Help! Need 2Buy Truck in 1wk to pull BP Horse Rrailer!

rockinro · Nov 25, 2013

I've spent the morning reading posts on which truck to buy to pull my older model '91 horse trailer (3,450 lbs). I really need some help as a FIRST TIME truck buyer. If anyone can give me some ideas, I would really appreciate it. My GTW is 6,800 lbs (2 horses+trailer+tack+2 people). I have 3 children, so I defintely need SPACE, so I'm thinking Crew Cab...I don't need a huge bed so I'm thinking the shorter bed. Everyone who pulls heavy loads, can you please give me some ideas? 1500 or 2500??

Diller · Nov 25, 2013

rockinro said:
I've spent the morning reading posts on which truck to buy to pull my older model '91 horse trailer (3,450 lbs). I really need some help as a FIRST TIME truck buyer. If anyone can give me some ideas, I would really appreciate it. My GTW is 6,800 lbs (2 horses+trailer+tack+2 people). I have 3 children, so I defintely need SPACE, so I'm thinking Crew Cab...I don't need a huge bed so I'm thinking the shorter bed. Everyone who pulls heavy loads, can you please give me some ideas? 1500 or 2500??

At 6800# of just trailer weight, you will want one a 1500 with 3.92 gears or step up to the 2500. If you only tow once or twice a year, the 1500 will be much easier to live with every day. If you tow weekly, a diesel 2500 would be the way to go.

smurfs_of_war · Nov 25, 2013

rockinro said:
I've spent the morning reading posts on which truck to buy to pull my older model '91 horse trailer (3,450 lbs). I really need some help as a FIRST TIME truck buyer. If anyone can give me some ideas, I would really appreciate it. My GTW is 6,800 lbs (2 horses+trailer+tack+2 people). I have 3 children, so I defintely need SPACE, so I'm thinking Crew Cab...I don't need a huge bed so I'm thinking the shorter bed. Everyone who pulls heavy loads, can you please give me some ideas? 1500 or 2500??

Does your current stock trailer have the axles set to the center or more to the rear? That is the big factor. I don't know a darn thing about the internal workings of them, but I do know that the further back the axles are, the more tongue weight you will end up with depending on where the animals load and ride I guess, and the more you may want to lean to a 2500 if that is the case.

1500 would be fine- like mentioned- if your trailer is agreeable to it. You didn't mention if it was a gooseneck style or tag along but given the size, I assume a tag along. I know it's an odd statement, but I have seen single sized stock trailers that are a gooseneck!

Hope you find what you are looking for!

Ocelot · Nov 25, 2013

A rule of thumb for tongue weight on a trailer is 12-15% of the total. That's how a proper trailer is set up. You should be okay with a 1500.

Ray

Power247 · Nov 26, 2013

Like Smurfs said... your loaded tongue weight or pin weight (depending on trailer type) is the key factor. 6800# can be pulled easily with a 1500 HEMI but it is possible that you could exceed the payload for the truck. if you go with a 1500 you will definitely want to consider Airlift 1000s. Horse trailers don't always play well with WDH setups, especially older ones.

rockinro · Nov 26, 2013

Diller said:
At 6800# of just trailer weight, you will want one a 1500 with 3.92 gears or step up to the 2500. If you only tow once or twice a year, the 1500 will be much easier to live with every day. If you tow weekly, a diesel 2500 would be the way to go.

Diller: Thank you so much for your insight...that was kinda what i was looking at...the 1500 Crew Cab with 3.92 gears, but my horse trainer said I needed a 2500 so i wasn't sure. I would need to tow my horse trailer twice a month about 5 miles. I would be driving the truck EVERY day 40 miles to downtown Los Angeles, one way, in bumer to bumper traffic.

rockinro · Nov 26, 2013

smurfs_of_war said:
Does your current stock trailer have the axles set to the center or more to the rear? That is the big factor. I don't know a darn thing about the internal workings of them, but I do know that the further back the axles are, the more tongue weight you will end up with depending on where the animals load and ride I guess, and the more you may want to lean to a 2500 if that is the case.

1500 would be fine- like mentioned- if your trailer is agreeable to it. You didn't mention if it was a gooseneck style or tag along but given the size, I assume a tag along. I know it's an odd statement, but I have seen single sized stock trailers that are a gooseneck!

Hope you find what you are looking for!

Smurfs of War: my trailer has axles set to the center of the trailer. It is not a gooseneck, but a Bumper Pull, slant load, which means the horses stand somewhat ona diagonal inside of the traier.

rockinro · Nov 26, 2013

Ocelot said:
A rule of thumb for tongue weight on a trailer is 12-15% of the total. That's how a proper trailer is set up. You should be okay with a 1500.

Ray

Ocelet: Jeez...I don't know what the "tongue weight" is...this is my first horse trailer and FIRST TRUCK!! I'll look it up and see. i just knows the trailer weighs 3,450 lbs.

rockinro · Nov 26, 2013

Power247 said:
Like Smurfs said... your loaded tongue weight or pin weight (depending on trailer type) is the key factor. 6800# can be pulled easily with a 1500 HEMI but it is possible that you could exceed the payload for the truck. if you go with a 1500 you will definitely want to consider Airlift 1000s. Horse trailers don't always play well with WDH setups, especially older ones.

Greg, i just know the trailer weighs 3,450, the horse is 1200 lbs, tack is 500 lbs. The payload for the new 2014 1500 SLT is 1600lbs. OMG...so confusing, there are so many trucks and options and I can't find a salesman who can just be honest and tell me exactly what I need.

smurfs_of_war · Nov 26, 2013

rockinro said:
Smurfs of War: my trailer has axles set to the center of the trailer. It is not a gooseneck, but a Bumper Pull, slant load, which means the horses stand somewhat ona diagonal inside of the traier.

If the axles are more on center- I think you'll be be just fine with a 1500 as long as you arent towing daily or for huge distances frequently. 1500 would still do that, but a 2500 would be better. At least with a 2500 you would be sure to have your backside covered for the various state and provincial towing regulations in case you were ever stopped. Your biggest enemy in the 1500 with that size of trailer is the payload rating on the door sticker, so just check that out

Just my .02

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

Power247 · Nov 26, 2013

rockinro said:
Greg, i just know the trailer weighs 3,450, the horse is 1200 lbs, tack is 500 lbs. The payload for the new 2014 1500 SLT is 1600lbs. OMG...so confusing, there are so many trucks and options and I can't find a salesman who can just be honest and tell me exactly what I need.

The focus at this point needs to be on the trailer...

You need to see if you can get someone to help you do this... Like the trainer or someone that already pulls a horse trailer...

Load up the horses and all needed equipment as you normally would and go to your nearest CAT scales (do a Google search for CAT and your zip code).

Pull the truck up on the scales and st so that only the trailer tongue jack will be on the scale but the trailer wheels are off the scale.

Unhook the trailer from the truck and pull the truck off the scales and then get the weight with just the tongue jack on the scale.

This is your tongue weight. The do this calculation for each of the trucks you are looking at.

Payload - (tongue wight+weight of all persons and gear to be loaded in the truck)

If this calculation yields a negative number then you a probably looking a the wrong truck.

This sounds like a lot but it is the only way to be sure you don't end up with the wrong truck. DO NOT TRUST THE SALESMAN for this!!!!!

Let me know if you need any other info or details,

Greg

tap tap tappa-roo

rockinro · Nov 26, 2013

Power247 said:
The focus at this point needs to be on the trailer...

You need to see if you can get someone to help you do this... Like the trainer or someone that already pulls a horse trailer...

Load up the horses and all needed equipment as you normally would and go to your nearest CAT scales (do a Google search for CAT and your zip code).

Pull the truck up on the scales and st so that only the trailer tongue jack will be on the scale but the trailer wheels are off the scale.

Unhook the trailer from the truck and pull the truck off the scales and then get the weight with just the tongue jack on the scale.

This is your tongue weight. The do this calculation for each of the trucks you are looking at.

Payload - (tongue wight+weight of all persons and gear to be loaded in the truck)

If this calculation yields a negative number then you a probably looking a the wrong truck.

This sounds like a lot but it is the only way to be sure you don't end up with the wrong truck. DO NOT TRUST THE SALESMAN for this!!!!!

Let me know if you need any other info or details,

Greg

tap tap tappa-roo

Greg....that there is A LOT to do for sure...especially when I don't have a truck to pull the trailer. My trainer has a gooseneck trailer, so her truck is not set up to pull a bumper pull. I have no one to help me. Look at this link:
2014 Ram 1500 Sport For Sale in the City Of Industry & West Covina, CA, Area | 1C6RR6UT1ES179656
This is the truck I am looking at right now...can you tell by this if this is enough to pull a 3,450 lb horse trailer with 2400 pounds of horseflesh (2 horses), plus 500lb tack, plus 1-2 people (300 lbs)????

Power247 · Nov 26, 2013

rockinro said:
This is the truck I am looking at right now...can you tell by this if this is enough to pull a 3,450 lb horse trailer with 2400 pounds of horseflesh (2 horses), plus 500lb tack, plus 1-2 people (300 lbs)????

On your horse trailer... where are the horse stalls in relationship to the trailer axles? Are they centered over the axles or are the stalls closer to the tongue? if they are centered then this truck may work. it is really hard to tell without scales. see if your dealer will let you test drive the truck home and hook it up.

Diller · Nov 26, 2013

Just on weight alone, you will be fine with the 1500. If you can get a estimation on tongue weight, that will make the difference. I would really be surprised if a 6500# loaded trailer puts more than 600# of tongue weight.

rockinro · Nov 26, 2013

Greg, I'll post pictures.

rockinro · Nov 26, 2013

Power247: the 1st horse would stand (coming in from rear) diagonally across the front left of the trailer, on a slant. There is a divider that goes diagonally across the inside of the trailer to separate the two horses. The second horse would load across the back left of the trailer.

Power247 · Nov 26, 2013

That's a nice looking trailer. It would be hard to justify the expense of a 2500 for so little hauling. You are just going to have to watch how you load your gear. Try to put as much as you can in the back storage area and as little as possible in the front. Worst case you may have to haul the horses 1 at a time using only the rearward stall.

I know that I am sounding overly cautious but you should be. the last thing you want is to mess up your truck (or worse get in an accident) and find out that being overweight was the culprit. Being that you are only going 5 miles I am sure that you can find a way to get them there and back safely.

audio1der · Nov 27, 2013

@OP- you haven't mentioned a budget at all. Is a 2500 diesel in your ballpark?
While the 1500 can do t ejob, a 2500 will do it with ease, and have the frame, brakes etc that make a 3/4 ton a 3/4 ton under it to make life easier when pulling. Both would drive similarly in traffic and the diesel will get better MPG so if you keep it for a long time it would help offset the higher initial cost of the truck.
I pull a 32' travel trailer at just over 7,000lbs loaded and I don't pretend to say :it pulls like there's nothing back there" but I would not do sp if it were straining.
You have an advantage of very little side area to worry about sway so payload would really be your only concern.
If your trailer (loaded) was about 7,000lbs you could have as much as 1,050lbs payload (15% of trailer weight) plus yourselves and any gear in the truck/bed. Pushing it? Yes but many of us do as that's the weak spot. that being said, these trucks are VERY strong and capable.
Having never pulled a horse trailer I don't want to influence you one way or the other, just give some points to ponder.

WudzRydr · Dec 1, 2013

I tow horses quite often. A horse trailer will have a higher tongue weight than a regular trailer due to the axles being set farther back.

My setup:

I can tell you that with both horses on and the tack room full the truck definitely feels it. Especially on hills. However the truck has plenty of braking power to handle it.

My trailer is aluminum so the trailer in your pics is probably a bit heavier but I'd have no problem hauling it with my truck.

Make sure you get the 3.92 gears. Airbags in the rear will also help as mine rides nose-high when I have both horses in there.

bearxfoo · Dec 2, 2013

I bought my 2014 1500 Ram Crew Cab Short Box to tow horses. I don't have a trailer anymore (buying a new one in January), but mine only has the 3.55 axle ratio.

I don't know if you'll have an issue but at my dealership they did NOT have a single truck on the lot with the 3.92 axle ratio. The difference is only 2000lbs, roughly, and I didn't think it was a big enough deal to get the bigger ratio and wait for delivery.

I'll be looking at a trailer that weighs around 3500lbs probably, with two horses, tack, etc I'm not near my towing maximum.

If you're towing JUST a bumper pull, a 2500 diesel is over kill, unless you have a VERY heavy, 3 horse bumper pull. If you want a gooseneck eventually down the line, sure, get a 2500 diesel, but a 1500 can more than handle the job of hauling a 2 horse BP.

Help! Need 2Buy Truck in 1wk to pull BP Horse Rrailer!

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