one ton sufficient?

[redcedar]

   Read some posts about 440 skidder weight, about 7 tons and using a one ton and 10 ton gn to move it around. I also have a one ton chev and a 7 ton tree farmer 1979 but no gn yet. I would like to hear more comments , if one ton to is sufficient to move a 7 ton skidder around.

[woodmills1]

I have a 7 ton blue ox and hauled it loaded with a chevy 2005 one tone for 2 years.  It did it but it din't like it, many time it was at the limit of both accelleration and stopping

[logloper]

Depending on your truck. I have a gooseneck set up to haul short logs(21' or less). I shoot for 10 ton of logs per load in order to make the trip worthwhile. My trailer is rated at 22000 pounds. I have hauled 14 ton . That pushed me around a bit. This is in big, steep, mountains. I'll drop from 10500 feet to 6500 feet in 30 min in just the pickup. An hour plus loaded. I currently use a Dodge 3500 with six speed and an exhaust brake. I started doing my own short logs in 97 with a 97 Dodge. A one ton , 5 speed, with an exhaust brake. By going slow, and watching ahead, I have never had any problem. Saves a lot of money to throw a load on every time I come down, and not be takeing up space on the log truck. I send the better logs ( the better scaleing ones) to the big sawmill, and sort the smaller (and the poorer) logs to come home to my mill. Anyway, dont mean to ramble on, a 1 ton truck works good for that size of load.

[shinnlinger]

James,

When I see a 2500 I think of it as a 3/4 ton.  Was yours different?

My 2 cents is a 1 ton would be OK, as you are within specs, but obviously bigger is better when it comes to towing.  BUt since you already own one what do you have to loose?  I have seen some deals on Goosenecks and I bet you would use it for lots of stuff if you had one.

Dave

[woodmills1]

all my one tones were dual back tire 4 wheel drive 3500 chevys, gas 350 engines

I my estimatiation moter to small to pull 7 ton, brakes too small to stop 7 ton


can you and did I?? ??? yes,  I bought a 4500 chevy kodiak....I no longer have to wipe off the seat when I get home

[barbender]

I have a 97 Dodge 1 ton and a 14k gooseneck that I have moved my skidder with a couple of times. It handles it ok, you can tell you have a load on for sure (I'm guessing my skidder to be in the 7 ton range) It's not a load I would pull all day, every day, but for moving the skidder from job to job it works just fine.

[Brian_Rhoad]

Ford F350 and 16,000 lb gooseneck hauls JD 440 just fine.

[sjfarkas]

I haul 13.5k worth of equipment with a 99 dodge dually w/ cummins and a 20+k gooseneck.  It's not fast, but it gets the job done.

[Bobus2003]

James,

When I see a 2500 I think of it as a 3/4 ton.  Was yours different?

My 2 cents is a 1 ton would be OK, as you are within specs, but obviously bigger is better when it comes to towing.  BUt since you already own one what do you have to loose?  I have seen some deals on Goosenecks and I bet you would use it for lots of stuff if you had one.

Dave

F250, and 2500's are 3/4 Ton Trucks
F350, And 3500's are 1 ton trucks

I used to haul my JD440 with my '99 F250 Ex-cab Powerstroke 6spd on a 24' 20Klbs GN trailer with no problems and I could manage Highway speeds, takes a little longer to get there and a little more to stop (But good trailer brakes help out greatly). I then Switched to using a '06 F350 Crewcab Powerstroke 6spd and a 32' 20Klbs GN trailer and it handled it the same.. Just my GVWR & GCVW numbers looked better on the one tone.. Just last monday I bought a '06 F450 Reg Cab Powerstroke Auto for my hualing needs, Should make it so i can haul my 19Klbs Processor much easier..

I have hauled a few loads that were way too large for the Pick-up and trailers though.. I once was 44K LBS loaded Truck, Trailer and load.. and the truck, trailer combo was 13,500lbs unloaded

[stonebroke]

There was a guy hauling a JD dozer(450 I think) down one of our hills. The accident investigation said that once the clutch exploded the brakes failed and there was nothing to hold it back. I don't remember what the autopsy said. Stay safe.

Stonebroke

[Mark K]

I haul my TJ 225 around with a 94 Dodge cummins which is a 3/4 ton. Trailer is tandem axle dual wheeled, has good stopping power. My skidder weighs around 7 ton. I don't set no speed records and haven't had any problems.

[gunman63]

can a 1 ton do it and is it legal to do it are 2 different questions.

[Ironwood]

Good point on the clutch. I had the rivets come out on my 400 HP South Bend clutch (behind a stock 7.3 PSD). It wasnt that old and it would have free wheeled me as well. Luckily I wasnt too far from home, but certainly makes you think  :-\. Surge brakes make a HUGE difference and wont dissapate like electrics do. If your fairly flat terrain, have a BIG engine, and dont mind going easy, you should be OK.

Ironwood

[bill m]

Pulling a load that has a gross of about 9 ton with a truck that weighs about 3.5 ton is just plain crazy. IMO. That size truck was not designed to pull that size of payload. Yes they will pull it and if you are careful it will also stop it but at what cost? How often do you need to move it? For that size combination you must have a class 1 CDL to drive it unless you try to run farm plates and if you check with the RMV in your state you may not be able to run farm plates. If I had a machine of that size I would let someone else haul it and not have to worry about the liability.

[stonebroke]

Actually in the accident the clutch and bellhousing were in little pieces and the tranmission was in the middle of the road about one half a mile up the road from where the truck finally came to rest.

Stonebroke

[PAFaller]

Bill M made a great point. Here in PA with the amount of guys moving cattle and other livestock to auction on a commercial scale, as well as a MASSIVE amount of natural gas development the commercial sector of our DMV has really started paying attention to the 1 or 1 1/2 ton trucks towing goosenecks that are rated over the 10,000lbs. Those setups require a class A license, so keep that in mind before you start hauling loads that heavy behind a dually pickup. The fines can be pretty steep if you were to get caught, and using farm plates is not always a guarantee they will let you off the hook. My 'jack with loaded tires is much too heavy for that setup so I dont even think about it. The driver who usually moves my rig uses a 20 ton tag behind either his triaxle or sometimes on the pintle of his Kenworth tractor. It works pretty good, but nothing is as easy or convenient as a true drop=deck lowboy.   Another note while we are talking about moving equipment...make sure your equipment insurance has you covered for a move. There is a logging contractor fighting with a trucking company over the loss of a 548G grapple skidder. The accident was found to be the fault of the trucker entering a turn at excessive speed and losing control of his vehicle. Long story short the trailer flipped with the machine on it and wascpmpletely destroyed. The logger did not know he was not covered, so its been a matter of footing the bill to hire a lawyer and fight with the trucking firm for damages. Something to think about if you contract your moving, or if you do it all yourself make sure all the insurance is in place should something go wrong.

[ohsoloco]

Here in PA with the amount of guys moving cattle and other livestock to auction on a commercial scale, as well as a MASSIVE amount of natural gas development the commercial sector of our DMV has really started paying attention to the 1 or 1 1/2 ton trucks towing goosenecks that are rated over the 10,000lbs. Those setups require a class A license, so keep that in mind before you start hauling loads that heavy behind a dually pickup. 

Isn't that only the case if your combined weight is over 26,000 lbs.?  I really don't know for sure, but I found this on the DMV's website:

"CLASS A (minimum age 18): Required to operate any combination of vehicles with a gross weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, where the vehicle(s) being towed is/are in excess of 10,000 pounds. Example: Recreational Vehicle, when the towing vehicle is rated at 11,000 pounds and the vehicle towed is rated at 15,500 pounds (total combination weight of 26,500 pounds)."

[Brian_Rhoad]

In PA you are legal without a CDL up to 26,000 pounds combination or single vehicle.

[Bobus2003]

Here in PA with the amount of guys moving cattle and other livestock to auction on a commercial scale, as well as a MASSIVE amount of natural gas development the commercial sector of our DMV has really started paying attention to the 1 or 1 1/2 ton trucks towing goosenecks that are rated over the 10,000lbs. Those setups require a class A license, so keep that in mind before you start hauling loads that heavy behind a dually pickup. 

Isn't that only the case if your combined weight is over 26,000 lbs.?  I really don't know for sure, but I found this on the DMV's website:

"CLASS A (minimum age 18): Required to operate any combination of vehicles with a gross weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, where the vehicle(s) being towed is/are in excess of 10,000 pounds. Example: Recreational Vehicle, when the towing vehicle is rated at 11,000 pounds and the vehicle towed is rated at 15,500 pounds (total combination weight of 26,500 pounds)."

Yes, but if your using a 20Klbs Trailer behind a 3/4 or 1 ton truck your GVWR is over 26000lbs. I don't know how you could move a skidder on a truck/trailer combo that wouldnt exceed these limits. I mean my F250 SD Ford was rated at 9000lbs, add that too the 20000lbs trailer and your at 29000..so technically a CDL is needed.. I ran into this conflict with a Trooper here many years back and Its just easier to get the CDL..

Also.. if the truck trailer is being used for private use.. Hauling your Lawn tractor, ATV's, Skid steer for Snow removal on your driveway you "don't" have to stop at a scale.. But if your using it for profit, moving equipment to another job you must stop at the scales.. I have been stopped on many occasions for not stopping at scales because of my vehicles GVWR and Potential, didn't matter what i was using it for.. Can result in a nice fine inf the Trooper or Carrier enforcment is in a pissy mood

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

Id buy an 8 to 14 ton tray truck with atleast a 20'  myself  ;) I have a 9 ton Inter  Acco with a 24' tray 345 v8 on gas and 5 speed eaton and a two speed rear that dose a good job  ;) ;D ;D 8) 8) another truk id like to get is a F600/700 or an F8000 which where good trucks for bush work as my grandfather had two of them when i was a kid  ;) ;D ;D and you can find them pretty cheap over your way  ;) ;D ;D 8) 8)

Regards Chris

[Ironwood]

Dont forget medical card, log book and pretrip inspection if your hauling heavy. We could go on and on, triangles, fire extinguiser, combo plate, blah blah. Of course RV's are exempted here in Pa. to my knowlege : As if some retired overweight guy driving it isn't as liable to have an accident, (perhaps strong RV lobby?)

Ironwood

[stonebroke]

U-Hauls are exempted also. So somebody never drove anything bigger than a hydundai can move his household goods.

Stonebroke

[treefarmer87]

im getting ready to buy a pintle trailer for hauling my c5 i believe it weighs about 15,000. im gonna get this older triple axle trailer rated @ 20,000.

[gunman63]

If your skidder weighs 15000, trailer cant weigh over 5000 to be legal, im guessing if trailer is good for 20000 gross it weighs over 5000 lbs.

[stonebroke]

If i trailer is good for 20,000 it is going to weigh more then 5,000 lbs

Stonebroke