Towing with a Toyota Highlander?

Sunbeam · Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 10:16 pm Post subject:

I think the/a longer wheelbase probably does make for a steadier tow on the highway, but I've never towed with a "short" wheelbase to compare (except for very light/small trailers).

OTOH, I'm not so sure that having a load heavier than the tow rig is a problem, presuming the tow is rated for it. I mean, think of a 3/4 ton truck. They must only weigh around 6,000# or so (?) and yet some are rated to tow over 10,000#. Hence I don't think that tow heavier than tow rig necessarily means tail wags dog. Not if you have the right dog anyway.

Blueback · Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 10:32 pm Post subject:

colbysmith · Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 11:36 pm Post subject:

On snow or ice in an emergency situation, you are pretty much screwed, regardless of the weight of your tow, or not even towing anything at all! In regards to tow vs. trailer weight, Semi's tow trailers 3 to 4x their weight, so that's not really a valid argument either. IT really does come down to set up of the tow vehicle, and ability of the driver. Road conditions and speed are major factors as well. Colby

Marco Flamingo · Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 4:06 pm Post subject:

Be careful when using the manufacturer's towing weight capacity as a guide. I have seen several times that the stated capacity is only with a special tow package or if the trailer is equipped with brakes. My Santa Fe was sold with a 3,500# tow package, but I later found the fine print that said that it was only rated at 2,000# if the trailer didn't have brakes. Many boat trailer manufacturer's have 2,500 and 3,000# boat trailers that don't come with brakes or even brake flanges, so there is no way to put brakes on those trailers. Just happens that I'm under 2,000.

The majority of states require brakes on trailers over 3,000# and I'm not sure if vehicle manufacturers take that into consideration when stating capacity. If your vehicle has a stated towing capacity of 6,000#, one can only guess if that capacity is based on the trailer having brakes.

A couple of states allow monster trailers without brakes, some states apparently have no requirement regardless of weight, and a couple states require brakes on under 2,000# (Do those people get brakes on the little trailers or does everybody ignore the requirement?). A few states have stopping distance requirements instead of weight requirements. I've seen a road side sobriety test, but a road side emergency stop test?

Here is a quick reference for trailer brake requirements. Keep in mind that this might not be just a state licensing requirement for the trailer and may effect you if you're travelling through. It's one of those little things that nobody hears about until somebody needs a scapegoat.

http://www.brakebuddy.com/towing-laws

Mark

Sunbeam · Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 4:51 pm Post subject:

thataway · Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 4:58 pm Post subject:

colbysmith · Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 7:15 pm Post subject:

Sunbeam is right about knowing your axle ratings along with your GCWR. Just because your specs say you can tow 10,000 lbs, that may not be the case. When I purchased a 1988 Searay 268 Sundancer, weighing in at 9600 lbs, I figured my Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab with specs higher than that for towed vehicles, could handle it. However, when I got to working the numbers, I found out that when one looked at the weight of the truck and the GCWR (Which inlcuded the weight of the tow), there was no way to reach that full tow capacity. (Don't confuse GCWR with GVWR). I found as I started looking at GCWR, GVWR, & GAWR, sometimes the numbers didn't always add up. And one needs to be knowledgeable about what their vehicle and tow actually weigh as well. Changing the load range of a tire may have effect on those ratings as well. If one is using a monster truck to tow a small boat, you will probably be well within all these ratings. And perhaps some of you prefer to do that then worry about closing in on those limits. But for those of us that prefer the smaller tow vehicles, it does make sense to know and understand all these numbers. Colby

Rcbeach · Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2015 2:35 pm Post subject:

Bob,

It is interesting that my trailer is built in Florida (Majic-Tilt) with a GVW of 4660# and only has breaks on the front axle. I read the Florida law and my trailer does not meet the Florida requirements. I have been to Florida with it several times and was planning on going to the St. John's gathering this March, but now realizing I don't meet the Florida requirements I am not sure what to do. I have maintained the breaks and they have always performed well over many thousands of miles. Does Florida grandfather in other state requirements for trailers registered in those states?

T.R. Bauer · Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2015 4:14 pm Post subject:

So, just thinking out loud, if you had a single axle trailer, it would be ok? That's just weird. I believe it, but gosh. It wouldn't stop me from going. I wonder, and I know the odds are incredibly small of this, how much the ticket would cost when pulled over - probably not enough to cancel a trip or even worry about it.

Just curious, and because I can't resist, is it ok to tow (or even drive) with highlander in Florida at all? I mean I can see their concern with the mountains, high plateaus, and deep glacier carved valleys......and the fact the laws of physics that apply in other states don't apply there.....LOL....Of course I'm kidding!

Sunbeam · Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2015 5:21 pm Post subject:

colbysmith · Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2015 7:21 pm Post subject:

I'm pretty sure you have to abide by the laws of the state you are in. But I also think the state trooper would be pretty hard up to ticket you for only having brakes on one axle. It's silly that trailer manufacturers do that, but I suspect it is quite common for them to only brake one axle. My EZ-Loader came with surge brakes on only the front axle, however had the mounting flange available on the rear axle. I changed the front and added rear, going to all electric.

Sunbeam · Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2015 8:09 pm Post subject:

I kind of wish I'd been able to try out my trailer with just the drum brakes on one axle, just so I could compare to how it is now, but it wasn't possible (surge coupler was broken, and I replaced it at the same time as I overhauled the rest of the trailer and added the disc brakes to both axles).

colbysmith · Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2015 8:30 pm Post subject:

Kind of like stopping your car with just front brakes. (Which before they placed disc all around, was pretty much what was happening with front disc and rear drum.) Colby

Rcbeach · Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2015 9:34 pm Post subject:

All, thanks for the replays. My trailer is a 2012 and has surge disk brakes. The trailer brake performance has been excellent. Braking when trailering dose not seem to require any significant additional pedal pressure even for hard stops. I do have the plates on the trailer rear axle for mounting brakes, however I feel very comfortable with the current configuration. Traffic tickets are not as much of a concern as is liability if I was involved in an accident even though it may not be my fault. If I find out that Florida does not recognize Maryland trailer requirements I will probably pay the price and add the brakes on the rear axle. It just seems odd to me that Majic-Tilt manufactures trailers in Florida than may not be able to be used on Florida highways.