Not sure who all this is going to as I just signed up, but I figured by
"reply all" it would get to the person with the question at least?
I used to sell trucks (GM) but the basis of safety is all the same.
Before hooking up your trailer, you need to ensure your rear-end is sufficient
in towing capacity. By this I mean you need to know what your real axle
ratio is. For example.... A friend of mine purchased a used truck
and told the salesman what she wanted it for. he assured her it was a
great truck and off she went. 3 rads later, and still not having the
capacity to tow the trailer up the hill.... I told her the rear axle ratio was
only a 3:08 (you can look in your GM glove box and there will be codes. a
GU4 is a 3:08 = casual personal driving; a GU6 is a 3:43 = a little pulling, a
little driving; a GT4 is a 3:73 = for hauling hills with a load within the
guidelines of what your truck is rated to pull) Your 3:08 is your best gas
mileage but your 3:73 is your strongest "pull". These trucks are also
ordered by the dealership with HD transmission coolers, etc.
Lastly, a very short story on how I learned the hard way! I had a
Dakota Sport club cab many years ago and thought I would pull my horse home with
a borrowed trailer. My dad told me it 'WOULDN'T PULL IT". Well, of
course my truck would pull it! What did he know. (unfortunately my
dad isn't one to expand on his knowledge). So, I hooked on and was quite
impressed when I hit the gas and the trailer followed! Off I went down hwy
#7 trailer and horse in tow. I started to go down a fairly steep hill into
town towards the lights. The light turned red, I put on the brakes and
harder and harder...... and the trailer pushed me and the truck right through
the lights even though my foot was now on the floor! THANK GOD NOBODY WAS
COMING! Please do not ever over estimate the capability of your truck -
unless of course your life, the life of your horse and the life of the people in
the vehicle you might hit are replaceable.
Ford and Dodge truck owners... check with your dealer to find out how you
can tell what your rear-axle ratio is.
I agree with what Beccy said (would not tow anything more than two horse
trailer with a half ton truck and personally would feel safer with a 3/4
tn)...but another thing to consider is that with horses, you are towing
"moving weight", in other words, do you want to be towing 3 horses with a
1/2 ton truck at the max of your towing capacity, and have a horse pitch a
hissy fit in the trailer and start it bouncing and moving around?
I also feel we often underestimate the weight of our trailer loaded with
horses, tack, hay, water, etc. I would want to put the rig on a truck
scale to be sure....
As many people smarter than me have said on this wonderful
list,"It is not the pulling, it is the stopping." I have a 3 horse slant,
Circle J, 1996. Not sure of the weight but it has brakes on one axle only. I
am pulling with a 1992 Dodge 3/4 ton diesel. While the trailer brakes were
not working, I wiped out the brake drums on the truck. I could still stop,
but now I know the damage that I did. Very costly. With my trailer brakes
working well, my 3/4 ton is good enough. Not sure I would want
anything bigger than a 3 horse bumper pull with the 3/4 ton. I would not
haul with a 1/2 ton. It is defininitely the stopping. Beccy in
Utah.
