Why do they put such tiny tires on travel trailers

[02SE]

Originally Posted By: fsskier
Curtis hitch, 5,000 lbs. Factory rated. Great brakes on the trailer. Are you a troll.....following me just to harass me? I only mentioned the tow vehicle to make the point that it and the boat weighed the same amount and had similar tire load ratings.....but the Chinese boat tires blew steadily while the car tires did not....obviously at the same speeds. Just some science, not meant to initiate a discussion about Sienna's. I hope most of the readers here picked up on that. Many pickups pull trailers double their weight....and I do not criticize them.

Easily found, there are three of them nearby and many others? Some SiennaS slightly modified are pulling 7,000 lbs or more, see Sienna Chat and go there and harass them please.

Next you can start worrying about the boat. pulling as many as 36 skiers at once!

This will be my last comment unless it has to do with trailer tire experiences.
I suspect many have quit this board when the trolls jump them.


Putting a 5k rated hitch on a vehicle which the manufacturer has determined is only safe to tow 3.5k, doesn't give the vehicle a 5k tow rating. People towing 1500 lbs over their vehicles tow rating, and some towing over double the vehicle tow rating, (as you claim) are foolish, and putting themselves and other road users at risk.

Rolling down the road with my RV, I'm at approx. 35k GCW. The difference is I am well under capacity of all applicable specs for the trailer and tow vehicle.

 

[Killer223]

You guys are amazing. What a way to help spread a nice family friendly environment here. Ok we get it you think your king know it all on towing and he doesn't know what he's doing, drop it already. Shut up unless you are gong to add something CONSTRUCTIVE to the conversation and posted questions. Always telling other people how to live their lives, get over your selves.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Killer223
You guys are amazing. What a way to help spread a nice family friendly environment here. Ok we get it you think your king know it all on towing and he doesn't know what he's doing, drop it already. Shut up unless you are gong to add something CONSTRUCTIVE to the conversation and posted questions. Always telling other people how to live their lives, get over your selves.


Technically, the regulations put in place for safety, are in fact telling you how to live your life. By the letter of law and what's been deemed safe anyways. If you have a vehicle factory rated for 3,500lbs, putting 5,000lbs behind it doesn't fit that definition, even if you've done so without incident.

That's not to say it will fail or that the individual in question is an unsafe driver. If he's been doing it for 40 years without incident, his driving is probably pretty bloody good. But that doesn't make it advisable, legal or subsequently the right thing to do and people have a right to know that, even if the method in which it is conveyed is without any sort of tact, which CKN is rather notorious for.

 

[Killer223]

so these are the internet keyboard cops that spread hate and discontent on this site? it's not their place...

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Killer223
so these are the internet keyboard cops that spread hate and discontent on this site? it's not their place...


People come here for advice, pointing out that a depicted scenario isn't legal probably isn't a bad idea in that context. Could it have been done in a better manner? Yes.

 

[KD0AXS]

Tow ratings are the manufacturer's recommendations, not legal limits. It's not illegal to tow more than the manufacturer's recommended towing capacity.

 

[02SE]

Originally Posted By: Killer223
You guys are amazing. What a way to help spread a nice family friendly environment here. Ok we get it you think your king know it all on towing and he doesn't know what he's doing, drop it already. Shut up unless you are gong to add something CONSTRUCTIVE to the conversation and posted questions. Always telling other people how to live their lives, get over your selves.


Wow.

I like your talk of a "a nice family friendly environment", and then tell people to "Shut up" when they and I ARE adding "something CONSTRUCTIVE to the conversation and posted question". Just a touch hypocritical.

Pointing out that his use is well beyond the manufacturers tow rating for safe operation, is very good advice.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: Killer223
You guys are amazing.


Thank you! I appreciate that very much.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: KD0AXS
Tow ratings are the manufacturer's recommendations, not legal limits. It's not illegal to tow more than the manufacturer's recommended towing capacity.


They are in Ontario:

Originally Posted By: MTO
You cannot operate a vehicle or combination of vehicles on a highway when its gross weight exceeds the maximum weight permitted under Part VII of the Highway Traffic Act and its regulations.

Several formulas are used to determine the maximum allowable gross weight. These include calculating the sum of the weights allowed on each axle, the registered gross vehicle weight or the weight prescribed in regulations under the Highway Traffic Act. Once these weights have been determined, the lower figure of these is the maximum gross allowable weight.

 

[KD0AXS]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: KD0AXS
Tow ratings are the manufacturer's recommendations, not legal limits. It's not illegal to tow more than the manufacturer's recommended towing capacity.


They are in Ontario:

Originally Posted By: MTO
You cannot operate a vehicle or combination of vehicles on a highway when its gross weight exceeds the maximum weight permitted under Part VII of the Highway Traffic Act and its regulations.

Several formulas are used to determine the maximum allowable gross weight. These include calculating the sum of the weights allowed on each axle, the registered gross vehicle weight or the weight prescribed in regulations under the Highway Traffic Act. Once these weights have been determined, the lower figure of these is the maximum gross allowable weight.


I'll acknowledge that the laws may be different in Canada than on this side of the border, but I still don't see anything there that says anything about manufacturer's recommended towing capacity. Axle weight ratings yes, but on many vehicles you can significantly exceed the tow rating before you even come close to the axle ratings. These guys that do hotshot trucking in pickups with gooseneck trailers are running way over the manufacturer's recommended towing capacity all the time, and they have to go through weigh stations and DOT inspections. The legal limits are in the axle and tire ratings, and the weight that the vehicle is registered for.

Now as far as towing 5000 lbs with a minivan that's only rated for 3500, there's probably a pretty good chance that the axle and/or tire ratings are being exceeded which would make it illegal. However, just towing more than the rated towing capacity in and of itself is not illegal.

 

[4WD]

I always chuckle at the term Philadelphia Lawyer ~ any industrial/petrochemical area has more tort lawyers than Bayer has aspirins … I think of them often when I make decisions at work, home, and on the road/water …

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: KD0AXS
Tow ratings are the manufacturer's recommendations, not legal limits. It's not illegal to tow more than the manufacturer's recommended towing capacity.


They are in Ontario:

Originally Posted By: MTO
You cannot operate a vehicle or combination of vehicles on a highway when its gross weight exceeds the maximum weight permitted under Part VII of the Highway Traffic Act and its regulations.

Several formulas are used to determine the maximum allowable gross weight. These include calculating the sum of the weights allowed on each axle, the registered gross vehicle weight or the weight prescribed in regulations under the Highway Traffic Act. Once these weights have been determined, the lower figure of these is the maximum gross allowable weight.

That says nothing about tow ratings though. It limits tongue weight, but with a weight distribution hitch involving the front axle you could have quite a large trailer on a smaller vehicle.
I'd assume these guys play by the rules since they haven't been sued out of existence for decades and they have some pretty extreme looking setups behind cars. http://www.canamrv.ca/
If you think about it, a well balanced car with good suspension handles so much better by itself than a pickup truck. Does suddenly a truck handle so much better when you put a trailer behind it?
Can you imagine running a handling course better with your Durango towing 4k than your old Charger towing 4k with a proper hitch setup? The Charger will still run circles around the Durango, it still has more power, brakes, lower CG, more tire on the ground, less slop in the suspension, and probably less distance from the rear axle to the hitch ball.
I think you could argue that cars should be able to tow the same proportion of its weight as a pickup, if not more.

 

[4WD]

I’d just go for a C7 Vette and let this hitch slide on the asphalt:

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan

That says nothing about tow ratings though. It limits tongue weight, but with a weight distribution hitch involving the front axle you could have quite a large trailer on a smaller vehicle.



I believe there's a section related to GCVWR in there somewhere (total weight) however it's friday night and I'm not combing through the HTA. Maybe next week? LOL

 

[OVERKILL]

Interestingly enough, BC is quite up-front with their towing limits, and they sound like the US ones:

https://www.th.gov.bc.ca/cvse/references_publications/pdf/MV3231(082003)GVWR.pdf

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: Killer223
You guys are amazing. What a way to help spread a nice family friendly environment here. Ok we get it you think your king know it all on towing and he doesn't know what he's doing, drop it already. Shut up unless you are gong to add something CONSTRUCTIVE to the conversation and posted questions. Always telling other people how to live their lives, get over your selves.


Technically, the regulations put in place for safety, are in fact telling you how to live your life. By the letter of law and what's been deemed safe anyways. If you have a vehicle factory rated for 3,500lbs, putting 5,000lbs behind it doesn't fit that definition, even if you've done so without incident.

That's not to say it will fail or that the individual in question is an unsafe driver. If he's been doing it for 40 years without incident, his driving is probably pretty bloody good. But that doesn't make it advisable, legal or subsequently the right thing to do and people have a right to know that, even if the method in which it is conveyed is without any sort of tact, which CKN is rather notorious for.


Actually, no, manufacturer tow ratings have zero legal standing-they are purely performance and warranty numbers. People tow well over them every day, entirely legally!

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: KD0AXS
Tow ratings are the manufacturer's recommendations, not legal limits. It's not illegal to tow more than the manufacturer's recommended towing capacity.


They are in Ontario:

Originally Posted By: MTO
You cannot operate a vehicle or combination of vehicles on a highway when its gross weight exceeds the maximum weight permitted under Part VII of the Highway Traffic Act and its regulations.

Several formulas are used to determine the maximum allowable gross weight. These include calculating the sum of the weights allowed on each axle, the registered gross vehicle weight or the weight prescribed in regulations under the Highway Traffic Act. Once these weights have been determined, the lower figure of these is the maximum gross allowable weight.


That does not actually say what you claim it says.

 

[4WD]

He’s talking about CSA … like CAN3-D313 … the USA is regulated by lawsuits …

 

[JHZR2]

Too much bickering - many complaints. Lock time.