Towing 6+Ton of hay
#1
08-22-2004, 03:33 AM
#3
08-22-2004, 07:53 AM
What type of hitch? Class 3/4/5 type under the bumper or a goosneck mount in the bed? 7 tons=14,000lbs and I don't recall a 2" ball on a class 3/4/5 type hitch being able to handle that kinda of weight. Chances are you'll also be over the weight rating for the truck. Any way to split the load up and make two trips?
John
John
#4
08-22-2004, 11:56 AM
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Depending on who makes them, generally a 2" ball is rated for about a 7,500 pound load and a 2 5/16 is rated for a 10,000 pound load. Which is no where near 14,000 pounds.
Being a farm implement, I bet this trailer has no brakes!
I would put a scale on the trailer hitch and once the load hit 400-500 pounds, that would be it on the hay load. Assuming your truck has a frame mount trailer hitch ball and not a bumper ball.
Being a farm implement, I bet this trailer has no brakes!
I would put a scale on the trailer hitch and once the load hit 400-500 pounds, that would be it on the hay load. Assuming your truck has a frame mount trailer hitch ball and not a bumper ball.
#5
08-24-2004, 10:50 AM
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I've hauled a lot of hay, and 6-7 ton is a pretty big load for a pickup - at least, when you have to drive 60 miles up and down hills on public roads. Plus, as Rebocardo points out, the trailer probably doesn't have any brakes - so I'd REALLY be worried about the hills. If your husband decides to do it, he'll want to use engine compression to keep his speed down rather than using the brakes - in my experience an '82 F250 doesn't have enough brakes to keep that kind of load under control without the help of engine braking.
I'm curious what exact type of trailer this would be - because I can't think of any trailers large enough for that amount of hay that would use a 2" ball. Depending on the weight of the hay, that would be 200-300 square bales (figuring 50-70 pound bales) - and that's more hay than you can put on a car hauler-sized trailer, so we're talking about something perhaps 30 foot in length or more. I've never heard of a "squeeze" trailer, so I don't know what kind that is - I assume it's not like a normal hay wagon, because you wouldn't want to pull of of those 60 miles. At least, none of the ones I've pulled! So, I don't know how much that trailer would weigh. I'm used to seeing a pintle hitch on the larger farm trailers - the 2" ball thing confuses me. Depending on the trailer, we could be looking at a total weight of close to 20,000 pounds - possibly without any brakes. I'd do that when I was hauling around the farm, but I wouldn't take it out for a 60-mile drive. Well, maybe if I was in Nebraska and there were no hills.
I wish I could give you a better answer, but without knowing if the trailer has brakes that work properly, and the truck is wired for them, I really can't. If the trailer doesn't have any brakes, I'd definitely vote against it - especially if your husband hasn't towed that sort of load before. If he's got an automatic tranny, that'll mean he has questionable compression braking...and that truck won't stop that load without it, not when you're looking at hills and curves. If your husband didn't care how long it took him, I'd even recommend using 4-low (assuming he has a 4x4) on the steep downhill grades in order to help compression braking.
Also, with that year truck and a frame-mounted hitch you're looking at potential frame damage on the truck, or perhaps shearing off the frame mounting bolts - I've seen that in the past with similar loads.
I guess my main recommendation would be to try to split the load and take it in two trips...it's not worth the risk.
LK
I'm curious what exact type of trailer this would be - because I can't think of any trailers large enough for that amount of hay that would use a 2" ball. Depending on the weight of the hay, that would be 200-300 square bales (figuring 50-70 pound bales) - and that's more hay than you can put on a car hauler-sized trailer, so we're talking about something perhaps 30 foot in length or more. I've never heard of a "squeeze" trailer, so I don't know what kind that is - I assume it's not like a normal hay wagon, because you wouldn't want to pull of of those 60 miles. At least, none of the ones I've pulled! So, I don't know how much that trailer would weigh. I'm used to seeing a pintle hitch on the larger farm trailers - the 2" ball thing confuses me. Depending on the trailer, we could be looking at a total weight of close to 20,000 pounds - possibly without any brakes. I'd do that when I was hauling around the farm, but I wouldn't take it out for a 60-mile drive. Well, maybe if I was in Nebraska and there were no hills.
I wish I could give you a better answer, but without knowing if the trailer has brakes that work properly, and the truck is wired for them, I really can't. If the trailer doesn't have any brakes, I'd definitely vote against it - especially if your husband hasn't towed that sort of load before. If he's got an automatic tranny, that'll mean he has questionable compression braking...and that truck won't stop that load without it, not when you're looking at hills and curves. If your husband didn't care how long it took him, I'd even recommend using 4-low (assuming he has a 4x4) on the steep downhill grades in order to help compression braking.
Also, with that year truck and a frame-mounted hitch you're looking at potential frame damage on the truck, or perhaps shearing off the frame mounting bolts - I've seen that in the past with similar loads.
I guess my main recommendation would be to try to split the load and take it in two trips...it's not worth the risk.
LK