I would NOT even consider flat towing anything over 3500lbs with no brakes.

I know it is illegal here and for good reason.

PAY someone to move it, rent a u-haul van and trailer, pay a friend to haul it with a properly equipped truck/trailer

 

I don't have access to another truck or I would use it of course. I plan on swapping the wheels from both tires to make it easier on my trucks gearing. The tow dolly is 9" less wide than my truck and when I called uhaul they said a Jeep Cherokee barely fits.

 

Paying someone to move it is not an option. I've looked into those brake booster kits. Will it work on a regular vehicle and not a trailer?

 

Brake booster kit?


Sounds like you cant afford to do it right, which also means you REALLY cant afford to do it wrong

 

I've asked many people about flat towing and get responses that range from "flat-towing is evil period" to "it's no big deal as long as you use common sense and keep it below 40mph"

I could get a trailer and bust my towing weight limit by almost 2,000 lbs or I can tow the vehicle and go over it by less than 300 lbs which I'm sure my truck could handle. I plan on swapping the 31's for the 265's that are on the donor truck to help with my gearing situation. Let's be honest though, the 3.08 gears where never a towing ratio anyways, but thankfully the 300 six and the E4OD where made for handling large loads. I think with the right setup and speed discipline it should be fine. If the truck never goes over 35mph it'll be within the limits of what the truck's brakes can handle given appropriate distance between cars.

It's just gonna be a loooong drive home.

 

I would bet you could find a guy to move it for $1.25 per loaded mile... maybe even a member on this forum? If not try Craig's List... where do you live?

 

I have nothing against flat towing, but you do NOT have a big enough tow vehicle.

You came here looking for "advice" and when it is given, you are just dismissing it.
Do as you please

 

I'm in Rhode Island, but the truck is 91 miles away in Connecticut. If there is someone will to drive a trailered vehicle out there and back to me for around $100 than let me know. So far I've gotten quotes in the $300-400 range.

 

I'm not dismissing your advice, I just have to work with what I've got. Your say I don't have a big enough vehicle to flat tow or tow period cause my factory tow rating is bang on the weight of the towed truck.

 

You're just asking until someone tells you what you want to hear.
You don't have the right tool for the job and could potently kill someone.
You don't have enough power, don't have adequate brakes on the tow vehicle and NO brakes on the vehicle being towed. Stopping a 40 mph with something the same weight (or more) than your truck pushing it won't work well. If you have to do it more than once in a short time frame then your overheated brakes are going to do even less.
For a short drive maybe, but a hundred miles? Nope.

 

All of us have overloaded trucks before. Almost all of it has gone fine. But some has been more of a "learning experience." We are trying to give you the benefit of that experience. You will probably get away with whatever you try if you are careful enough. But there are options that are more risky than others, and you are locked into the most risk one. You're still fairly likely to survive it, again, especially if you are careful enough. But we all think you have better options.

I've personally never used a tow dolly, so I can't say for sure, but that might be your best bet. Yes, the F-150 probably won't fit on a U-Haul rental, but there are bigger ones available. That will give you trailer brakes and not a lot of additional weight. I think it will also be less likely to jack-knife than flat towing (but I'm not sure about that).

As I said before, trailering is not a terrible option either. Yes you will be overl your truck's rated capability, but what you don't seem to be getting is that ALL of these options are over your truck's rated capability. The ability to steer and stop are WAY more important than the ability to accelerate and to hold speed up a hill! Trailering will be your worst option for starting and going up hills, but by far your best for steering and stopping (assuming you load it well and it has good brakes).

Flat towing is definitely your worst option. I've had a 3000 lb CJ5 just about jack-knife a 5000 lb F-250 in a surprise situation. You are talking about a much worse situation than that.

But you're going to do what you're going to do, and honestly, it won't be significantly more stupid than what most of us have done at one point or another. What they say is very true, good judgement comes from experience, experience comes from bad judgement. But if you can use the good judgement to learn from our past bad judgement...

 

No this is not a good idea, as everyone else has said. Your truck may be rated to tow that much, but that is with a trailer that has BRAKES. Your load does not and that makes a huge difference.

Here's a solution for you: buy a AAA membership. Last time I checked, the one with the 100-mile tow radius is $100 for a year. You have to be with the vehicle being towed, so you would need to drive out, meet the driver, and follow him back.

I guarantee you won't kill anyone with negligence this way. Flat-towing behind a wholly inadequate tow vehicle, not so much. You may not value your own life that much, but how are you going to feel if you kill someone else?

 

OK, I'm going to try and borrow my buddies F350 CC for the job. Called a couple places about towing and none of them can do it for less than $300 or so. If anyone can recommend a person to tow it at around $1.25 per mile please pm me or post it here.

 

 

This was in reference to a previous poster. Seriously, if you came on this thread just to put that in save your key strokes....