# dumbest thing you've done with you 1/2



## motoxdk24 (Nov 26, 2005)

just readin along and see alot of people askin is this too much for a 1500.....

i say never!

my 95 1500 has pulled things that even impressed my friends-

delivered 7 roundbales

pulled 7 trailers with 150 haybales in a day

towed around a 763 bobcat

an oliver 1855 to the fairgrounds and back

pulled a f-550 out of the mud in 4 lo, wish i had pictures!

plus plowing with it

my poor 318, but hey its a truck! its not my ride to impress with ladies
( some are though) its runs stong, no tranny problems, always checkin and changin fluids filter, adjusting bands, shell run till shes got a rod hangin out

cause its a dodge- i love her!

sorry for the ranting, early and im bored


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

MOPAR 

A true member if the family!!

But if you had a 2500 you could have///
delivered 14 round bales.
Pulled Two Bobcats & Pulled a Simi out of the mud xysport

MOPAR or no car...:waving:


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## mmwb (Jan 12, 2005)

Yeah, my 1/2 tons have been work horses: Fords and chevy. Having also had a couple of 3/4 tons though, I'd take one over a half ton anyday if I can afford it.


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## justme- (Dec 28, 2004)

I hauled 1 ton plus of stone in the bed of my Toyota (1982) pickup in my younger days. Hit the bump stops at every crack in the road, but she hauled it. 

Now, remember, just because it did it doesn't mean there was not perminant damage done, or that repeated performances would have been as well done, or that I may have happened to get to where I was going before any damage was done. 

Also remember a 1/2 ton truck in 1999 is really rated to carry almost 3/4 ton where as a 1/2 ton in 1982 was really rated for only 1200 lbs!


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## Jpocket (Nov 7, 2005)

Me and my Dad pulled an 8200lb Fifth wheel trailer with a 95' dodge 1500, you could smell the trans burning, and the brakes. He traded it about 6 months later forn an f-250 Diesel. Moral of the story: Buy the trialer first then the truck.


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## tuna (Nov 2, 2002)

Towed my brother inlaws 34' Baha with my 97 F150.The killer is he had at the time a brand new F350 4x4 Dually PSD Lariat Crew Cab but he was to cheap to buy a reciever hitch for it.


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## DeereFarmer (Dec 12, 2005)

How about 2200 pounds of wet shingles in a Ford Ranger 4 cyl. 2wd? Luckily it was just down my driveway, but put the rear tires into the wheel wells a few times. Hey, that is what a beater is for! Oh well, now it is the next guys problem because I sold it today!payup


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## firelwn82 (Feb 14, 2006)

how about brick up to the bed rails and and quad trailer loaded till the tires started bulging. Ranger 4.0ltr 4x4. 20 miles of drive to unload and took 3 trips.


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## itsgottobegreen (Mar 31, 2004)

Jpocket said:


> Moral of the story: Buy the trailer first then the truck.


That goes opposite for equipment. Because you never have a big enough trailer. The equipment always seems to out grow it. :angry:


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## denver30 (Apr 5, 2006)

*Hauling*

This http://fasdump.com/action-trash.html times 200!


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## Robbie Rooster (Dec 9, 2004)

I've done a couple of very stupid things. Hauled 90 retaining wall blocks and 30 caps, all in the bed of the truck at the same time. Picked up a load of sand/salt, had my 2 wheel 10 ft lawncare trailer behind. loaded the trailer and truck, wieghted in at 3980lbs of mix. But then again, it's a Dodge. It can do anything! But I'll never do either of those again.


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## hickslawns (Dec 18, 2004)

Mental note: Don't buy a truck off Robbie Rooster, Firelwn82, first time out, tuna, jpocket. . .just kidding. I wouldn't buy a 1/2 ton. My last 03 3/4 ton was beat so bad at 44,000 miles when I bought it that I don't think the speedo is accurate. I think someone rolled it or swapped it out. I don't know how I could have had to do this much work to a 2 year old truck with under 50k miles. People do some awful things to trucks. Then there are the dually's driving around that pull 2 jet skiis to the lake once a year. Doesn't make sense. I use my truck, but don't abuse. If my 1ton won't handle it, I hire it out. 

For those pulling big fifth wheels or even worse the 30'+ bumper pull travel trailers be careful. I am a volunteer fireman/emt and have seen some rollovers before. Even a Ford Excursion on it's side with one fatality pulling a 30'+ trailer. Had the anti-sway bars and everything. These things can get swaying and take even the biggest vehicle for a ride. How would you like to lose your wife, or one of your children because you had too much confidence in your vehicle's abilities? Things to think about. It is sad landing lifeflight helicopters on the interstate for anybody. I felt bad when I ran over my dog. Still do 2 years later. One thing I won't do is jump on the highway overloaded and risk the lives of my passengers or other vehicles. Maybe I am just a wuss.


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## Detroitdan (Aug 15, 2005)

Not a half ton story, but this is my heaviest pull ever, miles beyond being overweight. Long story but I thought I'd share it anyway if anyone's interested.

I pulled a Mack CH613 with a 48 foot live floor trailer loaded with rubbish, behind a Freightliner heavy wrecker (35 ton slider, 10 wheeler, 500 horse Cummins). He went over the scales at 99,000 lbs then had a fire in the trailer out on the highway. He stopped and unhooked and called fire department. Fire department came and dumped three fire trucks full of water into the trailer to put out the fire. So by now it's getting pretty heavy. Due to the weight I wasn't going to be able to pick up the front of the trailer safely, so I put the tractor back under it so it would carry some of the trailer weight on the tractor, then picked up the front axle of the tractor. Normally you'd tie into the trailer brakes, but all the air lines were burned off. Had to cage the brakes and get a couple tires put on, then off we went. Had to slip the clutch to get it to move, it wouldn't budge otherwise. Got it rolling slow in the breakdown lane, had to turn around at a highway exit and go west. Could only get up to 35 mph and just couldn't do anymore, but 35 feels fast when you know you can't stop. At one point I saw some smoke from the rear of the trailer so I stopped. I could care less if the garbage burns again, but I didn't want to burn up the bearings and lose a wheel. Ended up being just some garbage smoldering. But to check it it took me 3/4 of a mile to stop from 35 mph! All I had for brakes was my 10 wheeler and my Jake brake. Stayed in the breakdown lane the whole trip, got to the exit and had it slowed down to first gear low range before I got on the off ramp because it was a little bit off a downhill. Made it down and into traffic and made the swing into the shop. Took me a minute to get my fingers unwrapped from the steering wheel. Wanted to get out and kiss the ground, but it was at a rubbish place so I didn't. They estimated I was probably approaching 85 tons. My truck weighed 44,000lbs, and I've towed loaded (100,000) trucks like that many times without a problem and without having any trouble taking off from a dead stop, so I know I was far beyond the 72 tons I was used to doing. Anyway, everytime I hear a story about towing overloaded I'm reminded of that day.


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## Detroitdan (Aug 15, 2005)

hickslawns said:


> Mental note: Don't buy a truck off Robbie Rooster, Firelwn82, first time out, tuna, jpocket. . .just kidding. I wouldn't buy a 1/2 ton. My last 03 3/4 ton was beat so bad at 44,000 miles when I bought it that I don't think the speedo is accurate. I think someone rolled it or swapped it out. I don't know how I could have had to do this much work to a 2 year old truck with under 50k miles. People do some awful things to trucks. Then there are the dually's driving around that pull 2 jet skiis to the lake once a year. Doesn't make sense. I use my truck, but don't abuse. If my 1ton won't handle it, I hire it out.
> 
> For those pulling big fifth wheels or even worse the 30'+ bumper pull travel trailers be careful. I am a volunteer fireman/emt and have seen some rollovers before. Even a Ford Excursion on it's side with one fatality pulling a 30'+ trailer. Had the anti-sway bars and everything. These things can get swaying and take even the biggest vehicle for a ride. How would you like to lose your wife, or one of your children because you had too much confidence in your vehicle's abilities? Things to think about. It is sad landing lifeflight helicopters on the interstate for anybody. I felt bad when I ran over my dog. Still do 2 years later. One thing I won't do is jump on the highway overloaded and risk the lives of my passengers or other vehicles. Maybe I am just a wuss.


Good point, in addition to Fire/Rescue, I used to do heavy duty recovery and saw a lot of campers and even one equipment trailer roll over due to not having brakes. In fact I almost rolled a 32 foot camper towing it with a medium duty wrecker with no trailer brakes- would have gone over if it was a 4 wheel pickup or SUV. Last summer we had a double fatal with an Explorer towing a camper, guy and his little girl died, wife and rest of kids was following them and watched it crash and burn. Everybody thinks they don't need the brakes to stop it, what they don't understand is they need the brakes to get the sway under control. And when they do have brakes and sway control and equilizer hitch and still manage to roll it over, that's just ignorance, speed and lack of driving ability. I worry about this a lot because there are more and more white collars buying 30+ footers and towing them behind their 4 wheelers and SUVs, with no experience or training whatsoever. I've actually thought a lot about trying to organize some kind of formal training for trailer towing for people, cause you know darn well the camper salesman didn't give them any. There is a lot more to towing than many people realize, and I see it every day, no lights/brakes, chains hooked up wrong, weight distributed wrong, overloaded tow vehicle, equipment not secured properly, it goes on and on. I went to school for heavy duty towing and learned how it's supposed to be done, which made me realize that most people, even wrecker companies, aren't doing it right.
As for the Jet Ski comment, I felt like a big man hauling a sheet of lattice home from Home Depot in my one ton, but the other day I brought home a pallet of shingles and four rolls of bituthane, she barely squatted. Normally I pull my 16 foot landscape trailer behind it with a walk behind mower, pushmower and wheelbarrow, probably doesn't weigh 2000#. Looks a little like overkill. Even having it for a daily driver is kind of ridiculous, but that's what I've done for five years. I just picked up a little Toyota 4x4 so I can park my 1 ton except for when I need to haul something.


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## DeereFarmer (Dec 12, 2005)

It is amazing the idiots out on the road that are trailering. Just yesterday coming back from NH I saw a guy in a Subaru Forester pulling a 6x14 enclosed CarMate trailer. I looked at the light plug as I went by, 4 plug, so no brakes. How dumb can you be? Then there is the guy pulling a 35' travel trailer with slideouts and everything behind his Dodge Durabgo passing me going about 75+ swaying all over the place without any sway bars. My mom had a Durango that we have never towed with, but I have ready that you need to be careful with any enclosed trailer being pulled by a Durango because they are very eay to roll. The manual does not suggest towing ANY enclosed trailer. It is not limited just to non-professional people towing trailers. The worst trailering I have ever seen was a guy driving a tractor trailer pulling a LONG mobile home. He was going close to 80 weaving in and out of traffic on a 3 lane highway. I thought something was wrong with him like maybe he lost the brakes or something, but he was like this for miles, so nothing could be wrong. I had never been so scared in my life on the road. He was swearving everywhere. I had never seen anything like it. We eventually called the state police with his license plate and DOT #s.


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

Detroitdan said:


> .... I went to school for heavy duty towing and learned how it's supposed to be done, which made me realize that most people, even wrecker companies, aren't doing it right....


WreckMaster???

WM Level 2/3 
ID # 050795


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## DBL (Aug 27, 2005)

i saw a porshe cayan i cant spell either of them pulling a tandem axle horse trailer with two horse about a week ago


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## Embalmer (Dec 30, 2004)

Driving northbound on I95 in the wakefield area a couple days ago, saw a newer f150 towing what looked to be a 20-30 foot camper, rear end of the truck was damn near dragging on the pavement...


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## Fin (Dec 3, 2005)

DBL said:


> i saw a porshe cayan i cant spell either of them pulling a tandem axle horse trailer with two horse about a week ago


DBL,

I live in Chester Springs and I think I might hae saw the same set up not long ago. As you know there are a lot of horse trailers in this part of the state. None of those Milfs has a clue what they are doing or how dangerous it could be if theya re not being safe. How many of them driving the daully with the 5th wheel 4 horse slant has a medical card?


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## RODHALL (Nov 23, 2005)

Fin said:


> DBL,
> 
> I live in Chester Springs and I think I might hae saw the same set up not long ago. As you know there are a lot of horse trailers in this part of the state. None of those Milfs has a clue what they are doing or how dangerous it could be if theya re not being safe. How many of them driving the daully with the 5th wheel 4 horse slant has a medical card?


You don't need a medical card with a dually and 4 horse.

The 86 I have now started life as a ½ ton, but it has a 60 Front 70 Rear 7 ply front springs and 14 ply rear springs from a wrecked Dually. So it is not really a half ton any more…


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## Detroitdan (Aug 15, 2005)

RODHALL said:


> You don't need a medical card with a dually and 4 horse.
> 
> The 86 I have now started life as a ½ ton, but it has a 60 Front 70 Rear 7 ply front springs and 14 ply rear springs from a wrecked Dually. So it is not really a half ton any more…


Not really a one ton either, with a half ton frame and no hydro-boost.

You don't need a medical card to drive a 44 foot pusher RV with air brakes, towing anything you want, I've seen them towing enclosed tri-axle trailers that makes them bigger than a lot of tractor trailers. And usually it's a Q-tip behind the wheel, who's never driven a truck before in their life. Something wrong with that.


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## Detroitdan (Aug 15, 2005)

Mick said:


> WreckMaster???
> 
> WM Level 2/3
> ID # 050795


Yup

WM Level 4/5
ID# 030439
Also did a lot of training with Towmasters and Big Rig Rescue. I may be able to find you some cool recovery pics.
Dan


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## tsmith (Sep 19, 2006)

I had a 77 ford 4x4 1/2 ton that I pulled a (we did drain it first) 3,000 gal rear steer fire truck out of the yard it sunk in. I got on the first try too, and launched everthing to the front of the truck, gotta love snach straps. I have pulled alot of stuff out with my 1/2 ton 2 wheel drives fords 79 and 95, including a 4 wheel drive stuck in the mud (which I later went through) and a county size plow truck in the snow. just give er the onion and go.


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## THEGOLDPRO (Jun 18, 2006)

the dummest thing i ever did was buy a half ton, lol


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## RODHALL (Nov 23, 2005)

Detroitdan said:


> Not really a one ton either, with a half ton frame and no hydro-boost.
> 
> You don't need a medical card to drive a 44 foot pusher RV with air brakes, towing anything you want, I've seen them towing enclosed tri-axle trailers that makes them bigger than a lot of tractor trailers. And usually it's a Q-tip behind the wheel, who's never driven a truck before in their life. Something wrong with that.


All V8 gas motors 1tons had 2-bladder booster, hydro boost only showed up on the CTD trucks from 89 up. No difference in frames ½ ton (5,500lbs) to 1 ton(10,500lbs). Cab and chassis (14,500lbs) did get a bigger frame. (bigger frames were a GM thing with there 1tons and cab and chassis)

I know there are a lot of "tools" that are towing way over there head. The only real thing you can do is try and stay as far away from them as you can


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## Detroitdan (Aug 15, 2005)

as I understand it, the half and 3/4 tons shared the same frame and the only difference was the axles and springs. But I believe the 1 tons had a little more frame. And I've never seen a 1 ton that didnt have hydro boost. Most of my experience is with the 73-87 style trucks, I've only had a couple of 90s trucks. 

Hey, you know what? I just realized you must be talking about Dodges. The CTD thing threw me for a second. I got so involved in the towing stories I forgot we were in a Dodge forum. So never mind. I know nothing about anything except GM trucks. And half of what I know is probably wrong. Oops, my bad ;>


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## Detroitdan (Aug 15, 2005)

I think I'm probably a tool.


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## DeereFarmer (Dec 12, 2005)

That is because you are from NH! :waving:


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## Yaz (Apr 13, 2005)

Detroitdan said:


> as I understand it, the half and 3/4 tons shared the same frame and the only difference was the axles and springs. But I believe the 1 tons had a little more frame. And I've never seen a 1 ton that didnt have hydro boost. Most of my experience is with the 73-87 style trucks, I've only had a couple of 90s trucks.
> 
> Hey, you know what? I just realized you must be talking about Dodges. The CTD thing threw me for a second. I got so involved in the towing stories I forgot we were in a Dodge forum. So never mind. I know nothing about anything except GM trucks. And half of what I know is probably wrong. Oops, my bad ;>


Your in the Dodge truck discussion section!

Nope different frames on GM too. The 3/4 ton frame is allot bigger. look in the wheel well opening and look at the hight of the frame rails. There is way more than meets the eye.


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## Detroitdan (Aug 15, 2005)

Yaz said:


> Your in the Dodge truck discussion section!
> 
> Nope different frames on GM too. The 3/4 ton frame is allot bigger. look in the wheel well opening and look at the hight of the frame rails. There is way more than meets the eye.


I think the 3/4 ton frame you are referring to is actually the 2500hd, which was the single wheel one ton from 2001 until 2005, when they re-introduced the 3500 SRW. Near as I can tell the only difference between a 2500hd and a 3500 srw is the bed length. The regular 2500 non hd did not have the massive frame you're referring to. And I was referring to the older trucks anway, which I know shared the same frame between 1/2 and 3/4 tons. But, we're in the Dodge forum so it doesn't matter. I'm still not sure how I even got here!


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## Yaz (Apr 13, 2005)

Detroitdan said:


> I'm still not sure how I even got here!


Your funny.. I think your right on the older trucks. srw 3500 have only steel wheels and and extra leaf spring as well.

Actually the post could have been in any 1/2 ton truck just was posted in Dodge section.

The craziest thing I ever did with my half ton is tow my 26' cabin cruiser to and from Winnipesaukee each year. The total weight was over 8K. It actuality towed well but was huge on the back. Really looked awkward,. people must have thought I was nuts.


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## CAMP Lawncare (Aug 21, 2006)

The dumbest thing i ever did with my 1/2 ton happened when i was done hauling and trying to unload i had a 1990 f-150 i was pulling my s10 blazer on a tow dolly i was trying to unload the blazer by myself and when the blazer started to roll away i had to quick jump out of the f-150 to hit the brakes in the blazer i got the blazer stopped but forgot to put the f-150 in park the truck rolled into my backyard down a hill and into a river a local tow company was happy to pull my truck out for me at $450 an hour 

1990 Ford F-150 $600 7"6' western plow $500 Seeing my first plow truck become a boat dock Priceless


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## DeereFarmer (Dec 12, 2005)

I saw a 1994ish Jeep Cherokee pulling an old, old 35' bumper pull travel trailer today. The front wheels only touched the ground when he layed on the brake.


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## DeereFarmer (Dec 12, 2005)

Sorry, just had to. I have no idea why it is so small, but it as big as I could get it.


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