saboken wrote:
burningman wrote:
I used to drive tow trucks too.
If I had that deal going and only a 1/2 ton rig I'd use it to go get it for sure.
As for doing any extensive traveling with it, it's a bad plan. Too much trailer and not enough truck.
It will tow it, but 1/2 tons lack the heavy duty drivetrain parts to survive tugging heavy weight up mountains and such. Your transmission is going to be badly overworked.
At bare minimum I'd install a trans temperature gauge and avoid cooking it.
I'm betting you don't have 4.10 gears. You'll want to shift down on the hills and rev it, and don't floor it.
If the trailer weight you posted is the manufacturer's claim - not an actual scale reading - add at least 1000 pounds to that number to get closer to reality.
I'm going to try to find a scale when I pick it up to see were I am really at with the weight my biggest concern is getting it out of NJ I grew up there and have hated the traffic I plan in avoiding any peak time I want to haul it towards Harrisburg to 81 then South to avoid DC but that route might be easier on the traffic but will have a lot more inclines to deal with, I guess I will have to drive 95 up to get it and see what I am going to have to deal with before deciding inwhat route to take.i haven't travelled that part of I95 since 2002
The trans temp is my biggest concern I know the 2500's have them build in I was always wondering if I put a instrument cluster in from a 2500 if it would work? (Does it have the sensor in the trans? Do I need to have the computer flashed to activate the gauge?) I think it has a temp warning in the info center but I would rather see it rising before to respond way before it triggers a light (TRANS TEMP) I believe that's what the owners manual says the message is? but it doesn't say what temp triggers it? Doing this in the winter should be on my side since it has the HD tow package with a external trans cooler and oil cooler I hope, I put a external trans cooler on our old Jeep Cherokee before towing a 21' 1984 Sunlime TT I towed that thing all over PA and then to SC before selling it about 1 1/2 years ago the only issue the Jeep had was engine temp i think the water pump had worn a impeller? I don't remember why I never changed it? But i saw someone driving that old Jeep almost 1 1/2 years after I sold it and it's still going strong with the same transmission. In the end I will either try to trade for a F450 diesel or trade for a Smaller Ultra Light TT maybe a Class A? It's still up in the air, I just have to get this thing home so I can move into it to save for whatever is next, I try not to make plans with a narrow focus because opportunitys change.
