Trailer towing, weight.

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Bills65Dart

Bills65Dart

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Hello,

Let us say that I have a Mercury Grand Marquis (2000 lbs towing capacity), and a 1965 Dodge Dart (1500 lbs towing capacity), and a utility trailer with a 2000 lbs GTWR, can I tow that behind the Dart even if I keep the load under 1500 lbs, or even haul the trailer empty?
I am asking, a) I can not find the answer online for that, b) I come from a country where it in some instances is illegal to tow a 2000 lbs trailer behind a 1500 lbs car even if it is empty, just because you might load it to the limit and then have an accident.

Bill
 
I would say that if you keep it to 1500lbs your safe. I would think if you did get pulled over they have to send you to a weight station and prove you are over weight.
 
That is a tiny trailer, how much does it weigh?
Little red wagon sized?
 
Bills65Dart said:
It says 2000 lbs Gross, and 1450 lbs payload, so I assume the empty weight is 550 lbs. It has a 5x8 feet bed.

It looks more or less like the one in the link below, not the same brand though.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Carry-On-T...ber-Utility-Trailer-with-Ramp-Gate/1000196617


Bill
Click to expand...
That sounds about right, my 4X8 trailer weighs 460lbs and has a 1450lbs capacity. If your trailer and load combined stays under 1500 then you are within the acceptable limit. No usa cop is going to even think to consider the tow rating of your car. I will say that years and years ago I towed an 1100lb. boat and trailer with a 1970 Valiant and it almost overpowered the brakes, had to make long gentle stops otherwise it would push the car.
 
Bills65Dart said:
I come from a country where it in some instances is illegal to tow a 2000 lbs trailer behind a 1500 lbs car even if it is empty
Click to expand...

what country is that?
(im asking because i once won a date with a judge because i did just that...well, my trailer was close to empty)
 
if the car can tow 1500 ounds it doesn't matter what you tow as long as ya keep it under that weight.
 
I was once told by an old wise traffic officer "Its not what you can tow it's what you can STOP!" The only time anyone/officer of the law is going to be concerned about your towing capabilities is if there is an accident and people are hurt. CHP could ticket and impound hundreds if not thousands of trailers a year for towing out of weight capabilities just by stopping most trucks and trailers going to Glamis and Ocottillo Wells in Southern Ca.

It's all about being safe for you and others. I agree with most of the comments and believe you'll be fine.
 
Northern Grit said:
That sounds about right, my 4X8 trailer weighs 460lbs and has a 1450lbs capacity. If your trailer and load combined stays under 1500 then you are within the acceptable limit. No usa cop is going to even think to consider the tow rating of your car. I will say that years and years ago I towed an 1100lb. boat and trailer with a 1970 Valiant and it almost overpowered the brakes, had to make long gentle stops otherwise it would push the car.
Click to expand...
Tell that to my buddies kid, who just got a $3000.00 ticket for hauling overloaded with his pickup, he got stopped by the state police, who then called the DOT and they brought out scales, and weighed him on the spot.
My buddies kid said that was 2.5 hrs of his life he will never get back.
 
I don't think you need to worry about it, I have a similar trailer and have never had any problems with the law regarding the load, even though I have overloaded it on occasion, the tow vehicle has to be capable of stopping the load, that's the primary point. Yes overall gross combined weight can become an issue, but unless you are hauling broken concrete or pallets of brick it shouldn't be a big deal. It's unlikely that you can overload that style of trailer easily.
 
sireland67 said:
Tell that to my buddies kid, who just got a $3000.00 ticket for hauling overloaded with his pickup, he got stopped by the state police, who then called the DOT and they brought out scales, and weighed him on the spot.
My buddies kid said that was 2.5 hrs of his life he will never get back.
Click to expand...
Well ok I maybee my comment wasn't 100% accurate but in the context of a car pulling a 4x8 utility trailer i don't think he will be drawing any attention from the law. Now a truck pulling overloaded yes I can see how that could get you pulled over.
 
Northern Grit said:
Well ok I maybee my comment wasn't 100% accurate but in the context of a car pulling a 4x8 utility trailer i don't think he will be drawing any attention from the law. Now a truck pulling overloaded yes I can see how that could get you pulled over.
Click to expand...
4x8 trailer, no issue. I pulled a 6x12 trailer behind my Wrangler for years with no problems.
 
i pulled this with my charger, 60ft worth of dock

20180322_140027-jpg.jpg
 
Where does the Grand Marquis come into this equation ? Are you planning on towing it ?
If its just the trailer with less than 1500# gvw there should be no issue as long as your brakes are in good shape.
 
GCWR is gross combined.... it means the max weight of a vehicle plus all the passengers and load and trailer.
GVW is the max weight of vehicle and passengers/load. Does not include trailers.
 
diymirage said:
what country is that?
(im asking because i once won a date with a judge because i did just that...well, my trailer was close to empty)
Click to expand...

The country is Norway. Unless you have a special trailers drivers license, you can not pull a trailer that has Gross trailer weight rating over what the car is approved for, even if it is empty and a lot under what the car can tow. But, if you have such a trailers drivers license, you can tow a bigger trailer, but have to keep it under the weight the car can tow. And I thought Norway was horrible for all kind of peculiar laws and rules when it comes to vehicles, but after I moved here I have discovered that there are rules here that are stricter than what I am used to. :D

Bill
 
mbaird said:
Where does the Grand Marquis come into this equation ? Are you planning on towing it ?
If its just the trailer with less than 1500# gvw there should be no issue as long as your brakes are in good shape.
Click to expand...

No, not planning to tow the Grand Marquis. I just wondered what the law says, if it is legal to use the 2000 lbs trailer that I am normally using behind the Grand Marquis also on the Dart, which only can tow 1500 lbs.
The Grand Marquis I sort of am not too fond of, and at some point will have to go.

Bill
 
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Bills65Dart said:
The country is Norway. Unless you have a special trailers drivers license, you can not pull a trailer that has Gross trailer weight rating over what the car is approved for, even if it is empty and a lot under what the car can tow. But, if you have such a trailers drivers license, you can tow a bigger trailer, but have to keep it under the weight the car can tow. And I thought Norway was horrible for all kind of peculiar laws and rules when it comes to vehicles, but after I moved here I have discovered that there are rules here that are stricter than what I am used to. :D

Bill
Click to expand...
i grew up in the netherlands and its about the same there
(i had to look it up because of how convoluted it is)

in the Netherlands, you do NOT need a trailer license if the total Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCRW) is less the 3500 kilo (7700 lbs) AND the trailers Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is more then 750 kilo (1650 lbs)
so the "limiting" factor is the trailer, and i was told as a rule of thumb, if the trailer is a dual axle, you always need a trailer license

(just for fun, my plow trucks GVW is right about 12000 lbs...without the plow)

one more thing to keep in mind is the rating on your actual hitch equipment
when i tow my boat, i use the plow truck with a class 5 hitch (rated at 17000 lbs) with a class 3 drawbar (rated at 5000 lbs) and a 2 inch ball rated at (6000 lbs)
the actual rating of that setup, is 5000 lbs (the lowest rating in the chain)

when i tow that little trailer i posted (in the picture it was behind the charger) i switch out the drawbar to one of the same rating, but with a 1 7/8 ball on it. that ball is rated at 2000 lbs so now that is the rating of the entire setup

i dont think this comes into play when towing with the dart, but they are good to know regardless
 
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