New member to the overloaded club, 53140 lbs!!!

[MidwestMotorman]

I did it the other day. I joined the infamous "overloaded club" by towing grain to a local elevator. I was using my father's Dodge, a 93 3500 diesel auto. The owners and the scale boys gave me a double look as the readout said 53140 lbs for the GCVW. I was hauling 652 bushel of corn. Someone made a remark about not needing a semi to haul grain as they can hire me. I know my fathers rig is about 6500 lbs or so.



Of course I took plenty of time to ensure stopping at the road intersections. Somebody asked if I was is 4 LO, I just laughed and said 2 HI worked just fine. Some people are amazed at what the mighty six will do. Of course, we TDR members already know that.



As far as legality goes, Iowa law allows farmers to tow two attachments behind pickups. Limited by a length law, speed laws, and a safety law requiring them to be pinned and chained. So anyone can and usually does tow very heavy loads. This usually only happens in the fall as we harvest. No one would have given me a second look on the road as this is normal. We are limited only by our sanity. I advocate safe responsible towing, and this instance pushes those limits.



EDIT---Pics of truck and a single load are on page 3.

 

[klenger]

That might be a new record. I think that Eric tried to pull a RR car, but I think it was empty so it doesn't really count.



Ken

 

[NVR FNSH]

You're not serious

You are joking, right? How in the heck did you not grossly exceed every rating - rear axle, front axle, tires, GCWR etc - on the truck? I don't care how careful you were that was idiotic. Get a truck rated for the f'ing job before you end up killing somebody.



Brian

 

[Batman]

Glad I don't live in Iowa

 

[MidwestMotorman]

frequently happens

No, this is not a joke.



This actually happens quite frequently in Iowa. Gravel roads and 25 mph are the normal. These with pulling wagons. I would never load a goosenck or fifth like this. It also happened late in the afternoon with very little traffic. I normally tow just with one 24k load behind, but an impending storm was threatening the crops, and we needed the storage space. It was an eight mile trip.



What boggles my mind is people who tow close to 30k and more with a half ton pickup. I see them all the time at the elevator and wonder how their trucks manage to stay together. I do the maintenance on the 93, so I can rely upon it. I do not think anyone would have been able to pull the load without 4. 10s, an auto, and four rear wheels. Just too much weight to get it moving off of a start.



Edit:

I also do the maintenance on the wagons as well. I always make sure that equipment and truck are in top shape before towing. Towing a rail car would be under more controlled circumstances, and pose little threat to anyone. I would rather brag about hooking up to a rail car, than rather admitting to being overloaded on a road.

 

[Ramboy]

Back in the 50's, as a teen-ager, used to pull triple cotton trailers from the field to the gin if a storm was coming. Pulled with 1/2 ton pick-up--total weight of trailers and cotton was about 15K but trailers had no brakes or lights. Pulled 12-15 miles depending on gin location. City boys don't understand the concept of "When you have to get it out of the field, you HAVE to get it out of the field. " It's either that or lose it.

 

[forr]

Excellent!! Here in Maryland, I'm towing in @220-250 bushels of corn or beans at a total combined weight of around 26-27k. No problems at all keeping up at highway speeds or accelerating to keep up with traffic. I'm currently looking for a tow-behind cart to haul in 400 bushels or so (somewhere in the 23k range trailer weight). My truck works great with 18k or so behind it with the 3:54 gear ratio but I'd absolutely have to agree that you need the 4:10's to move as much as you're towing.



Good luck!

 

[DarrellB]

I frequently tow about 28k to 32k of round bail on a 24' gooseneck trailer no problems will stoping( trailer has exelent brakes ). Truck handles it just fine but I have never had these loads up on the expressway, I usually stay to the backroads. Some of the guys here get real excited when you talk abou overloading your truck. They just on't understand that some times you have to.



I did have my first brake controler taje a dive on me while pulling one of these loads and I can tell you it was no fun at all. (talk about pucker facter).



Big D

 

[Batman]

DarrellB



Loosing a brake controller with that weight, I don't think it should be called pucker factor. How about what size spoon did you use to clean out your draws?? LOL

 

[MCummings]

It is funny watching guys here at the TDR react to overloading out trucks.



Our Dodges. What a truck!

Dodge rates these trucks,, Not Cummins, or Dana, not even New Venture. The main limiting factor is the Auto transmission.



An example... .



When Dodge says,, You can tow a trailer that weighs 12,000 Pounds they mean, ANYBODY can tow a trailer that wieghs that much,, even the average Joe that just stepped out of a Small economy car, and learning how to drive a stick shift.



I'm not saying to go and overload the truck if you know how to drive, but I am saying that the Axles, springs, Rims, Driveshafts, Bearings, Brakes, Shocks, etc, etc,etc, aren't going to Blow up into smithereens with 20-30K behind you.



How do I know this??

Let see... ME and My Dad work in the oilfield,, and in 1990 there weren't to many strick laws about weights then,, so we bought a 25' gooseneck doevetail (Dual Axle Dual Wheels) and a '91 Dodge Cummins 5-speed. (Reg cab 350 )

We towed with that truck till '95 when The power was way on the low side,, and the front end kept sagging with all the driving on the rough roads, also the ride was "Stiff" to say the least. Totaled about 75K on it before a clutch was needed,, and we gave it to a needing family member,, who is still driving it today.



He bought a '96, same trailer. Put 120K on it,, under the same conditions,, it needed a clutch so we/he traded it in for a '98. 5 (my truck now)



The '98. 5 went 74K before we got pulled over by a DPS officer,, and the worst kind,, The License and weight division.

I was not with my Dad at the time,, but Here's the story. .

DPS officer asked what he was doin,, well he was comin home from work,, he asked for his DOT numbers,, and he was like ??? I'm a "regular truck" I don't need 'em right?? He said NOPE,, YOU NEED THEM, Because you are using truck and trailer for work.



Well,, after pleading the 5th to several things she went ahead and weighed him on their portable scales. I know for sure the trailer wierghed 19K with 250 gallons water on board.

I think I remeber the truck wieghing 7,500 pounds,

She gave him a warning to go park the truck and trailer combination till he got DOT numbers, and the right truck for the weight.

He thought we was very lucky, because he just had 900 gallons (total) of water about 15 minutes before he got pulled over. (water weighs 8. 3 pounds per gallon) a full load of water is 1,000 gallons which is 8,300 pounds.



Well, right now we bought a Truck with a Higher Trailer weight capability,, A Chevy Duramax,,, with 5-speed Allison transmission. (So far 23K miles)

Lets just say,, this truck is very sub-par compared to my '98. 5 3500 Dodge. The only reason Chevy can rate their trucks with a Higher trailer tow capcity is the physical TRUCK is ALOT Lighter.

If I remeber correctly, Evan A. Beck said a 3500, 4x4, 4-door Long Bed chevy with auto transmission, weighs as much as a 2500 2wd 5-speed Cummins.



The Chevy now tows a much lighter trailer. than the Dodge,, but still has most of the same equipment on it.





As for as overloading goes,, we have totaled 300,000 Miles on three trucks with a trailer that wieghs between ~19K all the way up to 35K (trailer alone)

We haven't been on a weigh scale,, so this is math, and estimation.



If any of yall in the Oilfield are reading this,, I Know you Know what I am talking about overloading. You guys who farm,, oilfield downhere is the same thing,, not quiet as Bad, but for longer periods of time. These guys on the border don't haul 57,000 Pounds for 8 miles. We haul 30K for 200 miles.



Don't Go out and overload your truck. . But don't scream Bloody murder, and say the bearings are gonna melt when someone talks about pulling a 20K trailer 100 miles at 40 MPH.



We tow our trailer at near legal speeds. (the Duramax can take our new trailer up and over 80MPH on flatland,, Yes that's crazy, hauling ~20K that fast,, We just weren't staring at our speedometer,, when we looked down we were,, "Suprised" to say the least. )

We have no EGT, or Boost gauge in our D-Max. My Dad's Quote. "It came without gauges, that means it don't need any" No melted heads yet,, and yes,, WOT for 5 minutes is not uncommon. (even longer at times)



My Truck would haul the heavier trailer at 70MPH all day long in 4th gear, and got 12MPG, or more.

The D-Max at 70MPH gets 8-9MPG and at 75MPH (I was driving) it got 7. 2MPG

If Dad is even in the slightest hurry he gets down to 7. 5MPG.



My thoughts on overloading.



MerrickNJr



P. S. This is my story,, we live on the border(Mexico/USA),, in the middle of nowhere,, and there are like,, 0 hills,, nothing more than maybe 2-3% grades,, well there is one hill close to my house that's about 6% but it is short. (about 1/4 mile if that)

 

[Straight6Jeff]

nathan... outstanding!!!! Glad to see you did what needed to get done. I wish i could have been there to see it in person. Must have sounded gnarly getting that load moving.



NVR FNSH... . lighten up a little. Not everyone follows the rules to a "T" When a farmers profits and down-right existence depends on a so-called overloaded trailer... . so be it!!! I came from an upbringing where the deer, bear, and trees posed more of a threat than the oncoming traffic

 

[MidwestMotorman]

tuff truck

Yes, the agricultural and industrial businesses have been overloaded for years. The local roads get pretty tough though.



VeeTenJeff---Yes that is quite a load, and it sure cleaned the engine out too.



I had to take off with this load from a dirt field. Four high could not move it, and I did not want to blow the trans as it would rev up to about 2200 and the tires would not move. She took right off in four low, and switched her over to 2Hi on gravel. I towed in second gear with the OD off of course. She would climb the hills with no loss of speed though. Gotta love the diesel. My normal towing duties are right at 30k and I would limit myself to 40mph tops.



Yes, the urbanites of this country have little awareness of a farmer's urgency or the understanding that we own TRUCKS THAT WORK!!! I have the luck of having a farm family that has four generations all currently living within a mile. We have owned dodge trucks for the last fifty years. We all have a Dodge CTD parked in our driveways. RAM ON!!!

 

[CGoyette]

NON FARMERS Lighten up

So all the none farmers don't freack out over this wt. heres what the guy did he hauled a grain wagon to the local grainery..... farmers do this ever day at about 15 miles per hour and if the truck will get it movin they haul it. Stopping is not really a problem since most are just truging along at 10-15 mph really its not like they are at hyway speeds..... my father in law hauls some hay loads that are unbeliveable and he does it just fater than I can run... . not really unsafe. Now when I see some one with a 18,000 lb 5ver behind there dodge going 70 mph thats unsafe! Because you aint gonna stop any time soon if you had to

 

[CRuD]

FARM ON

I guess some of us use there trucks for things other than hauling "GROCERIES HOME".

I was raised on a farm up in Michigan and many a time we used 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton pickups to haul double wagons of hay or silage (cow food for non farmers) or gravity boxes with grain in them. They where chevys.

Speed was kept down to around 15/20 mph.

Life was different when I lived on the farm. I remember driving behind my dad or an older brother as they drove the combine down the road I follwed in the truck when I was in the 5th or 6th grade. I wasn't old enough to drive the combine down the road it was to wide. Course we started driving tractors when we where strong enough to push in the clutch or on a couple of tractors they had hand clutches. We where taught to use our heads when we where little.



I see nothing wrong with what you did. I believe that COMMON SENSE goes a long ways.

Not a farmer at this time but a farmer at heart.

See Ya

Chris

 

[CRuD]

Something else

Farmers feed America and the World.

Thats all I got to say other than "THANKS"

See Ya

Chris

 

[Cobra]

Nathan

Great job and glad to hear that the RAM was able to handle that load. I wouldn't crititicise you, I know that you did what you had to do and that you did it in a pretty safe manner. I've been on both sides of that fence. Thirty years of law enforcement and some years of owning a farm. Most farmers do what has to be done and they do a darn good job of it too. I for one am very thankful that we have people who are willing to work as hard as they do. Farmers deserve any and all breaks they get.

 

[Batman]

Farmers, my apologies. I didn't know the specifics when I commented "glad I don't live in Iowa". I was unaware of what the specifics were. I was assuming that was at a higher speed and in traffic.

Farmers do do alot of work, and we rely on all of them. Again my apologies on the flame.

George

 

[illflem]

A big load is no big deal at all with a CTD as long as you are on a known route with a well maintained rig. That's all my 3500 has ever done, we call a 14k load running empty. Good job Nathan, just need to draw the line when you need a push from the front-end loader to get it going, been there too.

 

[NVR FNSH]

Maybe all you farmers could enlighten this ubanite who nows nothing of the farmers plight? I guess that BSME on my wall doesn't mean a damn thing when it comes to this stuff and could all you farmers please go into business making P/Us that I can tow 43k with and only pay 30k for the truck and have a 3/36 warranty. So you were towing wagons that attached to the truck how? A pintle hitch mounted on the receiver? Even a Class V is rated for ~15k and that doesn't necessarily improve the hitch to frame junction. Not sure I follow the logic of why 50k is OK for a farmer? why not me if I want to hotshot? Sometimes to you just gotta do what you have to do is a crock of sh1t. Use a tool rated for the job. And NO your DODGE p/u is NOT rated for the job - the engine might be but the rest of the truck isn't.



Bill - I might agree with you if the roads were not open to the public.



I can't f'ing believe the responses I'm reading - Great Job? Give me a brake (pun intended).



Brian

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

Yesterday I towed an empty water tank to a friend of mines house. The tank was shipped to a different address and It weighed in at 25,642 lbs. My flatbed trailer was used for twenty years by a windmill company in palm springs to haul the blades to the windmills..... It weighs in @ 6640. That is a combined weight of 32,282 lbs. My truck was picked because a local plumber was using his dump truck and would have to wait for a week. Let me tell you nonbelievers something. Give it a try This was something. My truck never even hit 1000* EGT. Drove it 6-8 miles at up to 40 mph. Could of gone faster but had light tongue weight, Gave a little wobble over 35 mph. Plus speed limit was 25 on back road... ... ... ... I bet I could haul 80,000 lbs no problem