trailer weights

[jodiTowne]

Looking at a trailer that weighs 3500 lbs. I have a dodge durango V8 (not hemi) that can tow 5850 lbs. I will mostly be trailering 1 paso, but who knows what the future holds. My trailering activities will be usually within 2 hours of my place and occasional ...like once monthly.

Does this trailer sound reasonable? It's obviously heavier than others I've looked at, but does have a dressing room and is AFFORDABLE to me. I just don't want to have trouble pulling it once I get a horse or two on board.

Thanks!!!

[Linda Y]

Someone else is going to tell you all the mechanics of the thing, but don't 'undertruck' yourself. It isn't so much the weight of the trailer and stuff you are pulling, but the weight of the tow vehicle. Your truck could probably pull the trailer fine, but could it stop it? Of course you will have trailer brakes, but you will still get the feeling of being pushed by the trailer if it is too big for the truck. The Durango is a smallish truck, body wise. Any way you may be able to replace it with a larger one?

[Rose Mary Axell]

I have a half ton camper van with a 360 V8 that I pull my trailer with. My trailer is a 14 foot 2 horse slant load, with an enclosed tack room at the front. It is a steel trailer and weighs just over 3000lbs. I have no problem pulling 2 bigger Paso Finos (2000 lbs) on the flats and through small hills, but I would probably be underpowered going through the mountains.

[CarolU]

The consequences of being undertrucked can be a rollover, both your trailer and truck.

Don't exceed the tow capacity or bumper weight. The truck is rated.

[lisa l aka marci]

What I also found helped was gtting a weight distribution hitch - sway bars that attach to the hitch and teh trailer. This helps level out the towing vehicle and trailer, and lesens any sway.....I used this when I towed with my Ford Explorer (towed too much, but it did it for the few times I towed).....I still use it even with my 2500HD pickup for long trips.......

[siegel]

I had the non-hemi Durango with a 5.9 L V8 and went everywhere with my Paso in a Moritz stock-combo steel trailer of about that weight:

http://www.pitt.edu/~siegel/mytrailer.jpg

I used a weigh distribution hitch and never had a problem with underpower or cross-winds. The hitch actually kept the rear of the Durango up enough to save my rim when I had a rear wheel blow-out:

http://www.pitt.edu/~siegel/blowouttire.jpg

You should be sure that the truck has the appropriate trailering package.

[Mellifluous]

Don't worry about what the truck can pull. The real issue is what can it stop?

[lisa l aka marci]

Don't worry about what the truck can pull. The real issue is what can it stop?

Very TRUE! Need to make sure the trailer brakes are up to par..... - I've had brake work done on my trailer, had to have 2 sets of drum pads replaced last year - one was literally falling apart! Yes, my truck would stop the trailer, but if I tried to stop it with another vehicle, well.......who knows what might have happened!

Also, check the tongue weight for the trailer and the tow vehicle - when I first hooked up my trailer to my Explorer, I actually had the trailer hitch BEND from the weight.....thsi was before I knew better.....thankfully no damage was done, and that was when I got the weight distribution hitch - no more problems.....I also didn't haul more than one horse at a time after that.

[PASOFAN]

I have a Dodge Dakota V8, have to find a trailer under 3k lbs! I found one too, they are called:

CM dakota's. new in 2006 I believe, only 2985lbs, 3 horse stock too, w/tack room... That is maxing out my truck, I usually only trailer 2 horses, but the occasional 3...

I havent bought this trailer yet, I have my 2 horse for sale for $1500 now...
http://www.americanpasofinos.com/info.php?id=289

[jodiTowne]

Pasofan....that trailer looks just like my old one but it was red.....and "homeade" HaHa!!

Thanks for everyones input. I called both the dealer and a trailer hitch shop and they reassured me I am fine. He said the durango is excellent for towing and that's what I had read on edmunds.com. Not positive I am getting the trailer, but wanted some input to help with my decision. My ideal is to find an aluminum one, this is galvanized steel.

Maybe I'll win the lottery. (Note to self....buy ticket)

Thanks

[Beth Worden]

AH HA!! I bet I know where this trailer is....LOL.

[Mellifluous]

Ok, just gonna give my opinion here.

I don't think the Durango is a suitable towing vehicle for most 2 horse trailers. It would be fine for a Brenderup or something similar. The GCWR is not that high and you have to remember that the number includes the weight that would be behind it plus any additional weight in the vehicle itself. I would also not trust the weight for a trailer that is quoted by the manufacturer. Those numbers can be way off. Better to actually weigh the trailer and see what it is.

I think the closest that I would want to get to a vehicle's GCWR would be 60% at the most. I would be looking for a larger towing vehicle. My personal opinion is that horses should not be towed in a trailer by anything less than a 3/4 ton truck. It is safer and the vehicle will last longer.

[Cindy]

Don't listen to the dealer. They always undervehicle people who are pulling horse trailers. They are salesmen, not horse haulers. I agree with Mel entirely.

[motorgypsy]

Since you guys are discussing trailers we have the same problem. We're looking at trailers and have found a couple we really like that weigh in at around 4k to 4.5k on scales. We have a Toyota Tundra (it's full sized, not the baby toyota) with the towing package rated at 7200 pounds. It pulls our 2 horse fully loaded with ease. It's a steel that the manufacturer says weighs 2300 pounds, our horses and gear add another 2k I'm sure. We will be getting a new truck in a year or so but want the new trailer now. We won't put more than two horses in it and we won't load it up. the problem is the trailer is out of state so we can't try towing it. Have any of you towed a 4k trailer plus 1600 pounds of horses (our guys are small) with a truck rated at 7200 pounds??? It's an aluminum bumper pull stock 3 horse by the way.

[jodiTowne]

Thanks for all the input. I went to bed last night knowing I was going to turn down the trailer but with some reservation, but my decision was made for me. The lady decided not to sell the trailer at this time.

I will go back to looking for an aluminum that my vehicle can easily handle.

[CarolU]

Believe me, you don't want to have to rely on your trailer breaks. I was on a camping trip and someone (no one fessed up to it) tripped over my trailer wire and riped it out of the plug. I hauled 3 horses, steel 3-horse slant, and a camper DOWN the mountain with no trailer breaks. Believe me, lots of people behind me were PO'd that I drove down the busy canyon in a low gear, but we made it safely.

Downhill is much more a safety issue then uphill is.