towing a backhoe - Page 2 - Diesel Forum

Hoss350 · 09-06-2006, 03:42 PM

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when I work out of town or anyplace that is to far to drive the backhoe.

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Sounds to me like there may be a lot more to this than meets the eye... I'll try to help you out with my opinion, and that is more or less all this is, except the bits about CDL and insurance.

Here goes...

Your trailer probably weighs 6,000 lbs. At least, that is how much our goose weighs, and it is similar to yours. The backhoe, from the case website, weighs in at 17,500 lbs (looks like I got spanked on that one already, ). That puts your gross trailer weight at 23,500. So, you are over gross on your trailer weight by 3,500 lbs. Not horrible, but still overweight.

Now comes the fun part. Your truck has a GCWR of 23,000 lbs, IIRC. Someone will correct me if I am wrong, but even if I am, it doesn't matter, because you are so far overweight. Your truck is going to be around 8K with diesel, workers, tools, etc. Add that to the trailer weight, and you are at 31,500 lbs. That is 8,500 lbs over GCVWR. Now, I've never been one to subscribe totally to manufacturer's suggested weight atings being "absolute gospel" as to what you can haul, but 8,500 over is a little excesive in my opinion.

This 31,500 pound weight complicates things, which brings me back to the whole "more than meets the eye" statement.

You said that this is for a business (at least, i assume so, based on your asertion in the quotes above) so I am assuming that this is all on a "for hire" basis. This means that you need a CDL to drive your truck with that backhoe on the trailer behind you. Anything that runs over 26,000 lbs and is a commercial vehicle (which your truck becomes as soon as the purpose of the trip is "for hire") requires a commercial driver's license. You are also going to need commercial truck insurance, since I am willing to bet that your private insurance will not cover "for hire" operation (I know mine does not) and at the very least, does not cover "for hire" applications over 26K.

Can the truck safely haul that much weight? MY OPINION is that it is MARGINAL at best for that kind of weight. I, personally, would never even think about doing it. You probably would get there just fine, but there are other considerations like the family driving inthe volvo next to you or in front of you when you have to stop HARD. Safe is usually a matter of opinion, and never absolute, and dependent on the driver more than anything else, so I will not universally condemn the intended use, but i will say that i would not do it, and i would not want my family on the road with you when you are doing it, so I would vote for not safe.

Can the truck LEGALLY haul that much weight? Depends on the local laws in your area. In some states, as long as you register the truck for what you're hauling, they won't bug you. In Washington, I really doubt you'd make it past the first open scale without being impounded. At the very least, you will need a CDL and commercial hauler's insurance. At the VERY least.

Can the truck RELIABLY haul that much??? No. Without a doubt, no. it was not designed to do so, and will not hold up to such use for very long. Your tranny, rear end, etc are not designed to haul that much weight, and i don't think anybody can argue that certain parts of your truck would not be long for this world if it is used in this manner too often.

All of the above is mostly opinion. Take it or leave it. If you decide to use your pickup truck to haul this medium-duty load, I wish you the best and hope it works out for you.

firesoutmatt · 09-06-2006, 05:29 PM

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Thats is all I needed to know that it handles it mine is a f350 6.0 so should be o.k.right mine is also auto should I do anything to help with the shifting

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Use the tow/haul button and just watch the trans temp.

Packard8 · 09-06-2006, 05:37 PM

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First of all I would like to say this is a great site,hey all,.I am lookin to haul my backhoe with a f350 4x4 supercab 6.0 do any of you have any suggestions if to rag on me please don,t. thanks

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Welcome & I hope you don’t see this as “ragging”, but I’ll have to agree with Hoss-350. You need more truck than you have to haul that weight further than from one side of the parking lot to the other.

You are asking the truck to haul about 140% of what it is designed and rated to haul.

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Hoss350 · 09-06-2006, 07:07 PM

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Welcome & I hope you don’t see this as “ragging”, but I’ll have to agree with Hoss-350. You need more truck than you have to haul that weight further than from one side of the parking lot to the other.

You are asking the truck to haul about 140% of what it is designed and rated to haul.

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Hope you didn't see my post as ragging... That was not the intent. Sometimes my posts seem blunt and abrupt because I'm not the most eloquent or writers. I was merely trying to give my honest opinion on the matter, and also to try and help the OP see that there is more to it (CDL, Insurance, etc) than simply "will the truck haul the load".

Birken Vogt · 09-06-2006, 07:13 PM

Around here a full size backhoe is always hauled by something that says "Peterbilt" on the front and has twin screws as well as two axles on the rear of the trailer. If I wanted to move that machine from point A to B, using a pickup to do it would never even enter my mind.

Birken