Comanche, Short Haul, Large Load

Anyone see a problem of short hauling a 3500lb load + 800LB double axle with this truck (1986,AX5,NP207, 2.8). It's rated to 2000 GVW. It would be just for short hauls to get my IH424 tractor to the shop and distances would not exceed 8 miles one way. My speed wouldn't exceed 30 miles an hour and of course it would be slow on clutch let out to ease in the load. In 4WD I figure I could get the equivalent of a 2WD standard sized pickup
power wise.

I would have to center balance the load and tilt it slightly forward to give me 200lbs hitch load. My reinforced bumper couldn't take a large load and I imagine I would get a large dip on breaking but that's to be expected.

If this truck does the job it'll never see a scrap heap and I'll have it bronzed and mounted in my back yard.

Thanks.

Do you not have a single buddy with at least a 1/2 ton pickup?
I'm not saying it can't be done but at some point ya gotta ask if it "should" be done that way....
it is a risk at best.

bad idea, get a flatbed wrecker.

I towed a 4800lb boat and trailer with mine. i only went across town, though. Dont know if i'd reccomend it, but it can be done...

It will do it stopping is teh only hard part, I put 2800 lbs in the back of my MJ weekly

Mine's a shortbed 4.0L, but a 5-speed. I towed an XJ on a massively over-sized flatbed car trailer from Springfield, MA, to my home in CT. Distance was approximately 50 or 60 miles, and the route went through the heart of the Berkshire Hills of MA and northern CT.

Should you do it? Probably not. But compared to my trip, 8 miles is nothing. However -- as noted, allow plenty of space between you and anything in front of you, and allow a night and a day for stopping. Actually, "stopping" does not apply -- gradually reducing forward velocity is about the best you can hope for, and that's going uphill.

Trailer brakes, trailer brakes, trailer brakes, don't do it without trailer brakes. It'll need the highest rated reciever hitch you can get, the higher the rating the longer the "arms" are on the hitch which distribute the weight better then you can run a little more tounge weight. I wouldn't use a bumper hitch to tow anything more than 1,000 lbs or so since that puts all the weight entirely on the futhermost rear point of the truck... Remember no matter how carefull "you" are there are still all of the other idiots out there on the road who might pull right out in front of you or decide to just stop in the middle of the road. Just this year so far I totally destroyed an s-10 who pulled out sideways in front of me, spun an mazda 626 around who pulled out in front of me, and had at least 1/2 a dozen close calls and these were with me running adjusted and proper functioning trailer brakes on a 18' tandem axle landscape trailer (1,400 lbs) and about 4,000 lbs of equipment behind either a F250 or F350 which have buckoo more brakes and mass than an MJ.

Just a thought.... to go only 8 miles it will take longer to hook up the trailer, load and tie down the tractor then unload it than it would take to just drive the tractor there.... Maybe you could hook the trailer behind the tractor and tow the MJ
MIke B.

86xj is right. The time to hook up load up and get there will be longer than if you just drove it. I grew up on a farm and did haying on a bunch of difrent farms so I spent alot of time on the road and most tractors will do about 15mph so it will take not quite twice aslong in actualy driving but then ou the hook and load aspect it changes everything.