Towing this with 3/4 ton

fly-boy wrote:
Nahhhhh- I just don't hold to "rules" much when most of them are set under the guise "set these ratings so that even the missing link can drive this thing."

So much of towing really comes down to driving experience, driving habits etc. Lots of people would not be safe towing a pop up trailer with DRW. On the other hand- have seen a number of 14-15 year old kids towing harvesters behind 25 year old half ton trucks- safely!

Somewhere along the lines a modicum of common sense has to factor into these things- There is a gray area.

Bingo! Any combination of vehicles you are towing should "feel" comfortable and controled for the speed you are traveling. It is pretty obvious when there is a miss match. Some folks live and die by the numbers and that is their choice and i respect that.

When you enter the realm of towing more weight than the tow vehicle, the trailer brakes should stop the trailer supplemented by the tow rig. It will no doubt take longer to stop and distances need to be constantly monitored.

I tow with a 2500 gm diesel, air bags and 3750lb tires. I've been all over the western us towing a 38' hauler without so much as a hickup.(knocks on wood) It is important to know your equipment, and realize there is no fudge factor. Everything must be up to par and know you will need to exit the roadway if there is an issue, until its corrected. My set up is rock solid towing under all conditions, I,ve been in them all.

That said, i'll probably try a dually next time around for the safety of 2 tires on each side along with a little cooler tire temps while running. I would expect it to feel slightly more stable due to the width of the rear axle but dont expect it to be huge, i'm not unstable now.

The thing i find amusing is if, god forbid, things go terribly wrong while towing a 14-18k trailer, the trailer is going to go where it wants dually or not!

So were back to proper towing distance and a safe speed for conditions.