Towing A Trailer Rated More Than A Vehicle Can Tow

Is it legal to tow the trailer empty? Yes if it has registration plates on it.

Is it legal to tow the trailer with 7,500 lb load? Yes

I'm pretty sure "legally" you can tow anything you want with any vehicle, as long as the hitch set-up, chains, lights, break-away cables, etc. are all legal.

Even a small Chevy S-10 can pull a 20,000 pound travel trailer. (yes it can).... the question is, .... "HOW FAR?" will it tow before the transmission breaks or the engine explodes.

Another factor to consider is the braking ability of the tow vehicle. Does the vehicle have enough "umph" to adequately stop the trailer in tow? One would think the brakes on a trailer would be adequate to stop the trailer on it own. The fact is, that's not necessarily true. When momentum gets the trailer going, it takes and equal counter force to stop it! What happens (IF) the trailer brakes goes out.

Not too long ago I forgot to plug in the pig tail on the trailer. We got withing 20 miles from home when someone flagged me down as I was making a turn into a grocery store parking lot. He said my trailer lights were out. I checked. I forgot to plug in the pig tail. I had no clue! The truck braked the trailer well enough, I didn't even realize I had no brakes in the trailer. I plugged in and THEN I really noticed the difference ... DUH! This was the only time I missed plugging in the camper. Hope I never do it again!

Point being, my truck was big enough and heavy enough, that even without trailer brakes, the truck was more than sufficient to stop both truck and trailer by itself. Any vehicle that cannot do this (in my opinion) is simply too small for the trailer being towed.

Edit: I just read the first responded post. Maybe I misunderstood. If you overload the bed of your truck more than the rating of your license plate, yes you are illegal.

If you overload a trailer more than it's rated amount, yes, you are illegal.

In Indiana, my 3500 dually can be licensed at 12,000 pounds, 10,000 pounds, or 7,000 pounds. As the weight limits of my truck indicate a payload a little more than 12,000, I decided to license it at the 12,000 tag. I pay more for sure. If I licensed it at the 7,000 license plate rating, the entire truck and with it's payload cannot exceed 7,000 pounds or I'm illegal.

By the way, the weight of a trailer is not included in those weights. I learned this too. Weight limit applies only if loading something like, dirt or gavel, that does not have a separate license plate or wheels touch the ground.

32vld wrote:
Example you have a pickup rated to tow 9,500 lb.

You have a trailer that weighs 2,000 lb and is rated
to carry an 8,000 lb load. So the trailer and load is
10,000 lb.

Is it legal to tow the trailer empty?

Is it legal to tow the trailer with 7,500 lb load?

Yes, and Yes.
IF the truck is registered for the weight that it is carrying when the trailer is connected (actual truck weight + cargo weight + trailer tongue weight = truck GVW) That GVW MUST be at or less than the registered GVW to be legal.

Manufacturs GCWR have NO basis in what you can tow etc. You are legal to the axel wt limits. Generally speaking, assuming you have a paid for plate that includes a max tare amount, you will get to 20K per axel, 34K per tandem, and no less than 500 lbs per inch width of tire. THat is how states are supposed to max weight vehicles per the engineer road bed limit of roads, bridges etc.

As noted, if you go over engineers limits, you will have lower handling, performance etc.

BUT, pulling a trailer OVER manufactures limits is legal. Happens all the time, with very few issues. BUT, you warranty from the manufacture may be null and void if you are really over the limits and it can be shown that this caused the part to break. You are not on the hook to pay for repairs.

Simple answer, reasonably simple answer, but not.

marty

There is another issue here that is often overlooked. Civil liability. We live in a highly litigious society. It's why we all have to carry umbrella policies. Should you get into an injury or death related accident, even if not your fault, if it's discovered that you were towing weight over the manufacturer's set limits, you are setting yourself up to be sued. Yes your insurance will cover you. Then drop you like a hot potato and put you on a blacklist.

I did this for a long time (14 years)... Truck rated at 10,000 lbs for a 5th wheel. The 5th wheel was 15,000lbs. It worked but I had to be alert at all times. The biggest problem was stopping especially on a 6% + downhill. Even in first gear going downhill I would overheat the brakes on a long stretch by the time I reached the bottom no trailer or truck brakes to speak of.

Safety and reliability are the biggest concerns.

I will never do that again.

Campfire Time wrote:
There is another issue here that is often overlooked. Civil liability. We live in a highly litigious society. It's why we all have to carry umbrella policies. Should you get into an injury or death related accident, even if not your fault, if it's discovered that you were towing weight over the manufacturer's set limits, you are setting yourself up to be sued. Yes your insurance will cover you. Then drop you like a hot potato and put you on a blacklist.

And that NEVER happens. First the trailer in question would have to be weighed at the scene to prove it was over weight. Not a good way to do that. Second. manufacturer's weight ratings are NOT law. they are warranty limits only. Auto makers do not write law.
And as has been asked on this site a million times. Give a real world example of someone being sued because their TT was too heavy. There are none.

And My brother's wife's brother's friend had a friend that had a friend that knew a guy who had a brother who knew a guy who got sued. That don't count. Has to be first hand knowledge

Terryallan wrote:

Campfire Time wrote:
There is another issue here that is often overlooked. Civil liability. We live in a highly litigious society. It's why we all have to carry umbrella policies. Should you get into an injury or death related accident, even if not your fault, if it's discovered that you were towing weight over the manufacturer's set limits, you are setting yourself up to be sued. Yes your insurance will cover you. Then drop you like a hot potato and put you on a blacklist.

And that NEVER happens. First the trailer in question would have to be weighed at the scene to prove it was over weight. Not a good way to do that. Second. manufacturer's weight ratings are NOT law. they are warranty limits only.

Actually there is case precedent. Many cases. Also accident reconstruction vans do carry scales that I've seen. Being legal is only one factor considered for liability. Reference standards are often cited as well (i.e. SAE, ASME, FMVSS etc). Granted, being over on GCWR only is unlikely to be a red flag, but exceeding tire, axle, or hitch ratings could be a violation of one or more of those reference standards.

Here as 6 cases here. Most were work-related, however the last case was recreational.
http://www.hardworkingtrucks.com/improperly-equipped-pickups-costing-businesses-millions-in-lawsuits/

Easy to answer; just change the word "legal" to "responsible" because legal is an opinion that an attorney and judge will eventually have to answer when you are in court. Being responsible will prevent you from ever having to answer the legal question.

And that NEVER happens. First the trailer in question would have to be weighed at the scene to prove it was over weight. Not a good way to do that.

Ohh but they CAN and DO!

I have seen DOT pull out their portable scales time and time again right in front of my house, when some of the big trucks decided to use our street to skirt the interstate scales.

Portable and can weigh the big boys so my guess is that they can easily weigh a TT if called in to do so.