How "safe" to be a little overweight?

[craigNC]

Hello everybody --

Not a trick question, but I need some advice from people with experience!

I will be getting a JD2320 with implements that will weigh about 3,600 pounds all together. I will need to upgrade my existing utility trailer to carry anything more than the tractor and MMM alone. I don't expect to trailer the whole rig except to evacuate my equipment from a flood-prone property before hurricanes.

My problem is that my tow vehicle has a stated towing capacity of only 5,000 pounds. Naturally I thought I should restrict myself to a 1,400 pound (or less) trailer. My trailer dealer says that I can still use a trailer weighing1,500-2,000 pounds empty and that I shouldn't worry about being 100 to 600 pounds over my towing capacity since it would be a short (90 mile) haul in the flat coastal plain.

How I answer this question may make the difference between looking hard at aluminum trailers ($$$) or considering the PJ utility (dual axle, with brakes of course) or carhauler trailers that my dealer is recommending.

It doesn't feel right to "plan" to use my fully loaded trailer at 10% overweight for the vehicle. How worried should I be?

 

[dieselfuelonly]

Craig, what vehicle are you towing with?

 

[SnowRidge]

What is the actual hitch rating on your tow vehicle? Example: I have a four cylinder truck rated to tow 3,500 lbs, but its hitch is rated at 5,000 lbs. If your tow vehicle's hitch is rated at less that than the gross towed weight, you may be placing yourself in legal jeopardy.

 

[EddieWalker]

If somebody pulls out in front of you and you slam on the breaks, you may or may not stop in time. It's a crap shoot that you are taking every time you hit the road overloaded.

Odds are that you might get away with it, but are you willing to take the chance that if you have to stop in a hurry, will somebody die? Probably not you, but what about a kid in the passenger seat of the car that pulls out in front of you?

It might happen no matter what you are driving, or how far under the legal limit you are, but being illegal, you could end up in jail for a very long time, face finacial ruin and of course, live with the guilt of that accident.

Sometimes we can get away with a shortcut or take a chance that we know we shouldn't, but I think 90 miles with a load more then the vehicle is rated for is just pushing your luck beyond an acceptible level.

Eddie

 

[craigNC]

EddieWalker -- my thoughts (fears) exactly!

Dennis and Snowridge -- Honda Ridgeline (V6, AWD) with factory Honda hitch ... haven't verified yet but would expect that the supplied hitch is rated for the full 5,000 capacity (Class 3, I'm using a 2 inch ball). I use the standard 5-pin connector for my 5x10 utility trailer but the hitch has a round 7-pin connector built in.

So are we in for a long aluminum utility trailer discussion? I believe some of the PJ trailers might weigh only about 1,200 to 1,400 but I'd need at least a 16 foot flat deck and very possibly a dovetail to make loading the fully-"implemented" tractor rig easier.

Closest Featherlite ($$$$$$) dealer that I am aware of is about 2 hours away ...

 

[SnowRidge]

EddieWalker -- my thoughts (fears) exactly!

Dennis and Snowridge -- Honda Ridgeline (V6, AWD) with factory Honda hitch ... haven't verified yet but would expect that the supplied hitch is rated for the full 5,000 capacity (Class 3, I'm using a 2 inch ball). I use the standard 5-pin connector for my 5x10 utility trailer but the hitch has a round 7-pin connector built in.

So are we in for a long aluminum utility trailer discussion? I believe some of the PJ trailers might weigh only about 1,200 to 1,400 but I'd need at least a 16 foot flat deck and very possibly a dovetail to make loading the fully-"implemented" tractor rig easier.

Closest Featherlite ($$$$$$) dealer that I am aware of is about 2 hours away ...

My point, which I could have worded better, was that the hitch may have a higher rating than the overall vehicle. The hitch tends to be the limiter as far as the authorities are concerned. But, the vehicle manufacturers sometimes have lower ratings for the vehicle as a whole than that of the hitch because of the way the vehicle is equipped. For example, some vehicles have a lower rating simply because they have a manual transmission, instead of an automatic.

It's not a safety issue; it's a perceived wear issue.

You should check and be aware of what the hitch rating is, if it is different than the vehicle as a whole.

 

[MikeD74T]

At my workplace is a 17000k trailer/pump that we pull with a Chevy 3500 dumptruck. Somewhere on the Chevrolet website there's a towing guide that allows a 25% overweight if kept under 20 mph. Don't quote me on those exact numbers but the allowance allows us to tow the trailer on private property & be OSHA compliant. You got to figure that any regulation has a safety factor built in, how much of that you use depends on what other accomodations you are willing to make. On our worksite loads of nearly 300k lbs have been moved but none exceeded 5mph. Just remember that safe isn't necessarily legal and legal isn't necessarily safe.
For longevity & safety I'd rather have a trailer 10% under loaded than over. MikeD74T

 

[Rara Avis]

Hello everybody --

Not a trick question, but I need some advice from people with experience!

I will be getting a JD2320 with implements that will weigh about 3,600 pounds all together. I will need to upgrade my existing utility trailer to carry anything more than the tractor and MMM alone. I don't expect to trailer the whole rig except to evacuate my equipment from a flood-prone property before hurricanes.

My problem is that my tow vehicle has a stated towing capacity of only 5,000 pounds. Naturally I thought I should restrict myself to a 1,400 pound (or less) trailer. My trailer dealer says that I can still use a trailer weighing1,500-2,000 pounds empty and that I shouldn't worry about being 100 to 600 pounds over my towing capacity since it would be a short (90 mile) haul in the flat coastal plain.

How I answer this question may make the difference between looking hard at aluminum trailers ($$$) or considering the PJ utility (dual axle, with brakes of course) or carhauler trailers that my dealer is recommending.

It doesn't feel right to "plan" to use my fully loaded trailer at 10% overweight for the vehicle. How worried should I be?

Well all the safety considerations aside...a Transmission rebuild runs about $2000 today...

 

[CurlyDave]

I looked up your Ridgeline on Google and the wikipedia entry for it has this little gem:

The Ridgeline is the only car-based pickup in the United States and Canada until General Motors gets a pickup variant of the Pontiac G8 for the 2010 model year.

The boldface is mine, but I would adhere carefully to the manufacturer's specs for a car-based pickup.

My F-150 has a trailer rating of 7400 lbs, and I know that if I get even close to that number handling goes to he11.

Speed is important and I know that everything feels a lot better at 45 than at 55.

I would think along the lines of a bigger truck, I wish I had an F-250 or even an F-350. But I don't so I am installing air bag helper springs on the F-150, and going to 10 ply truck tires with a load rating 1.5 times that of the passenger car tires the truck came with. This won't increase the spec rating by even one ounce, but I am hoping it will improve the handling enough to make the whole rig safer.

 

[Skyco]

Well all the safety considerations aside...a Transmission rebuild runs about $2000 today...

Honda transmissions are already considered weak by many and I can promise you a Ridgeline one will be WAY more than $2000
Ignoring the safety aspects for a moment-
*IF* the tractor will be hauled *only* in the event of an approaching hurricane I'd not be as concerned about transmission longevity, and I would change the expensive proprietary Honda trans fluid right after any such haul. I would also only use a trailer with brakes. Figure you will need them in the stop and go traffic fleeing an approaching hurricane.

Do ya' know anyone with a truck to borrow or a place to rent one in case of such need? Hire a rollback?