What's the largest excavator you pull with a pickup truck?

[CM1995]

This is always a dicey subject with many opinions and experience, so let's all be cordial.:cool2

Personally I would not tow that much weight behind a 1 ton dually but that is my level of risk I choose to take.

Last week I saw a 420D - 4x4, E-cab, extendahoe - on a dual tandem gooseneck behind a chevy extended cab single rear wheel 2500 in the parking lot of the septic tank pre-cast yard! That fool shouldn't be on the road and I hope the DOT impounded his rig before he killed himself or someone else.

 

[Lil' Puss]

Good on you. Aside from being a PACCAR test driver, I also drove lowboys commercially, carrying every piece of construction equipment you can imagine. So in that case consider all my comments and suggestions irrelevant because according to you I don't know what I'm talking about. I see the road you're headed down. Ya, it's "all good luck".

Happy truckin'

 

[Lil' Puss]

This is always a dicey subject with many opinions and experience, so let's all be cordial.:cool2

Personally I would not tow that much weight behind a 1 ton dually but that is my level of risk I choose to take.

Last week I saw a 420D - 4x4, E-cab, extendahoe - on a dual tandem gooseneck behind a chevy extended cab single rear wheel 2500 in the parking lot of the septic tank pre-cast yard! That fool shouldn't be on the road and I hope the DOT impounded his rig before he killed himself or someone else.

That's a tail that will wag the dog. Wow! Scary.

 

[blowerman]

To help get this back on topic per the OP, I tow a tow master T18 trailer with a 2013 F350 powerstroke extended cab srw.
While we can all debate legal, safe etc, etc.
I'm only here to share what I pull weight wise.

Mini exes that range in the 4 to 6 ton class, compact wheel loaders up to 13k, and the larger of tracked skiddys.
Total gross with equipment, accessories, chains and fuel; I've run in the 18k range.
Pulls nice, stops great, no problems...

Now, would I pull a tb175? No way. I'm glad you have safely done it, but time for a bigger truck!

 

[LT-x7]

I will agree with the other responses here. As someone who has tried it I do not feel comfortable with 24,000lbs behind a pickup no matter what the manufacturer says.
But the real question is why do you want to?
When you compare the running cost between a pick and a truck at weights like this it doesn't make much sense to use a pickup. Even if it was close the safety factor helps sway me towards a real truck.

 

[murphy777]

I had an experienced construction crew boss that helped run a huge construction and concrete company give me the best comment on an old 86 f-350 we were fixing up about 10 years ago....
He said " Ohh those 1 ton trucks, they can haul anything, it's the stopping part you gotta worry about."
Made me chuckle, But he's right, and steep hills and stop lights in town are the things that make me the most nervous... I tow a 10k pintle with a skid steer or mini ex on my 2012 f350 drw diesel flat bed dump. That truck will seems like it would pull a house of the foundation but like I said braking and steering is more important to me than payload capacity....safety first!...or at least a close second hahah

 

[Desertwheeler]

Most I have pulled with my 08 3/4 ton ford is a 210 skip loader. Grossed around 26k iirc. It was just a short trip in the outskirts of town. I WOULD NOT pull it any distance more then a few miles or with any grades at all. It felt ok but I knew it was pushing it. I only make that haul a couple times a year at most. That's on a gooseneck too.

 

[joispoi]

Personally, I think it's a bad idea for 2 reasons: 1. Safety 2. If your setup is an 8 ton excavator without a dump truck, you're missing out on more work and potential income than you can possibly imagine.

 

[Digteam6]

I have pull a 6 ton excavator with a 2008 dodge 3500 single rear wheel cummins it pulled very well but as everyone else has said stopping is the problem.blowerman and murphy777 how are the new ford diesels holding up

 

[CM1995]

Digteam6 I can't comment on others experiences but my 2013 F350 6.7 has been a great truck. The only issue I have had is replacing the drivers seat belt as it wouldn't retract. It's the strongest pickup I have owned and I've had a few. So far so good.

The details of my trucks purchase - https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/showthread.php?33827-VW-Bug-1-F350-0/page4

 

[fast_st]

Seems pretty spot on, I've towed 20k with an 89 F250 cross country, Trailer brakes were tops and adjusted, truck brakes were all new and adjusted, It would stop but you had to allow for it. No issues or troubles save for the high passes, 300 inline six did not like pulling that much at altitude. It'd top out at 52 on the flats. I'm much more at ease with the 99 350 dually diesel, all wheel disk brakes and hydraboost makes the braking feel like less work.

I did stop mid x country trip and adjust all the brakes just to keep them in top shape.

 

[Allgood]

Personally, I think it's a bad idea for 2 reasons: 1. Safety 2. If your setup is an 8 ton excavator without a dump truck, you're missing out on more work and potential income than you can possibly imagine.

Oh, I have a dump truck. The only problem is I bought it from a farmer who never had it off the farm. It's a 1975 single axle with a 5.5 yard bed that will certainly haul anything you can put in it's bed, however, it's only powered by a 366ci gasser. It seems like it was more made to haul a load than pull one. It has an honest 41k miles on it, and that's the actual mileage. Anyway, 'Lil' will be happy. I'm buying either a 2000 F550 4X4 with a 7.3 PS or an F650 with a C7 Cat from a concrete contractor I've been getting all the work I could ever want from. I'm leaning towards the 550 because of it's 4X4. I don't think I've ever loaded or unloaded on the road and, without 4X4, I would have been stuck about half of the time.

 

[JNB]

Oh, I have a dump truck. The only problem is I bought it from a farmer who never had it off the farm. It's a 1975 single axle with a 5.5 yard bed that will certainly haul anything you can put in it's bed, however, it's only powered by a 366ci gasser. It seems like it was more made to haul a load than pull one. It has an honest 41k miles on it, and that's the actual mileage. Anyway, 'Lil' will be happy. I'm buying either a 2000 F550 4X4 with a 7.3 PS or an F650 with a C7 Cat from a concrete contractor I've been getting all the work I could ever want from. I'm leaning towards the 550 because of it's 4X4. I don't think I've ever loaded or unloaded on the road and, without 4X4, I would have been stuck about half of the time.

Probably not a bad idea to have 4wd available. I hadn't used 4wd in my F350 for over three years, so when I purchased my Ram DRW flatbed I decided just to get it in 2wd. This spring I've had several near-stucks just looking at jobs...and then scout out places to park my truck and trailer when I get the job. I'm beginning to question my decision.

 

[CM1995]

On the question of 4x4 or not, I would never buy a compact pickup through 550 sized truck without it. I have it and not need it than need it and not have it is my motto.

It'll saved you when you need it and get most of your money back when you sell it.

 

[Digteam6]

Thanks cm1995

 

[CM1995]

Thanks cm1995

After reading my post it came across as preaching which was not my intention but I am a matter of fact type of guy.

 

[Palmer78]

I think it's funny that people on this forum can talk about all kinds of heavy equipment in a civilized manner, but when they start talking about pickup trucks everyone gets all pissy.

 

[Colorado Digger]

i think it's funny that people on this forum can talk about all kinds of heavy equipment in a civilized manner, but when they start talking about pickup trucks everyone gets all pissy.

like

 

[joispoi]

Oh, I have a dump truck. The only problem is I bought it from a farmer who never had it off the farm. It's a 1975 single axle with a 5.5 yard bed that will certainly haul anything you can put in it's bed, however, it's only powered by a 366ci gasser. It seems like it was more made to haul a load than pull one. It has an honest 41k miles on it, and that's the actual mileage. Anyway, 'Lil' will be happy. I'm buying either a 2000 F550 4X4 with a 7.3 PS or an F650 with a C7 Cat from a concrete contractor I've been getting all the work I could ever want from. I'm leaning towards the 550 because of it's 4X4. I don't think I've ever loaded or unloaded on the road and, without 4X4, I would have been stuck about half of the time.

4x4 is a good option until you need it.....then it's an absolute necessity.

I think you'll find that you'll be more happy than Lil, owning an F550 with a 7.3 that's 25 years newer than your current dump truck.

 

[Allgood]

I think it's funny that people on this forum can talk about all kinds of heavy equipment in a civilized manner, but when they start talking about pickup trucks everyone gets all pissy.

Ah, I really didn't take it that way. As I mentioned in one quote; I just assumed the one fella's comments were nothing more than good intentioned comments. He doesn't know me, know where I drive etc., so although I didn't really get much out of what he said, I took no offense at all. My name isn't really "Allgood", it's just a phrase I always end up saying. I try to see the positive in any situation and apparently (too frequently) say "No worries, it's all good".