ClancyO
Active Member
My family and I have been planning a move out west for a couple of years. I always knew I was going to need a trailer as I wanted to move at least some of my stuff myself (motorcycle, tools, pew-pews, and some other things I’d rather not entrust to movers). We’d already made the decision NOT to take much furniture (one bed & dresser, no mattresses!) so when I was looking for a trailer it occurred to me I could buy a 20’ car hauler and move the whole house! Then sell the trailer once I got out here and get back most of my money. I also wondered why no one else did this. After some discussions I found a deal on a 24’ Haulmark with 10k axles and figured I was set. As we packed, we weighed every box and put them in a spreadsheet so I could monitor the weight that I knew was going to be an issue. I read these forums and bought a wdh with sway control (Husky centerline) and after some more deliberations decided I needed to add airbags too (Timber grove). What I was worried about was getting everything loaded and finding I was overweight. And as luck would have it, I was. Fortunately UPack answers their phone early on Sunday mornings and they were able to get me a pod delivered the next day. I took the heaviest, most packable stuff off in prep for the pod and re-stacked the trailer, then went down to the scales. The trailer was at 9500, but my rear axle weight was 4500 - way over the 4100! I shifted some weight in the trailer (front to back) and added another washer on the wdh. Rescale got the rear axle to 4300 but still over. Ironically it towed quite well. Back home, more weight off the trailer into the pod pile, and one more trip to the scale, this one in full road trim. My ‘aux’ fuel tanks were full, my overnight bag and water & snacks were packed. I included that scale (along with the just the truck) below. As you can see, I’m within all the axle weights, but gross I’m still over by 140 lbs. The significant thing to see here is that the wdh was seriously doing its thing. My front axle loaded was only 200 lighter than an unloaded truck. I had 35 lbs in the airbags as well and the truck still had a bit of a rake. (I ultimately bled this down to 30 lbs midtrip to level everything out.). Back home I took another 200lbs off the trailer for the pod pile, all of that from forward section. I did not rescale after that (the scales were 25 miles in the wrong direction) but I know I was under on GVWR, and axle limits even if I might has still been a whisker over on the truck itself. After the pod arrived, we packed it up and I hit the road. 3 1/2 days. 2400 miles. 23 total gas stops, $804 in gas. Other than drinking gas like a drunken sailor truck performed flawlessly. Average was in the mid 7’s. Best leg was 8.6 and that was going into flagstaff, but I think that came down to me. Throttle control and lots of truck drafting. I found that 62-64mph in 6th gear netted the same mileage as 71 in 7th gear, so I spent as much time in 7th gear as possible (as long as it wasn’t unreasonably cruel to the truck!). Twice I saw the oil temp go over 250, but only briefly and only because I was flogging it on a climb. Transmission stayed under 200, usually in low 190’s. Coolant likewise bounced around 220-240ish but always stayed under mid-guage. My truck has the Wildpeaks, I probably would have preferred real LT tires, but since this was a one and done deal I rode it out. It handled exceptionally well. Brakes were great. Twice I had to jump on the binders and both times I could hear the trailer tires protesting, but only under extreme braking so I left that adjustment where it was. All in all it worked out, but along the way I figured out why no one else does this. 
. I wouldn’t want to do it again, even though I know the truck can handle it.
In my sig line you can see the specs on the truck (26 gallon tank). Inside was just me and my bags, 10 gallons of gas in my ‘aux’ tanks, and 9800ish on the trailer axles. You can see how getting to 17100 is quite difficult without overloading the truck and again it was just me! Add family, the dog, some firewood and it’s never gonna happen!
. I wouldn’t want to do it again, even though I know the truck can handle it. In my sig line you can see the specs on the truck (26 gallon tank). Inside was just me and my bags, 10 gallons of gas in my ‘aux’ tanks, and 9800ish on the trailer axles. You can see how getting to 17100 is quite difficult without overloading the truck and again it was just me! Add family, the dog, some firewood and it’s never gonna happen!
