6000 lbs 0n 7000lbs trailer?

[bw_wis]

Your Suburban should be factory wired for a brake controller.

On your suburban you can buy a break controller and a prebuilt wiring harness that plugs in behind the dash. I did it on my 01 Tahoe. It was really easy.

If you have the factory 7 pin RV plug installed you're set. If not you can also buy a kit that plugs into a harness up behind your bumper.

I remember some thing about the fuse but can't remember exactly what I had to do.

Total cost could be under $100 and less than an hour of install time.

I would spent a few buck on a good brake controller if you can afford it.

 

[RobertN]

Get that brake controller and test it before driving.

Before I got my trailer, I moved my small Kubota on a 7000lb 18' trailer. My tractor is less than 2500lbs with all the weights added up.

There was a broken wire on that trailer; brakes no worky. I had had to make an emergency braking maneuver when a little Honda cut me off bad. This was the only time I like Calif's 55mph towing limit, even though the rest of traffic could do 65mph.

I was lucky I was on a straight-away; I drive a 3/4 ton Dodge diesel 4x4. That ~4500lb trailer load pushed me around a lot. A lot more than I thought it would push a truck as heavy as mine. It had the anti locks brakes working on the truck.

Dad gummed little Honda driver probably never thought anything of it. Probably never noticed me trying to control the truck/trailer.

Since, I have hauled with my 7000lb 16' trailer maxxed out. Bobcat, concrete block ect. Worked just fine, but I would not touch it without brakes.

There were some pictures here of someone who wrecked with a big enclosed trailer. Or a business partner; can't remember. Car hit them, put them in the ditch.

You just never know when you are out on the road...

Get your brakes set up and make sure they work.

I got another week before to pick it up so I will find a controller. I looked at truck and it already has the wiring harness. Has a big blue, and red wire. A small blue, brown, and black wire. I guess that will match up with the controller?

 

[Baucom]

Brake Controller

Check them out if you're thinking of doing it yourself. The prices are good, their customer service line was great when I needed them, you get FREE 2nd day shipping & and free direct plug in harness that lets you just plug the harness into the truck (under the dash) and plug the other end into the back of the brake controller. I have a Tekonsha Primus in my Titan. for $100 the Tekonsha Primus iQ and the Valley Odyssey are good controllers IMO. You can spend more or less to fit your needs & budget, but anything will be better than the controller you have now.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Check these folks for instructions and the best prices on anything for towing. Personal fast service. Paul and his wife are the best. You can get hook up instructions in the help section.

R and P Carriages Trailer Sales, Service, Parts and Rentals

Chris

 

[heehaw]

i have the same situation: i weighed everything: an the total weight of the trailer with my tractor on it is 7800 lbs: thats 800 over the 7k rating: plus my 04, z71 is only rated at pulling 7k: i do have brakes on both axles, an make sure they work before i tow the tractor: but i really drive defensively when i am pulling this setup: i would like to trade up to a heavier capacity trailer, but they want way to much money considering what i can get for my 18ft trailer: plus i would probably be back to brakes on one axle. have even considered changing out the axles to two 5 or 6k rated.
heehaw

 

[JB4310]

i have the same situation: i weighed everything: an the total weight of the trailer with my tractor on it is 7800 lbs: that's 800 over the 7k rating: plus my 04, z71 is only rated at pulling 7k: i do have brakes on both axles, an make sure they work before i tow the tractor: but i really drive defensively when i am pulling this setup: i would like to trade up to a heavier capacity trailer, but they want way to much money considering what i can get for my 18ft trailer: plus i would probably be back to brakes on one axle. have even considered changing out the axles to two 5 or 6k rated.
heehaw

How did you weigh the trailer, Hooked to the truck or disconnected from the truck?

If it was uncoupled then you could put the traditional 10% on the hitch and that would put just 20 Pounds over on the axles. put the whole 800 on the hitch and you would be at the trailer's capacity, not over.
The only problem is with your truck rated at 7K towing, those ratings usually allow for zero extra Pay load in truck, so your CGVW would be that 7,000 plus the empty weight of the truck. So that 800 on the tongue would be that much over on the CGVW.

At least that's how it is on my Dodge, when I did the math for mine I figured I would have to be small super model to meet their claimed CGVW ratings, never mind have any tools in the truck.

If that weight you stated of 7800 was taken already hitched to the truck then you would be over on the trailer and CGVW of the truck truck by about 1600 LBS, not just the 800LBS.

That's if they use the same system as Dodge anyway.

As far as putting 5K axles in, you wouldn't be able to legally carry any more than the 7,000 unless you could prove the frame was rated for 10,000. And most likely isn't. Though some manufacturers might just use the same frame between their 7K and 10K trailers.

I have a kinda screwy situation in the rating on my 20 footer, the title says 9,000 but that's with tongue weight already considered, so total trailer and payload is only ~8,000, but the axles by all accounts are 5K each. called the manufacturer and asked if maybe this frame was rated for the 10 K and they said no. but at least I know if I'm overweight it's not the axles that are weakest link.
It would be the frame, and the tires, when I need new tires I will get the ones rated for 5 ton trailers, taking another weak link out of the equation.
I could always reinforce the frame to put myself at ease but I doubt that would fly with DMV.


JB.

 

[some zilch]

i have NEVER seen DOT harrass a private citizen doing non-commercial things, unless they are doing something down-right dangerous, or illegal. i dont know why people think dot is gonna pull over a suburban you are not going to stop at weigh-stations, so what would cause them to even look at what he is doing? i do heavy-haul trucking, and have spent countless hours dealing with DOT....they are not concerned with, and are often annoyed by having harry homeowner pull his 1/2 ton chevy and car trailer into a weigh station. i personally own a 1 ton truck with a "service body" on it, and routinly tow tractors, a small dozer, bobcats, etc on it. the entire rig is privately owned, and the truck has passenger plates. while the truck appears to be a commercial vehicle, i have never been questioned, and i often drive through a DOT saftey checkpoint 5 miles from my house.

I would be most concerned with the fact you have a 1/2 ton, and a trailer with no brakes. that trailer w/out brakes will push that truck all over the road. if your trailer had brakes, i'd load it up ad go

 

[heehaw]

i weighed my truck at the local feed mill: then put my trailer on an weighed both, then put my tractor on a weighed all three: that my not be exactly the right way to do it, but i bet its pretty close: close enough for me to change one axle with no brakes to one with brakes so i would have brakes on both axles: i had to put new wheel bearings in the rear of my truck at less than 30,000 miles, an i haven't pulled this combo over 400-600 miles:
heehaw

 

[FlaDon]

i have NEVER seen DOT harrass a private citizen doing non-commercial things, unless they are doing something down-right dangerous, or illegal. i dont know why people think dot is gonna pull over a suburban you are not going to stop at weigh-stations, so what would cause them to even look at what he is doing? i do heavy-haul trucking, and have spent countless hours dealing with DOT....they are not concerned with, and are often annoyed by having harry homeowner pull his 1/2 ton chevy and car trailer into a weigh station. i personally own a 1 ton truck with a "service body" on it, and routinly tow tractors, a small dozer, bobcats, etc on it. the entire rig is privately owned, and the truck has passenger plates. while the truck appears to be a commercial vehicle, i have never been questioned, and i often drive through a DOT saftey checkpoint 5 miles from my house.

I would be most concerned with the fact you have a 1/2 ton, and a trailer with no brakes. that trailer w/out brakes will push that truck all over the road. if your trailer had brakes, i'd load it up ad go

Just because a Suburban has no lettering on it, doesn't make it non-comm. So bypass the weigh stations and see if the guy with the blue lights comes out at your own risk. But when they do, expect to spend more time getting inspected than you would have spent getting weighed. In Florida, I've seen it happen. Then just because you didn't pull in, you might have to go back and go thru it twice or the portable scales might come out. Florida has an "All Commercial Vehicles" get weighed and you'd have to prove to the DOT cop's satisfaction that you are non-Comm. A farm tractor on a trailer looks commercial to most. Freightliner towing rigs get stopped if no RV in tow and questioned. Run the ag inspection station and you get it too. And the same applies to the rental trucks and trailers. The Ag station makes you open up if a rental and have a special lane for them. I've been there and been weighed and inspected in both setups. And I'm non-Comm driving a 1-ton dually and a dual axle enclosed trailer but have a CDL due to my former jobs. Not once have I had the weigh stations tell me not to come in in Fl, Ga, SC, NC, VA, WV. And have had to hit the scale for a stationary weighing more times than not. YMMV depending on your state.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Just because a Suburban has no lettering on it, doesn't make it non-comm. So bypass the weigh stations and see if the guy with the blue lights comes out at your own risk. But when they do, expect to spend more time getting inspected than you would have spent getting weighed. In Florida, I've seen it happen. Then just because you didn't pull in, you might have to go back and go thru it twice or the portable scales might come out. Florida has an "All Commercial Vehicles" get weighed and you'd have to prove to the DOT cop's satisfaction that you are non-Comm. A farm tractor on a trailer looks commercial to most. Freightliner towing rigs get stopped if no RV in tow and questioned. Run the ag inspection station and you get it too. And the same applies to the rental trucks and trailers. The Ag station makes you open up if a rental and have a special lane for them. I've been there and been weighed and inspected in both setups. And I'm non-Comm driving a 1-ton dually and a dual axle enclosed trailer but have a CDL due to my former jobs. Not once have I had the weigh stations tell me not to come in in Fl, Ga, SC, NC, VA, WV. And have had to hit the scale for a stationary weighing more times than not. YMMV depending on your state.

I have never been weighed or stopped towing about 10,000 miles a year in IN, IL, MI, OH, KY, TN, GA, PA, MO, and a few other states. Big thing around here is if you have a ZTR on a trailer you are getting pulled over. No brakes on the trailer, break-away, or DOT #'s you are impounded. They have been harassing the lawn guys for the last 2 years. I could pass one of these cops pulling anything else 2 times over weight on a junk trailer and they would not bat a eye. Go figure.

Chris