Can I Pull Gooseneck

[retiredcanefarmer]

I am hotshotting with my 2007 6.6, 373 rearend , Allison 6. Could I pull a 40 ft. minifloat without damaging my tran or engine? 3500,dual wheel, single cab,tandem trailer,appr. 8,000 net, load will vary

[Mark Rinker]

2007 2500 or 3500? Single or dual rear wheels? More information on the trailer as well - two or three axles? Single or dual wheels? Empty weight?

You can use your signature to record vehicle/trailer information without having to restate it in each new post. Welcome aboard!

[Mark Rinker]

Heavy trailer at 8K. You are giving up alot of cargo carrying capacity, and fuel mileage on empty return trips.

Why this trailer? What do you intend to haul? That trailer would be heavy - even behind a Kodiak 4500's suspension/brakes.

Your average cargo load should be 8-10K and limited to 12K max, for a total of 28K GCVW. Beyond that - you are 'out of truck', IMO. (OEM Brakes , suspension, etc.) An aftermarket exhaust brake can be helpful if you plan to haul heavy alot.

Remember, if your GCVW (truck, trailer, cargo) is 26K or greater - you'll need your CDL to be legal over the road. Don't forget cargo insurance, log book requirements, etc. DOT enforcement is at an all time high this summer nationwide.

[carco]

I pull 21000#+ occasionally, going to Colorado Aug 1. Pulls good, stops decent could be better, rides good. If I pulled day in day out I would go to a 3500 for the dual wheels or better yet a C45000.

[retiredcanefarmer]

Mark,
There are a lot of guys in my area pulling 40's, mostly with dodges with standards. I didn't want to do damage to my truck, it's only 2 months old. With the terminal I'm with if I commit to pulling a mini it jumps up from a one ton class to a minifloat. The money is about 20% more. They would only call me for a one ton load if they run out of one tons. In my area it's all oilfield work and a lot of loads are 40' pipe, that's why you need the length. My truck is rated 23,500 total combined hauling. My truck weighs in at 8,400 with a 12' bed. If trailer weighed 8,000 plus truck equals 16,400. That gives me a net of 7,100. I could get more work with a mini because we already have a lot of one ton loads. Was wondering how much over the rating I could cheat and not have it affect my truck? The only thing is I would be burning more fuel loaded and empty.

[Mark Rinker]

Thanks for the details. I'll stand by the opinion provided earlier. The weights are based on my experiences hotshotting with 5 Duramax trucks and a 6.0L gas K3500.

The trucks are plenty sturdy - and brakes hold up well if your trailer brakes are doing their job.

The Allison is rock solid as well - we do partial capacity 'drain and fill' (~7quarts) fluid refreshes with a new external spin-on filter every other oil chage or 20K miles, or anytime the fluid is worked extremely hard in hot weather.

Speed not only kills, it wears out trucks. If you can run about 60-62mph loaded, you'll save fuel and alot of uneccessary wear and tear on the tow vehicle.

Summary - I think you can pull the 40 no problem, but don't let them burn you on weight, AND put you on a tight timeframe...the 20% premium will likely be lost in fuel and maintenance. Also at these heavy weights - run it stock or with a very modest tow tune - don't chip the truck for performance and expect the transmission to live.