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Assuming the trailer has good tires, brakes, and a tongue assembly that is not worn…
How about the use of torsion type bars for bumper trailers? With this weight, fishtailing could be a big issue. In construction, we haul some very heavy equipment with pickups (David knows I am partial to Fords, and have two diesels). Our local County makes a living checking weight and inspection stickers at the dump. Those with boats know if the boat is heavy (over 5k pounds, for instance), and even slightly misaligned on the trailer, you will fishtail at 55mph.
Always the electrical guy, make sure to have a good clean ground (even a separate pin that runs to the battery is great) so your brakes work if you have other than surge brakes, and use LED lights. They are generally brighter, less drag on the electrical system, and longer lasting.
Using a weight distributing hitch is a must. Loss of a rear tire on the tow vehicle can cause loss of control. This has happened to one of our members, with loss of life and severe injury in the past 10 years. That’s why I always run a dually truck.
safety first! Thanks Ed. I totally agree with yours and others suggestions so the driver and car are safe and sound.
Rick
You need a Class IV or V hitch, and then check on the towing capacity of your vehicle.
A 2015 Cadillac Escalade is rated to tow 8,300-lbs GTW in its Top Configuration, which seems to be the same as a Yukon / Tahoe / Suburban.
My 2004 Ford F-250 SuperCab, long bed, Diesel is rated at 12,500-lb GTW and the 2015 Ford F-250 in a similar configuration is rated at 14,000-lb GTW.
You are getting a lot of info, eh, Rick!
BTW, 8,300-lbs is about the weight of a BIG Pierce-Arrow car loaded on to a 4,000-lb trailer.
My Series 80 (130-in-wheelbase) 7-passenger DeLuxe Sedan weights in just shy of 4K-lbs, so you guys with the Big Boy Pierce cars (140-in + WB) and SUV tow vehicles need to pay attention to the weight.
Ed, What’s up with the 70-75MPH towing speed? Do you have “Dog the
bounty hunter”” on your behind? Haste makes waste!”
When I purchased my 1928 Series 36 Touring, it came with a 20′ enclosed trailer. It towed home fine (250 miles, 95 degree weather, mountain roads) with no problems. When I got home, I stopped at the local scales and weighed the trailer with the car inside along with the winch and battery, jack, and very few tools inside and it weighed 9300 lbs, 8000 on the axles and 1300 on the tongue I checked the GVW tag on trailer and discovered it was a 7000 lb GVW trailer. I was lucky I didn’t have any problems. At any rate I am looking for a new trailer and the information provided here has helped me greatly. Right now I am thinking a 22 or 24′, 12000lb GVW trailer. I am towing with a 2015 Ford F-350 4×4 Long Bed Diesel. I don’t hardly know the trailer is back there.
My 1933 1247 was 6340 with a half tank of fuel. Add a decent trailer and your at 12,000 with no extras.
Tony, don’t you remember Watkens Glen?
Yes Ed. I remember Watkins Glen. You gave me flying lessons there in
a ’36 V12. When I die, I want that I met Parnelli Jones and his
disciple Ed Minnie (in person), and have it engraved on my tomb stone.
The ride does bring up memories of those gory driver’s ed films I was
forced to watch as a youth.
Tony C.
We drive them like we stole them……. And as the Sammy Hagar song goes……I can’t drive 55!
I have a 24′ Feaherlite and would not by another trailer it pulls like a dream.
We just brought our 1925 Pierce Arrow Series 80 back and towed it 600 miles in a
day and never felt the trailer. It is a V nose trailer.
Featherlite is top of the line.
I’ve had house loans that were less than the cost of a Featherlite
and was shocked when I read the plate that stated the weight of the
trailer. It was about the same as my Interstate(which I am very happy
with).Truth be known…I lust for a Featherlite, but the Scottish blood
in me would torture me for not buying the less expensive trailer and
putting the difference towards a new paint job on those neglected
relics I hoard.
I Looked for a long time for a trailer and was not able to find one that I liked for
my application. Then I saw the Featherlite on eBay at a Dealership in Arizona that was no longer going to be a dealer for the Featherlite Trailers. I placed a bid and the reserve was not met then I communicated with the manager that I was interested and we made a deal. They shipped it to their Sister Store in San Diego and made it real easy for me to pick up. I paid less for it than an Interstate. I had looked at Interstates also. I was patient and Very Lucky.
The Featherlite will be my last trailer no need to every buy another trailer.
I forgot to mention that I wish I had a little taller trailer for the Pierce Arrow. Had to let air out of the 22’s and stand on the running boards to get it in and out of the Trailer. They say mine is a 6′ 5″. I also had to take a protection plate off the door spring. The trailer is great for Model A’s and Street Rods but tight for the larger Pierce Arrow. I Got Very Lucky.”
Rick, Our 2013 GMC Yukon XL 3/4 ton is rated to pull 9,600 lbs. which is about how much our 1601 plus trailer weighs.
2013 Was the final year for the 3/4 ton Suburban’s & Yukon XL’s with a 6.2L gas V8, for 2014 and newer, they’re only available as 1/2 tons with a much lower towing capacity.
Last July, we averaged about 8 MPG trailering to Buffalo, reduced from about 17-18 highway MPG without a trailer.
A Diesel may be preferable over gas if you plan to use it more frequently.
We tow with a 3/4 Ton Duramax Diesel. We had it leveled in Front with Bilstien Shocks in front with Airbags in the rear with an on board compressor for raising and lowering the ride height of the rear. We also have over sized tires. This makes towing a lot easier with very little fight on the grades.
One reason I like the earlier (2006 and back) Suburbans is the increased towing capacity with the 8.1 engine, which was not available after 2006. My 2001 3/4 ton Suburban, 8.1 engine, can tow 12,000 pounds, 340 HP @ 4300 rpm, 455 ft-lb torque @ 4200 rpm (the torque makes all the difference, the old saying is you buy horsepower, you drive torque).
For comparison, a 2013 3/4 ton with the 6.0 (366 cubic inch) engine has 352 HP @ 5400 rpm (note how they played with RPM to get a slightly higher HP) but only 382 ft-lbs torque @ 4200 rpm.
I mention the 2013, because it was about that time I was looking to upgrade my older 454 Suburban. A salesman at the local dealer kept telling me that the 6.0 would pull as well as the big engine. I told him if that was the case, I’d buy a new one, but there’d be a test. Went home and loaded my ’38 Packard (about 5500 pounds) in my enclosed trailer, went back, and we drove it. We then hooked the trailer to the new 6.0 truck, and there was no comparison, the 454 was effortless while the 6.0 was noticeably working. He admitted he could tell a big difference.
The 6.0 is fine for a lot of towing, and it does get better gas mileage, but I spent the time to find a 2001 3/4 ton Suburban with the 8.1 and loaded, with only 36,000 miles a few years back, and I’ve been happy ever since.
I think it also depends where you’ll do most of your towing. Here (Virginia), we have rolling hills and you need the torque for easy towing. When I lived in Louisiana, and did mostly Southern touring (read flatlands!), I had a tow vehicle with a 350 that did just fine. When I brought it north, I was embarrassed on the hills!
Have you been around a motorhome with it’s generator running? Most quality motorhomes have a generator that runs at 1800rpm. They just run in the background, not terribly annoying.
And then, when or if you’ve ever had a power failure and have run a typical home genset in the 6000-10000 watt range, then you know that the usual home genset runs at 3600 rpm. VERY annoying.
To me, towing with a gasoline engine tow vehicle is like having that 3600 rpm genset buzzing in your ears on every hill. The diesel engine’d tow vehicles are like that Onan, Kohler, or other 1800 rpm genset.. just humming away, not an annoyance at all.
The torque peak of most diesel engines in pickup trucks is at roughly 1800-2200 rpm. As was mentioned above, the typical gasoline engine has it’s torque peak at 4000rpm or more. So to get that torque, the truck has to downshift and run much higher rpm to pull a trailer up a hill.
A diesel engine will be running at roughly 2000 rpm at 65-70 mph. When climbing a hill, the engine’s turbocharger just makes more boost, making more torque, The hill has to be pretty steep and the load heavy to cause most diesel pickups to loose speed and have to downshift.
Greg Long