thing, having to turn at the same time is another. If your
suspension is overworked, you can't do that.
3) What you can pull - bigger engines also mean bigger
motor mounts, tougher transmissions, and drivetrain. Not only can you go up the
hill faster, but you won't break down as often.
To answer your question, what this all means is that first
you decide that whereever you go, you'd like to get there safely. So now pick a
safe combination that fits your budget. A small trailer with a smaller truck and
a simple lightweight shell over the back won't be the lap of luxury, but it will
fit your wallet. Buying a nice, big trailer and finding out your truck won't
deal with it (a lesson _I_ learned from the School of Hard Knocks) results in a
new truck you weren't planning on and two payments when you'd budgeted for
one.
If you're well within the recommended loadings, and quick
stops aren't death-defying experiences, then you're OK. It's just all about
matching things up correctly. This really isn't something where you just say "Oh
- that looks good - my friend did it, and didn't die." Trailers can weigh a lot
more than you might think - our 16' 4 horse steel stock trailer without tack
area weighs 6000# empty - we have to weigh trailers here in WA to get tags for
them. BTW, you don't want to be working AT the recommendation - you really want
to be 1/5 less or so.
Karla and Laura T also make good points - I'm mostly joking
here, but there is one downside to having too big a truck - the brakes went out
on our 16' trailer, and pulling it with F-550, we didn't
notice!
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