not will it tow, but will it stop

[freddyray21]

I see a lot of threads on here where members are asking will my vehicle tow X. The question is not so much will my vehicle tow X, but will it stop it not under normal conditions, but a panic stop, down hill stop ect. I have a 1972 Searay SRV 180 I/O and I can push it into the garage myself so a pretty light vehicle can tow it, but I also know that stopping it is another thing altogether. A lot of people post where they tow their boats (2000 lbs +) with 4 cyl Rangers ,their mini van ect. and I just hope you are not doing it in my neighborhood and have to stop them quick.

 

[lowkee]

Re: not will it tow, but will it stop

Good point. Any vehicle can tow a trailer with (working) brakes. You start towing a heavy trailer (with no brakes) with a light vehicle and you'll quickly realize you aren't pulling the boat nearly as much as the boat is pushing you.

A crude example:

4,000lb vehicle + 3,000lb boat = 7,000lbs of resistance on four tires when braking slowly (1G)
4,000lb vehicle + 3,000lb boat = 21,000lbs (10 tons!) of resistance on those same four tires and brake pads when braking quickly (3Gs)

The real danger comes into play when you realize the latter example equates to 9,000lbs pushing on your vehicle while you are trying to stop. I think everyone here has had to slam the brakes at one point of another, just imagine trying to also stop a car behind you as well and added distance that would require.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: not will it tow, but will it stop

That is why my trailer brakes are always in tip top shape. I have Kodiak disks with a electric/hydraulic controller. I tow a 7000# max load with a 1/2T Chevy pickup so the truck needs all the help it can get.

 

[JB]

Re: not will it tow, but will it stop

Good points, Freddyray.

It is worth noting that a trailer rig weighing 3,000 pounds without brakes is illegal everywhere, but one with brakes that are improperly adjusted or just plain don't work is even more dangerous than one with no brakes to begin with.

 

[642mx]

Re: not will it tow, but will it stop

Very true. last weekend I was taking my boat back to our barn and a stupid cat ran out in front of me. It was the neighbors cat and I didn't want to run it over so I slammed the brakes on.... at that point I was glad I bought the 1/2 ton that has the biggest brakes in its class. The cat lived...

 

[Knightgang]

Re: not will it tow, but will it stop

I get your post here and I fully agree with your post. People should consider the stopping ability of their tow vehicle while pulling their rig.

However, I can tell you that while you may be able to stop it, no matter what, it will not stop anywhere near as well as the vehilce will while unloaded. To think that it can, trailer brakes or not is totally absurd...

I say this because I tow a 24' enclosed trailer everyday for my business. Loaded with my equipment, it weighs in at about 8500lbs. I have a 3/4 ton Chevy and it is rated for the load and is fully capable. That said, the trailer also has trailer brakes on both axles...Normal stopping is just fine... Quick stopping is okay as well, but a panic stop, forget it. I can get it slowed, but defensive driving and always looking for an out to try to avoid a situation is a must. No only for me but for anyone that tows, defensive driving and avoidance manuevers need to be constantly running through your mind... Most other drivers do not give the proper courtesy to someone that is towing nor do they allow the space neccessary when pulling out in front of a load like mine traveling at posted speed limits... At least once a week I have to do something to avoind a possible collision due to the stupidity of other drivers...

 

[dave11]

Re: not will it tow, but will it stop

As you say, you can tow almost anything if you apply enough power. But look out if you have to stop!!!!!!! That is why most people suggest a larger towing capacity than the minimum. It isn't overkill, it is safety.

 

[QC]

Re: not will it tow, but will it stop

Yup!

 

[marlboro180]

Re: not will it tow, but will it stop

I couldn't agree more. Panic stops are very tricky with a properly set up rig, even trickier with a marginal rig.
I wonder though, who out there has ever gone to a parking lot and hit the hooks hard while trying to avoid an "imaginary" obstacle? WITH their precious boat in tow?
I have , and towing the same boat with two different vehicles resulted in very different results, even though their "ratings" are well in excess of the boat in tow.
Very enlightening. I recommend it to anyone who is concerned about "will X vehicle tow/ stop / pull boat X?"

 

[199q]

Re: not will it tow, but will it stop

I agree, people tend to push the limits. another thing to remember is that, almost every boat needs some form of braking system.

The law in California is trailer brakes on everything over 1500.

almost everywhere else its 3000 pounds.

I have brakes on everything I tow, my jeep cherokee is pretty bad at stopping by its self, add a 3500 boat (my boat) and camping gear? Forget it!

brakes are a cheap insurance, to a very very costly problem, yeah you may get away with it but at what cost, to your safety and the safety of others? you can add surge brakes for about 500 or so if you are handy and probably around 700 for a shop to do it. It will never stop / handle like a fully unloaded vehicle, but brakes are needed to make that accident avoidance into a acceptable range, to reasonably avoid an accident.

I think many people on this forum are safe, and act responsibly. its the people who don't know better that really scare me! There are some scary people out there, and not because they intentionally do it, its just that they don't know better, they never really learned newton's 1st laws properly

 

[jkust]

Re: not will it tow, but will it stop

The subject here is the reason I upgraded to a legit tow vehicle from a minivan aside from the ramp issues. The van towed the load but I am glad I never had to do any emergency maneuvers the half season I towed with it. The very first long distance tow with my new tow vehicle made me thank God I got it when I did after a worst case scenario emergency avoidance maneuver when a hay truck pulled out in front of us on vacation. I think until you tow with an appropriate tow vehicle, everyone naturally believes their tow vehicle is adequate.

 

[Subliminal]

Re: not will it tow, but will it stop

Yep...big concern! We bought a 08 Equinox AWD (3500 Lb towing capacity) and recently purchased a boat (that we haven't gotten yet). Even though boats in the 18 ft or smaller size rarely have trailer brakes, I made it an issue.

I haven't tried pulling it yet (get it next spring) but i feel a lot better about my purchase knowing the trailer will be brand new with disk brakes.

 

[TerryMSU]

Re: not will it tow, but will it stop

Good point. Any vehicle can tow a trailer with (working) brakes. You start towing a heavy trailer (with no brakes) with a light vehicle and you'll quickly realize you aren't pulling the boat nearly as much as the boat is pushing you.

A crude example:

4,000lb vehicle + 3,000lb boat = 7,000lbs of resistance on four tires when braking slowly (1G)
4,000lb vehicle + 3,000lb boat = 21,000lbs (10 tons!) of resistance on those same four tires and brake pads when braking quickly (3Gs)

The real danger comes into play when you realize the latter example equates to 9,000lbs pushing on your vehicle while you are trying to stop. I think everyone here has had to slam the brakes at one point of another, just imagine trying to also stop a car behind you as well and added distance that would require.

An even more accurate example is thus... Energy = Mass * Velocity * Velocity. For those of you who are challenged as far as physics, that means that if you double the weight, you double the energy, but if you double the speed, the energy goes up by a factor of 4.

That said, I do not have trailer brakes, but I am towing a 1100 pound boat/trailer with a 3.0 liter Dodge Caravan. I generally tow very short distances at low speeds (usually less than 5 miles at no more than 40MPH). Even on the annual vacation, we keep it under 60MPH and less than about 100 miles.

TerryMSU

 

[Stachi]

Re: not will it tow, but will it stop

111

 

[jkust]

Re: not will it tow, but will it stop

Yep...big concern! We bought a 08 Equinox AWD (3500 Lb towing capacity) and recently purchased a boat (that we haven't gotten yet). Even though boats in the 18 ft or smaller size rarely have trailer brakes, I made it an issue.

I haven't tried pulling it yet (get it next spring) but i feel a lot better about my purchase knowing the trailer will be brand new with disk brakes.

That is the same capacity as our minivan from which we upgraded. Only 3500lb capacity makes for a stressful tow. Add up the load in the Equinox, gas, people, gear, trailer, boat, boat gas, boat gear and 3500 lbs is on the low side. We are now at 6500 tow capacity which is finally comfortable. Funny thing since this post is about stopping, I don't know how brake power is measured on vehicles.

 

[cribber]

Re: not will it tow, but will it stop

Manufacturers give tow ratings to properly equipped vehicles and have to meet those published standards. You don't need the F250 super dually to pull a 19 foot I/O on a single axle trailer. If you're rated for 3500 lbs just ensure your total weight doesn't exceed that amount and allow/anticipate longer stopping distances. Instead of the two second rule for following a vehicle, up it to three and you should be fine. You can play "what ifs" in your mind and drive yourself nuts, or... drive defensively and be aware of the traffic around you, and adjust accordingly. Stay within the manufacturer limits, keep your rig and trailer up to state and manufacturer mandated specs, and enjoy trailering your boat to your favorite launch.

 

[freddyray21]

Re: not will it tow, but will it stop

could not agree more that defensive driving is the key. to those using a 4 cyl Ranger to tow a 3000 lb boat maybe give yourself 4 times as much space as needed.

 

[Robbabob]

Re: not will it tow, but will it stop

When we purchased our used boat (3,100 pounds dry), it came with a trailer that has surge brakes (I think that is the term). Question is, how can I test to see that the trailer breaks are doing their job?

In a controlled location (aka empty parking lot).... I suppose I can move the override lever to disable the trailer break and see the difference. The more I think about this, the more dangerous this technique sounds.

The boat is still in dry dock, so I've not towed it yet; only brought the trailer home thus far.

Any suggestions to making sure the trailer breaks work properly?

 

[cribber]

Re: not will it tow, but will it stop

It's all about getting used to your setup... do a check on your surge brakes to ensure they are up to specs. Being that the boat is still dry docked is the perfect opportunity to take your trailer in for a good servicing and going over. If you can, be there for the servicing so you can get pointers and gain insight on what to look for in the future between services.

 

[Mark42]

Re: not will it tow, but will it stop

Being able to stop is important. But operating your rig at proper speeds is equally as important. All the brakes in the world will do you no good when you jack knife because you were over driving your rig when you had to slam on the brakes.

Too many people towing 3000 lbs boats driving 75 mph on the highway thinking they are the the "stuff" in their fancy new pickup. Just watch what happens when they have to panic stop that load. These folks scare me more than the 4 cylinder mini pickup towing at its capacity with no trailer brakes going 55 mph.