So, whether you're towing horses to the county fair or hauling a bulldozer to a job site, your truck is likely a diesel powered machine.
Having the right engine isn't the only thing you need to know about towing. While checking out the Diesel Power Products website yesterday I found this article on towing that was chock full of useful information for people who tow. Having written about towing in the past, I found it to be a fairly thorough discussion of issues you need to concern yourself with. These include:
Attaching the Load
Stopping the Load
Supporting the Load
Securing the Load
Balancing the Load
and Moving the Load
Years ago I heard a story about a bulldozer that slid off the back of a flatbed and killed two people because it wasn't properly secured. This is not an experience you want to have. When I was young I saw an inexperienced driver flip her car while towing a small house trailer. I was with my uncle who was a volunteer fireman and rescue squad worker. We were first on the scene and helped avert a bigger tragedy.
If you ever do any towing, or plan to, this helpful article on The Basics of Towing with Your Diesel is informative and worth bookmarking.
Related Links
A Quick Guide to Diesel Power Products
Pickups That Can Tow More Than 30,000 Pounds
Depends on how much you tow.
ReplyDeleteOnce exclusive to heavy-duty pickup trucks, diesel-powered engines have recently come to full-size light-duty trucks as well. The Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 are among the most popular vehicles sold in America, and each one now offers a diesel engine. But is it worth getting a diesel in a truck that isn't meant for heavy-duty use?
Diesel-powered engines for pickup trucks typically offer big gains in fuel economy, towing capability and driving range compared to regular gas-powered engines. But there's a catch: They cost thousands of dollars more than their gas engine counterparts. Figuring out whether it's money well spent can be difficult, especially when a gasoline V8 might work just as well for most light-duty truck shoppers' needs.