Need quick advice for towing horses
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 321
Likes: 2
From: Queen Creek, AZ
Need quick advice for towing horses
Howdy all. My fiance and I just got ourselves a '93 F-250 supercab, long-bed, 351W and E4OD tranny, and 3.55 gears, and only 63,000 miles
! Anyway, we're lookin' at making a road trip down to Tucson here in a day or two with a two-horse bumper pull trailer. I'm figuring no more than 5000-6000lbs loaded, it's a small trailer, and the horses are Arabians.
The truck has the factory camper/tow package and air bags, and my question is will the tranny cooler be sufficient for this load for an hour and a half drive? It's all pretty level, and I figure the fastest we'll get goin' is 60-65. I have no desire to bend sheet metal on our new truck by doin' 75 on the highway with a load. I figure we're pretty good suspension wise.
Eventually we're gettin' a gooseneck trailer, probably a 3-horse slant with a small tack room, and then I won't worry so much about stability.
Any input ya'll have will be apreciated.
Thanks all,
Ben
! Anyway, we're lookin' at making a road trip down to Tucson here in a day or two with a two-horse bumper pull trailer. I'm figuring no more than 5000-6000lbs loaded, it's a small trailer, and the horses are Arabians.The truck has the factory camper/tow package and air bags, and my question is will the tranny cooler be sufficient for this load for an hour and a half drive? It's all pretty level, and I figure the fastest we'll get goin' is 60-65. I have no desire to bend sheet metal on our new truck by doin' 75 on the highway with a load. I figure we're pretty good suspension wise.
Eventually we're gettin' a gooseneck trailer, probably a 3-horse slant with a small tack room, and then I won't worry so much about stability.
Any input ya'll have will be apreciated.
Thanks all,
Ben
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 7,298
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From: Southern California
Need quick advice for towing horses
Congratulatins on your new F250! Long wheelbase trucks make very stable tow vehicles.
On level road in fair weather you should be fine. I'm sure you already have made the decision to get an auxilary trans cooler before the weather really warms up in AZ.
Have you set up the trailer with an electric brake controller already?
Happy trails,
Scott
On level road in fair weather you should be fine. I'm sure you already have made the decision to get an auxilary trans cooler before the weather really warms up in AZ.
Have you set up the trailer with an electric brake controller already?
Happy trails,
Scott
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 321
Likes: 2
From: Queen Creek, AZ
Need quick advice for towing horses
Brakes are in the works as is the cooler. Lots of stuff to keep me busy tomorrow.
I guess my one concern is the 3.55 gears. I guess on the flat highway they'll be nice, but eventually this truck will see some hills, and I don't think the 351 will handle it with 3.55's and two horses. I guess only time will tell.
Thanks for the input.
Ben
I guess my one concern is the 3.55 gears. I guess on the flat highway they'll be nice, but eventually this truck will see some hills, and I don't think the 351 will handle it with 3.55's and two horses. I guess only time will tell.Thanks for the input.
Ben
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 304
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Need quick advice for towing horses
The 3.55's should do ok. If you get on any hills you might want to kick the tranny out of overdrive when towing so it doesn't jump in and out. Just ride in 3rd gear through any hills. You already said that you won't be doing high speeds, so 3rd gear should be ok on hills. I think there is a button on the end of the gearshift to eliminate the OD.?? Tranny cooler is a must, but with the tow package, wasn't that already included?
Sounds like you'll have a good and safe time. Keep some weight on the tounge... about 10% or more of your trailer load.
Tony
Sounds like you'll have a good and safe time. Keep some weight on the tounge... about 10% or more of your trailer load.
Tony
New User
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 13
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From: Towanda U.S.A.
Need quick advice for towing horses
Sounds to me you will make out just fine!!!
Your truck has all the right stuff going for it for what you are going to haul and how you are going to do it.
Happy Hauling
Your truck has all the right stuff going for it for what you are going to haul and how you are going to do it.
Happy Hauling
