Spinoff - Can an F150 pull a trailer?

[asterix]

To the OP, sorry this thread has gone so haywire. People come on here sometimes asking “can I safely tow my 2 clydesdales with my honda accord” so folks have a hair trigger about what they consider to be insufficient set-ups.

Zillions of people tow a 2 horse bumper pull trailer with a truck that says “150” or “1500” on the back. The problem is that trailer weights and specs vary a TON and so do truck specs, even within what the truck makers call “150.”

Two things to keep in mind:

1. Spec the ACTUAL truck and ACTUAL trailer - weight, length, equipment, towing capacity, etc of truck, weight of trailer. Know what hitch you need.
   This page http://www.equispirit.com/info/towing.htm has a useful summary of all of this.

2. The dealers, I am sorry to say, are NOT reliable sources of what’s safe. They really don’t know, or aren’t interested in telling you. I got all kinds of cockamamie stories from dealers, and when I started telling them what specs I wanted they just shut up and let me look at their inventory list to see if they had what I was looking for. Spec the truck from the manufacturer’s info and go from there.

[foursocks]

As someone who just got her first trailer, I would throw in another vote for being sure to get facts along with opinions on what truck can pull which trailer. I have a new Adam Julite WB with a dressing room and a side ramp- it is only a two horse BP, but it is not light.

I was told my friend’s Land Cruiser could pull it by someone I thought would know better. She has pulled a much smaller two horse with it for very short trips and it struggled with that, so I fail to see how her car could be safe to pull my trailer!

I got our truck, a 1996 Dodge 2500 Cummins Diesel, before the trailer and went up in power because I figured better to be over-trucked than under-trucked when I finally decided on the trailer I wanted. Pulling my 1300 lb horse it gets 18-20 mpg, with both regular diesel and biodiesel, which is pretty fabulous, and chugs along very nicely, so I don’t regret going for bigger.

[feather_river]

[QUOTE=foursocks;4093770]
As someone who just got her first trailer, I would throw in another vote for being sure to get facts along with opinions on what truck can pull which trailer. I have a new Adam Julite WB with a dressing room and a side ramp- it is only a two horse BP, but it is not light.

I was told my friend’s Land Cruiser could pull it by someone I thought would know better. She has pulled a much smaller two horse with it for very short trips and it struggled with that, so I fail to see how her car could be safe to pull my trailer!

I got our truck, a 1996 Dodge 2500 Cummins Diesel, before the trailer and went up in power because I figured better to be over-trucked than under-trucked when I finally decided on the trailer I wanted. Pulling my 1300 lb horse it gets 18-20 mpg, with both regular diesel and biodiesel, which is pretty fabulous, and chugs along very nicely, so I don’t regret going for bigger.[/QUOTE]

As someone who has hauled professionally for the past 10+ years, I would advise anyone to get more truck than is needed. You never want to be on the margin with your equipment when going down the road. It just is not safe. And if you are considering pulling a BP, then my best advice is to get as long a wheel base on the tow vehicle as is possible–much less likely to jack-knife. [frankly, BP’s scare me–much safer to be pulling a gooseneck with a truck that is a crew cab with an 8’ box–I like those axles far apart on the truck, and the trailer wheels as far back there as is possible.] I know BP’s are very popular, but please only use them for short distances and drive very carefully. I’ve seen too many of these in the ditch with either a horse trailer or a travel trailer kissing the SUV that was pulling them.

[Oakstable]

I have a Ford 150 and a Logan 2-horse WB size BP.

I haul locally with one horse but if we had to go somewhere at a distance, I’d hire someone to take us.

I use to have a 250 but it is not practical with as little hauling as I do now.

Cheaper to pay someone with a bigger truck and rig.

[rugbygirl]

but I prefer the feel of the rear end of the dually, plus its extra weight handling capacity, when pulling the 5-horse.

I hate pulling anything with duallys. They actually provide less traction and they have the added drawback of travelling constantly outside the ruts on the highway. They are godawful trying to pull something up a snow-covered hill. To each their own, I suppose. I have observed that most people who claim to prefer duallys are using a truck that is ridiculously over-powered for the job they want, so that’s probably why people often claim to like them better. A dually F-350 with a giant oversized Diesel will just generally feel “better” pulling the same size trailer as someone’s 1978 old Ford 1/2 ton. Give me the half-ton in a Canadian winter, personally.

I’m a little miffed by your “it scares me” comment. Something should only “scare” you if the activity is outside the manufacturer’s engineered safety limits. For example, making your hitch fit your home-built trailer with plywood and duct tape additions. That would be “scary”. A bumper pull behind an F-150 that is rated to tow it should not “scare” you. Maybe if it is being driven by someone with a cigarette in one hand and a cell phone in the other, maybe then, I guess.

A 1500 series truck with most V8s (think Dodge 318 engines and up) and a tow package can handle most small bumper pull trailers. Bumper pull trailers are not going to randomly jacknife in the middle of the highway, and goosenecks are not exactly a cinch to tow. Gooseneck models are only available in bigger, heavier trailers…which leads to even less visibility. Small bumper pulls are relatively easy to learn to drive and back up in comparison. Why haul around an 80% empty gooseneck with a big truck when all you need is a small bumper pull and a smaller truck? That’s silly and wasteful. Full size trucks don’t exactly have a zero marginal carbon footprint.

In my experience, people who drive larger trucks tend to be lulled into a false sense of security about how “safe” they are. If you’re a crap driver, F-250 or F-150 pulling a trailer doesn’t matter one iota…except that the bigger truck will do more damage to whatever you hit. And probably burn more gas.

Here are some true facts about trailer driving from a 26 year old woman, a former automotive industry line supervisor, who has hauled a Clydesdale and a heavy Thoroughbred all over Alberta, Canada in a two-horse BP behind a Dodge 1500 in ALL weather conditions:

1. Trucks have tow ratings, trailers have weights, horses have weights. Add up trailer weight, horse weight and weight of whatever else you put in there and if it is within the tow capacity you are 100% fine.

2. You will get into trouble if your vehicle isn’t properly maintained. Trouble is about 10 times worse with a trailer. Ask me how I know. Cost of tow for F-150 = $53.99 with AMA membership. Cost of tow for F-150 plus trailer over the same distance = $349.99, AMA would not cover.

3. If you have bald or poor tires on your tow vehicle, pulling a trailer is stupid and dangerous. Your tow vehicle needs to have good traction and reliable steering response to achieve its tow rating.

4. Load the heavier horse on the drivers’ side if you have a straight load. That way, if you get into trouble, you have a big moving weight tending to pull the truck ONTO the road as opposed to INTO the ditch.

5. Loading hay onto the trailer roof rack increases total height and wind resistance. You will have to correct more, especially in the wind. It also adds to the weight.

6. Many driving schools offer trailer-pulling courses. If you don’t have someone decent to teach you, consider taking one. There are some things to know and you don’t want to learn how to back a trailer into a tight spot in the middle of the crowded show grounds. Way less embarassing if you practice when no one is around.

==

In conclusion, driving skill, responsible vehicle maintenance and your vehicle’s specifications are all variables that are of much more importance than what size your truck is.

[feather_river]

this is why they make different trucks and brands. to each his/her own. my wife doesn’t like driving the dually either. she prefers her 2500. but before the dually I had a 2 ton Topkick, which I pulled a 7 horse with, with a gvw combined of around 32k lbs. So I like the feel of having a truck and trailer stuck to the road. I logged over 750K miles with that set up, and down sized to the Dodge 4X4 [for the winters out west] with the 5 horse–gvw combined when loaded of 23k lbs. Give me the dually any day.

And don’t let the word “scare” scare you. I was just using that for “drama”. Personally, give me a gooseneck any day over a bumper pull. Horses ride much better, and you don’t have to worry about that bouncing up and down you get from the mechanics of having the trailer tongue weight sitting on the tail end of the tow vehicle. Much better having that weight sitting a few inches ahead of the back axle.

[feather_river]

One other comment. My daughter is younger than the previous poster. She drives either vehicle pulling either trailer and has been hauling all over for several years. She is not put off by either vehicle, and loves pulling the gooseneck over a bumper pull. She drives day or night, and has hauled horses coast to coast with me–both of us driving separately. If you are comfortable driving a stick and like a sports car feel and enjoy being behind the wheel, you shouldn’t have a problem hauling horses. And well maintained equipment is a must.

[huntergirl007]

[QUOTE=feather river;4094473]
but before the dually I had a 2 ton Topkick[/QUOTE]

This is what I really would like…but that’s a whole new issue

[Everythingbutwings]

Another reason for carrying roadside assistance coverage when hauling - US Rider will come get your vehicle and trailer and tow you up to 100 miles.

              [B]TOWING                    - [/B] When your vehicle cannot be started or driven,                    the vehicle and/or horse trailer will be towed to the destination                    of your choice up to 100 miles by one of our authorized vehicles.                  

I’ve had to use my coverage twice (thankfully, not while towing) and they were great.

[authentic_pony]

5 pages later and its still confusing on whether a 1/2 ton can pull a 2 horse.

My mom and I are looking into buying a truck and trailer. She’s been to TONS of dealerships and has settled on working with a Chevy dealership that has been in the horse business for years. About 40% of the trucks at the horse shows come from him, and his daughter shows GP jumpers so I DO trust what he has to say.

He says a Chevy Silverado 1500 5.3L V8 extended cab 6’6" bed truck (the one we are looking at - which will be her every day vehicle too) will be just fine towing a 2 horse gooseneck with sideramp but no dressing room and 2 WBs.

Yet every time I read a thread on towing, I doubt it and think we need to get a bigger truck. I know I’d rather be in a 2500, but the dealership and my mom both say this setup will not be a problem.

[asterix]

authentic, see the link in my post above. It’s a math problem. But not a very hard one.
All you need to do is know HOW MUCH your trailer weighs empty, HOW MUCH more weight you will be adding with the horses and gear, HOW MUCH the truck in question (the actual truck, not some fantasy 150) weighs and is rated to tow, and WHAT KIND of hitch you will need.

If your numbers add up, you are fine. There are plenty of 150 setups that are safe for a 2 horse bumper pull, with 2 warmbloods, with a dressing room. I know, I have one. Truck is heavy duty, crew cab, long bed, quadrasteer, and my weight when loaded is well within its towing capacity. Your gooseneck almost certainly weighs more, but you need to know the numbers. Don’t let anyone here tell you it won’t work – and don’t rely on the dealer to tell you it will. Go by the numbers.

[rugbygirl]

Good advice asterix, I’d also like to add that if the truck you want doesn’t come with a gooseneck receiver (or hitch receiver for a bumper pull) and trailer brake controller, have it installed by the dealer as part of your negotiation You definitely want one, but if you install it on your own it will cost more.

Also, authentic pony, a lot of trailers can offer the same size/features but with varying weights. If the gooseneck you’re considering works out too heavy, maybe look at aluminium models that are similar. I know that when I was looking, I needed the WB-size and I really wanted a full dressing room. Steel trailers would have put me over my tow capacity once horses and gear were added, but an Aluminium version of the same thing put me well within my tow rating. Have fun!

[Jaegermonster]

[QUOTE=authentic pony;4095413]
5 pages later and its still confusing on whether a 1/2 ton can pull a 2 horse.

My mom and I are looking into buying a truck and trailer. She’s been to TONS of dealerships and has settled on working with a Chevy dealership that has been in the horse business for years. About 40% of the trucks at the horse shows come from him, and his daughter shows GP jumpers so I DO trust what he has to say.

He says a Chevy Silverado 1500 5.3L V8 extended cab 6’6" bed truck (the one we are looking at - which will be her every day vehicle too) will be just fine towing a 2 horse gooseneck with sideramp but no dressing room and 2 WBs.

Yet every time I read a thread on towing, I doubt it and think we need to get a bigger truck. I know I’d rather be in a 2500, but the dealership and my mom both say this setup will not be a problem.[/QUOTE]

I think you should look at the book and the specs for that vehicle yourself and check out the numbers as opposed to how much your trailer weighs etc instead of just relying on what they tell you. I know a trailer with no dressing room is a pita though LOL Where are you planning to put all your stuff?
I would think that you would probably be close to the top of what the truck you mentioned should be doing though. Me, I like to have a little bit extra. but it depends on how much you will be pulling, how far etc.