Trucks & Trailers - Vehicle Towing Limits

Unfortunately, we have a vehicle only rated to tow 3500#. I have never towed before, and I know the text book answer is not to go over the rating. However, is there a rule of thumb for safely eclipsing this rating. 10%? Using a weiight distrubution system would also help, I am sure. I am an engineer that knows safety factors are used to build these vehicles, so I know I can go over, but my current belief is not to go over 10% (as this is typcially the minimum safety factor used generally in engineering design practices), although I know others go well over 10% (and I am not one to jump of the bridge just because someone else did). I also would not be abusing the vehicle on a regular basis by towing over capacity multiple times a week (no more than 10-15 times a year), although I do anticipate towing on extended trips (3-5 hours). I also realize braking is a key consideration in addition to cooling the transmission (we do have a cooler - factory installed).

I know this may seem like a silly question, but I would like experienced insight - so I can at least feel a bit more comfortable exceeding the towing capacity (whether by 10% or any other percent that seems reasonable).

Thank you all for your insight.

First off, I am not a member of the tow police, though there are plenty on this board and and I'm sure they will chime in in due time. I tow A LOT. At times I tow over the manufacture's recommendations. At times I tow without trailer brakes, sway control, or a WD hitch. I say all of this so that you can better understand the recommendations that I am going to give you.

First off, in general, the higher the vehicles rated capacity, the more you might comfortably exceed it. For example, a 4cyl mini pickup might have a tow capacity of 2000lbs. At 2k, the truck is going to be MAXED by rated capacity and by overall capability. On the other hand, I know of numerous 3/4 tons rated in the mid teens (14-16k) towing well over 20k with regularity.

That being said, there is absolutely no way I would ever recommend you doing such. Towing changes your vehicle dynamics completely. Ever wonder why on the rare occasion that Atlanta gets ice or snow they have THOUSANDS of accidents per hour? Because they are inexperienced in the changes to their vehicles performance. Anyone living north of the Ohio drives on slick crap through most of the winter and thinks absolutely nothing of it.

Your estimate of 10-15 times per year for long extended trips strikes me as quite a bit of towing. Many here tow twice a year, to their dock and back at the beginning and end of each season! Your plans call for a lot of exposure to a driving style that you have never experienced. With that in mind, I strongly recommend that you start SLOW. If your rig accurately weighs in at 3500-3800lbs, and you have functioning brakes on your trailer, give it a try, but not on a 300 mile trip. Take it to the ramp and back. To the gas station for a fill up. To another ramp 30 min away. At interstate speeds briefly, etc. Get a feel for it and your tow vehicles capabilities. I'm betting you don't like them and decide you need more oomph.

Finally, and most importantly is stopping. Leave a huge amount of space in front of you. You must anticipate stops and lane changes. Cover the brake approaching lights or any time things start getting more congested. Try to always be thinking of your "out". If the guy in front stops abruptly, you might not be able to. Is there a paved shoulder you can escape to to avoid the ensuing rear end collision? Can you change lanes? Hows the ditch look? Add precipitation and the stopping requirements just grow even more.

This is a topic that comes up often here on THT. The general rule (not all follow) is not to exceed 80% of your vehicles manufacturer rated tow capacity, NOT to exceed it by 10% or more. Obviously, there are factors: distance of tow, condition of brakes on trailer & vehicle, hills, driving experience, etc. Only you can make the decision, but you MAY be held accountable IF you get into an accident, and it is found that you have been towing beyond your vehicles tow capacity. Good luck. -GD

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2005 Albemarle 248XF


http://www.albemarleboatowners.com/BoatGalleries/KeepinItRealGallery.html

My vehicle is also tow rated for 3500 lbs, my rig is probably 3100 FULLY LOADED, meaning full tank of gas plus all its removeable gear on the boat etc...

I have towed it round trip 160 miles several times. The only difference, as others have noted and it is the most significant diff from a safety standpoint is stopping. My vehicle stops fine, but when towing a boat regardless of the tow vehicle weight relationship to the rig towed, it is just common sense to give yourself plenty of room, ask any landscaper or construction guys that haul stuff everyday like skid steers etc..

More seasoned guys will be able to tell you about quick/panic stops I did have a recent panic stop on a freeway and was glad my unit was able to stop well.

I was told that if you are involved in an accident and you are over your towing limit then your insurance will cover the other guy but you are on your own.And you are opening yourself up for a lawsuit or worse because it is against the law to be over loaded.;?

You can just cancel your insurance while towing over loaded because it aint gonna do you any good when you wreck.

You can just cancel your insurance while towing over loaded because it aint gonna do you any good when you wreck.

Not true. Read your insurance policies. Try to find an exclusion for towing over weight????

Not true. Read your insurance policies. Try to find an exclusion for towing over weight????

I love when people come on a newbie thread and essentially advocate negligence. Let's say you are correct (which in most cases you are not), what happens when a lawyer sues for wanton negligence? You really think your insurance company is gonna go to bat for you? Hell, you probably don't even have enough coverage to cover the damages you'll owe even if their legal staff buries its head in the sand and doesn't challenge it because of your negligence.

Now, if you're talking a fender bender, they probably won't even bother to follow up. But if you do some REAL damage and the insurance company is looking at a large payout, good luck with your "but my policy doesn't explicitly forbid this" argument.

Ambiguity in contracts always ends up in favor of the guy with the better lawyer. Who's that gonna be, you, or your insurance company?

http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa352/rcskywalker/here_we_go_bud_light_toppick_crop.jpg

You can just cancel your insurance while towing over loaded because it aint gonna do you any good when you wreck.

What he said. You're insurance will not cover you for towing over the limit.

Listen to what everyone has to say on here. You should not exceed your vehicles tow limits, they exist for a reason. As an engineer you should know that safety factors exist to account for unforseen conditions (rust, crappy brakes, shitty tires, big potholes, extreame shifts in weight, etc) so unless you can account for those conditions in your own stress/strain/shear/stopping distance calculations don't tow over the limit. Towing at 80% of your limit is a good rule of thumb (again to account for crappy brakes, rusty bolts, and shitty tires).

Long gone are the days of "do what the hell I want to" you have to remember that the gov is broke and they are now looking for things such as towing over the limits, in order to generate income for the state. The state of NC made big headlines a few years back by targeting KMT tournament boats for towing on the highway, but even after the legislature overrode the governors veto of a bill that would make boat towing exempt, the state simply began clamping down on another little followed rule by boaters,, the " how much towing weight did you pay for on that commercial tag" game. The state of NC allows you to pay for as little or as much towing capacity as you want. If you pay for the minimum and then tow a 31' Contender up and down the road, and get stopped, you will pay a hefty fine.
Think they won't stop you? Wrong, they have a special group of troopers in jack-boots and military style black ODU's that target specifiaclly commercial traffic. How do I know? I was stopped on a rural country road outside a small agricultural town, and when I simply handed him my registration that showed, 20k lbs towing and he let me go.

Unfortunately, we have a vehicle only rated to tow 3500#. I have never towed before, and I know the text book answer is not to go over the rating. However, is there a rule of thumb for safely eclipsing this rating. 10%? Using a weiight distrubution system would also help, I am sure. I am an engineer that knows safety factors are used to build these vehicles, so I know I can go over, but my current belief is not to go over 10% (as this is typcially the minimum safety factor used generally in engineering design practices), although I know others go well over 10% (and I am not one to jump of the bridge just because someone else did). I also would not be abusing the vehicle on a regular basis by towing over capacity multiple times a week (no more than 10-15 times a year), although I do anticipate towing on extended trips (3-5 hours). I also realize braking is a key consideration in addition to cooling the transmission (we do have a cooler - factory installed).

I know this may seem like a silly question, but I would like experienced insight - so I can at least feel a bit more comfortable exceeding the towing capacity (whether by 10% or any other percent that seems reasonable).

Thank you all for your insight.

Heck, with that logic you should be able to increase your towing capacity by installing high load rating tires, right ?

OP, what's the vehicle and what's the boat? Have you had the boat properly weighed? As most EVERYONE here will tell you, adding the dry weight and your estimates of the rest of your gear/load is always, again, always, under the actual weight.

Is everyone on THT a claims adjuster...I suggest contacting your agent to find out what will not be covered, don't take the opinions of a bunch guys on the internet.

To the OP's questions, just buy a bigger truck. You will be happier and more comfortable in the end.

From my lurking on this board, the rule of thumb here is not to ever exceed 80% of your tow limits.

Liability aspects aside, I am sure any rig can exceed its stated limit with confidence....flame on :)
These limits are set by the manufacturers lawyers with limited interaction from the engineers and not the other way around. I bet if the attorneys decided to set 3500 it's because the engineers said something over 4000 would be perfect. They bake in a lot of wiggle room.

I'm not in anyway an expert on this as my rig is only rated at 1000 pounds and my towing is closer to 850 pounds. AND NO TRAILER BRAKES!!! :o

Then again I don't worry about the engine having enough power or braking ability...just the hitch ripping off my uni-body connection!

Flatout71...better check your policy language on abiding by the laws of the state! Read it carefully, every word. It's there.

Tow ratings are determined by a combination of marketing (what is the competitor's tow ratings), legal (how many lawsuits do we expect), finance (how many warranty repairs do we expect), and engineering (what do we expect to fail at what weights). Given two identical vehicles, different companies would rate them differently. Most of the tow ratings are by weight. A boat, utility trailer, cargo trailer, and travel trailer of the same weight will all tow differently. This gives the consumer little idea how a given vehicle really tows a given trailer unless they have actually towed a very similar trailer with a very similar vehicle.


Why would anyone think that your auto insurance company that is on the hook when you hit someone while running a red light, going the wrong way, drunk, at twice the speed limit, with an expired inspection sticker would also be on the hook if you exceed your transmission warranty rating by a few hundred pounds? Are all you posters saying your insurance coverage is valid, open minded thinkin liberals who research facts instead of post repeating what someone else posted on the forum? We don't welcome your kind around these parts. :nono:

Lets see,
Drunk, drugged, texting, (all at the same time) driving 140 in a 25mph school zone at 8:00am, your insurance is liable. Towing 1 or 100lbs over the assigned GCWR or trailer rating for the tow vehicle, insurance is NOT liable.
OK.

Your insurance company is ABSOLUTELY on the hook. You are covered when YOU run a red light and wreck! Or get sloppy drunk and wreck! Guys common sense prevails here. Whether you are drunk, run a red light, or tow over weight you are covered. All three are illegal. Your insurance company is on the hook with you. All accidents are the result of poor decisions..... Come on common sense prevails here.....

I do not suggest towing over weight. This is one senario you can avoid.

I am a bigger hammer guy and tow 6000 lbs with a diesel Excursion. My overweight towing days ended when I overloaded my S-10 pickup by 1500 lbs and needed a clutch pressure plate and flywheel for almost 2k.
If you are going any distance, don't exceed the tow ratings.
No one has mentioned getting the boat up off the ramp. You will have trouble on many ramps with a whimpy, overloaded 2wd vehicle.

No one has mentioned getting the boat up off the ramp. You will have trouble on many ramps with a whimpy, overloaded 2wd vehicle.

Excellent point. Especially on a steeper ramp.

Always good advice on ths forum. Some great safety conscience answers as well. I have several good friends that our attorneys/Insurance agents and when I looked into hauling a boat that exceeded the tow capacity of my F250 Ford Diesel, they were very quick to explain the "what-ifs" and the consequences for me an my family if I were to get into a wreck. IMO, this should be the biggest concern...hurting or even killing someone in an accident. For me, it just isn't worth it. Things can and do happen no matter how good of a driver you are. If you are worried about it, might be time to sell your current tow vehicle and get something that is suitable for the job.

Good luck.

I've seen a couple of trailers swinging back and forth in my rear view mirror, so I've learned all about jackknifed trailers. It's a helpless feeling. I'm also running a F250 diesel crew cab setup for towing.

We wish you'd said what vehicle you're towing with, and what you're towing.

Most of the low rated tow vehicles are FWD units--like minivans. Minivans are 4500 lbs. before the wife, 2.3 children, and all their junk overloads them--much less towing a boat behind them. Their trannys are weak and not setup to handle the heat towing produces. Many FWD vehicles have almost 300 hp, and technically they should be able to tow. Unfortunately, CV joints are not as strong as universal joints and rear axles. Remember, you've also got to be able to turn the vehicle under load--and even stop pulling a boat. Such vehicles just don't cut it towing boats, no matter how much horsepower they have.

You need to get a tow vehicle--or find a Enterprise or Budget Truck Rental that has pickups for rent.