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

[IAVECTORGT]

 

[judger101]

I have pulled a 20ft enclosed trailer with a half ton before, it was fine on the interstate, but let me tell you it was plain scary driving up to cooke through the hills from the east in the wind and icy roads. i thought i was going to have a heart attack. we now use a 3/4 ton and i feel much safer now

 

[LJ 452]

 

[09nytro]

Order it with 410 gears and helper springs and you will be just fine ..be able to pull anything

 

[yam177]

I towed with this for one winter. Actually worked pretty well with anti sway and stabilizers

 

[slimjim2525]

Dude, that's just sick. LMAO.

 

[yam177]

Dude, that's just sick. LMAO.

In my defense it is a 100% aluminum car hauler..... The x5 does have rear air bags

 

[ArcticWhite]

Wow! Talk about being all over the place in opinions. Everything from I should be able to tow a car hauler with a 1/2 ton if I put a good equalizer/anti sway hitch on with good tires, to guys with diesel 3/4 tons that have gone from 27' trailers down to 16ft ones because the big trailers were not great towing in the mountains!

Well, I'm really stumped now. I really really really want a 4 place enclosed with heat, but I really really really do not want to buy a 3/4 ton truck. It's just too bad I don't know someone where I could borrow one for one trip and give it a try and see what I am comfortable with. I may have to try and talk a local trailer dealer into renting me one for a trip. The problem with being in a small province is that none of the local dealers stock any 4 place all aluminum trailers. They are all steel and cheaper stuff.

My only other trailer option is this:

http://www.tritontrailers.com/products/ ... fo=gallery

It's a compromise, but no heat or bells and whistles and demands a premium price. Can get a nice fully enclosed for what they Triton charges for this hybrid, so not good value.

 

[natedawgedog]

as with everything, it comes down to personal opinions. I would say if a trailer/sleds/equipment together is close to your max tow rating for your truck you should be good, once you get into an overloading situation you could start getting into trouble with any technical driving. hell in my little fishing town Ive seen 1/2 ton trucks towing 28-32ft commercial fishing vessels, yes there truck was bottomed out, and no I wouldnt recommend that.
if you have a chance hook any of the trailors your looking at up to your truck and see how it sits, then imagine how it would sit with another 1500lbs of stuff in it. with a 4-place enclosed heated trailer fully loaded, airbags (helper-springs?), and load distributing hitch, I think you would do alright towing just about anywere you needed to go.

 

[Sasquatch]

I pull a 19tf V nose two sled trailer. Wheels out side the body with torsion axles. I pull with a 2010 1500 Z71 All terrain package GMC 5.3 6 speed. 3.42 gears and 9,200pd tow rating. I use a equalizer hitch because they take some of the weight off the rear axle and move it forward to the front axle plus they smooth out the ride, some say that they don't need one but I love the quality of the ride with one. I don't have a sway setup on the hitch, would like to try one but as yet have'nt wished for one.

I don't understand the need for a 2500 because of icy roads and wind. I engage auto 4 wheel drive and drive to the road conditions. Yes trailers can sway in the wind. Secret is slow down! Maybe 50mph is better with 30mph side gusts because 2500 6 ply sidewall tires may be stiffer and have a little less sway but they don't have any better grip on ice. I have found them to have less grip on ice then a soft sided two ply.

Bottom line is a 1500 will pull a enclosed with no problem. Stay within your tow rating and tire rating. Use winter specific tires if your worried about ice because they grip the best on it. Use an equalizer hitch to distribute the weight better across the truck axles. Sway bar hitch better yet if concerned about the sashay going on out back. My two cents.

 

[dilligaf]

Wow! Talk about being all over the place in opinions. Everything from I should be able to tow a car hauler with a 1/2 ton if I put a good equalizer/anti sway hitch on with good tires, to guys with diesel 3/4 tons that have gone from 27' trailers down to 16ft ones because the big trailers were not great towing in the mountains!

Well, I'm really stumped now. I really really really want a 4 place enclosed with heat, but I really really really do not want to buy a 3/4 ton truck. It's just too bad I don't know someone where I could borrow one for one trip and give it a try and see what I am comfortable with. I may have to try and talk a local trailer dealer into renting me one for a trip. The problem with being in a small province is that none of the local dealers stock any 4 place all aluminum trailers. They are all steel and cheaper stuff.

My only other trailer option is this:

http://www.tritontrailers.com/products/ ... fo=gallery

It's a compromise, but no heat or bells and whistles and demands a premium price. Can get a nice fully enclosed for what they Triton charges for this hybrid, so not good value.

I think it really comes down to what type of conditions do you plan on pulling in? More the pulling weight, the more potential issues in poor driving conditions.

 

[kinger]

I understand about slowing down but you could tow a trailer with a car if you slowed down enough. When I tow I want to be comfortable and feel safe and also travel at the speed limit (dry roads). I wont haul that heavy duty steel car hauler I towed last year again it was not a enjoyable ride. Its not my trailer so I'll keep my half ton but if I needed to tow something like that all the time I would get a bigger truck.

Any trailer that is all aluminum and say half the weight of a steel trailer a half ton will pull it no issue.

 

[LJ 452]

I've seen a VW Touarge towing a large three axle car hauler. Granted it was the TDI version and thus had plenty of power, the key was the speed they were going and the fact that it was summer.

One of the biggest reasons for going with the 3/4 or 1 ton trucks when towing is the stability they provide. Yes you could air bag the heck out of a 1/2 ton, gear it down, then chip it or whatever mods to the engine. Fact is it's still about 2000-4000 lbs. lighter than a 3/4 ton, has a driveline that was not designed for heavy towing, and thus won't provide the towing comfort one might desire. Just look at the rear axles on a 1/2 to a 3/4 or 1 ton truck and compare. That extra weight provides stability, You can haul large trailers that dwarf the to vehicle, it's just a matter of how comfortable you want to be, how quickly you want to get there, and how much you want to spend. And spend includes, fuel, tires, brakes, bearings, drivelines, steering components, towing takes it's toll on the entire vehicle, not just the engine trans and rear suspension.

If you are talking about a short trip (250 miles one way) a few times a year, during the day, relatively good conditions, 1/2 ton will suffice. Any more and it's either a smaller trailer, or bigger truck.

With Four sleds and all the fixings you're planning, I think you just crept in to the 3/4 and 1 ton range. Subtract the finished walls, heater, and any other major weight adding plans (Put as much gear in the bed of the truck, you may be able to use the 1/2 a few times a year. But I would plan on seeing a 3/4 in you driveway in the future. If you have a chance, to test out the trailers, go and test the trucks with the trailer. You will be surprised and the difference.

 

[Sasquatch]

I understand about slowing down but you could tow a trailer with a car if you slowed down enough. When I tow I want to be comfortable and feel safe and also travel at the speed limit (dry roads). I wont haul that heavy duty steel car hauler I towed last year again it was not a enjoyable ride. Its not my trailer so I'll keep my half ton but if I needed to tow something like that all the time I would get a bigger truck.

Any trailer that is all aluminum and say half the weight of a steel trailer a half ton will pull it no issue.

Good point! How often does one pull a trailer? How heavy is that trailer. Every day all year a 9,000pd trailer I'd be driving a 3500 diesel like my brothers.

My steel trailer weighs in at just over 3,000pds. With two sleds and all the other stuff I'd say maybe 5,500pds. I travel 60 to 70mph on dry pavement all the time. Most half tons are rated for around 7,000pd tow so 5,500 is well within the boundry!

I would not want to tow without the equilizer bars. I've tried that and the froggie hop on the hitch is terrible in my books. Plus the lift on the front makes the front end loose on ice. Equalizer plants the weight back on the front and balances out the load increasing safety and ride quality.

Now if the load was at or very near the 7,000pd mark even though in my case my truck is rated for 9,200 I would start to do a rethink on what I need to tow.

A 3/4 ton is only 1,000 pds heavier then a 1/2 ton contrary to what was said above about 2,000 to 4,000pds heavier. but the truck does have heavier axles and brakes which is a good thing. If you want the 13,000pd tow rating you have to go to 4.10 gears and of course you get the 6 liter gas (standard) or optional 6.6 diesel. Only 9,500pd rated with the 6.0L with 3.73 gears. I drive a GM and I am using it as an example. But feel free to argue tow rating from brand to brand if you feel it helps any!

Fuel economy goes out the window along with the nice ride. Not knocking it I have owned 3500 trucks and loved them. I chose a half ton because it is perfect for what I do. It is my daily transportation. I travel on long trips with it. I tow my camper, Sled trailer and boat with it. It gets great mileage, rides and handles great. My 3500 pulled awesome but the rest was so-so.

So I stick with what I said a trailer that is under the tow rating with a proper hitch (assuming of course all enclosed trailers come with electric brakes) can be safely towed by a half ton. Tire under trailer or outside the trailer raises or lowers the center of gravity. I went lower and 19ft Vnose because I only needed to haul two sleds and I like the lower C.O.G. for handling. 6 inch higher roof makes little diference to COG but increases drag a bit don't think I would sacrifice head room over that.

A longer 25ft Vnose trailer like mine will haul three sleds. Aluminum trailer and three sleds not much heavier then mine I see no probloems if properly set up. But again as you near the 7,000pd mark a 3/4 ton will do the job better. Four place trailers above the wheels loaded with sleds are heavy with a higher C.O.G. Know your load total, balance and pocket book.

Adding one or even two more sleds adds trailer size and weight. You have a choice just how big of a truck do you want? I chose two sleds and a 5,500pd tow weight because I do not want a 3/4 ton. I could go to three sleds and a lighter trailer but for me I'd draw the line there.

Oh and as a side note the 6 speed tranny is the best thing that ever happened for towing.

 

[mcamzr]

I have a clam shell and I don't even know its back there, bu tI pull a friends inclosed all the time. You have more than enough power to pull that truck. I have a 05 4x4 with a 5.7 and 3.95 gears. the one thing that made a huge difference is that I replaced the crapy goodyears 275/70/20 with a nitto 305/55/20 same height but more width. Made a huge difference even with my sled in the bed.