[VAC] Re: Trucks as pullers

["Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer" <geraldj@xxxxxxxx>]

My friend Dave Ashby has gone through that in the past year. Started out
with 1/2 ton extended cab Dodge with V-8. Bought a 29 or 33' SOB bumper
hitched trailer. Thought it towed great pulling the new trailer home
(with a tail wind) though he only achieved 7 mpg. The first outing into
the wind ended up climbing a hill (in Iowa) in first gear because it
wouldn't pull any faster. The next truck was a 1/2 ton Dodge extended
cab V-10 4X4. Got 7 MPG at 50, 60 or 70 MPH between Iowa and Washington
(this one had a MPG gauge built in). Then he bought a fifth wheel
trailer to avoid the wind induced instability his wife didn't like
driving with and a F-250 super duty 4 door cab, 8' bed diesel 4X4.
Reports that he gets 8 to 18 mpg depending on the wind speed and
direction. He has weighed the assembly and it comes to 19,200 pounds.
Its hand that he's been school bus driver for 30 or 40 years (just about
the retire as elementary principal) and has a CDL to know how to handle
such a rig.

A mere load of 5500 pounds should not bother any of the 1 ton trucks.
They should be able to CARRY that on their backs.

If I had a 4.56 axle in my small V-8 F-150 with manual transmission, I'd
include 5500 pound trailer weight within its ratings. On mostly level
ground last fall I towed 7500 pounds of beans and wagon with it. Wheel
slip was the bigger problem getting started on grass with only 20 pounds
tongue weight (4 wheel wagon).

Gerald J.