Hi, I am about to buy a 16-18ft car hauler to tow my toyota 4x4 truck. I,m worried about the factory hitch it says 500/5000 lbs 1000/10000 . I have a 6 inch drop hitch now for towing my 2000 lbs boat trailer to level it out. What do I need to tow the car float trailer 2000lbs truck 5000lbs (maybe) for a total of 7000 lbs , the trailer will have 2 3500 lbs axles is this enough ??? I'm more worried about the factory hitch and tounge weight etc. Do I need a equilizer hitch??? Please respond as if your talking to a 2 year old because i'm lost and want to be safe. Thanks

 

First you want the trailer to be level as towed and loaded. Most trailers tounge height is 18-21". What you need to do is hook up the trailer and load it up if possible to see what your height is. This will give you the amount of drop you need.
Whatever yo do make sure you have brakes on the trailer and make sure your brake controller works. As far as the OEM hitch don't worry it should be able to handle that NON load you are about to put on it.
You may need a WD hitch but that depends on how much the rear squats.

 

I have an 18' car hauler I put all kinds of stuff on, and have never worried. Trailer GVW is 7K, I also run a 6" drop hitch. Just give the hitch a godd looking over for cracks or loose bolts, you should be fine.

 

I would add that they make light duty ***** and drops, make sure you have a heavey duty ball, which is the larger threaded portion and drop to match.

 

I run a 6" drop, make sure you get the 1" Shank hitch AND ball.

I still think the rating is only like 6,000 lbs. total. I tow about 7500-8000 lbs. Not sure what else can be done besides a pintle? Seems safe to me, not sure how others feel about it.

 

I was just about to suggest that

THe one inch shank and the one inch hitch with a good lockwasher are a must for towing with these trucks, For what you are going to use your truck for, that is under the limits, i do believe it is safe towing, provided you are using safety chains, brake controller, and properly distributed weight, I wouldnt worry about it..

A pintle, yes i have a dual purpose, says eight ton, i have towed five tons with it no problem, so techincally they are heavy duty, mine is a buyers product, have had no problems with it yet, but a good receiver hitch should work just as well or better than a pintle for your needs.

Tx

 

Ah yes , breakin all the rules ,I love it. Its just that I want to be safe there are so many things that look weak especally my locking reciever pin. I,m also worried about overloading the trailer , the axles are 2x3500 =7000 minus the 2000 for the trailer leaves 5000 for a toyota 4x4 with a big red trike in the back of that I'm guessing 5500 - 6000 lbs so that puts me over does it not??? Also have a set of new 265 load range C (got them for free) that I was going to put on different rims for long highway trips to save milage and wear on my expensive 315s. I guess I shouldn't even think of towing with them should I ????

 

Put some locktight on the threads even with the lock washer. I've seen a few nuts back off with just the lock washer. Just a little added insurance!!

 

You can bet that as far as overloading the trailer axles and tires you will know in the first couple of miles if that's an issue. That trailer will be all over the road pulling the butt end of your truck with it. I know it's to late for this trailer, but for your future purchase I'm a die hard believer in goosenecks for this kind of weight.

 

Another safety point regardless of the trailer you end up with is to religiously check your trailer and truck tire pressures COLD before any tow.

Get a really good 100 PSI "dial" type guage. If you can't find one locally I recently bought one for a friend at: http://www.getagauge.com/DialTireGauges.cfm

They make a really nice, super accurate, dial type guage for about $18 (including shipping) with the rubber protective boot. I highly recommend one if you don't already have one in your glove box.

Low tire pressures towing = BAD DAY!

 

Definitely NOT! My cousin has an F250 and ran some cheap tires with a load range C. When he towed our 16' flatbed full of equipment, the sidewalls of the tires actually split.