This Is Why Vehicles Have Towing Capacities

D

douglee25

Well-Known Member
Jan 13, 2008
4,761
Dallas, TX
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Cruisers 3575
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Twin 7.4l
I was driving yesterday on Route 476 South when traffic slowed quickly. Upon rounding the down hill bend, this is what I came up on. It appears as though it's a Toyota 4Runner which was towing a dual axle travel trailer. I estimate the trailer trailer to be over 20' long. I looked up some dry weights of these trailers and they are 4000 lbs and up. Towing capacity on a 2011 4Runner states 5000 lbs. Who knows what year that vehicle was? The trailer was on its side and it slid for approximately 200'. You can see how the SUV was jacked up in the air being supported by the hitch. It just amazes me how the manufacturer inflates their capacities? One good cross wind can really cause a white knuckle ride in a split second.

TrailerAccident1.jpg



TrailerAccident2.jpg
 
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It really is amazing to me how many people treat a vehicle that is towing a large trailer as no big deal. The speed limit on our interstates out here is 75 mph. I usually drive 80 mph in an unloaded vehicle (about 65 when towing), and have been passed many times by setups like this one. Their trailer is swaying back and forth, and they continue to plow along at over 85 mph. Just crazy.
 
But the salesman and the tv commercials say it's perfectly safe for my fancy shmancy new Tundra to pull and HANDLE 10 thousand pounds!!!

You know why that vehicle is not flipped over like the trailer? Either the distributing hitch was incorrectly connected (unlikely as that vehicle probably wouldn't have made it that far) or the crappy steel hitch and frame it was connect to twisted with the trailer! Which just goes to show that vehicle shouldn't be towing a load like that!!

I see all the time in the RV biz! I had a guy come in here wanting parts towing a 28' Montana Fith wheel with slide with a new Tundra:smt021:smt021:smt021 :huh:
 
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I can just hear the comments from his wife....

"Damn you. You told me the truck would pull it with no problem."
"Damn you. You almost killed us. Now I'm gonna kill you."
"Damn you. I told you to slow down."
"Damn you. Your brother warned you that trailer was too heavy. But nooooo, you wouldn't listen."
"Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you. "

I bet he doesn't get any for awhile!
 
Was everyone OK? This is what happens when unknowledgeable purchasers meet dealers that will hook up any trailer to any car to make a sale and send the happy family on their way. Lucky the hitch held. When I bought my boat I looked for a 2 5/16th drawbar and ball. Most were rated 4-6k!!! What purpose would one need 4,000lbs rated 2 5/16th set-up? I guess you could haul an empty trailer, but the need for that combination would be rare, but that is ALL they sell at the major retailers where I looked. I found one at $90 (not $19.99) for the combination rated 16,000lbs. This is all about selling cheap junk to unsuspecting consumers. Itis fortunate that we do not have more carnage on the road with the unsafe practices I see on the road. MM
 
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Actually if you zoom in closely, you'll notice it was a chick driving. No passengers that I saw.

Really amazing no one was hurt. I still can't believe it.

Doug
 
MonacoMike said:
It appears the hitch is what is holding it up in the rear. Without it the truck may be over the rail. MM
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There's no question something is holding it up. But the way it is twisted is impossible if everything was "holding up" like it should, that's what I'm saying.
 
As far as capacity... That's iffy. Many new half ton pickups are rated to tow 10K. A mid 2000's Ford, Chevy, or Dodge 1 ton crew cab dually rates at 12.5. Towing 15K+ with the dually offers more stability and safety than a half ton towing 8K. Certainly, load type, weight distribution, equipment condition, and driving habits, etc. have a profound effect on towing anything.
 
keokie said:
As far as capacity... That's iffy. Many new half ton pickups are rated to tow 10K. A mid 2000's Ford, Chevy, or Dodge 1 ton crew cab dually rates at 12.5. Towing 15K+ with the dually offers more stability and safety than a half ton towing 8K. Certainly, load type, weight distribution, equipment condition, and driving habits, etc. have a profound effect on towing anything.
Click to expand...
Hit the nail on the head perfectly.
 
I have a travel trailer rental business. All of the time people insist on towing a 33' travel trailer with a "1/2" ton because it says it can with about 2500# to spare. On a short distance I sometimes concede, but all of our large campers run WDH and brakes mandatory. Usually the people with the "1/2" ton trucks get a smaller camper the next time.

A late model 4Runner with a V8 is rated to tow up to 7100#. If the trailer was loaded properly and set up with WDH, sway control and brakes controller the 4Runner should have been sufficient (not implying comfortable) with an experienced driver of any sex.
 
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