Truck Talk
polonews
So, it's time for us to start looking for a new
truck.
We have an older Ford F250 with a 460 and a
4.11 rear. It'll haul past anything - except a gas station!
First question:
Do all trucks these days come equipped with a
passenger side air bag that you can turn off?
This is very important for us so if there are brands that don't have
this option they'd be out
right off the bat.
Also:
Is it really worth it to go diesel?
I don't know if we should try to go for less in a truck in order to save
at the pump or go for
broke on power knowing that we'll be able to haul whatever, wherever,
whenever. Pat will
need to drive it to work 4 days a week (20 miles a day).
Will a 2WD save on gas?
Right now we have a two horse trailer. Knowing
me, that'll change again and again and again...
I want to buy a truck to hang onto for the next 10
years. One that'll get the job done but not kill our wallet at the gas
station.
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Before you buy.
polonews
from what you describe a smaller truck, size wise and in engine, should
do fine. pulling a two
horse trailer is generally no problem for a half ton with a mid-range
gas engine. 4WD does
slightly decrease milage due to additional weight of components. a
diesel will give you the
option of stepping up to a larger trailer and will get better milage
than the gas engine (in our
area diesel fuel is also much cheaper) but will add $3-5000 to purchase.
figure out how many
miles you expect to put on the truck, the diesel starts to make sense if
you want 200,000
out of the engine over the 10 years without a replacement. good luck.
polonews
You can definitely down size on your truck. We pulled a 21 foot aluminum
trailer with a 350
half ton GMC with a built up rear end to hold the load.
You don't need 4WD unless you have bad winter weather or go off roading.
That half town
was not 4WD. we had that truck for 4 years and was wonderful we sold it
with 120K miles. A
reasonable engine on a reasonable size truck will save more on gas and
$$ than going with a
huge truck you may not need, even with deisel.
polonews
We just recently got a F150 with the Triton engine and an automatic with
overdrive. It is has
the extended cab. We love it. We pull a 16' stock trailer. On a recent
trip to Nashville we got
16 miles to the gallon hauling two horses. Seems to have plenty of power
up the biggest
nastiest hills. A friend of ours has the same thing and pulls four to
five horses in his stock
trailer with no complaints.
polonews
A big factor is where you live & haul - in an area with a lot of steep
hills/mountains power is
a major factor - plus what is the chance that you will change from a 2
horse trailer to 4 or
more? if you live in reasonably level country & pull a 2 horse trailer -
a 1/2 ton with midsize
engine will do the job & be the most economical - no matter what truck
you purchase make
sure you have the towing package that includes the largest radiator,
transmission cooler &
heavy duty battery
In hilly, mountainous country you will go be slower climbing the grades
& overworking your
engine - there is a trade off which ever way you go - Diesel's make
sense for those who put
lots of miles on their vehicle - higher purchase price, higher engine
repair prices, better fuel
usage & longer engine life, much noisier, properly setup great pulling
vehicle - good luck -
talk to lots of other horse people who trailer a lot in your area & get
their views & pick what
is best for you
polonews
Whatever truck you decide to buy, just make sure the tail does not wag
the dog! The bigger
the truck, the heavier the suspension, the bigger the brakes, etc,. etc.
If you constantly over stress the vehicle, it will eventually disapoint
you, maybe at the worst
time.
Although a 1/2 ton truck will pull a 3-4 horse steel trailer, it will
not stop one in an
emergency.
Do yourself a favor, get more truck than you need.
polonews
I own a 1994 Dodge Cummins Turbo Diesel 2wd that I would not trade for
the world. It hauls
my 2 horse trailer up the steepest hills without slowing at all. I feel
safe and more importantly
I feel my horses are safe. The truck has over 150,000 miles on it, and
purrs like a loud kitten.
It's true that it is a bit noisier, but the power is incredible. Last
year I drove from Canada to
the Grand Canyon and back with 4 people and a 2000 lb camper and spent
only $250.00 in
gas! I would recommend this truck to anyone.
polonews
In the US most hauling of larger trailers are done with one ton dually's
(Dodge, Ford ,
Chevy/GMC)Ford F350 series Chevy C3500 with either the 454/460 gas
engine or diesel - as
the number of horses goes up more truck is required - both power,
braking & handling - need
to check out the gross vehicle weigh rating (combined weight of the
truck, trailer & load
being hauled) my one ton dually truck weights 5,400# Alum Trailer
w/dressing room & tack
compartment, mats etc 6,000 & six horses 7,000 = total weight 18,400+ &
truck is rated
18,600 - I occasionally haul 7 horses but not far
polonews
Okay...diesel is a necessity if you're going to be pulling 4+ horses
more then 2 or 3 times a
month. The fact is that it just won't wear out as fast. We're currently
junking a '96 Chevy
2500 460 gas model. It's just fallen apart. It's ridiculous. After all
of our research, I'd highly
suggest to you the Ford series. You can get a 250 or 350 dependant upon
your needs.
Added bonus: Super Duty. If you can afford it...get it! It's a little
steep for us, but we
decided to go for it anyway, it's like insurance on a long drive...I
don't exactly know why,
you'd have to ask my husband...but all of our friends say that a Ford
F350 Super Duty is the
way to go...no question about it!
Good Luck! Buying a new truck can be so much fun!
polonews
What sort of horsepower and tonnage would you need to tow 8? The only US
trucks we have
over here in the UK are Ford Rangers. A Land Rover can tow 4 tonnes,
supposedly.
How much do the trailers weigh empty?
polonews
You can pull eight horse in a trailer if the trailer is big enough. We
can put 12 or 13 in ours. If
it were me, I'd want a 350 or 3500, but you might be able to do it with
a 250/2500, I don't
know for sure.