how much would you tow..

johnwayne360 · May 26, 2013

behind a half ton pickup. That is..with no aux brakes of any kind...what would be a safe limit?

Anonymous-0 · May 26, 2013

I think brakes are required on a single 3500 lb axle so I'd say about 2000 lbs.

GordoSD · May 26, 2013

3500 lbs would be my limit.

John A. · May 26, 2013

johnwayne360, What are you hauling?? dead wt.ie a 16 ft tandem axle with 6 pallet of asphalt shingles, or A 20ft gooseneck with 6, 1500lb Mama Cows? what, How far 25 to 50 miles on regular 2 lane paved Farm to Market roads,or Interstate Highway, 12 miles of gravel road?, What. Yes Brakes are Best! But I have hauled as much as anyone if not more and never had a thing more than just the Pickup brakes. Trailer, Tire conditions. Just need to use good judgement. Keep speed low to moderate. Load the trailer correctly so a nice load is on the hitch of the pickup and rest is on the trailer! Is this a recurring deal or a one time thing!
I have hauled up to 14000 on a Flatbed gooseneck with a 4x4 half ton Ford and not had a sign of a Brake one! No I didn't go fast about 50 mph, hauled about 60 miles, One time deal.
Too many Variables You have not provided to adequately answer your Question.
Hope this helps.
Later,
John A.

johnwayne360 · May 26, 2013

this particular item is a piece of tillage equipment that weighs close to 6000 lbs. Truck is rated to pull 10k...but without brakes I dont know if im going to risk it.

johnwayne360 · May 26, 2013

(quoted from post at 18:40:44 05/26/13) this particular item is a piece of tillage equipment that weighs close to 6000 lbs. Truck is rated to pull 10k...but without brakes I dont know if im going to risk it.

And some of it is on 4 lane highway also..

john in la · May 26, 2013

With out trailer brakes you are limited to 3000 lbs GVWR per state law in most states. This includes the weight of the empty trailer and any load you put on it.
So in other words you can not legally haul a empty 2 axle trailer without brakes.
A half ton pickup will handle 3000 lbs easily.

old · May 26, 2013

Less then the weight of the truck it self. I.E. if the truck is say 4500lbs I would not want to haul any more then say 4000lbs. That said I have hauled a good bit more then the weight of the truck I have but that was because the brake controller burned up in route and when that happened I took my time and made sure I had lots of room to stop

farmer boy · May 26, 2013

If the truck has good brakes and you aren"t in alot of hills, then I"d have no problem with 6000lbs. Only thing to really worry about is the transmission. Do you have a temperature gauge? It"s one of the best investments you can make. A good aftermarket cooler is also a great investment, especially when coupled with a gauge.

ss55 · May 26, 2013

For towing a 6000 pound tillage implement with no brakes behind a 1/2 ton truck, I'd stay off the high speed 4 lane roads for sure. I'd map out a tow route using only back roads, travel at 30 to 35 MPH and keep the transmission out of overdrive. Check over the tire pressures and wheel bearings before starting out.

paul · May 26, 2013

Fellas come to the elevator with 365 bu gravity boxes full of corn or beans.

So depends on how far, type of load, and so forth.

3000 legally, 6000 can be done if you are on slow roads and keep your wits about you, 7500 as your load and trailer combined on a 4 lane sounds like a longer trip, that might draw some attention I donno....

Paul

LonM · May 26, 2013

I have pulled a 14 foot NH 1475 haybine with a light 3/4 ton chevy pickup. It was plenty to pull up hills but it did it. I have also pulled 150 bushels of wheat (12000 lbs) in a gravity box. Last year I used the same pickup to pull a 24 foot Wil-Rich field cultivator from the dealer 55 miles away- no problems. I have also pulled a big tandem axle car trailer with a 750 gallon sprayer on it. I didn't have anything other than pickup brakes then either. The main thing is to pay attention and keep the speed in check.
Lon

LonM · May 26, 2013

Sorry that 12000 should be 9000 lbs.

fixerupper · May 26, 2013

Is the tillage equipment tongue heavy or tongue light? If it's light on the tongue you won't be going very fast but you'll make it as long as you don't have any long downhills. I had a tongue light piece of equipment start swinging the back end on my old Dodge 3/4 ton on gravel. It got so I was looking over the right ditch, then the left ditch, and back and forth until I was at a dead stop sitting crossways in the road. Lesson learned. Jim

rustyfarmall · May 26, 2013

(quoted from post at 12:31:28 05/26/13) Is the tillage equipment tongue heavy or tongue light? If it's light on the tongue you won't be going very fast but you'll make it as long as you don't have any long downhills. I had a tongue light piece of equipment start swinging the back end on my old Dodge 3/4 ton on gravel. It got so I was looking over the right ditch, then the left ditch, and back and forth until I was at a dead stop sitting crossways in the road. Lesson learned. Jim

Been there. Done that. Heck of a way to get an education, but I sure the heck did not need a second lesson.

buickanddeere · May 26, 2013

(quoted from post at 13:40:44 05/26/13) this particular item is a piece of tillage equipment that weighs close to 6000 lbs. Truck is rated to pull 10k...but without brakes I dont know if im going to risk it.

Forget about State Law. The laws of physics specify that brakes on both trailer axles are required.
Have somebody cut you you off in traffic, your fault or not. The matter that your truck and trailer now has an extended stopping distance. And a tendency to jackknife.
How does sitting in court sound. answering why you used a hauling system without brakes. And crippled or killed a vehicle full children.

G1355 · May 26, 2013

10,000 pounds should be fine, just don't get in a hurry and take your time would be the biggest thing.

David G · May 26, 2013

I would not pull over 6000 pounds without brakes. It is easy to have your load push you down the hills.

bg/mo · May 26, 2013

what kind of tillage equipment??? does this peice have a harrow on it?? need some more info to give any real help. and tillage equip doesn"t matter what it is none of them have brakes. you are talking about towing this peice right?

1206SWMO · May 26, 2013

I pulled a 6000 lb Krause disk 100 miles home behind a 1967 Ford F-100 that had some weight in it..I took the backroads at 30 mph and had no problems....The hitch was tight and it pulled straight..I had a friend following with the flashers on..

RusselAZ · May 26, 2013

2500 lbs. In a panic stop even that is to much. There is a big difference in how a loaded pickup would handle or an empty pickup with a load behind it.

Any trailer that can carry a sizeable load needs brakes on it.

S.Crum · May 26, 2013

Check your state laws and follow them. Anything goes wrong and it's your fault especially if you are not in compliance. Somebody gets hurt due to your gross negligence and you are quite screwed.

ohiojim · May 26, 2013

9000,....14000,....i ain't riden with you guys !!!!

Paul from MI · May 26, 2013

Two sides of the issue:
#1-Can the truck physically pull and stop the 6,000# load? Yes, probably can. I pull a gravity box with 100 bu of beans regularly, no problem.
#2-Can you do it legally? No, anything over 2,500# in MI must have brakes on it. Actual towing rating of the truck depends on engine/transmission. Anything over the trucks rating and you're fodder for a hotshot lawyer if something goes wrong.
Just my thoughts.

showcrop · May 26, 2013

The correct answer here is not about using judgement and how far and hills and all that, it is about what happens when the little old lady pulls out in front of you and are you overloaded for your GVW, and do you want to be living in your house next year?

Leroy · May 26, 2013

4 lane highway here means limited access and NO farm machinery is allowed at any time or of any size. Better have it on a trailer with all wide load permits if you get on one of these roads.

how much would you tow..

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