If you really wanted to trip out your salesman tell him you want to go to your house and hook to the trailer and pull it around for a few miles with the horses in it. That would be the real test. If it feels good to you buy it. I have spent some time around barns and it seems there are alot of dually's around there for some reason. OK I'm going to let it go now...enough devils advocate! It's about time we got a little spice in this forum though!

 

Because of the way the horses move around in the trailer, when you are pulling with a gooseneck, it starts to kinda get topheavy and you want the extra width and stability, especially with an 8 or 9 horse trailer.

By the way, forgot to ask, but how far and how often do you plan on towing this?

 

I think for what she is doing that truck will be totally fine. I have a friend with the exact same setup that pulls a 2 horse trailer all the time... all over the country and I have never heard them complain once. They love it.

 

http://www.commercialtrucktrader.com...9400i-95339408

According to Mr. Shamrock, you need to completely scrap the idea of a Chevy and get something that you know will pull the trailer no problem.

I would love to see this pull a 2 horse trailer

And Shamrock, please know that I am only joking

 

Thanks for all the replies! I found out some of the answers to your questions:

1) I don't believe it's the Z71 package - and it is a 2wd
2) It is the crew cab
3) we have a quarter horse (about 1100 pounds) and an Arabian (about 900 pounds) we probably will be trailering the Arabian by himself mostly but will take both on an occasional trail ride. We don't have the trailer yet - but will get a bumper pull 2 horse trailer and from what I can find online - it would weight somewhere around 2500-3500 pounds. We will probably run around mostly in Southern Illinois and Missouri which should be okay as far as hills unless we get into some parts of Southern MO where it's really hilly! I'd say we probably won't go more than four hours away from St. Louis.
4) It has the GT 4 real axle (found in the glove box like Shamrock suggested) It also has an HD trailering package which I think increases the amount it can tow? I got an 09 brochure from the dealer and the 5.3 V8s with the HD trailering thing I think it says 9600 pounds is the limit? I think that is what it means, but the brochure is confusing. It seems like it is a lot less without the HD trailering thing but I could be reading it wrong.
5) AND, you guys won't care much about this - but ALL THREE CAR SEATS fit across the back and buckle easily! That would have been a dealbreaker! They must have had a girl working on that aspect of the interior - HA!

It sounds like it would be pretty much perfect. Our horses together only weigh about 2000 pounds and I can't believe with the trailer it would go over the limit. I'll have to get the weights for trailers we are interested in though.

And, I don't think I am going to look at the fords. I have heard bad things from several people now (our horse trainer being one of them). My dad also is pretty negative on Fords - he thinks the chevy's are more "sophisticated" HE HE

Let me know if you think this one would make sense considering the above information. I have it home with me right now but have to take it back and decide for sure ASAP!

Thanks again so much for the information!

 

I say there is no question.... BUY IT! You will never have a problem pulling that trailer. That truck should be more than enough for what you will ever use it for.

I pull a 6000lb+ car trailer (when loaded with jeep and quads) all the time with my 94 5.7 which is half the truck the new ones are and I have never had a problem with it. You will love it.

 

That is hilarious! You should be on stage some where!

Everyone has there opinion on what will pull what, but I will guarantee one thing. I bet I have pulled more loads then just about everyone on here put together and I have seen way more accidents then I care to share when someone hooked up too heavy of a load to a truck that was not capable of doing the job. She will probably be fine with what she has to pull, but if it were me I would opt for a larger capacity truck PERIOD!

 

MOST people is right and I sit right there with you MR_Shamrock........When in doubt get a BIGGER truck. When it comes to pulling you CAN NOT have overkill. Here in Missouri you see alot of people pull 2 horse with a half ton. but just like what happened here a few years ago with a 1ton and an 8 horse trailer.....he blew a steer tire crossed the median slammed into a semi and killed him, his wife, the truck driver, AND 4 of his horses......not to mention shutting down I 70 for 6 hrs......and the 1 ton could have probably been bigger............AGAIN WHEN IN DOUBT GET A BIGGER TRUCK!!!!!!!! I will step down off my soap box now

 

I am all about getting something that you KNOW you will not have a problem and personally the next truck I buy is going to be a 2500 d-max because sometimes I get nervous with mine. But in all reality she could prob be more than ok with that. From what I have gathered she will be pulling a 6000lb trailer max with a truck that is good for at least 9000.

 

Is a 1/2 ton rated at 9000 lbs? I'll be honest here I pull a 3700 pound boat around with a 1500HD 6.0 equipped truck and I am looking at ways to get it to pull better. It has to tach up pretty high to get up an incline. I know my truck being the HD line with the 6.0 is rated higher than what she is looking at. Now this is with the boat loaded with gear for the weekend so it may be a little over the 3700 pound mark and 5 people in the truck. It pulls great on flat ground, but when it gets to a hill I have to get it up around 5000 RPM to continue to accelerate. It's not my truck either because we pulled the same boat last weekend with my fathers 6.0 equipped escalade and it did about the same thing. Maybe a little better, but I think becasue it is 4 years newer it has a little more horsepower. Plus it has factory electric fans which I want to add to my truck. I think that is the biggest difference between the two.