I'm know we aren't the only ones who bought one of these huge trailers....fellow WW's what you towin' it with?

What does 13,000 dry weight mean? with nothing in it? That means loaded it's an 18,000 pound trailer?

The Ford dealer said I need an F450? Really? I don't have that kind of cash? I don't want to sell the toys, paid cash for everything and I know I'd take a big hit on the resale.... I'm kicking myself hard. What a dumby...We're the laugh of the forum I bet...........

 

We have a Warrior FS3000, GVWR is 13,000. We pull it with a 2500 Crew cab long bed Dodge Cummins with a six speed. No problems.

 

I'm so loaded....I just did the math on the weight of the trailer and it's the same, 13,000 pounds max...not 18? I'm really making myself look stupid on this forum....that's okay, I'm and female talking about trucks........do I get any extra allowances for that?

Anyway, I think the 2006 MegaCab is going to tow our toys.......loaded it's 50K, ouch......still have to pull a rabbit out of our hats......with a 2000 Celica turn in and another 8K, maybe it won't be that bad.......

Thanks for your input.

 

It's a big damn trailer but you don't need a 450 to pull it.

The empty weight of your 32 footer is 7,240 pounds. IF you load it to capacity, it will weigh 13,000 pounds. Going beyond that is overloading your trailer. So you've got a trailer at 7,240, ATV's at 2,000 and say another 2,000 pounds of water, propane and gear. That gives you a little over 11,000 pounds total to be pulled by your tow vehicle. A 3/4 ton truck could pull it, but you'd be right at the edge or just beyond the safe load rating - especially if you factor in several passengers and their extra gear. A one ton should do it. Definately diesel. Probably a load leveling/ anti sway hitch. While you are looking at an expensive tow vehicle, it will be closer to 40K than 50K, unless you really get crazy with options or don't deal well.

I think the first thing I'd do is go back to the place that you bought the trailer from and talk to someone there who knows their product and what it takes to pull it. Get some realistic load figures from them and use that information to compare to any of the big three's top of the line heavy duty one ton trucks. BTW, the Dodge Mega-cab is a mega cab size, but does not haul any more than a standard crew cab.

If you don't get blackandredwarrior to jump in on this thread, give him a PM - he's pretty knowledgable about all things to due with trailering and knows how to run all the numbers.

Jaybee

 

Thanks a bunch for all the input.................the mega cab is really comfortable inside but I do know that it has the same towing capacity as the crew cab 3500......problem is......I don't want to be THAT close to the kids for several hours at a time and Dodge's crew cab offers pretty tight quarters..........it doesn't give the kids much room to grow up....

I am asking the dealer to order me the 2006 3500 MegaCab 4X4 in Silver with no extras, except maybe something other than the cloth interior.........Any other suggestions before I put myself in this much debt?

 

Make sure that you check Dodge's current promotions - They have some kind of free gas/extendended maintainance/ free maintenance thing going on right now. Sometimes dealers conveniently forget to include these things. Also check websites for any available dodge rebates.

Jaybee

 

why don't you just buy a used truck? they are like a quatre the price of a new one and just as good and drive that till you got enough for a new one

 

We usually haul 4 bikes, 100 gal of water, kitchen and bed areas, 20' awning, support tools, gasoline, etc for the bikes in a 38' triaxle gooseneck enclosed trailer. GVW of trailer 15600# usually weighs about 14000#. Truck weighs 7050#, 04 K2500 Chev, Duramax/Allison loaded door long bed. We grossed a little over 21000# on a trip to Taylor Park Co. in Aug. round trip 2700 miles. The truck pulled great!! No sway all the power we wanted and the brakeing was fantastic!! With the grade brake feature we needed the brakes very little as the trans and engine did most of the work, very much safer than relying on brakes most of the time, ie; no hot fadeing brakes on long steep hills like Cottonwood Pass. We are slightly over manufactures rateings however the gooseneck has very good trailering manners. If your trailer is bumper pull I would use leveling/ sway bars, QRMof3. I would also look @ GM, Allison ,best trans on the market. bob .............

 

my advice would be to get the mega cab with the manuel trans. Its much stronger for pulling then the auto.

 

I would get the 1 ton if you are leary of the weight ratings of a 3/4 ton but I have a 3/4 ton and it has towed everything fine. One thing I will say is that if you get the Dodge make sure that it is a six speed manual. I have had Dodge autos in the past and will never own one of those hunks of junk again. Dodges version of an auto has no buisness being behind a deisel. The gearing is way wrong and leaves you wishing there was a gear between OD and 3rd. Cruising down the inerstate 3rd is to low and you either have to drive slow or run it rite up to just short of red line to cruise at a desent speed. I now have the truck in my sig with a six speed and am much happier. I chose the gear and there are plenty to chose from. IF you have to have an auto the ONLY choise in my opinion is the GMC or Chevy with the Duramax/Allison combo. This is hands down the best auto trans for towing on the market. It has somany awsome features i dont have time to explain them but a few are grade control, in other words it downshifts for you and holds you back going down a hill so you dont have to use your breaks near as much. Fords are flat out out of the question. A lot of people like them but a lot of people are WRONG. For pics of what I tow paste this link. I towed it to Taylor Park, Colorado in August as well, and earlier in the year I towed a shorter but heavier load to there as well. 1800+ miles round trip each time.

http://www.dieseltruckresource.com/p...cat=500&page=1

Not to hyjak the thread but Carco when in august where you out there? We where out there the second week. We set up camp out rite on the north edge of Union Park. We where abought 100 feet north of the Union Park sign on the main road coming up from from the trading post. Just barly inside the timber line there on the East side of the road. This was the secon trip this year and the 3rd in the last 2 years. My wife and I just cant get enough of the area. We have covered everything from Aspen to way south of Pitkin. We usaly spend at least 7 days there each time. We have put around 2000 miles on our machines out there.