Trailering your square body

[Rickf]

Towed my 1981 C10 about 90 miles to the body shop, with my Ford Expedition. No issues.

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But when it came time to bring her home a year (and a lotta $$ later), I took no chances...

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Hi Bloodhound, I used to work in that Starbucks building many decades ago when it was Calverts.

 

[Dave Kay]

I haven’t really towed any squares but have towed several GMT400 trucks and SUV’s of all wheelbases, my 4 door jeep, some Toyota rock crawlers and one half ton dodge. I always load facing forward and haven’t had any issues.

What kind of deck length are you working with?

ETA: also towed some different cars on the flatbed forward facing and have towed an enclosed with a few different cars forward facing.

Deck is 20ft, w/dovetail

 

[Dave Kay]

Do not load it backwards unless you have a very long trailer like @bucket and can get the weight over the rear tires. Tail heavy is extremly dangerous.

How long is your trailer? That would really be my only concern, if it's too short for those longbeds, you'll either be too far forward (increasing tongue weight) and/or the rear tires will be at the very back of the trailer, making it hard to tie down.

I towed my '85 shortbed 1/2 ton last year on an 18' car trailer borrowed from a coworker. You could load a longbed on it but the rears would be right at the back of the trailer. As it was, I was a touch too far forward for ideal tongue weight to keep the rear tires off the dovetail (doesn't help that these Dodge 1/2 tons have very soft rear springs, so it squats more than it should) but it towed just fine. I just kept it below 70.

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Below 70? Whew~! (lol!)

I'll be driving thru California most of the trip and ALL trailers, including big-rigs, are restricted to 55... a long slow slog fer' sure.

My trailer is 20' BTW, including the dovetail.

Thanks for your input!

 

[TotalyHucked]

Below 70? Whew~! (lol!)

I'll be driving thru California most of the trip and ALL trailers, including big-rigs, are restricted to 55... a long slow slog fer' sure.

My trailer is 20' BTW, including the dovetail.

Thanks for your input!

That is one of many, many reasons I stay away from California lol. As much as I'm on the road, I ain't going that slow as long as the load is secure and stable

 

[Dave Kay]

If those are 3/4 or 1-ton trucks, they are likely well over 4k. My 1980 K25 8600GVW pickup weighs in at ~5400lbs on the scale. That's with a 350/TH400/NP205 and 14BFF rear with the big 13" brakes. When it broke down out in the woods hunting a few years ago I took a friends ~20ft car trailer with no functioning electric brakes(we didn't know they didn't work until we went to pick up the trailer and the brake controller didn't recognize the connection) and my father-in-laws 2019 Dodge Ram 3500 and went to get it. Loaded it nose forward and the 3500 had no issue pulling it all the way home through the coastal mountain range.

If you are using a bumper pull and the trailer is long enough that you are taking both trucks at once(doesn't seem likely), or it is a factory V-5 hitch with just a single truck and the trailer... you will likely need to have a weight distribution hitch on it regardless. If the trailer weighs even 1500lbs by itself and you load a 5500lb truck on it, you now have a 7000lb load. Most of the factory V-5 hitches will say that they are rated for 6000lb GTW/ 500lb Tongue weight without weight distribution and 10000lb GTW/ 1000lb Tongue with weight distribution. So you will be over the non weight distribution weight or very close to it.

If the entire drivetrain is missing out of them, then I agree you'll be less than 4000 lbs and shouldn't have an issue.

Wow, thanks. My vehicle registrations shows both trucks in the range of 4KPLUS, like 4600 to 4800lbs? ? ? That's from memory, don't have the docs in front of me right now. They are both step-side longbeds; one a C20, the other GMC 3500 SRW, so there really isn't much weight in the rear except for the 14bolt axles.

Also, both trucks are complete and were running vehicles when I stored them 7 years ago... (**cringe**) so yeah, my 4K weight estimate is prolly over that some.

BTW: my GMT900 has a V-5 hitch and the trailer's registration shows weight is 2900, with the dealer rating as a 10K. So I think I'm all good there. Just looking for input on loading direction, which is kind of a one-shot deal with a winch, hopefully loading them by myself.

Thanks again~!

 

[Dave Kay]

What is the length of the trailer? A shorter trailer will be much more affected by a rearward facing vehicle. A longer trailer though will be just fine, as you have some wiggle room to adjust tongue weight. I've never ever had any kind of scale, I've always just ran the load forward until the load looked right to me, based on tow vehicle suspension load.

Just yesterday I towed my '00 3/4 Suburban with my van. The Suburban was broken down in a small town and I loaded it backwards to avoid blocking a main road into town. It's an LS engine of course, but it's an early one with iron block and heads too. It towed perfectly fine. The trailer weighs right about 5K by itself. I weighed the Suburban years ago, but I don't really remember what it was. I'm wanting to say 6200#.

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Looks like you have an equipment trailer there. Or is it just the photo quality? I shopped for an equipment trailers before getting my car-hauler, only what they had to offer were mostly 12K trailers which were coming in at 4k by themselves. Too rich for my GMT!

Thanks for your input~!

 

[Bextreme04]

Wow, thanks. My vehicle registrations shows both trucks in the range of 4KPLUS, like 4600 to 4800lbs? ? ? That's from memory, don't have the docs in front of me right now. They are both step-side longbeds; one a C20, the other GMC 3500 SRW, so there really isn't much weight in the rear except for the 14bolt axles.

Also, both trucks are complete and were running vehicles when I stored them 7 years ago... (**cringe**) so yeah, my 4K weight estimate is prolly over that some.

BTW: my GMT900 has a V-5 hitch and the trailer's registration shows weight is 2900, with the dealer rating as a 10K. So I think I'm all good there. Just looking for input on loading direction, which is kind of a one-shot deal with a winch, hopefully loading them by myself.

Thanks again~!

There is no way those trucks are going to be 4k. The beds aren't the heavy part for sure. My truck is SRW too, a 3500 is going to be even heavier. Are either of them 454's? Do they actually weight the vehicle where you have them registered? I've never actually had a vehicle that shows a weight on the registration be accurate, since I've never seen them actually weight them. If that trailer is 2900 dry... you are going to be at or over the trailer weight rating of your hitch without a weight distribution system. Tongue weight should be fine though. With weight distribution you will be 100% fine all the way around(it will feel much better pulling too).

You 100% want to load them front forward if there isn't a VERY good reason to load them the other way.

 

[Magna86]

My 1/2ton LB with the HD springs package is 5600 so yours will be alittle heavier. A weight distribution hitch will make it a smoother ride but your truck will have no issue towing them home. Yes you will be close if not/over the 9200 rating but not to worry the truck will handle it fine. Load it up and drive safely/smartly home. Always check your straps when you make a stop and you may have to adjust it on the trailer once you first start to balance the load.

 

[Bextreme04]

My 1/2ton LB with the HD springs package is 5600 so yours will be alittle heavier. A weight distribution hitch will make it a smoother ride but your truck will have no issue towing them home. Yes you will be close if not/over the 9200 rating but not to worry the truck will handle it fine. Load it up and drive safely/smartly home. Always check your straps when you make a stop and you may have to adjust it on the trailer once you first start to balance the load.

He posted a shot of his hitch that is only rated for a 7500lb trailer weight without weight distribution.

 

[Daron58]

Towed mine with my 2021 Toyota Tundra from Garden City, Kansas back to south Louisiana, 800 plus miles one way, I rented a U-Haul car hauler for 3 days and went and got it no problems whatsoever, don’t think you’ll have any problems with a 3/4 ton truck Good luck to you

 

[Dave Kay]

Make sure that you have good tires on the trailer. Load it up and go. It sounds like you have a good truck for the job. Take your time and tie it down good, so it doesn't bounce. Hope for the best, be ready for the worst. Do it now, before it gets too hot, and it will be easier on you and your equipment.

Thanks! Trailer is brand new and so are the tires. The tires are steel belted LOAD Range E requiring 80 PSI--- Overkill~!

 

[Dave Kay]

Towed mine with my 2021 Toyota Tundra from Garden City, Kansas back to south Louisiana, 800 plus miles one way, I rented a U-Haul car hauler for 3 days and went and got it no problems whatsoever, don’t think you’ll have any problems with a 3/4 ton truck Good luck to you

Wow! Hardly an inch to spare! I'm surprised U-HAUL let you load that size of truck! Rented a U Haul car-trailer like what you have there to move a '72 VW Beetle and the U-HAUL agent kept cautioning me about overloading it! Is it their job to treat everyone like we're liars? (lol!)

 

[Bextreme04]

Wow! Hardly an inch to spare! I'm surprised U-HAUL let you load that size of truck! Rented a U Haul car-trailer like what you have there to move a '72 VW Beetle and the U-HAUL agent kept cautioning me about overloading it! Is it their job to treat everyone like we're liars? (lol!)

They just have no idea what they are doing usually, and have to deal with a lot of people that also have no idea what they are doing.

 

[Dave Kay]

He posted a shot of his hitch that is only rated for a 7500lb trailer weight without weight distribution.

Thanks. Since I first posted this, I decided to look into weight distribution hitches and am seeing ones on eTrailer for 10K loads for about $350, not bad for my budget. And a couple others here suggested the WDH option too, so I believe I will spring for one and give my setup a safer, better towing capacity.

Thanks again for your input~!

 

[Dave Kay]

There is no way those trucks are going to be 4k. The beds aren't the heavy part for sure. My truck is SRW too, a 3500 is going to be even heavier. Are either of them 454's? Do they actually weight the vehicle where you have them registered? I've never actually had a vehicle that shows a weight on the registration be accurate, since I've never seen them actually weight them. If that trailer is 2900 dry... you are going to be at or over the trailer weight rating of your hitch without a weight distribution system. Tongue weight should be fine though. With weight distribution you will be 100% fine all the way around(it will feel much better pulling too).

You 100% want to load them front forward if there isn't a VERY good reason to load them the other way.

Will load 'em head-in, got it, thanks~!

Okay, you guys got my hackles up now! Dug thru a bunch of paperwork and found truck titles. Truck weights are as follows: C20 = 4080lbs; GMC 3500 SRW = 4460.

Small block w/TH400 in the 3500, and C20 is a 292ci w/TH350. Other than that, there's not much else behind the cab on these stepsides. The floors of the beds are all wood too, actually a sheet of 1/4 inch plywood, so there's a lot less weight there than the Fleetside beds.

Both these trucks are D-Types with no frills, no AC, no electric windows, etc., bone-stock, work-trucks, bench-seats, fleet vehicles like construction companies would buy en mass. Heck I had to put radios in them myself if I wanted sounds! Even the fuse-box is minimal, unlike a Scottsdale or a Cheyenne, etc.

Potential diamonds in the rough for the lucky restorer or custom hotrod pickup truck-slammer~! Will be getting both home and running again and entertaining all offers.

This is not a solicitation.

Thanks again to all~! This has been a good learning experience.