Hi there. I'm new to the forum, and TBH, I'm not really into horses :smile: but my wife is and she recently purchased a 2 horse Trails West slant trailer with a tack room. Weight is 3,500 lbs. She has a polo horse that weighs about 1,200 lbs. With all her gear, feed, etc, I think she'll be at 5,700 lbs total.

We currently have a Mercedes Benz GLE 350. Will it be up to hauling her horse and trailer? The GLE has the Tow Package and a 7,500 lb tow limit. I'm fairly confident it can do it, just have other concerns after reading issues others have brought up, especially regarding short wheelbases. With the GLE's Tow package, I'm assuming bigger brakes and tranny cooler are covered, but will check when the wife gets home.

If we're not confident in the GLE's capability to tow the set-up, I'd be looking to get an older F250. Was originally thinking a mid 90s F250 7.3 diesel 4x4 as it seemed to have the most recommendations (diesel over gas, tried and true 7.3 engine vs the problematic 6.0 or 6.x engines).

But the truck I really like are the mid-70s F250 Highboys. It seems most folks with horse trailer experience vehemently recommend diesel over gas, not just for the mileage but for reliability (after all, the 7.3 diesel has a bullet-proof rep). Still, I'd much rather have a cooler Highboy! I know the gas mileage will be in the single digits when trailering. Concerns I have are the older brakes, tranny, and the higher suspension. Has anyone used old Highboys for trailering horses? Any issues with the brakes, tranny, engine, suspension?

Thanks!

 

Highboys are plenty good trailer toters. You'll end up doing the same things to it that you will to a '90's Ford - overload springs/bags/Timbrens/etc. if you get much squat, rear swaybar will help tons, receiver hitch, and a decent brake controller. I don't remember when they went from front drums to discs, but brakes would be your only real concern with that setup - other than maybe power. How far and what kind of roads are you looking at traveling, and at what kind of speeds?

If it's relatively local, you're good with whatever you've got - moved an amazing amount of weight reliably for many years in a F-250 bullnose with a 300-6, 4 speed, and a Besler bale bed (heavy), and BIG goosenecks hauling cows. But mostly backroads-y type trips, probably never broke 55 mph.

I'd lean towards a 390 (available in em factory) or 460 conversion if you'll be on the highway much - just for power reasons. I currently own a really nice '95 F-250 4x4 PowerStroke standard cab/5speed, and it sits in the shed while I do what needs to be done with a '78 F-250 4x4 400/4 speed. As far as transmissions, the ZF-5 in the '95 seldom sees OD with a trailer (3.55 gears), so in reality, it ends up being a slightly closer-ratio 4 speed than the NP435, not enough different to really matter. In a lot of ways, I like the old 4-speed better because of the lower 1st gear. The PowerStroke definitely has more power, but the 400 holds it's own easily up to probably 10,000# gross, after that you start watching the tach. A 390 won't be much different, if anything probably better. All in what you wanna do, and how much time you're willing to spend working on it. They're a great base platform, but you might have to make a mod or 2 to get what you want (like everything). And then you get the bug. And then it gets expensive. Like everything.

I will say there's absolutely nothing wrong with a 94 1/2-97 F-Series, either, it's my SECOND favorite pickup. But in the grand scheme of things, other than body, some creature comforts, and the engine, those two pickups are pretty similar - Dana 60 vs. 10.25 Sterling axles (not a lot different), virtually the same rear suspension, etc.

Big thing on towing horses, is you have "live" weight back there, which increases your chance of sway and can rob some power, not like hauling a trailer of bricks of the same weight. You'll like the wheelbase and heavy tires of a 3/4 ton pickup over what you can do with an SUV, regardless which way you go, I'd say.

 

Highboy will do fine, but remember you're giving up the following: (unless it has it or it's been upgraded)

Power steering
Potentially front disc brakes
A/C
Long distance comfort
Long distance reliability
MPG

These are all factors that may/may not apply, but should be considered. Get a highboy as a project and a newer truck for hauling would be my suggestion. You can find them pretty cheap if you monitor for them.

They had horses and horse trailers way back in the 70's, people used them then, like new trucks now.

 

I also have a Mercedes but I have a GL350 Bluetec diesel. The big tq the little 3.0 diesel is impressive and does make me wonder what it would tow like. I just won't do it because it's not a real truck and I don't see it lasting towing. A old highboy may not take it down the road as fast but it'll be cheaper to fix and much better suited.

The best bang for the buck and least amount of modifications would be something like a mid 90's 7.3.

 

Highboy get all the love, but the later '77-'79 F250 4x4's are just as good, and better in many ways. They all have better power steering systems and front disc brakes, and are plentiful. No need to limit yourself in your search.

David

 

My 74 highboy has been towing horse trailers (and other trailers) for many years. I have overload springs, a high quality hitch receiver, better trailer brake controller, power steering, power brakes and good tires and it gets the job done. I would consider all of those upgrades necessities. With the drum brakes it still does surprisingly fine. The suspension and frame really do well, but with the 360 I had it was underpowered. I even changed it out for another rebuilt 360 and it was still a dog, getting 8 mpg and barely making it up hills towing. I would get the same truck again in a heart beat, but avoid that 360 like the plague. I hear good things about 390s though.

Be careful of 390 ford highboys, especially on craigslist, because 360 and 390 engines look the same and not everyone is honest.


It looks like the curb weight of a GLE 350 is about 4650. Interestingly, this is about 700 lbs heavier than my highboy...

 

great recommendations Kawasakiklx1 and JakeHan! She'll be trailering it once a week locally, about 15 miles round trip. In addition, she'll go to 2-4 tournaments a year (maybe 5-7 hr drive one way). So in essence, I'm hearing a Highboy with mods will make it very trailer-worthy and on par with the mid-90s 7.3 diesels. I would have to deal with the loss in fuel efficiency but I'd get the way cooler Highboy! .

Getting a project highboy and a newer truck is a no-go for me. We already have 3 cars between the two of us. I want to eventually get a 70s FJ40 so if we got the towing truck, it would make it 5! I don't want to give up any of our current vehicles.

 

Very good point about the 77-79's - still have the cool factor (IMO) and the bulletproof body, but a little more "modern" for the power steering and such.

 

You definitely want to go 78/79 if given the choice. MUCH better setup for all the reasons mentioned and would need very little to make it work well. Engines offered are better, 460's go in easier usually, suspension is stronger, PS, disc, more interior options, etc. A mild modded 400 will tow your trailer with ease.

I still say go with a modern 95-2003 7.3 diesel. Hills won't exist to it, reliable, long haul ready, all the new-age comforts, etc.

At the end of the day, it's completely up to you! I sold my 2000 F350 7.3 recently to help fund my 79 project F250...but I don't haul very often.

Sidenote...be careful with 77's. There are 77's and 77 1/2's. They made most of the changes mid-year.

 

I do not have a weight to give you but I hauled this all-wood shed this summer and it weighed a ton. I have a 79 F-350 4x4 with auto trans. It has a 4:10 gear and an 400 ci. engine with a 4bbl carb and dual exhaust. The only concession I made to hauling the extreme weight (to me) was to shift manually as it shifted a little too soon when taking off from red lights. I think you would be fine with a 73-79 truck.

 

I thought Highboys were considered from 73 up to 79. I've seen a few 77-79 F250s on CL and they called Highboys.

yea, it makes more sense to spend the coin on a truck to haul the horses than to do it with the GLE. It can probably handle it, but who knows the long term effects on the GLE...and if that happens, $10k or more on a new engine, tranny, etc...

awesome pic of your rig! Damn, I love those Highboys!!

I've heard that too about the "360s become 390s" on CL. Whatever happened to honesty in people? Sheesh. Anyhow, I think I'm going to narrow my search for 77-79 Highboys or older but upgraded Highboys.

 

nice!! You should've told folks that was your horse trailer...LOL...would've loved to see the look on their faces!!

 

These new luxury suvs weigh so much. I believe my Mercedes GL350 diesel said it had a curb weight of 5800lb and it does feel heavier than a old truck. I'm not sure about his being gas but I know ours makes 455ft lb tq out of a 3.0. We had a Audi Q7 TDI before and it was equally impressive in my opinion. They're neat but they aren't truck just trucks to the that never used a real one.

I can only imagine if the trans got hot and took a crap or a air bag blew from the weight. They claim 7500 tow capacity for mine but I wonder how long it's good for lol.

 

Highboys are from 73 to 77 in the Dent sides. 77.5 was when Ford changed from a divorced transfer case to a married one (among other changes, but this is the easiest one to identify). Along with that change they also lowered the ride height, resulting in the difference between the Highboys and Lowboys. Any 77.5-79 F250s (or any year non-F250) that are being called Highboys most likely just have a lift kit installed and the seller is trying to claim it came from the factory that way (which it didn't).

Also, from 73-76, the 360 was the only v8 option in the Highboys, in 77 the 351M and 400 were the v8 options.

 

Or one of them fancy his-and-hers outhouses...