Trailer weight question

[otterjd1234]

I am in the process of buying a boat. The boat weighs 1600 pounds. I have a 2006 Kia Sedona van. The owners manual say it can tow 1000 pounds with a trailer without trailer brakes. When I called a few trailer hitch installers they said the van would do fine towing the boat. Can someone give me their thoughts on this situation? I the Kia owner manual being overly conservative? Would I be okay trailering the boat?

 

[BRICH1260]

Re: Trailer weight question

I would be leery of trying it. You have to remember the additional weight of the trailer and all of your boating supplies. Vehicvles without true frames underneath do not make the best towing vehicles.

 

[otterjd1234]

Re: Trailer weight question

Point taken. I called Kia up to verify the towing capacity. I cannot believe it is so low but it is. I will not even try to tow with the vehicle. That stinks because now I cannot get a boat. I cannot afford to buy a different vehicle.

 

[bnicov]

Re: Trailer weight question

The BIGGEST thing to remember is while your van may have the power to tow the boat, the brakes are not up to the job!!! Check what the towing capacity is with a trailer that has surge brakes. The hitch installers want to sell you a hitch, they don't care if you wreck the van. Same goes for the guy selling the boat. If you don't have enough vehicle, then think about a small pickup or an suv.

 

[bekosh]

Re: Trailer weight question

According to Trailer Boats the rating for the Sedona is 3500lbs with trailer brakes. I would think that a 1600lb boat on a trailer would be under that.
You would just need to add brakes to the trailer before you tow anywhere. Shouldn't cost more than a couple hundred $ if you can do the work yourself.

 

[otterjd1234]

Re: Trailer weight question

The towing capacity with a trailer with surge brakes is 3500. I will have to price trailers now. Just another added expense. Urrrggghhh!

 

[bekosh]

Re: Trailer weight question

Just another added expense. Urrrggghhh!

Welcome to the boating life.
BOAT=Break Out Another Thousand $ :facepalm:

 

[otterjd1234]

Re: Trailer weight question

I did not realize you could just add brakes to a trailer. I just found out. What is involved? How do they hook up to the van so the brakes on the trailer know when to engage?

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Trailer weight question

I did not realize you could just add brakes to a trailer. I just found out. What is involved? How do they hook up to the van so the brakes on the trailer know when to engage?

Nothing hooks up to the vehicle, they are surge brakes. They are activated by the weight of the load pushing into the back of the tow vehicle. (well, there MIGHT be a single electrical connection, the backup solenoid, which locks out the brakes when you need to back up)

I've seen the underside of sedona's, they are fairly strong for a unibody vehicle. (i've got a kia borrego, it surprises some people that kia made a body-on-frame vehicle with 7500# tow rating!)

 

[otterjd1234]

Re: Trailer weight question

Thanx everyone. You gotta love the internet.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Trailer weight question

I've seen the underside of sedona's, they are fairly strong for a unibody vehicle. (i've got a kia borrego, it surprises some people that kia made a body-on-frame vehicle with 7500# tow rating!)

Kia makes some pretty decent vehicles, we used to have one of the older body on frame Sorrentos (5K towing) and it had plenty of power and brakes to handle the loads.

Adding brakes to a trailer is relatively easy, you can probabally just buy a complete kit from the manufacturer of your trailer. The kit I bought a few years ago was about $500 for the hubs, drums, lines and coupler.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Trailer weight question

It relatively easy IF the axle has brake flanges already welded onto it.