What is this person thinking???

pickupman

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Came across this craigslist ad for an '85 F350:
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/4687081830.html

The truck itself looks nice, but look at what it is being used for! There is no way a F350 of that era should be towing a 48' race car hauler. I bet that trailer itself empty is about max towing capacity for that truck. Even though a 6.9l is capable of towing a lot more than it's rated for, that doesn't mean it's a good idea, and this looks like a big safety hazard.
 

stealth13777

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I get the feeling he hasn't towed that trailer loaded with that truck. Seems more like he had a truck and a trailer sitting around and decided this might net the best deal.


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pickupman

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I get the feeling he hasn't towed that trailer loaded with that truck. Seems more like he had a truck and a trailer sitting around and decided this might net the best deal.

It could be as I do not see how anyone could possibly tow that kind of load without immediately realizing the need for a more modern truck. Imagine trying to accelerate and merge onto the freeway pulling that trailer, or even worse trying to stop it.
 

blackflag

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Just out of curiosity, do either one of you happen to know what the towing capacity is for a mid 80's 6.9? I've tried to find it but can't. And I agree, that trailer loaded would be a bit much for that truck, especially trying to get it to stop in a hurry.
 

pickupman

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Just out of curiosity, do either one of you happen to know what the towing capacity is for a mid 80's 6.9? I've tried to find it but can't. And I agree, that trailer loaded would be a bit much for that truck, especially trying to get it to stop in a hurry.

I have a towing guide, but I don't remember the exact numbers off-hand. A mid 80's 6.9 F250/350 was rated to tow in the 7-8000lb range. By contrast, the 460 was rated to tow around 10k lbs. There essentially wasn't any difference in the ratings between the 250 and 350. Also the ratings I've seen didn't show any added tow capacity with a dually (just more payload).

A 6.9 with 3.55 gears was in the 7000lbs range and a truck with 4.10 gears was somewhere in the 8000lbs range or possible 9k, can't remember for sure.
 

blackflag

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Thank you, I've checked the trailerlife website and their towing guides just go back to 1999. It's amazing how towing capacities have increased throughout the years, especially with the announced 12k towing capacity of the new F-150. I love my 86 F-350 but at 8k I'm right at my limit and bringing the load to a nice stop is another matter sometimes.
 

pickupman

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Yeah it's interesting that F150s have tow ratings above our trucks, but all is not lost. A 6.9l still is going to have better low end torque than a Ecoboost or whatever. We also don't have the expense of payments on a brand new truck. ;Sweet
 

ZWilson07

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Yeah I agree with everyone else aint no way he is legitimately towing that a good distance especially it being a single cab dually; that makes it look even crazier LOL
 

The Warden

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It's amazing how towing capacities have increased throughout the years, especially with the announced 12k towing capacity of the new F-150. I love my 86 F-350 but at 8k I'm right at my limit and bringing the load to a nice stop is another matter sometimes.
As I've always understood it, GCW ratings assume that the trailer has electric brakes and enough braking power to stop itself...so, listed GCWR is more a function of how much engine power you have than of how much braking power you have (as compared to GVWR, which is directly tied to how much braking power you have)...and, actually, IIRC it's more of a guideline than a hard rule. As long as the tongue weight's not adding enough weight to the truck to go over the GVWR of the truck or the GAWR on the rear axle/rear tires (with the trailer properly loaded) or exceeding the weight rating on the hitch assembly, and as long as the trailer brake controller works properly and the trailer brakes function as they should, that truck should be okay with that trailer as far as braking is concerned, although it certainly won't be breaking any speed records. LOL For that matter, that's why the 460 trucks had a higher GCWR than the diesels like pickupman stated, and is a big part of why GCWR's gone up so much in recent years. Keep in mind that, until the "power wars" began in the mid to late 1990's, most people bought diesels for better fuel economy, not for more power.

One thing's for sure; you could have some fun with that trailer ;Sweet and the truck looks nice and clean...
 
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