Towing 4,400lbs harmful?

When you towed the big trailer did you use a weight distribution hitch. I am planning to tow my boat which is 6200 lbs but it will be only for 5 miles. I am wondering if I can get away without using one.

 

I use a WD hitch, all the time to tow my camper...if you are towing that kind of weight you should use a WD hitch, no how far...it's not the pull that you have to worry about it's stopping...

 

You are right about stopping. I will go invest in one. Thanks

 

Talk to a knowledgeable boat dealer and/or hitch shop. Don't think I've ever seen a weight distributing hitch used to pull a boat trailer.
Usually there's a lot less tongue weight (more weight on the back end of the trailer than travel trailers), and as you said, only towing 5 miles - low speed or more like highway speed? Maybe air bags?

 

Reviving this thread with specific question about rear suspension.

Got a travel trailer three weeks ago. Three road trip excursions later, I think I have possibly messed up my leaf springs. I know a load-leveling hitch would help, but I do lots of boondocking. Need to have the rear be firm enough to handle the tongue weight when the hitch is free.

Trailer is 2,305 lbs dry. I've been running it more or less dry, at least water tank empty. Still winterized.





I'm guessing my tongue weight is around 250-300. I can budge it kind of. I have a snugtop shell, gotta be 200 lbs. One trip I took my 50 lb generator, in the bed right over the truck rear axle.

I have noticed it's squatting lower since I first drove away with it. Took some pics of the leaf springs. First one is trailer hooked up ready to go, second is truck sitting in the garage with just the snugtop.





I've had air bags. Worked pretty well. I was thinking I'd get an AAL, but now I'm wondering if I shouldn't just get a new leaf pack. Those things don't look right to me, like all their arch is gone. With trailer on they are arched down? What do you think, is this normal?

I don't want to lift the truck, but wouldn't mind if it was a little higher in back than with the stock pack. Since I always have at least a couple hundred pounds on there it seems reasonable to have stronger and slightly higher than stock leaf springs. What do you think?

 

Yeah it looks off to me, I'll check my truck later to confirm. On a side note you need to know your #'s this mean tounge, truck ect. It's simple safety, for yourself and others.

 

First lesson is to learn that Toyota leafs are junk. That is why I suggested adding overload springs in an earlier post. I have 2000 pound overload on mine and they work great. They are the cheapest way to go with the biggest bang for your buck. Usually around the 100.00 dollar mark.

That being said they are not the absolute best. The best is to replace the leaf pack with ones that will carry the weight you want to carry. The problem there is cost and the ride when empty. You can get progressives in a leaf pack, but they still are not perfect.

Middle of the ground is air bags. Never liked air bags.

My suggestion is to start with the 2000 lb overload springs. They are easy to install, about an hour total both sides, and will most likely give you what you want. By the way they can be adjusted to suit your ride. http://www.sdtrucksprings.com/hellwig-versus-supersprings

Lastly I would suggest that you make sure about your trailer weight and tongue weight. That is not something to play with or guess at.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMYyA4w0kAs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrlqMm5bnLk

 

Sounds like the 2000 lb overload springs are a good low-risk first thing to try.

Not guessing at weight, I posted the sticker from the trailer, dry weight is 2305. If tongue weight is 15% of that (since it's basically an empty trailer with a full propane tank) should be 300-350 lbs. Which seems about right. I was out there a minute ago and tried to lift the tongue. No sale. I'm a 210 lb six-footer, reasonably fit middle aged. I should be able to get 250 lbs at least a millimeter up, but I couldn't do that with this trailer. Probably not going to buy that cool-looking tongue weight scale, I'll call my local RV shop and see what they'd charge to check it for me. Seems pretty darned heavy though. If it was less than 10% I would be able to lift it off the ground.

Have done a lot of miles towing trailers on highways. Never had a problem with sway other than a little wiggle. I keep the speed down below 65 and try to stay on secondary roads. The air bags I had were kind of bouncy. I want to try other solutions before I go to that.

 

Here's mine, no load. Yours might be fine unloaded?

 

Thanks for doing that! Yeah, they look similar. Leaf springs roughly horizontal.

I'm going to do some research into my options. I am guessing it's going to be a new leaf pack. Better to do it right the first time.

Unless it costs too much money.

 

Yeah I tow a 18 ft camper, weight is about 2700 lbs. I can't wait for the leafs to go, I'll get aftermarket for sure then.

 

I tow a 5000lb trailer, just put air bags on the rear, waiting for weather to break to do a test pull...

 

My trailer is 4,500 dry. Here it is with about 150lbs of gear in the bed and 500lbs of gear in the trailer. Stock suspension and a weight distribution hitch.

 

Toyota designed it for 6500 lbs it tows 6500 lbs. I don't understand the hype everyone makes about this, towed all my life never has a manufactor set limits let me down 03 Dakota, 99 mountaineer, 2009 blazer and I went way over on the Dakota one trip maxed it out plus some 1080 miles round trip again I don't get it.

 

Nice and us that topper those are like what 200?

 

@IowaToyotas, Yeah...200lbs is a safe guess with the shell

 

Towed this pig, pick-up weighed about 4,700lb last time it was on a scale and that was before the RTT and bed rack. My best estimate is 5,000lbs as it sits on the trailer, trailer is 2,100lbs according to u-haul, my trcuk with all of the gear and other shit with our 2 fat asses was easily 6,000lbs so total 13,100lbs! Also 315s and 4.56s. Towed from moab to colorado springs. Towed like a fuckin champ! Was slow 2nd gear going up the big hills. Eng temp would go up just pass 3/4 on dash once, but never hit red. Trans never went past 225 which is hot but not for long, it lived at about 180 on avg. I have the big B&M trans cooler with fan, worth every penny! Wouldnt make it a habit to tow that much but it can do it with no problems!

Now the trailer wasn't men't for this truck, had to strap the spare to the tongue to help in weight distribution. And the truck had only 6" to spare on the rear so half the bed and spare tire carrier hung off the rear. Later at some point in the trip we realized we didnt have the sway bar hooked up on the pick up and of course the helped a shit ton! I also don't run a sway bar on the taco. At least the trailer had been recently serviced and the brakes worked really well, better than any other of the many u-hauls I've rented.

 

Sick

 

I just got done towing a 21' pioneer travel trailer probably around 5000lbs on just a hitch I weight distribution even though I recommend it. We went through the back side of Julian going to Ocotillo wells with my wife's KLX 300 in my bed sitting on the fender well damn 5' bed my yz450f won't fit. It was steep grades with tight 20 mph turns but it was no problem at all, but the super charger might have helped a little