Mechanic/Mathematician Towing Help

[BurntTimber]

Alright, if I wasn't so inept at Google search and had a little more vehicle knowledge, I could probably figure this one out, but would like some expert (or at least well educated) information on a towing setup I'm looking to acheive.

1. I'll be towing a 13ft Sprite Trailer (Approx 1500lbs, max 2000 with water and supplies). The trailer is quite well balanced and will cause very little tongue weight, at most 100lbs which can be adjusted on where in the trailer I put things.

2. Between the trailer and the Pathfinder I'll have a Versahaul hitch hauler with a 230lbs (wet) dirtbike (http://www.versahaul.com/vh55.php). Factor in another 100lbs for the hitch hauler.

3. I have an after market Class 3 Hitch with a max tongue weight of 600lbs.

I'm not maxing out my towing capacity or my tongue weight (though close with the tongue weight). Is there anything I'm missing or should be concerned about? My tongue weight is my biggest concern as I'll be looking at approximately 450lbs on it. Also wondering if I should look into a transmission cooler or upping the quality of my brakes.

Thanks in advance for any educated answers.

If I could afford a Nissan pickup right now I'd consider replacing the Pathfinder, but the only thing trade value with it is a Dakota Quad cab and the thought of buying and American vehicle makes me throw up in my mouth.

[Densetsu]

Most of the time, when you extend your hitch you reduce the towing capacity (e.g. hitch adapter from 2" to 1", bike rack as you have, etc). In this case, if you check out the Versahaul page you linked to, it says that the hitch on the bike carrier has a max towing weight of 3000lbs. Doesn't matter if the hitch on your vehicle can tow 3000lbs, 5000lbs, 10000lbs... the hitch on the bike carrier is rated for 3000lbs.

So in the end you'll have 230 + 100 + 100 = 430lbs of tongue weight of a max of 600lbs; and 2000lbs of towing weight with a max of 3000lbs. Seems within reason, just be careful. The thing I'd be most careful with is tongue weight. Is there a chance you can toss the dirtbike in the boat and do away with the bike carrier/hitch entirely?

If you're taking a trip into the Rockies, I'd spring for a transmission cooler. $50 - $100 well spent. You'll probably be able to get away with using OD on flat roads, but in the hills turn it off and stick to the 3rd gear. Don't worry too much about the brakes; downshift when you're going down long hills, give yourself lots of time to make stops, and you'll be fine. Also, with a 2500lbs load on the hitch, more supplies in the cargo area, and 3 or 4 bodies, you won't be able to pass people as easily in those winding, one-lane highways. Come prepared with extra patience.

Have fun!

[bmlawless]

As a person who's towed a lot of stuff with a lot of different vehicles, I believe you have a lot of work ahead of you. In a perfect world, a larger vehicle would be the way to go, but I completely understand your situation. I towed way too much with a 1/2-ton for a long time.

The only real issue I see with your setup is the hitch extension. I have pulled a lot of boats behind pickup/camper combos and you can't underestimate the importance of the proper extension. When you use an extension, the leverage reduces the hitch capacity and increases the effect on your tow vehicle.

My first recommendation would be to see if it is at all possible to move the hitch hauler to the back of the trailer. If you hang it on the back it will help you manage hitch weight, turning radius, and load stability. Another option is to put it inside if it will fit through the opening.

Secondly, to keep your trailer from fish-tailing, your should have 8%-10% of the overall weight on the hitch. Boats are different due to their weight distribution and can go as light as 5%.

Finally, you are probably fine without the trans cooler. With the amount of weight you have, I would recommend against using overdrive at all. If the trans slips in/out of lockup you will fry it in a hurry. To tell if it is happening, watch the tach when you are on level ground at freeway speeds. If you notice it moving up and down a couple hundred rpms, get out of OD. Remember, the purpose of overdrive is to save fuel and you can buy a lot of gas for the price of a transmission.

Drive careful out there and remember, water weighs 8 pounds per gallon.