flat Tow M?

[Josh]

yeah, Im hoping the guy withthe flatbed will come through. He quoted me $400 before the gigantic gas price explosion, so, we will see what he requotes @. I guess I can always trailer it if all else fails.

[Paul in Kempner, TX]

You are treating the Center of Gravity issue with too much gravity



M37 and M42



M37 and WC52 with Ben Hur trailer

I have hauled trucks on these trailers back to Texas from New York, Georgia, California, Washington, and Iowa - to name a few. I take the "trailering" issue seriously.

There have been many valid comments here. The bottom line is that, as long as you have the proper equipment, you can expect to move an M37, a WC, or a Power Wagon with no problems.

Don't forget to talk with others who know the right ways to secure these trucks to the trailer. There are several ways that are correct.

Good luck, and enjoy your truck.

[refit1701]

What are the specs of your towing truck?

[Lifer]

Generally, the towing vehicle should weigh more than the towed load (including trailer), have enough power to pull it, and have brakes that can stop the whole thing in a straight line should the trailer brakes fail. Trailer brakes are a must for hauling something as heavy as an M37. All newer vehicles have a designed-in maximum towing capacity. Find out what it is for your tow vehicle, and DO NOT EXCEED IT. Overloaded trailers, especially when pulled by inexperienced operators, have caused many, many serious accidents.

[powool]

I rented a 5000# rated U-haul trailer and towed it with an extended cab F-250. Brakes and engine were fine, but directional stability was poor.

I will never do it again, and you can't pay me enough to.

I like the idea of a bobcat trailer.

[ron]

Josh, I pulled my m home on a trailer and had a m101 trailer strapped on my flatbed dually, all the way from N. Carolina to Missouri, through the mountians, in the rain at night. No problems, but felt alot better when I pulled through my gate at home.

[refit1701]

Paul's truck, as shown the photos, could not possibly weigh more than two 37's and a huge trailer.

There must be some elven magic going on there.

[m-37Bruce]

Hey John, How you doing? A lot of good advice has been let loose, first off, Paul's tow rig is a one ton Power Wagon, the trailer is a goose neck, the tongue isn't on the rear of the vehicle, it's over the axle of the tow rig. I don't know much about the weight to towing ability, but he's working it.

[Lifer]

Paul's truck, as shown the photos, could not possibly weigh more than two 37's and a huge trailer.

There must be some elven magic going on there.

The goose-neck hitch helps a lot. It puts some of the weight slightly ahead of the drive axle, thus "increasing" the weight of the towing vehicle and "decreasing" the weight of the towed load. The same load on a rear-mounted hitch could easily get out of control.

[Paul in Kempner, TX]

Dodge 2500 and 3500 have a 24,000# Gross Combined Weight Rating. That is based on many factors such as tires, springs, axle capacities, and the hitch.

I have weighed the various trailers and their loads on the "CAT" scales at truck stops. You get the individual weights of the steer axle, the traction axle, and the trailer axle(s).

I doubt that any of you who are not DOT registered have ever weighed your rigs on a proper scale. I also would guess that most of you with goosenecks have the ball right over - or very close to - the axle. With the ball there, the pull of the truck working aganist the wind resistance can actually lift some of the load off the steer axle which would affect your front steering geometry.

I designed and built an adjustable hitch so I could move the ball forward or back. This is the same setup as the moveable fifth wheel on the big trucks.

Before I built the adjustable hitch, a 24,000# tow added only 300# to the steer axle when the truck was at rest. Watch a big rig accelerating from a dead stop. Watch to see one of the front wheels attempting to lift clear of the road from the pull of the trailer and the torque of the engine.

It was necessary to have the ball about 9 inches forward of the axle to get close to the allowable front axle capacity. This, in turn, spreads the load over the traction and trailer axles so they did not execeed their capacities.

The loads in the pictures were all within specified limits. The trailers had brakes on all three axles.

The talk about having the tow vehicle significantly heavier than the towed vehicle certainly applies in a "flat towing" situation. It does not apply when using a properly setup trailer. Again, look at the big rigs.

[refit1701]

Thanks for the explanation, Paul. I need to read up on that stuff.

[Lifer]

Thanks from me, too, Paul. You explained it way better than I did!

[refit1701]

The reason I am interested was for towing my M37 when it is finished. I have a F150, but it's not a V8 so I can't tow a 37 with it, even on a trailer.

I had the idea of finding a used dodge truck which would be rated properly so I could tow the 37 or my next project (jeep) to shows.

I've been casually looking for an older truck, maybe 70's or 80's that can do the job with a proper trailer.

[Lifer]

Any 1-ton (dually) or 1.5-ton should be up to the task. A V8 isn't required as long as you don't mind going 50 mph or less. A '54 Chevy ton-and-a-half with the original 6-banger and "granny low" 4-speed will handle it with ease, but you won't get much over 50 mph. A '70s or '80s Dodge in the same weight class with a 318 or 340 would be a much better choice, though.

[KenInGA]

Mine got towed about 300 miles from Savannah to Alpharetta, GA, on what i'm pretty sure was a 16 foot equipment trailer with heavy axles, and a pintle hitch. The guy used his V10 Gas Dodge 3500- 65 mph all the way, and not a worry with weight or anything. I'd say just stick with a trailer.