Truck and Trailer Compatibilty

beaver 31

Member
Howdy doo,
New to the forum. This looks like a great place to learn more. Here we go. We are considering a new 3370 Big Horn. It will be mated to my 97 Ford TD with the 7.3L(110M mi.) and an automatic, 4.10 rear end. The max for the trailer is 14000lbs and my pin weight is under a ton. So far we are good. We think we will be at the limits for payload, around 1500-1700lbs.

The questions then are will the truck pull this load OK? More importantly will it stop it OK? Should I be factoring in the immediate installation of an Air Brake? any body have any suggestions?
beaver 31:rolleyes:
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
To be honest I think you will be pushing the limits for your truck. Not saying it won't do the job. It good to see your concern about stopping the load. You may want to consider a lighter Heartland product. The Big Country is a bit lighter and the Sundance lighter yet. If your thoughts are for long term use and the future, you may want to consider a bit more truck. Good luck with your decision.
 

beaver 31

Member
Howdy doo Ray! Thanks for the input. I went to my mechanic yesterday who used to have a truck like mine. He thought the banks brake was a good idea and added that he put a computer chip in his truck and noticed the immediate power increase. His only concern was the E40 transmission. He didn't think it would pull the load over time. Still pondering.
Cheers-
 

slmayor

Founding California Northern Chapter Leader
Don't tell the weight police on rv.net but we pull our 3370 with an '01 7.3 PSD. Our first trip out, not knowing any better, we pulled some 7% grades and went down same and it both pulled and stopped well. (went down one with no trailer brakes as the cable vibrated loose, and it still wasn't a problem)
Loaded and I do mean loaded, we are over our combined weight rating by a couple hundred pounds, but under the axle and tire ratings. Way under the trailer ratings.
We will probably eventually go with a one ton, but the 01 runs so well and pulls so good, it will be hard to find a truck to replace it. We have no engine mods, but the truck does have trans temp, boost and pyro gauges and we keep a close eye on them. Trans has never gotten really warm, about 185 is top temp. Keep in mind, we do call DH "Mr. Pokey", and it's hard to get him in a hurry when he's in vacation mode. We average about 13mpg towing at 60-65.
We do have our trans serviced every year,( or sometimes more) figuring its better to catch any problems before they happen on the road. Hope this helps.
 

beaver 31

Member
Howdy doo!
Thanks for the input. I looked at Ray & Lin's numbers and with your reply my comfort level is almost boyant... My mechanic says probably no problem with truck and trailer brakes. One of his friends pulls a large horse trailer with no adds and it is just fine.. With a BanksBrake this is going to work just fine for me.
Thanks, beaver 31
 
Top