The 10,500 everyone is referring to is the MAX Gross Vehicle weight. Truck
+ Cargo + trailer load, NOT the trailer alone.
Any time you are dragging a heavy trailer, it SHOULD have its own brakes
PERIOD. Whether it is an electric setup, or a set of surge hydraulics.
I have used my 98 5.2 5spd 3.92 RC to haul dressed BB marine engines 1000
lbs, the truck did squat a bit. I have also used it to haul several
raceboats to different sites around FL. These boats weigh in arount 4500 +
trailer + mounted tool boxes, about 6000-6500 lbs. Again no problems. Yes,
braking distances are longer. There is more weight, and the same swept
braking surfaces. Makes sense to me.
If you are carrying a large load in the bed, carry it as far forward as
possible to ease the tail wagging the dog effect.
TonyC
-----Original Message-----
From: Mr. Plow <adam_is_mr_plow@hotmail.com>
To: dakota-truck@dakota-truck.net <dakota-truck@dakota-truck.net>
Date: Monday, July 29, 2002 11:59 AM
Subject: DML: Re: Dakota a half ton
>
>Hey Paul,
>
>My Dak has the tow package, the beefier rear end etc. as well, but i
haven't
>towed very much with it, other than other trucks stuck in the mud. <cough>
><andy levy> <cough>
>hehehe
>But the heaviesty thing i've ever towed was an older Mercury Sable wagon on
>a little dolly. Figure probably 3000 lb car, or there abouts, te dolly was
>pretty light, maybe only 200 or so lbs. Anyway, it rode ok, really wasn't
>that much strain on the 4.7, but braking obviously needed a longer
distance.
>And that really is the important thing, braking. You could probably get
the
>Dak to pull 10,000+ lbs, but getting it to stop all that weight is a whole
>'nother story!!!!
>Little story for ya to kind of illustrate what i'm trying to say about the
>Dakota's abilities, and keeping it within "safe" limits:
>I was coming back from a camping trip, and we see this little car, i
"think"
>it was a Kia Sephia, looks a lot like the most recent Ford Escorts.
Anyway,
>this little car was towing this absolutely MASSIVE boat, it must have
>weighed like 15,000 lbs, maybe more, and was probably between 30-35 feet
>long. It looked like it could carry 8-10 people comfortably, and had
>below-deck sleeping for at least 4 people. Like i said, this boat was
>massive!!!
>Anyway, the little Kia's rear bumper was pretty close to scraping the
>ground, and over any bump, mostlikely did... But, it was pulling this boat
>at about 20 km/h (12mph).
>Now obviously this is not a safe thing to do, but it can be done.
>So, can the Daks tow 10,000+ lbs in trailer, crap in the bed? Yes.
>Should it be done? No.
>
>
>
>The Adam Blaster
>Two words, figure it out.....
>
>
>
>
>>
>>
>>Hi Adam
>> I agree, it actually sounds proposterous! Unlike what I assume to
be
>>the majority of members of this List, I use my truck for work daily. Mine
>>has the optional 2,000# factory GVW rating and trailer hitch. My trailer
>>weighs only 550# empty and @ the tongue about 270#. When pulling around
>>2,500# combined trailer cargo and trailer weight and little or nothing in
>>the
>>truck it drives as though there was a giant hand behind pushing strongly
>>forward. If I add about 1,000# truck cargo it tends to handle better
except
>>for stopping power. I never feel safe driving more than 50mph with loads
>>and
>>loaded trailer and then keep several car length distance if possible from
>>the
>>guy ahead of me.
>> I've only had a full 2,000# load in the truck alone several times.
>>The
>>body rubber suspension limit bumpers are about 3" off the rear axle and
the
>>tailpipe may be even closer to the ground than 3". The rear suspension
>>bottoms almost constantly over very minor road surfaces. Front seems to
>>take
>>2,000# very well. Incidentally, when hauling dirt, concrete chunks,
>>bricks,
>>sand, etc., you reach a 2,000# load without filling the 6.5' cargo bed to
>>the
>>side tops. So with products that have a high weight density you do not
>>fill
>>the cubic capacity of the cargo box to reach maximum load capacity even
>>with
>>the optional 2,000# pkg.
>> At around 15k mi I replaced the factory shocks with Bilsteins and at
>>the
>>same time both F&R stabilizer bars with Hotchkis mounted in poly bushings.
>>These larger diameter bars made a tremendous improvement in overall safe
>>handling for a loaded truck and especially with a trailer too. The
factory
>>setup was too tame and the trailer tended to whip the truck like a dog
>>whose
>>tail is too big for his body! This was especially noted when loads are
>>real
>>ly heavy and the suspension is almost fully compressed.
>>
>>Cheers
>>
>>Paul Sahlin
>
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