Pulling an 8000 lb trailer off-road

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Cortttt

Member
I have never towed anything - let alone an 8000 lb (maxed out) trailer (Conqueror 19) on dirt roads.

I'm not worried about national forest roads - it's getting stuck in the desert I'm worried about. I've gotten stuck many times - but not with a big trailer :). I'm pretty conservative where I go as well. I'm not a daredevil.

So the question is what is the best or at least a sufficient tow vehicle?

Right now I'm looking at Chevys and Fords.

Does anyone have experience towing a heavy trailer off-road with GM's 6.0 liter or Ford's 6.2L? My concern is low-end torque and getting unstuck. These would be the most economical buy for me if they work.

The newer 6.6 (Chevy) or 7.3L (Ford) would be fine - they apparently have massive low-end torque. One in my price range, though, would probably have high miles (80-100K).

The diesels, of course, would work. One in my price range would either be older or have 90-100K miles on it, though, and I worry about problems with emissions.

Since this came up in another Forum - why a hugely expensive trailer and a less expensive tow vehicle? We'd actually love to buy a cheaper trailer - and the Oliver is an option. The problem is that I have significant chemical sensitivities and the Conqueror has an all-aluminum interior plus my partner requires a standup shower. Right now its either the Conqueror or the Oliver (which I know will work for me as well.)

Any suggestions would be helpful :)
 
C

Cortttt

Member
Sparse Gray Hackle said:
IMO, an Oliver is the best TT made, they’re about 5,000# loaded. Any 3/4 ton V8 has the torque to handle it.
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I agree it's a great trailer. It's actually 5K dry and can take up to 7000 lbs (https://olivertraveltrailers.com/travel-trailers/legacy-elite-2/). It would relieve some of the weight issues. The Conqueror has this great king bed :), though and a simply beautiful shower for my partner. It's hard to resist but we may in the end go with the Oliver - we haven't decided yet. Thanks for putting in a plug for it.
 
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deserteagle56

Adventurer
You should be worried...hit a soft spot and sink that trailer and good luck with unsticking it without tearing it apart.

I soon learned to tow ONLY on good dirt roads that are well maintained. Too many times of getting to a place I couldn't cross with the trailer...and no place to turn around and almost impossible to back up.
 
C

Cortttt

Member
deserteagle56 said:
You should be worried...hit a soft spot and sink that trailer and good luck with unsticking it without tearing it apart.

I soon learned to tow ONLY on good dirt roads that are well maintained. Too many times of getting to a place I couldn't cross with the trailer...and no place to turn around and almost impossible to back up.
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Yes- this is a big issue - Too many times of getting to a place I couldn't cross with the trailer...and no place to turn around and almost impossible to back up.
 
phsycle

phsycle

Adventurer
Just make sure you have a good winch installed. Plus a pullpal if you’re in the desert with no trees around. Maybe you’ll need two 😂
 
1stDeuce

1stDeuce

Explorer
ANY newer truck will do fine with a 5000lb trailer. Nothing gas powered built in the last 20 years has anything that I would call "low end torque", but it's simply not necessary with an auto trans, and with the current auto trans lineup having really low first and reverse gear ratios, there is little to worry about.

Getting up to 7-8000lbs, I would start considering the tow vehicle's weight to be a concern, which is to say I would recommend your tow vehicle be heavier than the trailer... Very little of the desert southwest is muddy, so dropping the trailer into a bog is of little concern. There are some sandy areas, but sand is pretty easy to see before you march in, and even fairly dry sand can be run with a heavy truck/trailer if you take a few minutes to air down the tires of both to appropriate levels. This may be emergency only, but you will get through.

I would look for a few characteristics in a tow vehicle... First and foremost, I would try to find something with 17" wheels, not 18's or 20's. More sidewall = more better offroad in general, and FAR better in soft terrain when aired down.

Second, for a trailer that heavy, I'd opt for a truck that has a transfer case with low range. I know many of the half ton Chevy and Ram trucks now have no low range. I don't know if Ford does this too, but it's something to consider. While the transmission gearing is good enough to almost not need it for normal use, I think it would be nice to have if you ever had to do some serious pulling or backing while dragging a really heavy trailer offroad, particularly up or down a steep hill...

The third thing I would try to get is a built in trailer brake controller. Our 2009 Chevy has one and it works sooooo niiiiiiice. :)

FWIW, a winch in the desert often is of little use in my experience. I have strung out cable zero times in all my exploring in the desert, and I'm even more careful about where I go when I'm pulling something heavy. I have had to drop tire pressure after a solid wash turned soft, or when the beach in Baja dried out after I camped overnight, but that's not a big deal. I typically air down anyway for soft terrain if it'll be a while before I get back to pavement. My winch mostly gets used for dragging trees out of the road in the mountains...

The biggest challenge to mobility in much of southern Utah is quite often spring and fall rains... The roads are a type of clay soil that becomes snot when it rains, and you will go nowhere. Mud tires and reduced tire pressure help, but cable type tire chains are a lifesaver that doesn't weigh much or take up much room.

What you will likely find is that "offroading" with a 7000lb camper in tow quickly becomes silly. Everything in the camper gets tossed around, your speed is extremely slow, and it's just a huge hassle that's just not worth it. Tow to a fairly accessible campsite, unhook the trailer and set up camp, then go explore in the truck without the hassle of a trailer dragging behind. I went from a camp trailer to a truck camper for this reason, then found that it didn't matter; lumbering along at 2mph to get to a cooler campsite was just not worth the time that it took, or the mess that it made in and of the camper...

Good luck!!
 
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