Dakota

Thinking of using my Ford Superduty F250 6.4L Powerstroke (non dually) to pull an enclosed gooseneck with two P cars in it to the track. The truck can handle according to the numbers at 16,000 pound max. and an estimated 12,500 pounds actual loaded.
I am a bit intimidated by the length, sidewind effect, etc. My son and I are currently using two open trailers and want to go together. I am looking at a Haulmark.
Any thoughts? Any recommendations? Anyone with experience?

cooleyjb

So you have 12,500 in towing capacity is what I see there.

A 42ft. gooseneck is 7500 pounds roughly. Each race car is 2500 pounds (guessing).

So far I'm at 12,500 and I haven't put anything other than 2 cars in a 42ft. gooseneck. You need a bigger truck or smaller trailer.

Professor Helmüt Tester

You need a dually if you're going to be pulling a goose or a 5'er. It's all about the rear axle loads.

M758

Check pin weight and payload in the F250.

Looking at most 3/4 ton trucks they can pull a tag very close to a 350 1 ton truck, but where they are weak is pin load capacity.

That does not even bring up the issues of stablilty of a dually.

John H

I have a 45 foot two car trailer but pull with a dually. Side wind is no problem IMHO. The problem is turning. Within 24 hours, I took out a stop sign and wedged a piece of wood through the outside siding while trying to back it into my driveway.

After pulling a 5th wheel or gooseneck, you'll never go back to a bumper pull. It is much easier going down the road on the one hand but are tougher in gas stations, parking lots etc.

Rich Sandor

I'd hesitate to pull a two-car gooseneck with a non-dually F250. You might be able to get away with it, but if your load gets checked, you might get fined, or worse...

Treat yourself to a '08 F350. I sell 'em. Twin Turbo Diesel, 650 ft lbs of trq. There is no substitute.

GUMBALL

This might answer some questions:

http://www.sherline.com/lmbook.htm

VERBOTN

Rich 10-4 on the 08-F350 I only pull a 30-foot TAG with one car, scooter, ya-da,ya-da and almost forget its attached. MPG not as good as I hoped but that could be do to my driving style.

spare tire

I pull a 46' gooseneck with 2 996 GT3s, (only one is mine) 12 wheels nitrogen bottle ,tools, 2jacks,
jackstands, a large tent + poles 8 five gal. fuel jugs ane a case of; 0w40, fine wine,brake fluid and a cooler full of water, gatorade, microbrew.
I would use nothing less than my trusty F450 crew-cab. All the weight charts are crap because they talk about maximum loads. Maximum loads are for moving you friend or sister to an adjacent suberb.

Five to twenty miles. If your going to haul a hundred thousand dollar car across the country to our many fine race tracks then don't skimp on the horse. Brake pads can wear out in 5 thousand miles
on a heavily loaded 3/4 ton or even a 1 ton truck. Look at the size of the rear differential on various trucks. All those drive train parts have to work way to hard with such big loads. They get very hot.
Brakes, trans., dif., motor. The typical rear ratio for fords is a 3.73. My F450 has a 4.78 rear end.
It cann't go very fast but It'll go all day.You wouldn't want to miss a track weekend because of a mechanical issue. ( the guy I bought the trailer from pulled with a F250 to two historic races per year for 3 years with no trouble.) I pulled 20 times in 2006.

M758

Forget the 350.. Go F-450. 24,500lbs Towing capacity in 5th wheel/goose neck

Rich Sandor

Be careful when you say that. The towing capacity (5th wheel or hitch) changes significantly depending on the options on the truck. (engine, suspension, drivetrain, cab config, etc)

A 2008 F-450 4x2 SD Crew Cab 172.4 in. WB XLT will 5th wheel tow 20,500lbs vs 18,200lbs for a similarly optioned 2008 F-350 4x2 SD Crew Cab 172 in. WB DRW XLT.

The base MSRP of an F350 is much less than the base MSRP of a F450, but by the time you option the F350 to tow as much (or nearly as much) as the F450, it's now very close in price to the F450.

But we are talking about NEW trucks here.. our guy might not be in the market for a new truck...

M758

Rating vs option comparo
2008 Ford Super Duties
F250 vs F350 vs F450 Crew Cab 4x2 or 4x4

Tag Towing (Auto or Manual)
Max F250 - Diesel - SRW - 3.73 Axle = 12,500
Max F350 - Diesel - SRW - 3.73 Axle = 12,500
Max F350 - Diesel - DRW - 3.73 or 4.30 = 15,000
Max F450 - Diesel - DRW - 4.30 or 4.88 = 16,000

Note tag Ratings only dependant on Engine, Axle and rear wheels. Cab or drive type independant. Auto or Manual

5th Wheel (Manual Tranny 2wd - 4wd is 200-500lbs lower)
Max F250 - Diesel - SRW - 3.73 Axle = 15,700 (Reg Cab 16,100 - SuperCab 15,900)
Max F350 - Diesel - SRW - 3.73 Axle = 15,700 (Reg Cab 16,100 - SuperCab 15,900)
Max F350 - Diesel - DRW - 3.73 or 4.10 = 15,700 (Reg Cab 16,200 - SuperCab 15,800)
Max F450 - Diesal - DRW - 4.30 Axle = 18,500 - Crew Cab only
Max F450 - Diesel - DRW - 4.88 Axle = 19,500 - Crew cab only

5th Wheel (Auto Tranny 2wd - 4wd is 200-500lbs lower)
Max F250 - Diesel - SRW - 3.73 Axle = 15,700 (Reg Cab 16,100 - SuperCab 15,900)
Max F350 - Diesel - SRW - 3.73 Axle = 15,700 (Reg Cab 16,100 - SuperCab 15,900)
Max F350 - Diesel - DRW - 3.73 or 4.10 = 15,700 (Reg Cab 16,200 - SuperCab 15,800)
Max F350 - Diesel - DRW - 4.30 Axle = 18,200 (Reg Cab 18,700, Supercab 18,200)
Max F450 - Diesel - DRW - 4.30 Axle = 20,500 Crew Cab Only
Max F450 - Diesel - DRW - 4.88 Axle = 24,500 Crew cab Only


For 5th wheel cab type, driveline and tranny type are factors as well as engine, and axle ratio.

The real tale of the tape comes in GCVWR's for each

Diesel Auto
F250 SRW - 3.73 = 23,000
F350 SRW - 3.73 = 23,000
F350 DRW - 3.73 = 23,500
F350 DRW - 4.10 = 23,500
F350 DRW - 4.30 = 26,000
F450 DRW - 4.30 = 29,000
F450 DRW - 4.88 = 33,000

The other thing to look at is payload as related to pin load

Best Config F250 SRW = 3170lbs (Lowest Config = 2280lbs)
Best Config F350 SRW = 4230lbs (Lowest Config = 3640lbs)
Best Config F350 DRW = 5720lbs (Lowest Config = 4830llbs)
Best Config F450 DRW = 6120lbs (Lowest Config = 5720lbs)

There does seem to be a wide range of configs too

spare tire

Why is an automatic 5,000 pounds stronger than a stick? I drive the stick.

Rich Sandor

From what I've been told, the clutch in the manual tranny can't handle the torque. The auto tranny can.

Go to ford.com or ford.ca and try to build a truck: If you get the 320hp/650ft-tq diesel engine, you MUST mate it to the automatic tranny. If you go manual, the engine is then detuned to 400-and-something foot pounds of torque. This is why the automatic can pull more than the manual.

The other thing is that when a Super Duty truck is optioned out for super-heavy towing, the rear suspension is so stiff that you will simply spin the rear wheels every time you apply a bit too much gas, so ford only allows you options that will reduce the frequency of that scenario happening.

TIMM BALDAUF

I pull a 34' gooseneck w/one car & gear 10k loaded '06 6.0 super cab srw, short bed, tows like a dream
75 mph no problem w/ the hills & all.The truck is rated for more as the previous post lists.Tractor trailers & wind are not an issue.There is just over a ton of load on the hitch & truck rides dead level.Use to tow a 26' bumper pull w/leveling bars & all. The gooseneck set up beats it hands down & is perfectly stable.The trailer is a dual axle 7k per axle 16" tires.You will have a longer trailer....hard to say, there is alot of disagreement on this subject.I feel drw are used in alot of towing set ups where they aren't needed or someone has over sold them on the idea of need.