Help all haulers and big towers . . need some imput.

I own a medium sized contracting business, I have had many 1 ton trucks, always duallys, always with utility bodies and such . . we have a hand full of trucks right now, both 4x4 and 4x2 but . . as my personal vehicle i have always driven full sized suvs (yukon xl's suburbans, for excursions) those types.

i have branched out and on the side will be wholesaling cars, i will need to be able to move 2-3 vehicles at a time on one trailer.

im looking for imput in trailer type and what names to look at but more importantly

im looking to order a loaded to the hilt 1 ton truck 4x4 crew cab long bed diesel but . . i cant decide what to do about the dually vs single rear wheel. i love the looks of the duallys but i think im gonna put a plow on it cause i am sick of paying for snow removal at my rental property.

so i need to figure out if i want a ball hitch, 5th wheel, gooseneck . . . and if i want dually vs single rear wheel.

i have heard light duallys suck in mud and snow:doah: and i live near Buffalo, NY we get both. i will use this vehicle sometimes for my day to day contracting also.

ideal in my mind i want a good tow vehicle with an open bed. and something that is good for all weather/ terrain types and good for plowing.:stir:

any ideas??

DRW or SRW???

 

tall order there...

the triple car haulers are mostly gooseneck I believe... nice trailers, and I've yet to see anyone pull one with a SRW truck. Probably because the top car is almost entirely suspended over the bed.

in the mud in my 4x2 drw chevy I've always had very bad luck. never had a stuck, but it is way worse than any srw truck. granted, I've never run mud tires on a 4x2 either, so the tires may make a huge difference. seems like in the sticky stuff the void between the tires fills up and makes it worse. it doesn't snow enough in my part of texas for me to have any sort of knowledge about plow trucks--we have tractors for that.

 

DRW without a question. Like he said you will need a Gooseneck trailer for that. I would look at the B&W Turnover gooseneck hitch and definetly put on some airbags. As far as the truck goes I think that the GMs are the most comfortable for long drives with the trailer...however if you plan on driving cross-country full time I would have to recommend the Dodge with a Cummins and a stick shift. The truck wont be as comfortable but the cummins motor will give you 0 problems.

 

Dually no question what so ever. Duallys are much better in the mountains, they handle through the turns better pulling a trailer. When you are in ice and snow it's also nice having a dually when pulling, that extra rubber from the four tires really help hold the truck down on a steady line on probably the most important pivot point on the rig, the rear truck axle.

All three are extremely comfortable, none really more than the other. The GM with the IFS might ride slightly better though. Interiors are basically the same comfort wise.

 

gosh

ive talked to contracting friends, 3 or 4 of them, i asked why they all had single rear wheel, and they said it was cause of plowing and the muck and mud around here at certain times of the year, but . . none of the trailer or if they do are NOTHING like what im talking about.

maybe i should look into a two car trailer that isnt a gooseneck . . i donno, 3 would be nice. i dont like the gooseneck idea and really hate the 5th wheel idea, cause a normal pickup bed thats EMPTY would be nice edition to our fleet. and the 5th wheel is in the way all the time isnt it?

 

You WANT a gooseneck, even for two cars. You are talking at least a 10-11,000 lbs load with just two cars. That much weight should be goosenecked!

 

4x4 Dually for sure. I have a car lot and tow a 43' car carrier. The dually will give you much better stability in windy conditions. Agoosekneck is also the only way to go as well. You want that weight over the center of your rear axle. Sometimes I'll take the trailer home to take my tractor somewhere to do some work and every time I get that trailer off a hard surface road in the dirt I have to use 4 wheel drive. I have pulled the trailer with a single axle 3/4 ton truck and it can get interesting at times. It's much more comfortable with a dually. Go ahead and get yourself a little tow dolly too for when you just need to deliver a single vehicle somewhere.

 

Drw shouldn't be an issue when plowing (your tires should be within the plow pass) unless your plow is too short. If you are getting the truck before you buy the plow you are fine, just order a plow 6" longer than standard and you'll be fine. If the duallies hang out past the plow edges you could be in trouble.

Also I can say running mud tires on the back of a 4x2 dually does help if you are driving through slop (muddy jobsite, or in my case a muddy cemetery road).

 

I echo the dually option. I have never plowed with my truck, so i cant help there. All three are very comfortable, the dodge is a bit smaller in the inside, but it didnt bother me at all. Chevy/GMC by far has the softest ride. If I had to get new over again today, Id have to get a Dodge cummins cause I dont trust the ford 6.0 and Im just not a fan of the duramax(I dont know how to work on it)

If i understood how to work on the duramax, then I would get the duramax over the dodge cummins in a heartbeat.

Just my 0.02

 

well... as stated before this is a tall order.

it all comes down to personal preferance i think. here is what i would do and here is also WHY i would do it.

a 3 car slant is a heavy trailer. so a DRW is going to be needed. 4x4 if you want it but you will be better off door sticker wise on a 2wd for weight reasons. also less maintenance to do. if you need it you need it so get it. Goose neck is also the way to go and i love my B&W turn over. flat when needed and 30k lbs capacity when you want it.

truck.... F650. hands down. get it with a cummins and a stick. you can get the 650 with a standard box, some 19.5's and all kinds of other creature comforts. towing capacity will keep you legal and the truck isnt bad looking. plow package from the factory as well.

here is why a ford. TOWING CAPACITY!! it will keep you legal in the streets. well worth it. i overload my 32 footer on my dodge each time i pull. one day i will get pulled over and the fine will be large. not worth it.
Grant

 

http://www.turnoverball.com/turnover/ This is the hitch you want to get for the gooseneck. You have the hitch when you need it and you have the WHOLE bed when you dont. A car trailer will have a Gooseneck hitch not a 5th wheel. They both mount in the bed but have a different type of hitch. 5th wheels are primarily found on RVs.

 

why not a 2 car rollback? IH, ford or chevy rollback. 19' bed and a stinger on the back..... hauls 2 cars easily.....

dually,
FYI-though, duallys that are not loaded down suck fo rplowing becuase the wide rear tires provide less contact pressure and are prone to spin alot. thats why contractors usually fill there 2wd dually plow trucks with stone in the dump bed when plowing....

 

ehh, not so true on the car hauler statement. they NORMALY come GN, but you can easily find them in a 5er with out special order. personaly if i was looking for a 3 or 4 car wedge i would call up kaufman trailers in texas and have them build one for me the way i wanted it. i have a 32 foot flat bed now from them and LOVE it. just wish i had gotten electric jacks.....:doah:

also a bonus with the B&W is you can add the companion for 5er hauling....waytogo

i dont think a flat bed car hauler would be economical because he is wanting to haul 3 cars form time to time. also to the fact about not having a regular bed on it im sure "normal" use would be needed now and then.... just a hunch though.

Grant

 

Oops I stand corrected:doah: waytogo

 

well i went and looked at trailers today, they recommended the turnover ball, and he said dont get a wedge, cost more to insure, and many companys stopped making them. he recommended the turn over with a gooseneck, still have to decide on length, dove tail??? and if i want a full deck or open in the middle, electic jacks sound like a good idea, i hadnt thought about that . .

wow there is more then i thought to this guys, thanks for all the info and stuff, keep em coming, i came hear to hear from the experts!! thanks!! keep it coming.

 

As far as open deck vs solid deck it all depends on what you are going to use it for besides hauling cars. If you are getting a straight flatbed it will probably come solid. However if you do have an option here are a few things to consider:

-the open will be lighter than a solid deck
-the closed will be more versitile for hauling other things besides cars
-closed allows you to haul motor cycles or trailers

 

wow those are some things i had not considered, i think the extra weight would be okay for the better use of and more versitle trailer.

went and looked it cost 800$ extra to get the trailer with a full deck.

any suggestions on size? ive heard 40 but the guy at the store tells me 36-38 dont go longer?

 

after 35' a trailer starts to get long in a hurry
wedges are nice because it allows an easy unload for the wrecks that dont run or flat tires...(gravity)

 

I'd go for the wedge anyways if I was wanting to haul 3. I will echo that they are expensive to insure as most companies have realized these are totally for business use. And there are already a lot of wedges out there, you can probably find one pretty cheap from a guy that's getting out of the business. I've seen more of these for sale on the side of the highway lately in pretty good "used" shape.


the versatility of a decked flatbed would probably outweigh my need to haul three cars though. Of course, most of the cars I haul I can almost fit 2 on a 20'.

bugs, austins, and ricers don't take up much space...

 

I have been involved in the auto transportation industry for over 10 years and have made a lot of mistakes along the way. Maybe I can help you avoid some of them. If your wanting to haul 3 cars, you will need a 48 foot trailer that could be as long as 53 feet with extensions out the front and back. As for open or closed center; if it is closed, you will need to use straps around the tires rather than chains that hook to the factory tie down locations that can be seen while under the trailer looking up through the open middle. Also, at that length, the trailer will not be a flatbed type so hauling much other than vehicles or equipment is difficult. Be sure to get a trailer that is 102" wide(easier to haul trucks), and 3 axle is preferred. Companies loke Take 3, Wally-Mo, and Featherlite manufacture just what you're looking for. Check this site: JakesTruckShop.com for Wally-Mo.