I have a 99 SD Supercab Short bed 4x4 with a 5.4 and Automatic Transmission.

My question is, my inlaws show Large Horse's, and are wanting me to pull there gooseneck horse trailer next year. Is my SD capable of pulling it safely down the road, or are there things that I will need to upgrade. I am already going to install a B W Turn over Ball Hitch, as that is the one that most people on here reccommend. Also, what do you guys reccommend for a brake controller, as I want to replace the broken one that I currently have.

Thanks

Mike

 

You dont say how big a trailer or how many horses but you should be fine. prodigy brake controler is what I have and I love it.

 

Definately Prodigy...

You should be comfortable towing three horses with a rig that size, possibly four depending how large they are. The biggest issue is the engine; the 5.4L is the smallest that vehicle can have. I tow two horses on a gooseneck trailer with my half ton 5.4L and it does it, but your rig will be heavier (even empty). Your brakes will be much better than mine, but my engine will do better because of its lighter weight. Of course, your transmission should be heavier duty than mine too... everything balances.

If its a standard sized 3H goose, you shouldn't have any problems. Larger than that may require some extra help, but it really depends what it is There are lots of trailers that truck can pull easily, and lots it can't.

 

The horse's are Percherons, look like a Clydesdale, only black. Will be hauling 2 of them in a 4 horse trailer, with some hay and feed in there as well. Any of the trips that I will be pulling the trailer will be less than 350 miles one way. I would think that my truck should pull the trailer at 55 to 60 mph, without a problem.

 

Perch's weigh around 2000lbs each. Since most draft people prefer stock trailers, and you talk about putting two horses in a four horse trailer (mine is a 4h, 16' stock), I'll assume you mean a gooseneck stock trailer. You shouldn't have much trouble towing that much. That's 4000lbs of horseflesh plus 4000lbs of trailer, meaning you should be under your 9000lb tow capacity. Just be warned the engine will be a little slugish But the brakes and suspension shouldn't have any problem.

Of course this begs the question why YOU got stuck hauling these critters :P

 

Well to make a long story short, they are selling all but a Team, and are going to buy some baby's and raise them up. That is what they did with before and sold some of them, then bought some that were already raised and broke, but don't like their temperment, so they decided to go back to square one, and start over.
With that in mind, they are going to sell the Semi, and the big trailer that they have, as they do not plan on ever showing a 6 horse hitch again.


This is the reson behind all my questions. I am a dirt racer at heart, but it's time for a change of pace, and I have fun helping them out at the farm.

 

I'd love to get into drafts... I do more light horses (QH mostly). They are a heck of a lot of fun. I was just giving you a hard time; it sounded like you got roped into it because of the significant other :-p

 

No problem, I am used to getting jabbed here and there. I do have to ask, is there a particular model of prodigy that I want to get????

 

Depends; what kind of trailer? Most 4H trailers don't use hydrolic brakes, but if yours does, you want the P3. If yours does not, you DO NOT want the P3; get the regular Prodigy instead. You don't need the extra "features" that make the P3 so difficult to use. The regular model is the exact same except with less confusion and less price

 

Hello all;

I just wanted to toss out a second brake controller. I have a Valley Odyssy, I did a little homework on the two before I purchased and found that they function off the same principles, Valley is an American co. (Lodi Ca.) and was about $20 cheaper than I could find the protege for. The last one was the deal clincher for me.

Something to think about.

 

I've had good luck with the draw tite brake controllers. Also make sure your 250 has overload springs on it. If not I would recommend adding something on the back end to reduce the sag. I had a 99 250 without overloads that would bottom out over bumps with only 6000#