Tow limit - is this too much for a short haul?

The only trailer problem is when you don’t have the correct one!


…or the trailer and load are far too big for the truck.

 

I like beef

 

I like beef part-outs more than whole beef.

 

I find it strange that you coukdnt just do 2 runs. Save you alot of headache and it only cost 30 gal of gas to do one trip. Are you trying test the limit of the truck and if it doesnt work then sue toyota later? Just be safe and do 2 runs.

 

Truck forum in a nutshell right here.

 

You wouldn't like the farm up the road from me still running their 1999 tacoma as the farm truck....

 

Beef part out ? Im in

 

Will it work? Possibly. Should you do it? I would recommend against it. You're near the top end of the truck or, more likely, over the rated numbers depending on what those numbers are for your specific truck. We can't tell you which and honestly I don't know what a cow weighs on average and I would think the trailer alone hits the top of your weight limit. Now, keep in mind that while your truck may very well handle it, if you are in a accident, insurance is going to deny your claim, because you were doing something your truck was not designed to do. Namely towing more than its designed to handle. Also, the cop will likely give you a ticket for being over the limit regardless of who's fault it is. There's also your skill at towing to consider. None of us knows your skill at towing.

Seriously, I would recommend either splitting the load and do two or more trips or rent/borrow a big enough truck so that you're all legal. Last thing you want is to get in a wreck because some dimwit decided to cut you off and now he's getting you to fix his car and his insurance refuses to pay and the cop decides you need a ticket just for being overweight.

Plus, you don't want to risk destroying all that hard work and resources (aka time and money) invested in those bovines do you?

A 3/4 or 1 ton is a hell of a lot cheaper than an accident. Have you considered seeing if the slaughter house has pick up services or knows people who do this kind of stuff professionally? I have to believe that there are people in your town that handle this kind of hauling and have the proper equipment and skills.

 

Thank God the warranties run out quickly on cattle!

 

Just did my first tow with a loaded uhaul trailer 240 miles thru mountainous terrain. Guessing total weight between 3000/3500 pounds. Did good in S mode limiting the trans to 5th on flat roads and 4th in the hills. Was considering getting a 4.5k lb RV to tow with my Tacoma and sell my class C motorhome. I'm going to go smaller after this tow. The Tacoma can pull the heavier weight but if I'm gonna pull regularly I'd keep it under 3k lbs. Very comfortable pulling half it's max trailer weight.

 

Average of 4 head was 1352.

Sell the meat! Want some? I can ship it!

 

I did hire out this haul. Decided that quite early in the thread.

Wishing I had the cash to buy the 5 ton Ford being offloaded from my day job. Take it to the high school vocational program and have them rebuild it top to bottom. Would pull anything I need. Alas, not at this time!

 

Great choice.

 

OP- Sounds dangerous and hard on the little truck, but o what you want. I probably would't go that far or get on a high speed highway, but going a few miles at 30 - 45 mph seems doable.
When I was a kid my father would pull a +-15,000 lb. dozer on a 6 wheel lo boy trailer with a '76 Chevy Luv. We only went a few miles between fields and 15 mph was top speed in 4 low, (it wouldn't move the thing in high gear). It didn't have a muffler and you could hear him coming several minutes before you saw him. You had to let off the gas about 1/4 mile before you wanted to stop, it would backfire the whole time, at night the flashes from the backfires would light up the trees like a thunderstorm. Loading the dozer would lift the back tires off the ground about 2 ft. Tough ass truck!

 

When towing, you have to be careful to not exceed your truck's PAYLOAD capacity. That is on the drivers door jamb sticker. For example, my payload is 1040 lbs. That includes any weight in the truck (ie...driver, passengers, coolers, any additional weight in the cab or bed. For me it also includes my Leer fiberglass cap.) Also included in payload weight is whatever weight is on the hitch as tongue weight, that is what everyone seems to forget. Using the example of the one persons 1000 lb tongue weight for a class IV hitch, just having a driver in the drivers seat would most likely put you OVER the designed payload weight. There are other factors to consider with a trailer such as GVWR, TWR, GCWR......get the owners manual out and read it or do some research. Just because there is a class IV hitch installed does NOT mean it can tow the weight to the rated capacity of the hitch. That's what gets people killed.

 

Evidently, Ford disagrees or they would have rated it to tow 22000.

Just because nothing happened doesn't mean it's the safe thing to do.

 

No argument on the Taco not being able to tow 8500 from me! I will keep my towing under 5000.

I get crap for gas mileage with my landscape trailer and quad or motorcycle, and that is less than 2000. Although the tailgate on the trailer is probably an enormous drag.

 

Lol, sure. With enough gearing, you could make a 5hp Briggs pull 8,500lbs. Doesn't mean it's sensible.