
07-25-2007
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Senior Member
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Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4,926
Rep Power: 8
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Depending upon the tow rig you have.......trying to stay under the manufactures number while good, does come with a few caveats if you will. The tow ratings are based on pull power only. What also happens, if towing say a boat, which is fairly aerodynamic, you will not need as much HP to motovate you as a rig trying to pull a larger travel trailer with a flat boxy front end! Some rigs have a 4K lbs capaicty when pulling an RV trailer or equal, but a 5K capacity when pulling a boat!
I had a rig I pulleupwards of double the tow rating all the time, daily etc, no issues with said rig! In fact, it had less issues than an equal rig with a higher tow rating! It takes 105 hp to motovate a 15K lb rig down the freeway at 60 mph with 70# of frontal area, this 105 HP can vary as much as 30% higher or lower depending upon the aerodynamics of the rig. Meanwhile a 15K rig with 90# of Frontal area, needs 135 HP to go 60 mph on a level, same HP as a 25K lb rig with 70# of frontal area!
In the end, what are you pulling said trailer with? are you going many miles down the road? or just a few on less than 50 mph roads vs interstate roads at 60-65 mph. Larger trucks, ie MDT and HDT rigs get powered based on application, an OTR rig gets more hp for a given wt and setup vs a local delivery rig will have a lower HP rig, but lower overall gearing, so it can go up and down the steeper grades in citys etc, especially like here in Seattle where I am, with grades approching 20 to even 25% in some alley ways! One main road is 18% with stop lights every city block! That takes low gearing and torque to get you moving, not HP.
Moving up to a rig that is 2500 lbs vs 2000, if that boat is correct for you, may not be as bad as you may think it will be. Just make sure the trailer has brakes of some sort, an dyou will then stop. If you have a rig with more than 125 hp, it will move a 3000 lbs trailer reasonably well. I move upwards of 30K daily with my Navistar dumptruck and a 175 non turbo diesel. I am not the fstest guy in twon, but I do get the job done!
Marty
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