The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Safely Towing

I was wandering what size of truck you would need to safely tow a 1/2 ton 1948 chevy on a trailer?

I would have to rent a uhaul trailer(if it is long enough). I currently have a 2001 Ford(yea I know a Ford) Supercrew with a V8 in it. It is rated as a half ton. Am I gonna have problems towing with this truck? Or would I need to see if I could borrow my dads 3/4 ton Dodge Diesel? Id rather use my truck, however I want to do it safely(as I would be traveling about 400 miles) and cause no damage to either trucks.....

Thanks in advance.
Tony

I towed my 46 on a U-haul car trailer about 130 miles from western MN across the Minneapolis-St Paul Metrol area during rush hour. I had folks offering to borrow me their trucks, but I hate to borrow stuff. I rented the 1/2 U-haul GMC pickup with a 350 to pull the whole thing home. I had no troubles. If you drive at sensible speeds, you should have no troubles towing your truck home behind your Ford Super Crew as long as you don't have any long hills to go up or down...

Some folks laughed when I told em I rented the truck too....I figured that milage on a U-haul was a lot less hassle than paying for a friends Tranny....I also got converted back to new GM trucks I liked the rental so much...I forgot how much fun a 350 Chevy is.

Take lots of pictures and have fun.

Geez, if your sensible, a Geo metro should be able to do it, if you do it right. I towed a 51 1/2 ton 1300 miles with a 2002 Impala, then drove it another 65,000 miles afterward(had to replace the battery). Used one of those U-haul dollies, you just have to understand that you aren't going to run 70 mph the whole time and not push the vehicle too hard. A 1/2 ton truck? Unless you're pulling up a hell of a mountain or one of those morons that have something to prove you'll be fine, and I pulled mine from sea level up to 7,000 feet. Good luck and have fun!!

Your truck should be adequate for that. You don't mention your axle ratio, but if you take it easy, you should be fine. You may wish to keep it out of OD. See what your owners manual has to say about towing in overdrive. You may wish to use this excuse to add a tranny cooler. That's just cheap insurance.

A couple important points:

Try to rent a trailer with brakes.

If you get a trailer with a load equalizing hitch it will help to forgive a lot of the softness of that 1/2 ton suspension and give you more control. Without it, you will need to balance your load very carefully.

If the trailer tires are passenger rated, like P235s or something, don't rent the trailer. It will tend to sway around on you under load. Instead, go rent a trailer with appropriate tires on it.

I towed my 1 ton '47 panel 800 miles with my 1/2 ton '89 Suburban and didn't have any problems. I stayed out of OD, kept the speed down to 55 and watched the gauges. The Suburban has a 3.08 rear end and the biggest tranny cooler I could find. (3.08 is for fuel mileage, not for towing, harder on the tranny to pull away from a stop, and definitely stay out of OD. The tranny cooler helps handle the stress.) My panel weighed 5500 with the spare parts in the back (+2000 for the trailer), much heavier than a 1/2 ton shortbox, but the equalizing hitch let me transfer enough of the trailer load to the truck to maintain good control.

i pulled a 53 chevy 1/2 ton from virginia to new york on a uhaul trailer with my old 98 ford 1/2 ton with no problems whatsoever. Im not sure if you know about the hills in virginia but there are some big ones. I made it no probs 65 mph's all the way. I also pulled a 57 1/2 ton chevy home from Philidelphia with the same setup with no problems. I now have a brandy new GMC with a brake controller so i dont even worry about it. one thing tho, Uhaul trailers are HEAVY.

I pulled a 49 3600 to Kc from Ok City with a tamden axel FB trailer and a 1/2 ton F O R D conversion van with a tall ceiling. No problems at all. Slowed down when it got windy and stayed around 55-60.

You can't use the bumper hitch for that load but if the truck has a proper hitch it will be no problem. I have a 4500 lb trailer boat that I used to tow with my Ford F150 supercab. And it only had the straight six. Which is actually a great towing engine coupled with the granny 4speed. I pulled it up mountains and four wheeled it out of the steepest and slipperiest launch ramps for many years.

If you can get the dodge diesel it will cost you less in gas. I towed my 1.5 ton on a 18 ft car hauler behind my dodge deisel and got about 16 mpg on a similar distance.

your truck will be able to do it no problem, but you'll spend more on gas.

-Mike R.

Anytime you can pull with a Diesel, use it!!! Less $$$ on fuel, more torque, and they're built for it. Most 1/2-ton anythings aren't properly equipped for anything but light hauling and towing less than #5K. Lighter brakes, smaller rear ends, easy to drive empty and a nice ride, to boot...Yeah, they'll do the job, but...! Now, was I talking about women or trucks...Oh, yeah!

Use the diesel! You'll never go back to a wussy little gas 1/2-ton for towing EVER!

Hey Luke, do you have anything to add to this post

Well Tony M, you had me going there for a moment. But now I understand .

[img]http://www.norcalspeedshop.com/_offsite_images/trailerboatsml.jpg[/img] .

Well, I sorta understand. Please explain to us again -- how in the devil do you tow that thing?!

No one has mentioned the desireability of trailer brakes. If you are towing something heavy, electric brakes and a cab mounted brake controller can really help keep things in line as opposed to sideways. :p

where have you been, nice to hear from you,regards,,Fred

norse, I think that Tonym really has that out back, what a good way to escape from things,good pix,,,Fred

When I was growing up in Holland (still working on that), there were a lot of metal flat farmers boats around. These would have been used to move everything up and down the rivers. People would put a VW bus body on them and they would make an instant yacht. Pretty cute looking too. I will take a look on google for a picture but that might be hard to find.

Your truck will do the job.I have hauled them with a Chevy 1/2 ton,350 with auotmatic.

Put gas in that 48 Chev. You will probably have to use it to tow that Ford home.

i know someone mentioned brakes but i will put my two cents worth. i towed a 2000# trailer and a ton of dirt with my 85 caravan 4 cyl, towed alright but would not stop. uhaul will also evaluate if want you have to tow with. they would not rent me a trailer to take my sons furniture to indianapolis 55 miles because of the brakes. i rented their smallest truck. ron

Ditto on U-haul....part of the reason I had to rent the truck with the trailer...They would not rent me ANYTHING..not even their smallest trailer... to tow behind my Exploder..."you might file a suit against us...."

Too bad you're so far away, ChevyNewB. I'd let you borrow my trailer. It's a 16' flatbed lowboy with brakes. 19' overall length. I don't have the equalizing hitch on this trailer yet, but it's just a matter of spending the money to pick up the parts for that. I might make you let me ride along though. Nothing like a little road trip to pick up some old iron to make a guy feel young again.

Thanks for the responses..

It would be much easier to tow with my truck instead of my dads as he uses it for his business and would be hard to get it away from him for a weekend...

Anyway heres a few specs on my truck...
4.6L 220 hp V8
Horsepower 220 @ 4750 RPM
Torque (lb-ft) 265 @ 4000 RPM
Standard Towing (lb.) 6600
Maximum Towing (lb.) 8000
Standard GVWR (lb.) 6350
Maximum GVWR (lb.) 6600

Im not sure what all this interprets into as whats the difference in standard towing and max towing?

Im only concerned about 1 "hill" on the way back. It is called Ranger Hill and I think its a 6% Grade, There are signs that tell trucks to use lower gear....

If I take my truck, my wife and son can go with me, however If I take my dads truck I can only go by myself due to my dad smokes and my son has health problems and cant be around the smoke....

So, with all of this, I would like for my wife and son to go but dont want to Push my truck to the point of it breaking down. I may just opt out to borrow my dads diesel as it would be cheaper. I dont have a hitch on my truck nor a tranny cooler...

ahh descisions descisions...............

Also, what are some other options to rent a trailer besides uhaul? Who else rents car trailers one way(or maybe local that I could take with me and bring back?)

I just noticed something important.

ford ford ford ford ford ford?

What gives?

I bought the Ford in 2001, I didnt like the new Chevies....havent liked them since they got rid of the old body style in 98.....cant stand the new ones. Went to Ford instead as I liked the roundness of the truck more then I did the squarishness of the new Chevys....So thats the story....

Ryder would not rent me a car trailer w/o a very large moving truck as a package.

The local "Rent All" trailers were even heavier than the U-Haul and they would not rent without a 3/4 truck.

The tires on my truck were questionable and I had no idea about the condition of the rear end so a dolly was out of the question.

Not a plug for U-haul, but they were the easiest for me.

Oh yah...and on the Ford part, until a couple of months ago, if you typed Ford...it showed up **** on this here chevy website....No shot on your Super Crew...

My .02. Use the diesel. I've towed trucks, both 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton from distances like Pa. to Fl. I've towed with a 350, and with my 6.2 diesel dually. The diesel wins hands down. Towing a '46 3/4 ton on a U haul trailer from Pa I averaged 15.5 mpg, with a 6000 lb load (truck with extra 216 and tranny, and those U haul trailers weigh in at 2400 lbs themselves). With the 350/400 combo in the 1/2 ton I averaged around 6.5 mpg, and a few grey hairs on my d***. You also had a great idea(that I always use). Rent the trailer "locally" for two or three days. Make sure you go to one of the mom and pop rental locations to do this, NOT one of the big U haul corporate places. The "one way" rentals are a crime. You could buy your own trailer for what you pay for a two day one way trip. Local you pay around $65.00 a day plus tax, and damage waiver, around $85.00 X number of days. I have checked, and am not aware of anyone else that will rent trailer only. Others require you rent their truck, to tow their trailer. Be safe, and have fun

Keep in mind that there are companies that will haul it for you. I think $1/mile was what I was quoted last year when I was considering how to get my panel home. If you have to pay $85.00/day for a three day deal, you might as well consider your other expenses (including time off work) and just have it hauled.

Brad makes a very good point. There is alot to ponder on the economic side of hauling it yourself vs. hiring it out. I have checked with those professional haulers as well. Usually there can be quite a waiting period before they have a truck coming in your direction. They will generally charge additional $100-$150 if the vehicle doesnt run, or poses any loading headaches for them. With fuel prices as they are now, I would bet on more than $1 a mile these days as well. But a good option to look into.

The truck must be in my neck of the woods if you have to tow it up Ranger Hill.

Where are you and where's the truck??? I do some hauling now and then, with diesel at $2.00-plus, I charge $1.35/mile plus $100.00. E-mail me.

I've got a Dodge Cummins TD one-ton and an 18' open car hauler with a #7K winch.

Im in Lubbock, Texas, the truck is in Dallas.

At this point in time I dont see paying a professional very economical. Its about 400 miles between Lubbock and Dallas, at a measley 1.00 per mile, Im looking at 400 bucks.....

If I do it myself, trailers are about 115 bux through uhaul, and I figure 2 tanks of fuel(if I go with the diesel) so thats about 120 bux...so Im lookin at 235 bux and a Saturday..... A lot cheaper then the 400 bux. Im workin off a budget, and the cost of the truck along with the shipping of it would blow that budget.

I havent set anything in stone yet, Im just checking out my options.

Cletis, have you seen any 47-48 5 windows in your neighborhood?

You should expect the truck(s) to go faster down hill than they did going up hill!

I rented a trailer from longhorn rentals here in austin, but I found lots of folks with car haulers. there has got to be a local rental you can do to pull this off.

I pulled my 1.5 ton from ft. stockton back to austin on a local rental trailer, cost me 125$ for the trailer, but that was cause I broke the little trailer jack. would have been 80$ or so otherwise. pulled it with my Dodge diesel and got good milage, maybe 1.5 - 2 tanks of gas (140$ at the time)for the 800 miles round trip.

look at the 25$ a day places for a cheap trailer, but make sure you check your lights, and the tires before you rent, don't want to be stuck on the side of the road with a blown tire on the loaded trailer... bring a heavy duty jack with you for just that sort of emergency!

-Mike R.

I have rented several U-haul trailers and all of them had hydraulic brakes, so I didn't need a brake controller. As far as I know, U-haul is the only large rental company that will rent a trailer without you renting their truck also. I have hauled pretty heavy loads over Ranger hill when I moved from Midland to Stephenville. My 1991 6 cyl. Chevy truck was up to the task. My only fear of crossing that hill would be the lack of brakes on the way down the hill. Check with U-haul and make sure that the trailer has hydraulic brakes. If it does, when you apply the brakes, the actuator tongue on the trailer engages the brakes.

Maybe some of this helps.

I've towed some heavy loads with my half-ton truck, but if you have a bigger truck available I'd encourage using it.

This past summer I pulled a '57 Chevy wagon 1,600 miles on a dolly across Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and into Colorado. I stuck to freeways where traffic is faster, but generally everyone is going in one direction, and tried to keep long following distances. Going through Denver was scarey because no one would allow me to keep even a car length between me and the car in front. Otherwise it was fine.

I figured my load was about 3,500 pounds dolly and car combined, because the car had no motor or transmission.

It can be done, but be careful!

Personally, I think all of you who say you've pulled heavy loads with little trucks and had no problem are lucky not to have had problems.

Very early on, I learned expedience is often dangerous and costly (I once tried towing a '70 Chevelle SS ragtop from Augusta ME to Indianapolis on a U-Haul car dolly behind an S-10 which was insanely stupid and I learned my lesson).

My personal opinion is that even with a frame-mounted receiver hitch, 1/2-tons are just plain inadequate for towing loads like these big old trucks. Sure, you can get away with it if you're an experienced hauler (notice how experienced haulers don't use 1/2-tons???) or if you're just lucky that day, but I think it's irresponsible to suggest to someone new at it that it's okay to put his family in that rig and then overload it for a 400-mile trip.

What's cheaper, paying extra to have it done right, or paying the deductable on that crewcabbed Ford when you total it on the way home?

Row boats, soccer players and groceries are all modern half-tons are meant to haul, gang. Call it overkill if you like (I call it covering my butt), the the official recommendation of the Stovebolt Page is to tow that truck with nothing less than a 3/4-ton truck properly equipped with a heavyduty towing package and electric brake controller. For hauling, we recommend getting all four wheels off the road (do you trust 50-year old bearings?) on a purpose-built, dual axle, brake-equipped car hauler-type trailer.

You could also read Barry Weeks' excellent article on towing in the Tech Tips section (Follow the link above).

Do it right and do it safe -- we don't want to loose any Stovebolters or their trucks!

Thanks,
John

I pulled a 54 Packard (4300lbs) on a tow bar from Ma. to Toronto (500 mi) with a 92 Pontiac Bonniville with only a 3.8L motor, just kept it out of overdrive and it only used 1 more tank of fuel than the trip going there. And the total trip was 1000mi in 24 hours..

This has gotten to be an interesting read.........

Anyway, Ive decided against using my truck, as I dont have a hitch or a tranny cooler. Id have to buy both. My dads diesel however has both and If I decide to get this truck in Dallas will use his. Im also going to get a full trailer to tow with, not a tow dolly. Also, Im not totally inexperienced in towing, I have told a boat for years....although its not as heavy as a Stovebolt....

Thank you everyone for your suggestions...
Tony

John, you're right on the money there!!! If you can't haul something properly and safely, hire the job out for a few extra bucks, buy the right equipment, or take your chances with you (and everyone else on the road!) with doing something half-assed. This is aimed at everyone on the forum, and I'm not picking on anyone here, just stating the facts!

hey i towed a 61 1/2 ton which an 03 dodge ram 1500. it had a hemi and it was fun goin down the sea 2 sky highway ( between whistler and vancouver B.C). my only problem was that i ran out of gas halfway there because we forgot to fill up in squamish. makes for a good story though.