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Category: Category 1
Date: 03 Dec 2001
Time: 12:16:33 -0500
Remote Name: 66.87.47.58
Remote User:
Hi, Most of the compact trucks,(Tacoma, Ranger, S10,) only offer the short bed, (6 foot,) with extended cabs. You may have to put your fifth wheel above the axle. But the problem is control of the trailer. If you don't have some steering weight,on the front axle, the trailer will act like a bumper trailer. Gooseneck, fifth wheel trailers have more weight on the hitch than bumper trailer, so it's harder to shift the weight back to balance it if its pulling bad or squatting bad. Dodge Dakota is the biggest of the little trucks and would be a better trailer puller. It's not the top truck on a dependability scale but I think Mercedes is improving quality at Dodge. Actually the price between a small truck and a 1/2 ton, (F150, Silverado 1500, Ram 1500, Tundra,)is only about $5000. Is your trailer in the 5-6000 # range? I like a heavier tow vehicle to control the trailer more, especially down hill. I have pulled a too heavy trailer many times and lived to tell about it but it was scary. A lot of my trailer miles were on dirt roads and in that case you are dealing with two sets of wheel tracks. The ripples in the gravel on dirt roads will keep you awake while both sets of tracks go in and out of the ruts! Hopefully other readers will comment on this so you get a better idea of experience. Good Truck'in. MT