Features

Haul Off and Punch The Pedal!

 

Living quarter trailers are becoming larger and heavier. You might need a bigger truck!

 

If there’s one thing for certain, mounted shooters are expert haulers. With regional, national and world events spread to every corner of the United States, competitors can clock upwards of 25,000 miles a year just to stay in the game.

 

It doesn’t take long for a mounted shooter to realize that the hauler he uses must be quality made, durable and most of all safe and dependable. And the truck does matter. Hauler size determines what size of living quarters trailer you can tow.

 

Today’s haulers are designed to pull big loads, but one determining factor for all concerned is stopping power. One rule of thumb is not to buy too much trailer for your truck. Maintaining the manufacturer recommended hauling capacities is very important. Too much trailer for too little truck can spell disaster on a number of fronts. Be sure to match your hauler and trailer appropriately. There is nothing worse than trying to pull steep grades with an inadequate hauler—not to mention the stopping power once you finally make the summit and head down the other side.

 

Fortunately, the choices are many and the folks who manufacture and sell the haulers (and trailers) are experts in the field and will be able to guide you in your choice for a perfect hauling combination. And there’s a lot to choose from. That’s clear to anyone who has been to a big horse expo or the Cowboy Christmas shows during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. If plain and simple is what you want, it’s easy to pick a good truck to get the job done. But if luxury is your choice, well, the sky is the limit!

 

Western Shooting Horse took a look at some of the most popular haulers from the one-ton class and up and assembled
a collection of trucks designed for safe hauling of large and very large horse trailers.

 

(GVWR) is the maximum allowable total weight of a road vehicle or trailer when loaded.

 

(GCWR) is the maximum allowable combined weight of a tow vehicle, passengers and cargo in the tow vehicle, plus the weight of the trailer and cargo in the trailer.

 

Chevy Kodiak/GMC Topkick C4500/C5500

If you were thinking of getting one of the larger medium duty Chevys like the Topkick or Kodiak C4500 and C5500 you’d better act fast. GM announced earlier this year that it would wind-down its medium-duty truck operations. Production of the Chevy Kodiak and GMC Topkick stopped in August of this year. You can still find some, but don’t expect a 2010 model.

 

In medium duty trucks, horsepower and torque are the name of the game, and the Chevrolet Kodiak/GMC TopKick medium duty trucks deliver plenty of both. Not only does the truck look stylish, it’s also a workhorse. The available Duramax 6.6L 6600 V-8 turbo-diesel delivers two impressive torque ratings: 520 lbs or 605 lbs., both at a very low 1600 rpm.

 

GVWR on this hard-working vehicle is 17,500 pounds for the C4500 and 19,500 for the C5500. The GCWR is rated at 26,000 lbs. Popular conversions of the Topkick and Kodiak were made by Monroe Truck Equipment in Monroe, Wisconsin.

 

Visit www.monroetruck.com

 

Dodge Ram 2500/3500 Heavy Duty

Dodge continues to raise the bar with the introduction of the all-new 2010 Dodge Ram Heavy-Duty. With the only standard diesel exhaust brake in the segment, towing capability is a strong suit with the new Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups.

 

The GVWR on the 2500, 3500 and 3500 dually has also been increased and an available integrated trailer brake control provides better driver control in towing situations.

 

In addition, new 2010 Dodge Ram transmissions include Electronic Range Select, which enables the driver to manually limit the highest available transmission gear, allowing manual upshifts and downshifts based on road and engine speed.

 

The Heavy Duty is still powered by the legendary 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel engine, which produces 350 horsepower at 3,000 rpm and 650 lb.-ft. of torque at 1,500 rpm.

 

Visit www.dodge.com

 

Ford F-450 Super Duty

For 2010, the F-Series Super Duty continues as a benchmark in the heavy-duty pickup segment.

 

Ford has expanded its relationship with Cabela’s, the world’s largest outdoor outfitter, by offering a new Cabela’s trim level. The truck features not only a unique two-tone paint scheme, but specially embossed interior features and additional lockable storage.

 

All four Super Duty trim levels—XL, XLT, Cabela’s and Lariat—come with a host of standard features for 2010, from air conditioning, SecuriLock® and power-heated trailer tow mirrors to privacy glass, an integrated trailer brake controller and remote keyless entry.

 

And the Super Duty can tow. GVWR for the F-450 is 16,500 with a max towing capacity (GCWR) of 21,600 lbs.

 

Visit www.ford-trucks.com

 

Schwalbe Trucks Kenworth & Peterbilt

 

Dennis Schwalbe has been building and customizing multi-purpose vehicles for over 25 years. He does it with Kenworth. He does it with Peterbilt.

 

For large living quarter trailers, Schwalbe takes the rugged infrastructure of the stout Peterbilts and Kenworths and adds every creature comfort one can think of.

 

Custom exterior features include flairs and fenders, utility boxes and of course the bed with its heavy duty hauling outfit. The interior features custom glove leather captain seats inlaid with Ostrich, facing a walnut dash equipped with a Garmin GPS. In the rear are four captain chairs that fold into beds with drop down DVD monitors. Under the hood the Peterbilt sports a 530 horsepower diesel with a 13-speed Ultrashift transmission. A quiet exhaust and factory rear end round out this beast machine that offers the best of all worlds. Kenworths receive the same treatment and both haulers are designed for heavy loads.

 

Visit www.schwalbetrucks.com

 

Sport Chassis Freightliner RHA 114

The Freightliner SportChassis RHA114 is a perfect partner for hauling your living quarter trailer. SportChassis are available with an extensive buffet of features direct from the factory. Ideal for hauling large horse trailers, Freightliner SportChassis comes standard with a Mercedes-Benz engine that delivers power and fuel efficiency in a design that streamlines maintenance.

 

Interiors are easily customized to be as functional or luxurious as you want. The SportChassis offers a passive noise reduction system utilizing Dynamat that makes it easy to have a conversation without raising your voice. The SportChassis offers a touch-screen, voice recognition navigation audio system featuring satellite-ready audio, Bluetooth™, and on-board music storage. A variety of luxurious seating configurations and materials including, leather or ultra-leather, with optional alligator inserts, are also available.

 

Visit www.sportchassis.com

 

Texas Trucks—Peterbilt GTL 335 and 385

Texas Trucks of Arlington, Texas is another specialist that builds its conversions on the Peterbilt 335 and 385 chassis. The larger of the two is the class eight 385 GTL Maximus. The luxury conversion weighs in at 17,650 lbs with a GVWR rating of 33,000 lbs. Talk about pulling power, the Maximus has a Caterpillar C-13 440 hp power plant pushing 1650 ft lbs of torque.

 

The 335 GTL comes in a little lighter at 16,000 lbs and has a GVWR rating of 26,000 lbs. The medium duty hauler comes with a Cummins at 315 hp, 950 ft lbs torque.

 

Both rigs receive the custom luxury treatment from Texas Trucks and each truck receives a separate wiring package for the conversion side of the truck. All trucks have air ride on front seat, cab and chassis, dual fuel tanks, power windows, locks and keyless remote entry and more.

 

Visit www.lonestarhaulers.com

 

2L Custom Trucks—International 4400

The 2L Custom Trucks International Hauler is based in International’s 4400LP medium duty truck. Weighing in at 13,980 lbs., the 2L Hauler is powered by an International Navistar 570ci, 310 hp wet sleeved inline 6 cylinder with 985 lbs net torque. Transmission is an Allison 3000 series 6-speed automatic with a keypad shift. For stopping power you have a choice—air or hydraulic. Suspension includes the cab and front seats with air on rear with dump feature.

 

The cab is equipped with ergonomic wraparound driver’s dash, power windows, locks and mirrors. Other features include tilt steering wheel, cruise control, keyless entry, wide sweep instrumentation and a body-builder switch package for trailer plugs.

 

2L’s conversion includes complete hauler body and matching ground effects that offer turnkey trailer towing capabilities. The hauler also has Trailer-saver Air Hitch compatibility.

 

Visit www.2lcustomtrucks.com

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