Ford Powerstroke Diesel Forum banner

Opinions Gooseneck Grain Trailer with a 6.4L F250

17K views 39 replies 14 participants last post by  '01SilverBullet 
#1 ·
New to the forum and new to the Powerstroke.

My current truck 2008 Ford F250 CC SB 3.55 gear ratio 10,000LB. GVWR package so it has factory overload leaf springs and the truck also has Firestone airbags installed. Factory camper package and brake controller.

Adding to the truck in the next few weeks; DPF Delete, EGR Delete, ARP Head Studs, Coolant Filter kit, AirDog liftpump with twin filters and lastly a Spartan tuner(friend has one so I just have to buy a second vin license). Maybe do a S&B intake kit and MPRB intercooler piping, maybe.

What I am looking at purchasing is a gravity dump grain trailer 400-450 bushels with twin 16,000 pound axels and 17.5" dual wheels on them. According to illinois this type of trailer is considered "farm implement" and I can run a gross trailer weight of 36,000 pounds. Trailer will be ruffly 18' long and just under 10' high. Empty weight under 5,000 pounds

Distance of travel will be 100ish miles loaded with Popcorn on flat central Illinois roads

Background information; Yes, we have a semi truck and trailer on the farm. Why do this, I guess because I like towing stuff, it will help out my family because a second semi truck and trailer doesn't make financial sense. My father farms and I help, but have a full time job on second shift. Trailer would pull a second duty as being a seed tender in the spring for our farm and maybe rent to a seed salesman.

I have drove a neighbors 6.0L Ford CC SB truck unknown gears with his 30' gooseneck and a gravity box chained down with 18,000 pounds of potash/dap loaded in it. Truck has studs, exhaust and an unknown tuner (he told the dealer he wanted more power and he is in 50s and doesn't pay care about brand). Truck handled the load really well, even going up a large hill in town.

My question to all those who have towed heavy are:

1) How bad is it going to be with my trucks 3.55 gears? should I just accpet that I need not go into overdrive and just cruise at say 50mph? I drive over a 100 miles a day for work and hate to regear the truck to 4.10s, but would a gear vendors overdrive help with pulling?

2) Will my transmission handle the weight? I drive like an old woman, slow and steady with lots of coasting.

3) Am I going to just tear the life out of my truck pulling 36,000 pounds say 10,000 loaded miles a year?

I greatly appriate any and all input and I have attached some pictures to give an idea of the trailer. Thanks in advance
 

Attachments

See less See more
1
#35 ·
Attached letter from the Illinois Secretary of State. Letters states the trailer is considered an implement of husbandry and not required to be plated.

Straight from the Illinois Farm Bureau website.
http://www.ilfb.org/media/82588/trucktrailersizeweight2011-04_18715.pdf

Thank you for the story tjsly4, sounds like you were really hard on your truck and going up some big hills.
 

Attachments

  • Like
Reactions: tjsly4
#36 ·
From the Illinois Farm Bureau website:

 The registered (licensed) weight of the vehicle
also imposes an enforceable weight restriction.

My '13 250 has a GVWR of 10000 and a GCWR of 23,500.

No worries unless you get pulled over, have a wreck or kill someone. At that point, the extra cost of doing it right will seem cheap. Unless, of course, your truck is rated at a lot more weight than mine.

My hammer will put screws in drywall but that doesn't make it the right tool for the job. Of course, I have used it before...
 
#37 ·
Illinois says the Bronze Star plates that are on my truck do not have weight restrictions like B plates or D plate. So yes my truck is legal to pull the weight of this trailer. I will not get any tickets, get sued, go to jail or kill anyone.

This thread was not ment to be about the legality of what I wish to do. Please if you all want to argue that point start your own thread as I only care to hear about other's experiance with pulling extra heavy loads with these trucks.

Thanks to everyone that has stayed on track and given me their experiances and thoughts on the trucks ability to pull such a trailer and weight.
 
#38 ·
Your truck will be fine pulling that weight. The only thing I would be worried about is how much weight is on the tongue. Just make sure its loaded good
 
#39 ·
The company claims loaded completely full of grain it will put 4,500 pounds of weight on the tongue. By truck has factory overload springs (camper package) and i have Firestone airbags with an in cab controller. 4,500 pounds is a lot, but i think the truck can handle it. Iv hauled two 50 bushel bulk bags of soybeans in the back of a pickup truck before without airbags or overload springs. It was a 2003 Dodge 2500 RC LB 4x4 Hemi.
 
#40 ·
I've hauled a 17,000 lb gooseneck with a 6.4 with the 3.55 gears. It will snort pretty damn hard getting up and going, especially once it leaves 2nd or 3rd gear. I could tell it was pulling at speed, holding between 20 to 30 lbs of boost on the flats, could just feel it behind me. Hit a decent grade and it will kick down and peg the boost gauge (a nonexistent EGR system helps...). We had the brake controller set at about 85% or so...emergency stops were white knuckle affairs. Thank you to whoever pulled out in front and promptly hung a left.

Yea, your truck might pull the trailer, but it's going to work the living hell out of it.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top