16ft 12000lb trailer too big for my 1/2 ton??

[thsorens]

I'm taking the FJ40 to Moab in April from Omaha NE. 800 miles through the mountains. I have a towbar, but have never tried it nor do I have any mounts on my front bumper. My buddy has a 2001 16ft 12000lb trailer that I can use, in fact it is in my driveway now. I'm a little worried about the weight though. The title on the trailer says it only weighs 2200lbs, but it looks BIG! Is my 96 1/2 ton Chevy K1500 gonna struggle more with the trailer than with flat towing it? The trailer has brakes but I don't have a brake controller in my truck. I probably need to get one huh? Should I get mounts for my tow bar and use it? Should I try to find a smaller trailer? Is the trailer size not really that big of deal?
Thanks

 

[MOfj40]

get a brake controller, adjust it properly before you head out, and you should be good. With the trailer and the 40 you're still under 6k lbs. Shouldn't be a problem.

If you have an auto trans, you might have it checked out before you go since it's now 10yrs old. Take it easy on the hills, and consider adding a tranny cooler if you don't have one. If your truck has a factory tow package you should have one already.

 

[thsorens]

I do alot of towing within 2 or 3 hours of here, but have always rented 2 wheel tow dollys or auto transports from U-Haul for weekend trips. I'm going to be gone for 10 days on the Moab trip so i really don't want to rent. The mountains will be a little hairy I'm sure. How hard are those brake controllers to wire up and how much should I spend on one? I'll probably have my tranny flushed before the trip and run it in 3rd gear the whole way. Any other suggestions?

 

[Mark W]

A 16 foot 12,000 pound capacity trailer isn't really a big one. In fact, that is the smallest I would use for a Cruiser. We used to have a 20 foot 14,000 pound rated trailer that we towed with a 3/4 ton, a half ton and an FZJ80 with no problems. Assuming that you're just towing a Cruiser on it of course.


Mark...

 

[MOfj40]

If you're electrically inclined at all, they aren't that hard. If you're not, they're not particularly expensive to have installed professionally. + from battery, ground, wire to brake switch, wire to trailer.

I'm sure others will chime in, but I've used Redline solid state controller in the past trailering full size trucks with a 16ft tandem axle/ 1/2 ton pickup rig and been quite satisfied. Unit was well under $100 @ walmart.

Otherwise, take it easy and watch your tongue weight. A 40 on a 16ft means you have plenty of room to balance your load.

 

[thsorens]

Yep, just the cruiser and some gear. You guys are boosting my confidence......... Of course, I still have to finish installing my new cut and turned front housing, finish the cage, and install my rear locker, but considering in the last month, i have pulled the body completely apart, stripped it, painted it, reassembled it, installed new wiring harness, built seat mounts, and all the other stuff required to put back together a basket case, I'd say a couple diffs and a cage are small potatoes! I drove it today for the first time, and the 327 is running great! I'm getting VERY excited for Moab!!!

 

[thsorens]

Otherwise, take it easy and watch your tongue weight. A 40 on a 16ft means you have plenty of room to balance your load.

I was thinking I would load it forward but maybe not all the way forward. I will probably fasten some kind of wheel stop 3 feet back from the front or so??

 

[MOfj40]

depends on where your axles are located. I've not pulled a 40 on a 16ft before, but I would start with the 40's rear tires centered between the trailer axles and see where that puts you.

Since you have a lot of room for adjustment, make some short runs with it until you get a feel for where it rides best.

 

[Texx]

That's gonna be way too far forward, and is gonna result in your half ton's rear bumper being damn near on the ground. You need about 2 feet of space between the front bumper and front rail of the trailer. Back the 40 up until your tow rig sits more level. There won't be any problem with you not having enough weight ahead of the axles, the 40 is plenty nose heavy. You want to limit tongue weight...your hitch is probably designed for 2-300 pounds. If you only have the ball on the bumper type, I'd consider throwing down a hundred bucks at uhaul for a receiver type...the bumper arms can bend and sag frighteningly on the others. A test run is a great idea, and you definitely should go for the brake controller. Consider it an investment, you want to tow safely, nothing worse than having a roadside problem, or worse, a dangerous situation. Two hundred bucks spent now is well worth some piece of mind.

 

[DanS]

definatley go with a reciever hitch and brake controller if the traier has electric brakes. easy to do and worth it. hauled the 40 and bobcat with a f150. (not at the same time) not that bad. as with towing anything else, take your time.
Dan

 

[LandCruiserSteve]

If you only have the ball on the bumper type, I'd consider throwing down a hundred bucks at uhaul for a receiver type...the bumper arms can bend and sag frighteningly on the others.

x2!! I wouldn't pull a car hauler with anything less than a Class III/IV frame-mounted receiver.

 

[Colorado Boy-74-FJ40]

Put air bags on your truck or get load springs. My 1/2 ton chevy squats pretty bad when I haul the cruiser on the trailer. Even with the load balanced. I'm going to put goodyear airbags on it this year.

 

[bigndn]

Put air bags on your truck or get load springs. My 1/2 ton chevy squats pretty bad when I haul the cruiser on the trailer. Even with the load balanced. I'm going to put goodyear airbags on it this year.

X2. I had the superduty airlifts under my 1/2 T Chev and they worked great. They'll level 2.5 Tons and really help with sway. Easy to do and not very expensive.....my kit from Summit was $200 IIRC and took me about 3 hours to get it all on (even with my minor mods). Good luck!

 

[Colorado Boy-74-FJ40]

Compressor?

X2. I had the superduty airlifts under my 1/2 T Chev and they worked great. They'll level 2.5 Tons and really help with sway. Easy to do and not very expensive.....my kit from Summit was $200 IIRC and took me about 3 hours to get it all on (even with my minor mods). Good luck!

Did you install the on-board compressor? I was pondering that one. You can set up the air bag system to fill them up with shop air or on-board air. I have a 250psi Cigarette lighter plug-in compressor that I carry behind the seat. I'm thinking that I can save weight, time and money by inflating the bags that way. What do you think?