Towing a trailer with an F550

[Blmtlandscapes]

Hello, I really want to purchase a new F550 dump truck with those high walls but I was wondering if it is a little to excessive to be doing maintenance accounts with it. I do a lot of other work other than mowing so there is no doubt it would be worth the purchase but I was wondering if it had any limitations such as being to big to tow a trailer with as well as installing a sander in the bed during plowing season. Thanks

[Central Island Lawn]

Well, I've seen a few smaller companies around doing maintenance in Ford Rangers. If you're doing enough residentail maintenance and driving aorund and have a good sized utility trailer, the insurance on another vehicle might save you that much in fuel. I use an F250 with no trailer for all my residential mowing, and have considered picking up an older Ford Ranger diesel for stuff like that.

[lawn crafters]

ni think its fine but make sure the trailer is decent sized. buy ive seen lco with the chevy 5500 before

[nosparkplugs]

Hello, I really want to purchase a new F550 dump truck with those high walls but I was wondering if it is a little to excessive to be doing maintenance accounts with it. I do a lot of other work other than mowing so there is no doubt it would be worth the purchase but I was wondering if it had any limitations such as being to big to tow a trailer with as well as installing a sander in the bed during plowing season. Thanks

4500/5500
Great trucks if you can afford them WANT VS NEED

Some states require CDL's, higher insurance rates, burn more diesel than a 3500/2500.

If your towing or hauling over 15,000GTWR go for it!!:clapping: anything less this is overkill.

[JNyz]

You will be fine. Just use racks for your hand held equipment for the trailer

[King Cuts Landscaping]

Hello, I really want to purchase a new F550 dump truck with those high walls but I was wondering if it is a little to excessive to be doing maintenance accounts with it. I do a lot of other work other than mowing so there is no doubt it would be worth the purchase but I was wondering if it had any limitations such as being to big to tow a trailer with as well as installing a sander in the bed during plowing season. Thanks

We use the F 550 to pull our 8.5X20 enclosed trailer for commercial accounts and if it’s not being used for landscaping, but I wouldn’t recommend using it for your day to day residential accounts b/c it’s hard to turn that thing around in tight places and for fuel reasons. Our day to day residential we use our Chevy 2500 and the 16 footer much better on gas and easier to find parking in neighbor hoods and cul-de-sacs.

[Perfect Image TLM]

We use the F 550 to pull our 8.5X20 enclosed trailer for commercial accounts and if it’s not being used for landscaping, but I wouldn’t recommend using it for your day to day residential accounts b/c it’s hard to turn that thing around in tight places and for fuel reasons. Our day to day residential we use our Chevy 2500 and the 16 footer much better on gas and easier to find parking in neighbor hoods and cul-de-sacs.

Not that I have one, but I would have to agree with him.:)

[Glenn Lawn Care]

the f550 r geared so low that u will be at the gas station every other day if not every day. they like to eat fuel.

[newtostone]

Depending on the size of you trailer you will be pulling you will need a class A. Thats why you see some guys driving around F450 with their trailers. Make sure when you buy you have the gear ratio you want. Frankly go with a 4.33 if you can find it, someone can help me out here with the ratios. I havent talked trucks in a while but today's diesel engines have more than enough power even if you geared a F550 with a 3.73 (If i could that would be my pick)

Not sure what kind of work your going to be doing but I would go with either a flatbed or landscaping dump. 10'

But of luck and hope we can help point you in the right direction here.

[King Cuts Landscaping]

the f550 r geared so low that u will be at the gas station every other day if not every day. they like to eat fuel.

Pretty much!! I believe and could be wrong but our F 550 gear ratio is 488. That’s why we only run it on commercial sites and landscaping/hardscaping sites b/c we are at one location for a much longer period of time, rather then the 10 to 20 minute stop and go residential accounts. And commercial accounts normally involve more cleaning or removal of something that doesn’t always fit into the back of a pick up bed.

[Lawn Freak]

It will most definetly pull one. Just make sure its not a little 4x6 or something :laughing: I am trying to decide if I want a pickup F-350 or a dump 350. I have been leaning a little more towards the dump lately. Just make sure your trailer is decent sized so you don't look like a fool driving around with a big truck. Personally I think a 1 ton 350 is the max neseccary for this line of work.

[Monroe74]

I have a 2008 Ford F-550 RC 4x4 witha 12ft Rugby body it is as long as my 2004 F-350 CC Lb 4x4 the turning radius is much better in the 550 than my 350 because they changed the axles in the front and the 450 and 550's. as far as fuel mileage you get around 9mpg loaded or empty with the 4.88 gears and a diesel engine. I get about 315 miles per tank of fuel which for me is plenty to do residential work if need be.hope this helps. an option you could try is the under/overdrive by gear vendorsit costs about 3k and would give you any extra over drive gear for you to use when your empty. Also alto of guys that are running the newwer diesels are doing away with the DPF and getting an extra 5 mpg.

[FordLawnLandscape]

Depending on the size of you trailer you will be pulling you will need a class A. Thats why you see some guys driving around F450 with their trailers. Make sure when you buy you have the gear ratio you want. Frankly go with a 4.33 if you can find it, someone can help me out here with the ratios. I havent talked trucks in a while but today's diesel engines have more than enough power even if you geared a F550 with a 3.73 (If i could that would be my pick)

Not sure what kind of work your going to be doing but I would go with either a flatbed or landscaping dump. 10'

But of luck and hope we can help point you in the right direction here.

The more tourque u have , the less gear it takes to get moving. .433 would be too low, i know u say cant be that much diff. in a .373/.410 vs a 433 but its a HUGE difference !! IMO the .410 would be sufficient.

[Blmtlandscapes]

I'm thinking now that perhaps I should go with a dump truck that is not so "heavy duty" for now. As of right now i have a dodge 1500 pick up. Its a good truck but Its just not very efficient for me. It is always full of grass and debris and it takes forever to rake out all the material. I do a wide range of work from hardscaping to maintenance so I definitly would like a dump that can haul as much weight as possible while still being efficient with gas, easy to drive, and manuverable enough for residential accounts.

[nosparkplugs]

I'm thinking now that perhaps I should go with a dump truck that is not so "heavy duty" for now. As of right now i have a dodge 1500 pick up. Its a good truck but Its just not very efficient for me. It is always full of grass and debris and it takes forever to rake out all the material. I do a wide range of work from hardscaping to maintenance so I definitly would like a dump that can haul as much weight as possible while still being efficient with gas, easy to drive, and manuverable enough for residential accounts.


Have you crunched the actual numbers going from a 1500 1/2ton to a 5500 truck???. Do you have the work to justify the truck or do you just "want" it.

From a price standpoint this economy is a once in a lifetime oprutunity:usflag: to buy these 4500/5500 chassis cabs their all GM/Ford/Dodge priced under 50K now. Have you test drove a 5500 their rough riding, not bad but very rough empty. Not the best daily driver, even though the cab interiors now say otherwiseThumbs Up

Gas or diesel debate is ongoing; however the vast majority opt for diesel.

[Lawn 'N' Order Landscape]

This spring i am hopefully going to purchase a 550/5500. I have 2 3500 dumps now and when they pull the 8x20 enclosed trailer its rough on the trucks especially when you add 3 mowers, trimmers, blowers, tools, etc. The reason that i want a bigger truck is not necessarily for the "more power" aspect but rather for more stabilaty and stronger suspension.
Look at it this way...Brickman, clearance davids and all your other big maintenance companies are all switching to bigger trucks. Why? Because they tore the 350/3500 to pieces. So i guess it comes down to what do you really need....what size trailer you going to be pulling and how much will you be hauling? I wouldn't' worry about the fuel economy. My 2 3500s get around 10 mpg empty or loaded. I hear that the 5500 gets about the same. So i figure if i can have a bigger truck and not worry about over loading it and have more power why not. I know you are going to have to pay more for insurance and for plates but in the long run, in my opinion, it will be worth it.

[STIHL GUY]

a F550 would be really nice but i wouldnt need it

[81Bronk36]

I am pretty sure the only gear ratio you can get in a 550 is 4.88... course you could change it out for about a grand and probably pay for itself pretty soon

[Ducati996]

I am pretty sure the only gear ratio you can get in a 550 is 4.88... course you could change it out for about a grand and probably pay for itself pretty soon

Depends on GVWR and choice of 4wd or 2wd gives you the option of smaller gears. Have a 2006 6.0 diesel F550, pulls like a dream along with 4.88's

[Big Red Ferris]

i have a f350 with 373 's and im getting like 17mpg with my 2 mowers and like 15in town and its perfect i dosent spend alot time shifting andf its plenty of a** so idk the 350 fits every where

[newtostone]

i have a f350 with 373 's and im getting like 17mpg with my 2 mowers and like 15in town and its perfect i dosent spend alot time shifting andf its plenty of a** so idk the 350 fits every where

Holy smokes thats good. I must be missing something because lately my 03 is getting around 8mpg. I swear its getting worse and worse.

[stroker51]

You guys must have 6.0's? My 01 7.3 with 3.73's only does, consistently, about 12-13.5, towing or empty. My old 96 F250 7.3 with 4.10's gets that towing, and up to 18.5 empty on the highway. As far as I'm concerned, the next Super Duty truck I get will have the lower gears. I had a 99 CC 4x4 Dually that got better mileage than my 01 CC Shortbed 4x4, and the 99 had 4.10's. As far as the 550 question, I just got a F350 for the landscape/maintenance truck to replace my 89 F450, that was just our landscape truck. I think in most cases, for maintenance, a 350 is plenty of truck. I will probably upgrade to a 450 in a few years when building comes back and we start doing new installs a lot more. The 450 is more than enough truck for what most of us do on maintenance. If had a regular cab on my old F250 and could get a longer bed on it, a flatbed dump would make it perfect.

[Ducati996]

You guys must have 6.0's? My 01 7.3 with 3.73's only does, consistently, about 12-13.5, towing or empty. My old 96 F250 7.3 with 4.10's gets that towing, and up to 18.5 empty on the highway. As far as I'm concerned, the next Super Duty truck I get will have the lower gears. I had a 99 CC 4x4 Dually that got better mileage than my 01 CC Shortbed 4x4, and the 99 had 4.10's. As far as the 550 question, I just got a F350 for the landscape/maintenance truck to replace my 89 F450, that was just our landscape truck. I think in most cases, for maintenance, a 350 is plenty of truck. I will probably upgrade to a 450 in a few years when building comes back and we start doing new installs a lot more. The 450 is more than enough truck for what most of us do on maintenance. If had a regular cab on my old F250 and could get a longer bed on it, a flatbed dump would make it perfect.

My 2006 6.0 F550 with Rugby 3/4 yard body weighs 10.4k lbs (unladden), so that needs to be factored in for mileage differences. With 4.88's I think Im around 11 mpg while towing or fully loaded, maybe 14 mpg unloaded. Its been difficult to accuratley pin the MPG down for me.

[daveyo]

Hello, I really want to purchase a new F550 dump truck with those high walls but I was wondering if it is a little to excessive to be doing maintenance accounts with it. I do a lot of other work other than mowing so there is no doubt it would be worth the purchase but I was wondering if it had any limitations such as being to big to tow a trailer with as well as installing a sander in the bed during plowing season. Thanks

I have a F550 "07" I pull a 16.6x8.6 enclosed, damn glad I have the F550 I constantly fill that thing, I'd hate to see what I'd do to a Ranger.

In the winter I put a pallet of salt and ice melt in the back and fill a tailgate salt hopper, I push a 9' Hiniker its a very good set up for me.

[acelawns]

anyone selling 36 walk behind, Im looking for one also a trailer. Let me know

[jlawnman]

Way overkill dude.. Put a ramp body on a small truck with a 4 cyl for maintenance... Save all that money... & buy yourself a Walker GHS w/it... perhaps