On Sat, 3 Feb 1996 wsachse@ncinter.net wrote:
> My buddy and I are involved in designing a fifth wheel trailer to be used
> as a mobile classroom for new and used heavy equipment mechanics (that's
> new and used mechanics as well as equipment). We are looking at a 36'
> trailer to be laid out for classroom and some hands on stuff also.
Snip
Bill,
A couple things to consider when evaluating a tow vehicle for your trailer are
as follows:
1. What is the estimated weight of your trailer. The trailer tow ratings for 1
tons are around 13,000 lbs for Dodge and Ford trucks. My 96 F-350 Crew Cab 4X4
is rated at this, but I have weighed over 30,000 lbs combined for truck,
trailer (34' tandem dual gooseneck) and load (17 large round rolls of hay).
2. If are going to pull these size loads (25-30 Klbs) a lot (long distances),
you may want to look at a low profile medium duty International or similar Ford
(F-700, etc.). I have a lot of friends who pull HEAVY loads of equipment or
monster trucks. Several started with 1-tons and later went to the medium duty
trucks. They said there was no comparison on pulling power with the 25,000 GVW
of these trucks. Also, the cost of these trucks is only slightly higher than a
1 ton diesel.
3. I would definitely consider a diesel instead of a gas motor. The diesel
makes its torque at low rpms where you need it to get the load moving. The
torque is also higher for the diesels. My Power Stroke diesel is rated at 215
HP and 450 ft-lbs. The 460 has slightly higher hp, but lower torque. The gas
motor big blocks from Ford, Chevy and Dodge are at a max 300 HP and that is
only the very late models. The mid-90's trucks were rated slightly lower.
Also, the gas trucks will average about 3-4 mpg less than the diesel (loaded or
empty). My truck gets about 15-16 mpg and weighs 7200 lbs, my friend's 460
single cab 1-ton weighs about 5700 lbs and gets about 10 mpg. The people I
know who pull loads on a regular basis all have diesels. As far as diesels, I
would stick with a Ford or Dodge. The 6.5 turbo Chevy doesn't have the
strength or longetivity of the other two.
John Giles
Odessa, FL
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