3,740 lbs Towed Off Back Bumper

Hi TW. Here's a report from the farm...

The truck is great, everyone here is really happy with it. It has developed its own weird quirks - odd little vibrations here and there, and the radio doesn't work if you slam the doors. Things every vehicle gets, which give it character.

A word on towing off the bumper, since some wondered if we might need a tow hitch:
Today I had to yank out a large diesel air compressor from it's mired in mud pit where it's been wallowing for 5 years. The whole unit weighs in at 3,740 pounds (with ~250 lbs tongue weight). Towed it down the road at 50 mph for a ways, also over rough field, to get to another site. The truck drove great, the bumper showed no signs of anything concerning, which leads me to conclude that the bumper is probably over-engineered (as suspected) and I'd throw 4000 lbs on it without hesitation.

Best regards from rainy Ohio

 

WOW! Maybe I could have pulled my uhaul with the bumper after all

 

Nice! Not sure I'd of tried it but then again, I don't live on a farm.

 

How much did that Uhaul weigh that you towed? I'm debating buying a hitch now because I need to rent a Uhaul trailer in a month and drive almost 600 miles. I don't need a trailer as big as that one, however.

 

There are many benefits to a hitch than putting a ball on the bumper. Turn radius is a big one. I'd be very cautious jacknifing a trailer if it was hitched to a ball on the bumper.

 

Yeah, that's true but I pretty much never tow. However, I'll probably buy a hitch anyway (the Uhaul ones are only $110) because I will be towing more in the future, looks like.

 

mrbadwrench, is your truck 4wd? 4cyl? how was pulling it at 50mph?

 

My total load (including stuff in the bed) was ~3,700 lbs...assuming I only had a few hundred pounds in the bed, I was just about maxing out the 3,500 lb rating of my 4-cyl. I pulled it 500 miles in a bad low front / wind storm, but it pulled it like a champ with hardly any sway.

At a few hundred bucks, the hitch was well worth the investment even for this one-time pull. I currently use it for my bike rack, but you never know when the need will arise to tow again.

 

Isn't there a tow capacity on that bumper?

 

My ranger work truck bumper had like a 2000 pound capacity towing or somewhere around there. I was pulling a 18' 1200 pound trailer totaling about 4kips.

Anyways I was on the freeway and got rear ended. Me and the trailer did a whole 180 on the freeway. Load stayed in tact. We didn't roll. Trailer never disconnected. The bumper was bent but that's it. I was very surprised. That thing could have had another 2kips on it and wouldn't have snapped.

Those bumpers are stronger than some think. Needless to say that was a one time tow and I never do that. It is cool to see the limits of stuff.

 

Not directing this at you or anyone. Just an overall reminder.... before you assume you can tow/haul more than the towing capacities - THINK about other people on the roadways.

Ok, say for instance.... something happens and your load breaks fee (for whatever reason). Your load manages to create a huge accident injuring people. The insurance company investigates and discovers you were hauling too much weight on a bumper capacity of 2,000lbs. How do you think that lawsuit will turn out? If towing capacities weren't important, they wouldn't exist.


Because next time, it could be YOU, Your spouse, or your children involved in an accident from someone doing something unsafely.

 

I would be screwed! Good thing you don't live here in socal. I don't think you would want to drive anymore after seeing what some people do.

The other day a guy wa towing a trailer in the carpool lane. It was full of bricks. No straps. No tarp. They were bouncing around. Needless to say I passed him quick.

We do modify our mounts and what not to handle more weight though.

 

Yes, which is why him being on a farm pulling this was great, but I would strongly advice others if you plan to tow to definitely install a hitch. You not only put yourself at risk, but others that drive on the road.

 

It's probably full of shit too .

 

Oh wow, I would go with the hitch if you are going to be using it alot. I got one of these:
http://www.thehitchstore.com/class-iii-receiver-hitch-p-730.html

Installation was easy (helps to have two other people to help). And it looks great.

 

Good comments here. Yes, I should probably add that although this is a great demonstration of the towing capacity of the bumper, that 3,500 lbs rating is there for a reason, and if someone was injured due to misuse of that rating, there could be a lawsuit. Don't want anyone getting sued

 

It wasn't like you were at the county fair yanking on the sled for a "Full Pull". Yes you said somewhat mired in mud but it rolls. It's on wheels and pretty well balanced where more of the weight is over the unit's axle and less on the bumper/tongue. I'm pretty sure a couple of us could move it by hand.

I pull double trailers at work and the converter dolly (the unit that connects the rear trailer to the front trailer) weighs in from 2800 lbs up to 3500 lbs for the older models with the spare tire mounted. I can move it about by hand because of the balance. Sometime you need to move it around to hook it to the tractor to hostle it around or to position it under the trailer. They are so much easier with super single tires (only one tire on each side instead of duals)

Not here to cause trouble but try it without the trailer wheels on and lets see what happens.

 

Truck is 2WD, 4 cyl.

It hardly felt it, really. Very easy to pull. With only two wheels, aired up nicely, and a small wind profile, the trailer has little resistance too, despite its weight.