Towing an Enclosed Trailer

[Gump1986]

I am considering buying a 24' enclosed car hauler for towing my show truck to shows through the Southeast and Midwest.

My daily driver/tow pig is 1996 F250 2wd standard cab with a powerstroke, 5spd manual tranny, and 3.55 gears. I am used to towing the show truck on an 18ft open trailer, but want to get an enclosed since it will be finished in the coming year. My F250 has never had any problems towing the truck on an open trailer, but I wasn't sure how well it would handle the larger enclosed.

Will my std cab 250 handle the weight and size of the bigger trailer loaded with a truck, or should I consider buying a bigger (crew cab dually) truck to tow with?

Thanks for the help.

[Banshee34]

What types of weight are you going to be hauling?

[Gump1986]

I am not exactly sure what a normal enclosed trailer weighs (8.5x24), but the Ford Ranger I'm towing inside weighs a maximum of maybe 5,000 lbs (probably a little lighter though).

[Marty]

As long as you've got trailerbrakes and the weight setup correctly - you should be fine.

You can add things like a weight distribution hitch, airbags or add-a-leaf's to help the rear from sagging so much.

[StarDriver]

The truck should be able to handle it, just take your time traveling and you'll be fine.

As far as the trailer, make sure your trailer has at least 5200# axles under it and brakes on BOTH axles. Put a winch in the trailer to ease loading and unloading, you don't want to scratch your custom paint job. If you need any other advise on the trailer, let me know.

[Farmboy444]

truck will handle it fine, youll know its there because i assume itll be a flat front, i pull a 24ft enclosed v nose snowmobile trailer with my 97 no prob, and it wieghts about 7500-8500 loaded, pulls it no prob, just a little thirstier. It pulled it stock for 6 years and then the truck was hoped up. I have a 4.10 rearend and that helps but with your 5 speed and the low first to get it rolling, you wont have a prob. CHEERS

[Cj Ford]

i pull a 24' enclosed and i have no issues .. i also pulled the same set up with my cousins stock 96 f250 and it had no issues either.. the superduty pulled it better though .. it has 3.73 gears though.. they were both stock at the time too

[Gump1986]

Thanks for the help everyone. I am getting ready to do a Tymar intake, full exhaust, and a TW chip here in the next month or two. Hopefully that will make things a little easier pulling. Both trailers I am looking at are V nose so that should help a little as well.

I will check into the airbags and add a leaf setups. My ranger that I am towing is bagged and stockfloor bodydropped with a bumper to bumper frame that I built myself, and I have alot of extra bag parts laying around. Shouldn't be too hard to build a helper bag setup.

[rajharley]

you should be good to go. I have a 24 footer but I also have a dually. The DRW are kinda overkill unless you go to a 5th wheel or gooseneck and are going to haul excessive weight. My trailer has the 5200 axles and weighs in at about 5300 lbs. Having said that you should be at or below 10K lbs. Make sure to let Tony Wildman know what your towing plans are so he can put a custom tow tune on there for ya.

[Marty]

Well with the chip, intake and exhaust you'd be draggin that thing around no problem.

Stopping will be your biggest issue, and you will want to make sure you are ready to put a new clutch in if it fails!