I'm looking for a RV transporter for heavy 5th wheel

[meleavingsoon]

Hi all,

We have put a deposit on a 5th wheel trailer but I don't think my current truck is capable of moving the trailer. I am going to start looking into upgrading trucks (probably a HDT) but can't get that done fast enough.

I live in northern Illinois and the trailer is located in Fort Worth TX....so I'm hoping to find someone in the path to help get the trailer moved north. The trailer is 45' long triple axle and approx. 20k pounds.

I have considered using my 1999 F350 which pulled our previous 40'er Cardinal but it was only approx. 13k pounds.

Any contact info would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Phil

[jimmyfred]

meleavingsoon wrote:
You might want to go the southern route to get past the mountains in Missouri and then head straight into Illinois between the mtn ranges...

Have made many a trips from North Texas to Illinois via Memphis and then take I57 up to the Mount Vernon home town area...I30 to Little Rock then I40 to Memphis then I57 to Illinois would not be a bad route either. Can't think of any long grades to deal with on that route.




I just towed our 2007 Cardinal to Midland TX in December last year for our son to live in while working in TX. The route I took was I-57 south then thru Memphis because it seemed like the flattest route.
The truck did fine and I didn't encounter any grades that even caused me to have to downshift (6 speed manual trans) so that was the route I am planning to take if I decide to try with my current truck. But the truck does have 233,000 miles so I worry it might be too much extra weight to go from the 13k pound Cardinal to the 20k Teton.
If I decide to try it I was thinking about taking about three days to make the 950 trip so as to not push the truck too hard. keep the speed to 60 or below.

Thanks

..........One thing most don't consider.......IF , you have 4w dr. , the Drive chain in the xfer case as well as the stock clutch are the weak links in the drive line . Pulling a 20,000 lb. load will exert forces on the drive chain and the stock clutch that simply overwhelm their mechanical limits . And , IF you have a chip installed the mechanical limits of the above 2 mentioned items will manifest themselves , even sooner . You will simply be climbing a moderate grade and then the tac will show the RPM's increasing while the truck is loosing speed........the clutch's ability to maintain enough friction with the engine will be exceeded by pulling an excessive load that the truck can't cope with .
...........Short trips are OK , longer trips have consequences !, jf

[meleavingsoon]

romore wrote:
X2 It sounds like you put the cart before the horse. 20,000 lb will be as shipped from the factory, it will go up exponentially as you add propane, water, bedding, food etc. IMHO you are wise not wanting to chance it with your current truck, wind across the plains could make it a wild ride and steep grades will give you grey hairs and religion.

Is that like the chicken and egg?...(actually Genesis confirms the chicken came first)

Actually there was not plan for a "new" cart....the horse for the cart we had was fine but our son needed a cart to live in so we gave it to him which left us with the current horse. So when we went to find a replacement cart we found a very nice one and decided to go for it. So now I have to deal with keeping the same old horse or getting a larger one.

Hard to plan everything in it's proper order sometimes. Anyone want to buy my current horse?

Thanks

[meleavingsoon]

You might want to go the southern route to get past the mountains in Missouri and then head straight into Illinois between the mtn ranges...

Have made many a trips from North Texas to Illinois via Memphis and then take I57 up to the Mount Vernon home town area...I30 to Little Rock then I40 to Memphis then I57 to Illinois would not be a bad route either. Can't think of any long grades to deal with on that route.




I just towed our 2007 Cardinal to Midland TX in December last year for our son to live in while working in TX. The route I took was I-57 south then thru Memphis because it seemed like the flattest route.
The truck did fine and I didn't encounter any grades that even caused me to have to downshift (6 speed manual trans) so that was the route I am planning to take if I decide to try with my current truck. But the truck does have 233,000 miles so I worry it might be too much extra weight to go from the 13k pound Cardinal to the 20k Teton.
If I decide to try it I was thinking about taking about three days to make the 950 trip so as to not push the truck too hard. keep the speed to 60 or below.

Thanks

[2oldman]

romore wrote:
.. and steep grades will give you grey hairs and religion.

I like it!

[romore]

X2 It sounds like you put the cart before the horse. 20,000 lb will be as shipped from the factory, it will go up exponentially as you add propane, water, bedding, food etc. IMHO you are wise not wanting to chance it with your current truck, wind across the plains could make it a wild ride and steep grades will give you grey hairs and religion.

[2oldman]

Put it in storage in TX while you get a truck.

[meleavingsoon]

colliehauler wrote:
I use u-ship, just had a motorcycle shipped from Seattle to Kansas. With their reviews you can pick the shipper. They bid on price or you can post a flat rate.

The driver had just delivered a boat to Seattle and broght the bike back. He was on to Texas to pick up another boat and deliver to New York.

I have consider U-ship...and will probably give them a try. I have not actually used them to ship anything...I have been the carrier before. I hauled a 4 wheeler for a guy once, all worked out well.

Thanks

[RoyB]

The problem to sort of worry about is how a fifth wheel is setup on the truck carrier... The pin hitch on the fifth wheel is the problem. I'm sure they have done it before shipping a fifth wheel but that would be one of my concerns..

I have seen F150's pulling the 5th wheel's - Mine was one of them and it only got exciting when coming down long grades... I don't think you would have any problem with the F350 except maybe the age of the motor...

You might want to go the southern route to get past the mountains in Missouri and then head straight into Illinois between the mtn ranges...

Have made many a trips from North Texas to Illinois via Memphis and then take I57 up to the Mount Vernon home town area... Going due North of Fort Worth to pick up I40 to go across would probably get into some longer hill grades... I30 to Little Rock then I40 to Memphis then I57 to Illinois would not be a bad route either. Can't think of any long grades to deal with on that route... All Interstates have a standard grade of 6% I think it is... Its the 5 mile slow up grade that will eat your lunch haha... Then Katie bar the door coming down on the other side for 10 miles...

You will have nice roads heading North East out of Fort Worth...

Just take it easy and I think you will be just fine. I guess you already have a 5th wheel hookup on your truck...

There is another solution to consider as well and that would be to hire someone with a big truck to tow your fifth wheel for you...

Hauling on a flat bed concerns on my part are probably not an issue. Just my first thought on hauling a fifth wheel trailer and how they setup it up on the trailer.

I'm sure dealers do this all the time... All the trailers mostly come from Elkhard IND haha... If you are buying a brand new one it might even work out to have them order it from Elkhart IND and be shipped directly to a dealer near you in Northern Ill...

Don't laugh about someone with a POPUP trailer giving out info on 5th wheels haha...

Roy Ken

[colliehauler]

I use u-ship, just had a motorcycle shipped from Seattle to Kansas. With their reviews you can pick the shipper. They bid on price or you can post a flat rate.

The driver had just delivered a boat to Seattle and broght the bike back. He was on to Texas to pick up another boat and deliver to New York.