They make hitches, but I think they also make air bags for suspension on bigger vehicles. For all I know they may use firestone products.

Sounds like the 40 skater on the 10,000 pound tilt trailer is about the same weight as my boat and trailer. He pulls it with a Ford f450. How far and other than the power on the inclines, how did it handle? Also, I would expect the nortech 43 is about the same weight, allowing for what is probably a heavy tilt trailer.

I towed my boat with the Frieghtliner for the first time through mountains this last weekend. There were some good climbs. I live in AZ and it is anything but flat. The lake I went to had some long climbs and long downhill grades in both directions.

Here are the stats for my setup:
2006 Freightliner Sportchassis MBZ motor
Boat: 22,500# on the trailer 3/4 tanks. I also had the boat packed full for the weekend, probably another 500#. The ice chests has to be 150 by itself. I was also full on fuel, so call it 23k+ for the trip. The boat is 40' overall and 10' 6" wide. From the tongue of trailer to back of swim platform, 44'.

Up the hills, I would go 35 MPH floored. Now, these are steep mountains with some good grades to them.

Downhill, on the long steep stuff, I had to run the higher exhaust/engine brake. THer is no way that my Chevy 3500 dually or a Ford F450 would have kept the brakes cool on that road. Even with electric brakes on the trailer and only tapping the brake lightly around the sharp bends, you could still smell my brakes and I was rarely using them.

I almost bought the F450, but went with the FL. There is no way the Ford would pull the hill any harder.

The FL controlled the load and felt very good pulling that boat up and down the mountains. It is very sllow up the hills, but the A/C kept running strong while the mirror was reading 109 degrees outside. No overheating problems of any kind.

It sounds like anythig less than an FL could not have handled your load. I'd like to see you try that with a F450. no way...

brake fade=disaster

The F450 has an engine braking mode that works like a jake brake on compression

The OSO 650 will be for sale soon, air brakes, air suspension, cat motor, air ride seats, premium stereo, gps, air dump, train horns, electric rolling bed cover. Better turing radius and better fuel economy than the 450 for the same price. It even has a heat/ac unit in the bed if you ever want to put a capper on it.

truck is an 06 with 60k on it 300,000 mile warranty on a million mile motor. brakes are good for 150k and the tires are good for 70-100k. if you do the math it is cheaper to maintain than a 450 and you won't have to think twice about if you got enough truck for the load.

Those are nice for taking some of the load off your brakes but they have little benefit on any significant downhill grade.

Train horns? how about trying cruise ship horns? yeah.

Is the warranty on the whole drivetrain and is it transferrable?

I asked my wife if I could have a truck like that... she said, " ".


Then I said... but Dr. Farley has a FrieghtLiner, she said