Trailering Multiple Broncos..question

[welndmn]

I use a SRW 2005 dodge.
I bought new as a daily driver as well but recently with the want to get a larger camper as well as pulling the 28' trailer, I've been looking at DRW trucks.
It just sucks driving a DRW truck around town.

 

[sprdv1]

Ecoboost's can tow 11-12k lbs. Not enough?

1 bronco is about the max for an ecoboost, depending on your trailer weight too

 

[Casey4wd]

I bought a 2015 Powerstroke F250 and I am really enjoying how much better it drives and tows than my previous 2007. I have had the bronco behind it some, but the true test for me has been towing a skid steer on tracks. If I could have found an F350 short bed, I would have gone that route, but they are pretty rare and I did not want to order a truck.

 

[jw0747]

Ecoboost's can tow 11-12k lbs. Not enough?

Pull that weight with a V6 and you'll wear it out before 50,000 miles. Probably
sooner than that since it's turbocharged.

 

[hyghlndr]

Several Bronco guys have tractor trailers registered as motorhomes, they can easily haul a bunch of Broncos. They will last for a million+ miles and fairly reasonable used compared to a new truck. Look for pictures from Drew.

 

[Broncitis]

If hauling more than 2, go big or go home.

I see guys hauling trailers like this with pickups all the time, and they are way over loaded. The mass and brakes of even an F450 are just not in the same league, let alone the torque and HP of a massive engine that is not being wound out.

In fact, at my heaviest ever (2010 trip to KOH with a race Bronco, 3 support rigs and thousands of pounds of parts, tools and camping gear), I was still just under 50K, more than 30K under the trucks regular designed capacity for daily use.

Registered as an RV, no CDL, cheap RV insurance and have never gone through a scale in over 10 years and multiple trips all around the country.

If you NEED an F350-450 for other daily use, perhaps. But if you are like many who buy one as an additional vehicle primarily to haul Broncos or an RV, then a used heavy duty truck (HDT) is the way to go. Much cheaper than a new diesel pickup, and WAY more comfortable and capable. Having the sleeper and fridge and brakes you know will stop you if the trailer brakes fail makes the trip much more enjoyable.

 

[Broncitis]

Ha, I was typing as Eric posted that! LOL

AllenFahey also has a Volvo, but he kept his a tandem and built a flatbed to haul his EB on the back and tows an RV.

Here is a pic with our enclosed trailer which holds 2, and Allen's Volvo.

 

[savage]

I have a friend that hauls his monster truck and all his equipment, in a 53 foot drop frame trailer, and pulls it with a double axle with sleeper, Volvo and he licensed the power unit as a motor home, and on his door it says licensed as a motor home.

 

[sykanr0ng]

I have a friend that hauls his monster truck and all his equipment, in a 53 foot drop frame trailer, and pulls it with a double axle with sleeper, Volvo and he licensed the power unit as a motor home, and on his door it says licensed as a motor home.

That and / or:

Private Vehicle - Not For Hire

I've seen a few with that.

 

[Yeller]

I would LOVE to do an HTD and have researched it diligently but I still need a truck for daily driving and just can't justify the added maintenance and up keep. And for many it's not possible

 

[Broncitis]

I have a friend that hauls his monster truck and all his equipment, in a 53 foot drop frame trailer, and pulls it with a double axle with sleeper, Volvo and he licensed the power unit as a motor home, and on his door it says licensed as a motor home.

The decal itself obviously does not do anything on its own without a true RV registration (the title on ours also says Motorcoach), but it does let any LEO know and can possibly avoid a stop.

Back in 2011 when we drove out to Fab Fords Forever in SoCal to pick up the Balloon Chaser Ambulance was the only time we had a LEO approach us just after we bypassed the scale just before going into Cali on 40.

The cruiser approached and paced us up to the side of the sleeper for a mile or two, then did a U-turn back.

 

[bmc69]

We tow a 34' 20K gooseneck with hydraulic dovetail behind a 2002 F-450 Ford Aerotow tow conversion truck. 7.3l Superduty, 19.5" wheels with highway tires. Fits two Broncos and a bunch of other stuff.

 

[allenfahey]

To add what Broncitis said about HDT's is that they are also much cheaper than you think.

 

[ScanmanSteven]

What's the avg fuel mileage, about 4-6? We had a business class FL70 that got at best 10mpg. The MDT don't have the horsepower of the HDT which I would like. Finding a single axle HDT is a little tougher though.

 

[Yeller]

What's the avg fuel mileage, about 4-6? We had a business class FL70 that got at best 10mpg. The MDT don't have the horsepower of the HDT which I would like. Finding a single axle HDT is a little tougher though.

With the right power and gearing (and driving speed)HTD's should get 8.5-11. Singleing them to a single axle is not a tremendous or expensive job. And yes they are not that expensive especially when compared to a late model diesel pickup.

My personal dilemma with them is even though the price isn't that bad It's still more than I have in my trailer and camper and I still have to have a late model truck for a DD. So for me the pickup (that anyone can drive, not so with most HTD) is the easy choice.

 

[allenfahey]

Broncitis' Volvo was converted to a single axle. Many guys convert them. I left mine tandem because I use the bed to haul the Bronco. I'm not sure his fuel mileage but mine is about 9-10 hauling the Bronco and towing the camper.
A great resource is escapees.com and look for the hdt forum.

 

[englewoodcowboy]

With a single axle you are good for 20k on it and 12.5 on the front. You would gain about .3mpg but you also save on tire wear.

I own a fleet of Petes and Freightliners and we average 7 mpg. When my guys are empty we have seen as much as 11mpg.

 

[SpareParts]

I'm late to the game, but don't have any good info that a normal person would use... I'll still post my Ford Cummins conversion in case you didn't see it in Hot Springs. I never have went across the scales with it, don't really want to know. It's tagged for 24,000 and I know we are over that for sure. It starts with a F-350 Dually then upgraded it to 4X4, then converted to the 96' Cummins. With the Ford ZF5 and 3.50 gears, it runs 2100 rpm at 70 mph. On average with this load it gets 10 mpg, empty I get 18-21. It's a 38' lowboy gooseneck with two One ton'ed Bronco's on 40's along with all the parts, tool's and spares.

 

[5001craig]

2 bronco's and 36' trailer is pushing 16-18K so no not even close.%)

I use a 2014 Ram 3500 dually mega cab 4x4, diesel, Aisin 6sp auto (there are 2 auto options) with 4.10 gears (which require the Aisin and dually to get). Factory rates it at 29k trailer weight rating in that trim. Its absolutely an animal with a trailer. My Goose with the camper, bronco, parts, firewood and tools is right at 17k pulls like its not even there. It way out pulls our 2008 megacab that was deleted and turned way up, on paper it made significantly more power but it would not hang with the current truck in the mountains, especially the back roads that I like to drive. Truck just doesn't feel like its working. I've owned 6 of these trucks since 1997, this is far and away my favorite.

I looked really hard at the other 2 options when I bought this truck and I thought they were all nice but I felt myself missing the exhaust brake that works like a jake on a real truck, enough so that I felt like they were 3/4 of the way there on the drivetrain. I also felt the front seats were all about equal but traveling with buddies, there's no equal to riding in the back seat of a mega cab vs Ford and GM crew cabs, there is just no comparison.

I REALLY like my truck. I've got good friends with both of the other 2 and I've spent a good amount of time in them and they seem to be great trucks but the Ram has an edge that the others are missing, they have a drive train that works and feels like a late model class 8 truck (which I like) and still feel like a truck that I can control and make it function like I want and at times need to and I just don't feel the other 2 makers allow for that.

I have a '13 Ram with the Aisin (385 hp/850 ft lb) and it's at home when towing. I mean at home. Similar to Yeller's but SRW. I have 3.55's (it would benefit with 3.73's but Ram only offers 3.55's in SRW's). I also have air bags and after installing them wonder why I didn't have them on all my other trucks.

Here's a video of me grossing 31,600 doing a 0-60 run. 31,600#'s gross. I have the weigh slip. Pretty sweet in the small hills we have even with the 3.55's.

https://youtu.be/qrh20vOZmqM

 

[Yeller]

I have a '13 Ram with the Aisin (385 hp/850 ft lb) and it's at home when towing. I mean at home. Similar to Yeller's but SRW. I have 3.55's (it would benefit with 3.73's but Ram only offers 3.55's in SRW's). I also have air bags and after installing them wonder why I didn't have them on all my other trucks.

Here's a video of me grossing 31,600 doing a 0-60 run. 31,600#'s gross. I have the weigh slip. Pretty sweet in the small hills we have even with the 3.55's.

https://youtu.be/qrh20vOZmqM

The 6spd really helps with the higher ratio rear axle, it just shifts more and is perfectly happy doing it.