Hauling crawlers. What truck/trailer do you use?

[yqtnxnb]

What type/size of truck do you use if you haul your JD crawler? I don't use my 350b for work. In fact I don't know what I will use it for. Maybe I'll tear a house or two down.

But I finally picked up a trailer to move it. It's a heavy Bame from the mid '70s and its serious overkill for my use--24,000 capacity. But it was only a $1000 for the trailer (pintle hitch). They tell me its a good deal. Now I need a truck to haul it. I only have a 3/4-ton classic Sierra pu and a 1-ton Ford 4x4 with a flat bed dump setup. I have NO faith that either will handle both the 350b and 4500# trailer. The Ford dumping flat bed would probably be found laying in the street if I tried with it. The Sierra would cough a lung unless I use 4-lo, and then it wouldn't stop.
Someone offered me a '74 2.5 ton Chevy with rebuilt 366 (377cid) Chevy with dump bed.

So what do you use to haul with?

[mapaduke@yahoo.com]

I HAVE A F 350 SINGLE REAR WHEEL PICKUP AND A 24 FT PJ LANDSCAPE TRAILER WITH A 15000 GVW. I HAVE AN MC,40 ,420,430 AND A 440 CRAWLERS AND IT DOSE WELL. THE 440 MUST BE HEVIER BECAUSE YOU DEFINATLY NOW ITS BEHIND YOU.I CAN PUT 2 ON AT A TIME WHEN HOOKED UP TO MY INTERNATIONAL 6 WHEELER.

[digitup2]

If the 74 is a decent enough truck with a 5 and 2 trany then she will haul.I have an old 85 GMC with a 366 & 5 and 2 in a single axle dump we keep it around just because it can be so darn handy I replaced it with a Diesel several years ago but it works great in tight spots . We had a lot of BS up here in Ontario with those 9 ton tri axles so I went to two 12 ton dually tandems and the old 366 will surprise you with the lug it has in lower RPMs unlike the old small block 350s I had years ago and you had to flog the hell out of them this old truck pulls the 450 J around nicely it has hydraulic disk brakes and the trailer has electronic disk with ABS over .We don't use it to haul very far but it runs steady and costs next to nothing to leave with the dozer on a job till it needs to run to the next job .My largest float costs me more per day than that old GMC costs me for a year to keep around she likes her gas but doesn't go far enough to warm up most days .A little 350 crawler is considerably smaller machine so you should be OK unless you have a lot of hills to climb .I also have a F550 super duty in the bunch as well but they shouldn't be expected to pull that much either I can pull that same trailer but even a 350 loader would be a bit much for a F550 to bring to a stop safely.Good trailer brakes are also a must!! .Digitup.

[yqtnxnb]

That '74 is a prospect then. It has 5 with a 2, but the 2 isn't working presently. The engine has about 200 miles on it. The trans was freshened as well as the PTO. It's getting a brake booster now.

[pop pop]

well just be carefull you dont get talked into buying "rated capacity" plates for that trailer or you will be sorry.
the state will try and tell you you'll have to register as a commercial rig,,, your talking a whole new $$$$game,,, .
just find out what the loaded trailer weighs,,,, thats gonna be your "rated". ,,, if the state tells you you have to go by the mfg, rate,,,
just tell them , NO, you are only going to have (for example, 7,400 pounds) on the trailer,
also , check to see your GVRW for that rig in TN is probably 26k,,,(i think the D.O.T. has set the limit in all states at 26,000 pounds) that is the truck and loaded trailer together,,,, stay under 26,000 pounds or else your gonna pay the big bucks in commercial licenseS, tags, insurance, ,,
use you ford to pull, just make sure your trailer brakes work well.
if you use anything bigger to pull with, you might end up over 26000.
,,, here is where you have to use your head, i think i gave you all the clues... there are some related posting to this,, type in DOT, good luck, many of us are in this same category, i use a 4x4 supercrew and a heavy trailer too.

[Willyr]

this is what I pulled my 1999 New Holland 4630 with. It is a hudson 5 ton modified to gooseneck, pulled with a 98 2500 Dodge with cummins power.

The above equipment also hauled my formerly owned Case 350D dozer

As digitup posted, trailer brakes are a must! Make sure they work. Otherwise that trailer will push you when you want to stop.

[Tigerhaze]

I have a 87 GMC 7000 with the 366 and 5/2 as well. It is a relatively powerful setup for a single axle medium duty truck as Digitup stated.

Your 74 probably has a GVWR of 26,000 lbs or somewhere close to that and a GCVWR well above 26,000 lbs with the trailer and load so will need CDL if interstate and in many states for intrastate- although there are some exceptions for intrastate travel in some states such as farm use.

I had my 2010 crawler loader with backhoe setup delivered to me by a farmer with a dual tandem gooseneck (GTWR 20,000 lbs) and a Dodge 3/4 ton pickup. The trailer could handle the weight but is a load to stop.

[Pammark]

I am looking for a trailer too. All I have is a Chev 2500 HD 2wd pickup to pull with.

I have a weight on a 2010 with loader at 14,600 pound. That should give you an idea what weight yours might be.

[digitup2]

yqtnxb If the axle shift on that old GMC doesn't work right check the ground wire for the shift solenoid .Mine was sitting around for years and I put it on the road just because the old beast looks like a million bucks.I have three triaxle dumps and the drivers were bugging me that I couldn't drive that damned thing would not shift nice at times then it was OK then it wouldn't shift at all . I crawled under the truck and the ground wire had fell right off .I put a real good one right to the clean frame and do hi-lo like a pro now .I treat my truck drivers like a bunch of baby's now they think they cant run it and I never told them I fixed it I just keep reminding them why I don't do an IQ test to get hired around here that old gasser doesn't miss a shift now and only a chosen few drive it!!I like it that way .Digitup.