Valhalla Farms

Hi, I know that ya'll have probably had this question many times before but I've spent four hours on here today looking for this info and still need help!LOL

I am farming in the mountians of virginia and need a rig capable of pulling 12 tons on a regular basis. Are either of these rigs up to it? I need 4x4, crew cab and just an eight foot flatbed. It will be hauling hay, silage (gooseneck dump) tractors and anything else I have to move around the farm. Also what about tires? They come with 225-70-19.5's that have no grip and are narrow, are there any good solutions to the tire problem??? Thanks

Colo_River_Ram

If your after the weight go with the 5500.. it is a little on the ruff riding side until you get some weight on it though.. I like the long bed (12') it gives you room to load out and still hookup to a GN.. The wider stance allows for a tighter turning radius.

Tires... As for the tires.. there is no such a thing a perfect tire, what works in one area sucks in another and the duallies suck in mud!! Look into the Sterling brand and get a good deal on a collectors item..

Valhalla Farms

Will it handle the weight on a regular basis?

haulin-rv

12 tons including trailer weight??

Valhalla Farms

yes, 12 tons that is actual TOWED weight NOT including the truck. That would be trailer and load. Which tranny? Auto or man? According to the book the auto will pull more. It won't be pulling the mountain everyday but will be pulling around the farm quite often, espcially during haying time. Thanks.

Colo_River_Ram

I like the Auto myself (was skeptical at first - always have been a stick man), It allows you smoother backups and trailer hookups than with a standard transmission.. I spot a lot of trailers around expesive machinery and prefer the auto over slipping the clutch on an engine that idles at 700 - 800 RPM,

The TC lockup switch along with the built in Jake E-brakes makes stopping the load easy. I have pulled some pretty heavy loads with mine on hills that most people consider a hunting road..

As for the longevity you need to go look at one it is heavy duty..The Aisan transmission has a drain plug on the pan to allow a more controlled release of the fluids prior to dropping the pan.. I know of one 5500 4x4 Hot-Shoter who has put 75K on his in the last 6 months.

Valhalla Farms

So I guess the answer is it will handle the weight!LOL Who actually makes the Aisan tranny??? A dodge dealer told me that Aisan was a subsidiary of toyota. Is that right???

Colo_River_Ram

I know they're from Japan but I'm not sure if it is a subsidiary of Toyota.. They are a proven transmission for trucks of this size though..

Have you tried a Google on them yet?

Cummins610

With that much weight, 5500 is your best bet, I have 68Kmiles on my 5500 and the stock Goodyear agressive tires have some tread left. Auto or Manual, I really like the Aisin.

JTCHess

Aisan is Toyota.

John

neveragain

I would think that if he is going to haul 24,000 lbs he is going to need a class ?? 7500 or so?? Are you hauling around a backhoe or some such? Mine is only rated at 33,000 combined, for the 5500. Think that you are going to have to look at other makes in the larger sizes. A jake brake for that much weight is going to be a good option.

RickG

The GCWR of both the 4500 and 5500 is 26,000 lbs. Yes , they are capable of much more but they were not designed to pull trailers . Look at all the dealer brochures and Dodge websites . They don't show any pulling goosenecks . They are mostly dumps , flatbeds and rollbacks . I think it will be difficult to find a 4x4 suitable for pulling 12 tons although many DTR members have pulled that much .

c martin

I would look into a chevy. I am on my 3rd 3500 dually and believe it to be my last. It will barely pull the hills with a 20k gvw load on a gooseneck trailer, and so much for having the power to back it up. It is a strain. While I watch the tail lights of my uncles duramax fade away with the same load.

rich

i had a duramax for 6 months it wont run a hill with 10k on the trailer at least a stock one wont. theirs no way that his truck is pulling the same load as yours. i see alot of 5500 in the oil fields out west dragging a lot gn

Dodge man

I would go with the 5500 and a 12' flat bed. The auto would probably work best for that size load, plus the Aisan has a 3 year 180,000 mile warranty.