Pandamonkey

I've never tried this before but in a couple of weeks I'll be going for a 12 hour drive through long mountain passes with a car hauler trailer.

On it will be a 2003 GMC Safari van.
The trailer itself is Big Tex double axle, all steel.
Pretty much this one, except green and a little older.
http://bigtextrailers.com/70dm-tande...ck-car-hauler/

I'm roughly putting the combined weight of just over 6200 lbs.

I've got the 5.0L and 3.73.

Your thoughts?

meaz93

Just a good weight distribution hitch with sway control, and keep it under 65mph. Should be a drama free ride. That F150 won't break a sweat!

Jeriko

+1 on keeping the speed down. Don't do anything drastic and it'll treat you right.

I took a similar trip a couple years ago through the Rocky's from BC to Alberta, picked up my bro's dead jeep. He pooched the transmission and I didn't feel like a field repair 6 hours from home, so I grabbed the trailer, went out to get him and had a worry free ride home. 2200 for the trailer, 4500 for the beefy *** jeep (95 cherokee on 35's + massive sound system). Was fairly uneventful.

xcntrk

Short open car-hauler trailers are easy to tow. No enclosed sides to produce sway and at only 18/20ft long is an easy train to manage. I would however ensure you plan to use weight distribution otherwise you'll experience some significant rear squat (not to mention be outside of the towing specifications).

meaz93

^Once you use a WDH....you never go without-period.

A7B2FX4

I'm going to go against the very good advice from others. You didn't say if the trailer was the 18' or 20'. I would never spend $500 on a WDH for a one time trip! To clarify its a flatbed, the van is short enough to be positioned on the flatbed to keep the numbers in check. The limit you will bust thru is the 5000 lb bumper pull non WDH trailer weight.
The TT people on here swear by their WDH but flatbed towing is not the same. Does U-Haul require a WDH with their car hauler?

Steve Osborne

I have to agree I have used my hitch with a 600/6000 and my wdh hitch...with in common sense .....I think you'll be fine with a tbc and position on the trailer..
the motorhome has been the heaviest hauled so far...

Pandamonkey

Thanks for all the replies!
I'm now even more confident that my truck won't have an issue.

Someone above mentioned that they pulled over the Rockies from BC to Alberta - which is exactly the trip that I am doing. I've done it many times in my truck already, just never pulling a vehicle.

I own the trailer already, so I don't what U-haul would require.
Unfortunately I don't have weight distribution bars available, and I don't think they would work on this trailer anyhow.
I'm sure the van can be placed over the axles of the trailer to take most of the weight off my truck.

Usually I'm able to stay running on LPG for trip, just managing to make it to fill up at card lock stations without having to use any petrol. However with the added load I may be burning some I guess.
I've tried to stay on LPG since I got my truck last may.
So far I've filled it up with petrol only twice and the rest has been propane - with 45,000 km on the truck so far.

strokin7.3

Might as well burn up some of that gas. Don't want it goin bad on you! And I think you will be just fine without the WDH

REGCABMAN

I have towed many a vehicle on a flat bed. the only worry is tongue weight. The pic is of my heaviest vehicle towed. I left the Raptor at home and "borrowed" the shop truck. you can see how an F-250 with a 460 squats the dually. Just don't load the van backwards, bad things will happen.