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[RC] [Guest] Truck buying - Ridecamp Moderator

Laura T lit@xxxxxxxxxx
No.  Ummm, nope.  Don't think it will do the job.

It is not only the engine that pulls the trailer, but the suspension, and the carriage that will get you there SAFELY.

Safety. That is what you want. First and foremost. Yeah, I bet my Honda Civic could pull a light weight trailer with lightweight horses in it. May take some time, but it will pull won't it? But, can it do it *safely*? You have to think of your safety. Your horses safety. Your equipment's safety. And also the other driver's safety.

I have been there done that got the tow truck bill (among other things) when I was "undertrucked". Holy cow, I even wrote a paper in college about my truck woes. It may be fine for somebody living in a totally flat area of the USA, that will never encounter a hill, dirt, loose gravel, snow, rain, somebody stopping fast in front of you, etc. But then again, does this truck have the power to STOP safely? Maybe. Maybe not. It may not be fun when you have to find out. You can be a very careful driver, but others are not so safe, and then there are all kinds of problems you could encounter. (I speak from some experience)

You need a truck with a heavy duty suspension. A 150 is usually a truck somebody bought to do light work. Like hauls a few bags of this and that. Also, to drive around town in. To haul air as we say around here.

Go safe. It doesn't matter if you haul a one horse trailer, with a mini in it. THINK SAFETY. It just may very well happen to you.

A minimum of a 2500 type truck. Heavy duty suspension. Then for the added goodies, 4WD. My old truck even had 10 leaf springs in it, but it wasn't enough. I choose an old truck, due to money. I had MANY truck woes with it. And it had a 350 engine (eventually blew out) in it. Not sure of the suspension, but with 10 leaf springs you would think it would be ok - NOT.

A light duty truck *may* work and people can boast about it. But then again I hear people baosting all the time how their light duty truck is *man* enough to pull a 30k# up and over the continental divide, or to pull just as fast and strong as a larger truck. Don't trust and believe it.

Safety. And in all honesty, a 150 may just give you trouble down the road. Through my experience: I rather be over trucked than undertrucked. Your trailer needs, and horse needs will change, better to have a truck that will meet those needs when they arise.

My truck now is a 2500HD Chevy, 8.1L engine, Allison tranny (5 sp auto), 4 WD, short bed. Pulls very well. Look at the specs and compare before you buy. Get up to speed on what you require. Dealers and sellers want to sell their vehicles. Be smart before you shop. There is a truck in your price range that will suit you needs. Just gotta find it, and be patient. I saved money a LONG time to get this truck, plus I sold alot of stuff to get into my truck piggy-bank for it, which included my old truck, and a car. It has not let me down. I have about 22k on it now, most all are towing miles.

JMHO, happy trucking and trailering.
Laura


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