Towing Questions/Problems

Comments

• bnosyt Member Posts: 23

  June 2001

  My dad has one of the 1997 F-250 Supercab 4X4 trucks. It has the same bodystyle of the 1/2 ton trucks, but the suspension, etc. is a little heavier. Do you know approximately how much the loaded trailer weighs? This may give you a little better idea of what you need. I just looked at the Ford site and depending on what engine combo, etc you want you can have a bigger towing capacity. Look at the Ford site or call on of the dealers and compare that to the sticker on the door of the truck you are buying.

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• trailrider1 Member Posts: 2

  June 2001

  Thanks for the info. The loaded trailer should weigh about 7000 lbs. and the towing capacity on the smaller F-250 is 8300 lbs. The Heavy Duty F-250 has tow capacity of 7300 lbs.! The dealer says it has less t.c. because the truck itself weighs more?? Its just hard to imagine that little truck pulling a big gooseneck trailer.

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• markbuck Member Posts: 1,021

  June 2001

  gooseneck tounge weight. Usually as much as 20 to 25% of total trailer, at times.
  
  25% of 6,000 lbs is 1500 lbs in the bed. Probably close to max payload on an F250LD....

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• turney1 Member Posts: 2

  June 2001

  My husband and I are interested in getting a new compact truck, however we wish to tow a small 1700 pound trailer. I'd like to know why most automatics have a higher tow rating vs. the manual transmission. We really like the manual transmission but may wish to pull something larger in the future. Why the large difference?

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• dangerous2 Member Posts: 7

  June 2001

  Anyone out there pulling with new GMC HD Series? Any problems? Mine too numerous to list again.

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• tundradude Member Posts: 588

  June 2001

  Towing a 1700 lb. trailer would be irrelevant of transmissions. Not all compact trucks post higher towing amounts for automatics.

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• erikheiker Member Posts: 230

  June 2001

  Are you sure you need 4X4? Unless you're going up a steep grade in a snowstorm you probably would never engage the 4WD while towing. If you're just towing a trailer, 2WD should be fine in your part of the country. If you feel you need additional traction, consider getting a locking differential. If I lived down in America 2WD is the way I would go. Just my 2¢ worth.
  
  Erik

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• wight1 Member Posts: 218

  June 2001

  Manual transmissions are generally rated with a lower towing capacity due to limitations of the clutch assembly. Most folks apparently slip the clutch too much when towing with a manual and tend to burn up clutches pretty quickly, so the vehicle manufacturers take this into account and give the manual trannies a lower tow rating.
  
  For what its worth, I used to have a 1982 Chevy S-10 with a 5 speed manual transmission that I used to tow my 2200# boat for about 6 years. I never burned up the clutch in that truck and it was still good when I sold the truck with 100,000 miles on it. My 1990 Dodge truck with an automatic tranny burned up after 74,000 miles towing the same boat. Go figure.

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