Best mainstream 4x4 pickup for towing 3.5t

[Peter]

Electric trailer brakes are very common in the states, they tow 7-8 tonne gooseneck trailers with pickups. Admittedly their pickups are more like our 7.5 tonners.

 

Anyway, should be possible to import a system from the USA.

[Daniël Bos]

When it comes to trailers being heavier than the towing vehicle, artic tractor units weigh but a fraction of their trailers, and can happily tug 50 tons if you're in a less nannying country, and still several times their own weight here.

It's all about being in full control over the trailer brakes...

 

Sent from my D5803 using Arbtalk mobile app

[Matthew Storrs]

When it comes to trailers being heavier than the towing vehicle, artic tractor units weigh but a fraction of their trailers, and can happily tug 50 tons if you're in a less nannying country, and still several times their own weight here.

It's all about being in full control over the trailer brakes...

 

Sent from my D5803 using Arbtalk mobile app

 

Yes sure. An Artic tug is designed to have 50%(of whatever) of its trailer then placed on its own rear wheels in effect placeing the weight on to the tow truck whereas a standard hilux type truck towing 4.5ton still shouldn't have more than 150kg nose weight regardless of braking system (unless it was a fifth wheel setup). A hilux would never tow a dead 4.5t up a steep llane without a serious bit of weight in the pickup, not necessarily through lack of power but lack of traction. My tractor weighs a shade under 4 tons but I have towed 8 tons with it up steep hills purely because probably 3 ton of the trailer is on the tractors rear wheels.

[Joel77]

Iv got a Dodge Ram dually and a 34ft 5th wheel American caravan with electric brake system, as it's s caravan it's allowed in UK but as far as I know your not allowed to tow goose neck flat beds car transporter etc in the uk

 

It still boils down to the same old same old that your limited with a "run of the mill pick up & trailer !! All the agg of these brake systems, you'll need s tacho in to tow motor any way so why not just get a mog or lorry that can do the job

 

IM0 pick up,s ant much good for towing heavy loads and normally end up. Ring dragged off the road by there trailer as there too light to handle the weight unless you go the agg of loading the bed up with half a tonne of ballets

 

Only mainstream motor that will do your job is a landcruier amazon my old one 4.7 V8 on LPG bundles of power and no agg maybe you could turn one in a truck I did consider doing this to my old one but the Dodge Ram when needed gets the job done

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Only over 7.5 tonnes GTW requires O licence.

[Peter]

Over 3.5 tonnes GVW requires an o licence.

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Over 3.5 tonnes GVW requires an o licence.

 

GTW vs GVW

[Matthew Storrs]

Over 3.5 tonnes GVW requires an o licence.

 

Yes, as I thought it, GVW over 3.5t requires o licence and max 7.5t GTW. Does this mean if you had a 3 t towing vehicle you could tow 4.5t trailer assuming you had the electric trailer brakes etc. I think I would still get caught out. I'm a post 97 license but I have E entitlement but think this is still limited to a 3.5t trailer.

[openspaceman]

Yes, as I thought it, GVW over 3.5t requires o licence and max 7.5t GTW. Does this mean if you had a 3 t towing vehicle you could tow 4.5t trailer assuming you had the electric trailer brakes etc. I think I would still get caught out. I'm a post 97 license but I have E entitlement but think this is still limited to a 3.5t trailer.

 

If the trailer weighs less then 1 old tons unladen or you are towing with a dual purpose vehicle no O licence required but if for hire or reward may need CPC.

 

They closed an interesting loophole in 2013 which means those passing B+E test after that date can only tow 3.5 tonnes. Any prior to that could drive a mini artic with a MAM of 7000kg but I don't know what vehicles are homologated for that, there were some Ivecos produced up to 2004. So in theory you could end up with a payload of 4.5+ tonnes if you can bring the trailer and hitch in under 1020kg.

 

Those with pr 97 C1+E as grandfather rights (with code 107) could drive a mini artic up to 8.25tonnes , it it would require an O licence and tacho at all times but there is an interesting stipulation that the trailer when laden cannot exceed the weight of the vehicle and I'm unsure how this would be interpreted with a semi trailer (artic).

[Woodworks]

79LC would absolutely be weapon of choice, but not really mainstream in this country so finding one and then parts would be the issue, and if I did find one I doubt it'd be in my budget as the ones I have seen have been hovering around 40k new.😅

 

 

A lot less than 40k Toyota Land Cruiser 4.2L SC Diesel - Pick up/Dropside, Price: £21,107, Year of manufacture: 2016 - Mascus UK

 

Out of interest why are these so respected? Less HP than most pickups and less torque with similar payload.