Towing nightmare!!!

[J Starsky]

That dude that day could killed us with the skin of a washing machine - dead right there, you gotta live it to believe me! Plus his crap o' chevy loaded over 1/2 ton is bad. Very bad.

His summation of "that'll do" is not good enough with my life. I cannot JustRelax about it, buddy. There is no way that is right, legal or anywhere close to a good idea.

 

[JustRelax]

I agree with you completely in that instance. It sounds like an absolutely unsafe condition.

 

[BikeNFish]

But to say that doing this is going to cause an accident and if so be taken to the cleaners or kill someone as an inevitability is also incorrect.

No one has said it to be inevitable, but one should know the risk.

Raising risk to yourself is one thing, but raising the risk to others around you is unacceptable. Survival of the fittest shouldn't mean that you take me out at the same time you take yourself out.

 

[BikeNFish]

FYI -

This just in, straight from a Washington County Minnesota Deputy Sheriff friend of mine (been a close friend for 50 years):

My question: "Can you ticket someone pulling a camper that exceeds the tow vehicle tow rating?"

Deputy's answer: "Yes. Plus ... If the weight of your vehicle and the trailer exceed 10001 lbs, it is considered a commercial vehicle now in MN .....Big Fines !!!!"

 

[JustRelax]

I am in agreement with you on big loads, unsafe loads. 10k is nothing to mess around with.

I’m talking about vehicles with 1500 tow limits at 2000, 3500 tow limits at 4000. It needs to be looked at instance by instance. A 3500 lb vehicle pulling a 4200 lb loaded hard side is a terrible idea, but that same vehicle can tow a 3800 lb large loaded pop up with brakes a couple hours to a campground a few times a year by taking it easy without putting anyone in peril any more than a 9600 lb rated truck pulling an 8800 lb loaded trailer to the same camp ground and never have an officer blink an eye at the setup. Yes it’s going to wear the vehicle faster but it’s going to be ok getting to the campsite. I’m going to bow out of the conversation now. The op if still around has enough information to decide what they feel comfortable doing.

 

[BikeNFish]

Yes it’s going to wear the vehicle faster but it’s going to be ok getting to the campsite.

You think that towing illegally is OK. Got it! We will have to agree to disagree.

 

[supersaiyan93]

I personally think that sometimes factory tow ratings are a little TOO generous.

I used to own a double-cab long-bed 2006 Toyota Tacoma that had the factory tow package, and a tow rating of 6400 lbs.

I bought a used TT at the time that weighed 4,000 lbs fully loaded, and therefor was comfortably under my tow limit. I had Goodyear Ride-Rite airbags on the rear axle, a weight distribution hitch, and electric brakes on the trailer with a good brake controller.

Towing with that thing was a white-knuckle experience every single time I took it out. I couldn't go over 60 mph. I always felt I was in a tail-wags-the dog situation. I couldn't drive past a gas station since I got a whopping 8 mpg with this rig, which combined with the pitifully small gas tank on a Tacoma, gave a range of right at 100 miles. (Brakes were great though. I could stop on a dime with the controller dialed in correctly).

My point is that sometimes, manufacturers go a little nuts with the tow ratings (especially with the competitive light truck market), so using a little common sense about what feels right TO YOU is very important. Yes, even if you are within the posted limits.

These days I have a 4Runner (that coincidentally has the same type of engine that my old Tacoma had), and I pull a 1,500 lb Aliner, and it's MUCH BETTER.

 

[Toedtoes]

I think the point is that we (people) should not be encouraging others (people) to go over their tow ratings regardless of the actual weight.

The tow ratings are listed so that people don't overload their on-road vehicles and trailers. That is so they don't destroy their equipment and come running to the manufacturers complaining AND to prevent accidents on the road and come come running to the manufacuters whining "but you didn't say it was unsafe" when they get the blame for that accident.

We (strangers on the internet) should be following that common sense of recommending people stay within those ratings. If an individual understands enough about their vehicle and their driving ability and then decides to ignore those ratings, then it's on them.

But to tell a stranger "go ahead and ignore those ratings" is different. You are telling others that a rating doesn't matter with no clue if they understand the logic behind it OR have the ability to handle an overloaded vehicle. So if they then get in an accident because of that overloading, are you willing to say "my fault, I told him/her it was OK" or are you going to say " not my fault"?

 

[JustRelax]

You think that towing illegally is OK. Got it! We will have to agree to disagree.

I don’t think it’s actually illegal...

 

[1380ken]

Pot is legal in MA

 

[J Starsky]

Pot is legal in MA

It's fine everywhere if you don't overload, right?

BUT, stay away from the Labrador - heard it was pretty bad in a movie once...

 

[BikeNFish]

I don’t think it’s actually illegal...

Again, it is here in Minnesota.

FYI -

This just in, straight from a Washington County Minnesota Deputy Sheriff friend of mine (been a close friend for 50 years):

My question: "Can you ticket someone pulling a camper that exceeds the tow vehicle tow rating?"

Deputy's answer: "Yes."

 

[1380ken]

Just because someone is a Sheriff doesn't mean he is not wrong.

 

[J Starsky]

Don't shoot the Sherriff unless it's in self defense! Deputy is fine I hear

 

[BikeNFish]

Just because someone is a Sheriff doesn't mean he is not wrong.

 

[J Starsky]

There will be an answer.... Let it be... dumb dumb dumb dumb....

 

[BikeNFish]

There will be an answer.... Let it be... dumb dumb dumb dumb....

 

[JustRelax]

There will be an answer.... Let it be... dumb dumb dumb dumb....

Hilarious. Someone has a different opinion than you and it’s automatically dumb. It is possible to be a bit over weight and safely transport the trailer a few times a year. That’s not a dumb thought. Realty is that it happens all the time without incident.

 

[Bowman3d]

Hilarious. Someone has a different opinion than you and it’s automatically dumb. It is possible to be a bit over weight and safely transport the trailer a few times a year. That’s not a dumb thought. Realty is that it happens all the time without incident.

Yup and people pass stopped school busses all the time and nothing happens but then there is that one time a kid steps out from behind the bus and gets hit who do you think is at fault? But it’s ok because you weren’t speeding right?

 

[Snow]

Wow.. some folks are really are tards.. Has to be something in y'alls drinking water placed there by Trump or Obama, whichever of the two hate..

So a member on here reaches out to his buddy for an answer to please the jackasses who keep wanting "proof" and the jackasses dont like the answer and call it and the law enforcement officer B. S..