Towing with a shackle flip (echobit)

[Russell]

Hey guys!

I've read once or twice that people don't recommend towing with a shackle flip. Is there a specific reason for that?

I'd like to put my truck camper in the box, and throw 4 quads behind the truck on a trailer when I go camping in the summer, and occasionally use the truck to haul another truck on a car hauler, or occasionally the bobcat.

The bobcat weighs approx 10 000 lbs including the weight of the trailer.

I can understand that the truck would have more of a tenancy to sway with the flip installed, but with beefier shackles, and a rear sway-bar, is there any reason why I couldn't tow with my truck?

 

[pauly383]

Well , I would tow what the towrig is rated to tow , with the equipment necessary to tow it . (i.e Bobcat probably a no go with 73-87 rig 1 ton or under )

I tow lots of things with my Blazer , but have never exceeded the GVWR , and never had a problem with the shackle flip . Blazer Tub on a flatbed ( before sway control ) , utility trailer , 3000 lb popup camper .

Sway control and brake controller is mandatory for anything more than taking trash to the dump

 

[Russell]

What exactly are these trucks rated for towing? I don't think I've ever actually seen it in writing anywhere before... It can't be that much less than modern trucks though... I mean, they towed bobcats around in 1980, didn't they?

I already have a proper brake controller, and am already researching sway bar options

Primarily speaking, the truck will be used to haul the camper and quads. The camper is approx 800 lbs dry, and will only have a hundred or two lbs of gear. The quads and trailer would be approx 2500 - 3000 lbs, with approx 300 lbs of tongue weight when distributed properly

 

[pauly383]

I would tow any of it except the Bobcat . My Blazer was rated 6200 pounds with six lug stuff , its on your door on the side , 3/4 to 1 ton was probably more , but I doubt they meant for anyone to tow a Bobcat without buying a cab chassis from fleet sales .

 

[Russell]

Hmm, I don't recall seeing one of those stickers on my door, but I know my truck has had bodywork done on it once before, so it may have been removed or painted over then.

I suppose that my father usually has his truck ready (12 000lb towing capacity ) to go if I need to move the bobcat long distances, I'm usually not going more than 10 km on back-roads with it when I move it anyways. Heck, I've driven the machine there most of the time, just hate sitting in the machine driving down the Range Roads for an hour or so each way just to do 30 minutes of work, lol