Towing U-Haul Trailer Cross Country
#2
Towing U-Haul Trailer Cross Country
I have a 1997 F150, 5.4, 2X4, with the 5000' Hitch and I am making a move from Florida to California. I am asking for some recommendations from you guys on the max load for such a long trip as to not risk damaging the transmission. My choices for trailers is a U-Haul 6X12, 5X10, or 5X8. Also, would the tandem axles on the larger trailers be easier for my truck to pull than the single axle?
Thanks!
Thanks!
#3
Towing U-Haul Trailer Cross Country
I think your truck will handle whichever you want. I moved from Florida to Baltimore and pulled a 2500 lb boat that was loaded with all the stuff the movers wouldn't take, like plants, paint... I had a camper shell on my truck and it was stuffed with boxes of books. It was heavy load. Of course as you know don't use OD. I started out real slow and easy so as not to stress anything. After 5-6 hrs into the trip and seeing I had a long ways to go, I moved into the fast lane and we hit 80-85. So I'd get whichever trailer is needed. Check the fluids often.
#4
#5
Towing U-Haul Trailer Cross Country
I hate to answer a question with a question, but before I can give you accurate advice I have a few more questions:
- What is the rear axle ratio?
- Does the truck have a tranny cooler?
- Are you planning to put a load in the bed of the truck as well as in the trailer?
- If so, approx. how heavy do you think it'll be? I'm just trying to get a rough idea of what kind of GVWR you'll be running.
My rough guesstimate - and it's just a guesstimate - is that if you have 3.55 gears you can probably get away with the 6x12 trailer if you take it reasonably slow (55-60mph) and don't use overdrive. According to U-haul's site, the 6x12 weighs 1,800 pounds empty with a max trailer weight of 4,400 pounds. If you're hauling bulky stuff like furniture, you'll probably be running at closer to 3,500 pounds - furniture tends to take up a lot of room without much weight. That much weight isn't really a problem with the 5.4L, except you'll be pulling it a long ways...including over a few mountains. Plus, you're hurt by the fact that the 6x12 trailer is about as aerodynamic as a brick - I pulled one with my my '91 F150, and it pulled about the same loaded as unloaded because wind drag was the biggest factor.
Of course, U-haul says never to exceed 45mph towing their trailers, but nobody takes that seriously...60mph is slow enough, I'd hate to drive across the USA at 45mph!
If your truck has anything less than 3.55 gears and/or are carrying heavy items in the truck or trailer, I'd stick with the smaller trailers just to be on the safe side. I'd probably go with the 5x8 - it's about the same size as the 5x10, but has a higher payload and weighs a lot less empty. For some reason the adding the extra axle on the 5x8 and making it into a 5x10 just adds a lot of weight without adding hardly any space or any payload. Both the 5x8 and 5x10 have a lot less frontal area, and pull much easier - not only are they a foot narrower, they are about a foot and a half shorter in height. Of course, the drawback is that the smaller trailer can only haul half as much. According to U-haul, the 6x12 has a volume of 396 cubic feet, the 5x10 has a volume of 230 cf, and the 5x8 has a volume of 208 cf - so as you can see, the 6x12 is really quite a bit bigger then the others.
On another note, everytime I move (or help others move) I make the mistake of loading the furniture into the trailer first. Big problem! The furniture takes up a lot of room for the weight, and you end up putting all the small/heavy boxes in the back...which doesn't leave you with enough tongue weight. I'd recommend looking at the load beforehand and trying to pick out and load the most dense items into the front of the trailer first - not that I ever do that, but I think it's probably a good idea.
Personally, I'd use the 5x8 trailer unless I absolutely needed to use something bigger, in which case I'd use the 6x12...if the truck is equipped to handle it. It'd be a lot better to be able to enjoy the sights of the cross-country trip without having to worry about potential problems with the truck. I'm sure your truck will probably handle both trailers just fine, but with a long trip like that it's better to be safe than sorry.
Also, this question might get more responses in the towing forum - there are a few folks on there that might be able to help and who might not go to this forum.
LK
- What is the rear axle ratio?
- Does the truck have a tranny cooler?
- Are you planning to put a load in the bed of the truck as well as in the trailer?
- If so, approx. how heavy do you think it'll be? I'm just trying to get a rough idea of what kind of GVWR you'll be running.
My rough guesstimate - and it's just a guesstimate - is that if you have 3.55 gears you can probably get away with the 6x12 trailer if you take it reasonably slow (55-60mph) and don't use overdrive. According to U-haul's site, the 6x12 weighs 1,800 pounds empty with a max trailer weight of 4,400 pounds. If you're hauling bulky stuff like furniture, you'll probably be running at closer to 3,500 pounds - furniture tends to take up a lot of room without much weight. That much weight isn't really a problem with the 5.4L, except you'll be pulling it a long ways...including over a few mountains. Plus, you're hurt by the fact that the 6x12 trailer is about as aerodynamic as a brick - I pulled one with my my '91 F150, and it pulled about the same loaded as unloaded because wind drag was the biggest factor.
Of course, U-haul says never to exceed 45mph towing their trailers, but nobody takes that seriously...60mph is slow enough, I'd hate to drive across the USA at 45mph!
If your truck has anything less than 3.55 gears and/or are carrying heavy items in the truck or trailer, I'd stick with the smaller trailers just to be on the safe side. I'd probably go with the 5x8 - it's about the same size as the 5x10, but has a higher payload and weighs a lot less empty. For some reason the adding the extra axle on the 5x8 and making it into a 5x10 just adds a lot of weight without adding hardly any space or any payload. Both the 5x8 and 5x10 have a lot less frontal area, and pull much easier - not only are they a foot narrower, they are about a foot and a half shorter in height. Of course, the drawback is that the smaller trailer can only haul half as much. According to U-haul, the 6x12 has a volume of 396 cubic feet, the 5x10 has a volume of 230 cf, and the 5x8 has a volume of 208 cf - so as you can see, the 6x12 is really quite a bit bigger then the others.
On another note, everytime I move (or help others move) I make the mistake of loading the furniture into the trailer first. Big problem! The furniture takes up a lot of room for the weight, and you end up putting all the small/heavy boxes in the back...which doesn't leave you with enough tongue weight. I'd recommend looking at the load beforehand and trying to pick out and load the most dense items into the front of the trailer first - not that I ever do that, but I think it's probably a good idea.
Personally, I'd use the 5x8 trailer unless I absolutely needed to use something bigger, in which case I'd use the 6x12...if the truck is equipped to handle it. It'd be a lot better to be able to enjoy the sights of the cross-country trip without having to worry about potential problems with the truck. I'm sure your truck will probably handle both trailers just fine, but with a long trip like that it's better to be safe than sorry.
Also, this question might get more responses in the towing forum - there are a few folks on there that might be able to help and who might not go to this forum.
LK
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