[Doc Schoepp]

I think the last time I tried the post failed, if not I beg forgiveness to the admins and offer coffee, booze and whatever else in recompense

I am looking at buying a tiny home that is based on a trailer. The specs posted are:

Tongue weight ?
Each axle ? 6000 lbs
Per wheel ? 3000 lbs
Total trailer capacity ? 18,000 lbs
Total trailer length ? 28?

They state on the site that a 1ton truck can pull it. I have a 2006 F350 DRW 6.0 diesel. What I am reading is that it caps at around 15k towing capacity. Need to get on a scale to get my exact weight but under my math I am 3k lbs over pull. I do have a CTS with towing option and I am going to upgrade the egr cooler and oil cooler in the next few months. Maybe an air ride lift/towing kit dependent on time/$$$.

Driving would be in Colorado Springs. Would not move it much after delivery but would like to know if I could move it if need be. Where I am looking to buy is considered mid-high fire danger.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mark Kovalsky]

Will it pull it? Yes it will. Will you have problems? Maybe, maybe not.

First, in some jurisdictions you might have a legal issue being overweight. That would be a good thing to check, and check somewhere more official than an internet forum.

Second, towing weights are set for reasons. You may be able to exceed them without problems, or you may have serious problems.

The way it works in the corporate world is that Marketing sets where they need the tow weights to be so that the truck is competitive in the marketplace. Engineering then reviews it and assigns costs to make that happen. Manglement then decides if the costs are worth it. If so, the program progresses.

If it's a go, all product engineering areas are tasked with certifying that their area of responsibility can handle the weight. Will the brakes be able to stop it within the limits that exist? Can the truck at max load climb a required grade? Without overheating? At a minimum speed? And many, many more requirements like that. Once every area has certified that it will work it goes into production.

Can you exceed what was designed and tested? In many cases, yes, with no problem. The trick is knowing which area certified it at the tow weight that it was sold at, but would not have certified it 500 pounds higher because it wouldn't have met the pass criteria. Even when I worked there and was responsible for certifying the transmission portion of this I had no idea if any other area was right at the limit.

 

[westvandude]

I've seen a few of those tiny home shows.... sometimes I wonder if it makes way more sense to just buy a good size 5th wheel used for 1/2 the cost and less weight plus it's relatively aerodynamic. Install a gd diesel furnace.

 

[dennis11]

In the city traffic it is all about stopping and anticipating stopping. They go hand in hand. In the rural areas its about climbing and not over heating your tranny or engine. For about nine years I pulled a 20 ft gooseneck all over Nevada and a lot in Vegas with a 97PS F250. I put air bags on the rear and had John Wood put one of his wonderful trannys in that f250. After 400K I bought a f350 PS and found out that I did not need the air bags and am still driving and enjoying driving that f350. I put a 6.0 cooler on the tranny and have climbed many passes in Nevada and have not seen my tranny temp gauge over 185 degrees. It stops better and goes better. I change my tranny fluid every 40K and now have over 200K on that 2002 f350. I am pulling 12-15K on a regular basis and what a difference between the f250 and the f350. I don't know about legality and I am just commenting on how great that f350 PS pulls and stops my load both in the city and in rural conditions. Thanks for listening to my ramblings......

 

[bugman]

For stopping a load of that size you need to depend on the trailer brakes and not on the trucks brakes. Besides the F250 and F350 use the same brakes unless you have a F350 dully. For the going better, that can just be a issue of gears. Did the 250 have 3:55's or 4:10's, same question about the 350, other than that they are the same or 99% the same. Also if you look at the spring packs in the rear you will find that they are the same, the 350 may have a helper spring installed but that would be about it. Now I am talking about the single wheel 350, if it is duly then they will be different.

 

[dennis11]

The 97PS F250 had drum brakes on the rear and the 2002 has disc. Same trailer brakes but a big difference in braking between the 350 and 250 with drums. I also did not put air bags on the 350 and had to on the 250 because of the headlights. I never get high beamed with the 350 without the bags.

 

[bugman]

Sorry about that I didn't notice that you said that the F350 was a 2002.

But I still say that the majority of the braking should be done by the trailer and not the truck. Properly set up trailer brakes will handle what ever load that the trailer is set up to haul. As for the springs, my F250 will handle anything that a friends F350 will. It will squat slightly perhaps a inch when you put a 1500lb load in the bed but then it levels out with no problems and has no problems handling the load.

 

[dennis11]

Bugman I totally agree with you about the braking if the trailer brakes are set up properly. There is just something different about driving with the 2002 f350 sb crew cab and the 97 extended cab f250. Both are stock set up and the 350 just seems smoother and easier to drive. The 250 has 450K on it but with new ball joints and tie rod ends and shocks. It has not been neglected and in fact I need to catch up in maintainence with the 350. Surely it could be a matter of preference but I have driven a lot of miles with that 20ft gooseneck loaded to the max in hilly country. For sure the magic of John Wood with the tranny in the 250 is noted for sure. I am not disputing you, rather I am just rambling on. Sorry for that. I have other trailers that I pull with both my trucks and in foct I consider myself lucky to have the two vehicles that I have for towing and I owe the diesel stop members for the knowledge that they have given me in setting them up to tow. Thanks

 

[SmokeyWren]

Total trailer capacity ? 18,000 lbs
Total trailer length ? 28? ... I have a 2006 F350 DRW 6.0 diesel. What I am reading is that it caps at around 15k towing capacity.

Your GCWR is 23,500. When your dully weighs in at 8,350 wet and loaded with hitch and driver (but without the trailer tied on) then your remaining tow rating would be 15,000 gross trailer weight. But that weight limit assumes you'll be climbing mountain passes and steep hills. If you only tow that trailer from one parking spot to another around Colorado Springs, then you shouldn't have any problems with burning up the drivetrain in your PSD.


So, yeah, you can move that "house" within and around the city with your 2006 F-350 PSD with no great problems But here's what I would do:


Remove anything heavy and moveable out of the trailer. (Washer and dryer, heavy furniture, TV, etc) and move them in a utility trailer or the back of your truck after you have the trailer moved and set up. Empty the holding tanks (if any) and fresh water tank (if any). Remove the propane tanks. Maybe even move all the canned food and drinks and pots and pans and dishes on different trips than when you move the trailer. IOW, get that trailer as light as you can for the big move. Then you should have no problems moving the trailer. You could even tow it over Monument Pass towards Denver with no big problems.

Maybe an air ride lift/towing kit dependent on time/$$$.

For moving across town in the daytime, you won't need air bags. Air bags would be required for a heavy RV trailer that you plan to tow across the country, including some towing at night. But for moving a house trailer across town, then plan to do it in the daytime and don't worry about the headlights. A little squat in the rear suspension is no reason to spend money if you use your head, drive slow, and avoid bumpy roads.