Towed a 6500 lb. skid steer on a 3500 lb. bumper-pull Belshe trailer behind a Dodge 3/4 ton gasser without brakes, about 120 miles. This was in the Texas Panhandle, no big grades (up or down). Yes, I was white-knuckling it the whole way, stayed away from other autos, and planned my stops WAY ahead.
Ordered a Tekonsha brake controller when I got home.....
I hope you also ordered a heavier trailer that's made for weights like that.. A Tekonsha will do bupkis if that axle breaks....then where's that skid steer gonna go?? But at least you did what you could to be away from other vehicles - kudos there, and I'm glad to read you made it safe/sound..
Oh, and those who pull trailers at 80mph? You better have a trailer clad with tires rated for that speed; the majority of trailer tires are maxed at 65 mph - anything over that and you're risking a nice, sweet blowout.. I can't wait to see what may happen next.. FWIW, I have a set of tire monitors mounted on the camper. On the run to Sturgis they started out cold at between 77-81 pounds (specified on the tire to be 80# cold). During the trip, pressure went up on all of 'em about 6-8# and temps ran about 90-100 degrees. I only went to 70 mph once when passing a vehicle - otherwise it was 55-65, depending on the states' speed limits. Those monitors are the cat's azz - lets ya know immediately if there's a problem. Saves tires/saves damage to the camper - and one can get ahead of pressure instead of behind...if you get my drift.. I can't recommend them highly enough...
The TT hitches on
most pickups are rated for a max tongue weight of about 600# w/o using a weight-compensator rig (class II or III). Before you tow, crawl underneath your truck and read the tag on the side of the hitch...then stay within those limits. If you don't, and have a crash, the other driver's lawyer will be wiping his drool with something the size of a beach towel while perusing some new, expensive property in the Bahamas..
When I ordered my truck in '11 I specified the heaviest GVW I could get - #13,300. The hitch is a class V (2.5" receiver), and the 5er hitch is a Reese Signature rated for 25K. The factory sez this truck is rated/legal for 16,000# max hitch tow, or up to 22.5K using the 5th wheel. Oh, and along with that one better have the correct ball and shank diameter rated for the trailer.. I've seen some 2" balls with 3/4" shanks on a hitch where the dude musta had at least 8K on the back.. Geez...
The tag on my hitch shows max tongue weight w/o comp is 800#, but up to 1600# w/comp. Other than the camper, the heaviest trailer I tow is rated at 8K GTW - therefore I'm within legal specs. The camper has a GTW of 18K, but that's using the 5th wheel unit - therefore I'm still within legal bounds. That beggar has brakes on all six wheels and I have 'em checked every spring to make SURE I can stop when/if I need to.
I know - I'm a bit (well, maybe more than a bit) anal about towing.. But I've seen some horrendous crashes with dudes who use a 1/2 ton truck to pull 12K or more and don't make it all the way from point A to destination B... You do NOT wanna be a part of that, trust me..
Best wishes to all.. Be safe, do it right..and I promise to shut up now..
