Do any of you pull enclosed trailers with a 1/2 ton truck?

[Teamblue4]

I pull my Triton 228 Prestige with a GMC SLT Crew cab 1500 all over the place. W/ 2 Apexs and 2 Vipers and sometime another Viper. Just dont set no world records or in no hurry to get anywhere.

 

[Redbeard]

Re: Trailer towing

I can give you a little more insight. I can't speak for a Chevy but have had two Ford F250's, one was gas and one was diesel. The gas was the worst towing truck I ever had it would just work you all the time. The diesel was good. I currently have an 06 Dodge 1500 4x4 with hemi and tow package and pull three trailers, enclosed tandom snowmobile, tandom livestock and tandom implement that I load with hay. The Dodge is my favorite so far. Yours will do just fine if you have tow package or add trans cooler.

I was sick the first time I pulled a 4-place with my 2012 F250 6.2 gasser. The truck weighs 7500lbs and handles a big trailer well, but what a turd! I was getting less than 8mpg @ 65mph and could not run in OD (373 rear-end). Ford claims the 6.2 makes 400hp, but if you read the fine print, not until 4000 - 5000 rpm's. What a joke.

Just when all hope seemed lost, I came across a shop out east - fivestartuning.com

This guy sold me a tuner to re-flash my ecu, claiming to add 20% more power and an additional 20 ft lbs of torque. I flashed the truck and knew something was different before I even left the driveway. I had throttle response and the transmission waited longer to shift, not lugging the engine. I'm not sure about the power and torque claims, but the truck now had some performance. Within a few days, my average mpg's (not pulling a trailer) went from 12.5 to 14.

A few weeks later, I made another trip up north and was surprised at how I could run 65 - 70 mph in OD and get 11 MPG. I will say there is no replacement for a diesel, but this $400 tuner is an alternative to anyone who might be in the same boat as me.

 

[sorenson1610]

Its really fun I saw this post as I just saw a guy with a dodge 1/2 hemi quad cab was pulling a enclosed car hauler with similar dimensions as you are looking for. Not sure what was inside but he had a mopar sticker on the rear so I'm guessing a drag car or something. Anyways the rear bumper was about dragging the pavement and it was pushing him all over the road! I had to pass him quickly or I though he would drift right into the side of me. Now he was not set up to tow that big of trailer at all but he was pulling it. Not something I would recommend doing for a long distance or in winter conditions. Bottom line that is a lot of trailer to control with a 1/2 truck IMO.

 

[Ding]

Weight distributing hitch, weight balance in both vehicles, and simply sufficient weight in the towing vehicle are all key. I am old enough to remember when towing trailers of the same or more weight was common with 2 wheel drive cars. The other thing, don't try to drive like you do without a trailer. Speed is not really the problem (to a point) but hills, curves, and stopping have to be approached differently. Just have to allow more space and time.

If wind is chasing you around, your balance is likely not right. A sway bar is a solution, but really a bit of a band-aid. Get the weight right, and it won't push around. Not that a sway-bar is bad, they are fine in fact together with the weight right and a weight distributing hitch is the best scenario.

One key I missed but others mentioned is the rear springs of the truck needs to handle the redistributed weight. Newer 1/2 ton pickups are more like cars and they just don't handle the weight without help such as extra spring, etc.

 

[ArcticWhite]

 

[sorenson1610]

What manufactuer are u going with? I would go with the inline trailer which will pull better then a deckover. You could go with a wider 7' 5" but once you go with the taller 6'6" height you have a pretty big trailer! I just got a r&r 21' inline with the 6'6" height last summer and that is about as big i wanted to go, the wider 7'5" i think would be too much. So personally the 7 is plenty wide. And get the 6'6" roof, im the same height as you and its soooo nice not worry about clunking your bean walking around. Im not sure about if the taller trailer pulls harder because i pull mine with a diesel excurrsion so it pulls pretty much everything with not much problem. I did pull it around town with a 1/2 ton chevy with it filled with two bigger lawn mowers. I thought it pulled it fine but it did push it around a lot more, with air bags and a equilizer hitch would help it out quite a bit im sure though. Hope that helps you out

 

[KnappAttack]

Don't limit yourself with just a sled only trailer with light axles and smaller. Get the car hauler at 24-26 long, 8.5 wide, no v-nose. just make sure to have the air in your tires at max and weight dist hitch. The half ton will work just fine doing this as long as that hemi has some tq.

I have a 26x8.5 but cabinets up front and can haul anything that fits in the box with ease. I have heavy 5200 axles under the trailer and licensed for 12000 as I recall.

As was stated earlier, anyone sachaying down the road has trailer improperly loaded front to back, lacking air in the tires or whimpy tires installed, and/or lacking a proper weight dist hitch. A half ton will handle a 12,000 lb. trailer with proper setup.

I'd haul a 18,000 dozer down the road on a three quarter ton fifth wheel with an old 350ci. chevy two wheel drive. Now that was a load on that little truck and severely underpowered. A car hauler is nothing back there on a half ton!

 

[sleddog66]

I always try to keep my tow vehical bigger than my trailer. We (as sledders), drive in some of the very worst conditions for hundreds and even thousands of miles at a time. All of the above info is good about weight hitches, tires and etc. The trailers that you are looking at should be about the max with a 1/2 ton IMO. I would choose the inline with a 6'6" height. You can see around an inline better. They are closer to the ground. and have more extra room for tools and gear. They also drive on and off very nice, with a minimum approach angle. I run a triton prestige trailer, inline, 3 place, behind my 1/2 ton with weight distribution, and it is still a little squirly with cross winds. after owning many open trailers, a fiberglass clamshell, and now this inline, I absolutly love my prestige. But my next truck WILL be a 3/4 or 1 ton.

 

[Teamblue4]

I had a 20' Haulmark side by side, pulled it with a 1500 GMC work great and pulled fine so I got the bright idea to try an inline, bought an 7x18x6 Legend with 5' v nose. Worst mistake I ever made, Truck hated it seem like it pulled harder, seem to have to much tongue weight (no matter how I loaded sleds)was always all over the road, only benefit was you could see around trailer. So Im back to a 22X8X6 Triton. And wont change a thing. Same Truck and same sleds.

 

[dox06]

truck

I pull my Legend Thunder 27 foot aluminum trailer with four sleds (XTX-Phazer-XC6-Z440) all over with my F150 STX, 4.6L. I have no probelms. Pulls it great, does get blown around a little on windy days, but no real complaints here. Have pulled my trailer with my wifes Escalade, but hate the ride with the electronic suspension. Dont be arfraid of using a 1500 series truck for an enclosed four place.

All comes down to personal preference and as long as you stay within towing rates of your vehicle.

 

[dilligaf]

I will say the lighter the better IMO. Most times I'm pulling in poor road conditions and the heavier the trailer the more your going to feel it back there. I pull with a 1-ton Ram 4x4 Megacab diesel(SRW) and down sized as of 5 years ago to a 14' sno-cap. I don't hardly feel the trailer behind me in poor conditions. I had an 18' enclosed steel trailer before and it would make its presence know in poor conditions. A co-worker use to snub me with his 24' enclosed until he rolled the whole works during a snowstorm (pulling with a Ford crew cab 4x4 F250). He now has a 14' enclosed Protektor from Floe. If you want the 'regular' v-nose enclosed type trailer, go with the in-line type (3-place max) to get your center of gravity as low as possible, and of course all aluminum construction. Your 1/2 ton will do fine with this trailer. If you need a 4-place I would consider a Protektor. Of course this is all JMO. I'm also assuming you have a good working 1/2-ton with tranny cooler and the right tires for the job.

 

[bottlerocket]

Just air bags because of the leveling kit took the factory rake out. I hate when the front sits higher then the back.

 

[bottlerocket]

I should add I pull a 7X27 Legend. Heres a pic of the ultimate crew cab...

 

[yamaha1973]

I hate when the front sits higher then the back.

X2

 

[IAVECTORGT]