Car hauler size?

[Living in the Past]

It seems the time is right for me to get a car hauler since I now have the room to store one. I looked on the used market and haven't found anything worth looking at or the prices were just about the cost of new so I decided to go new. I'm going to be towing mainly FJ25s and FJ40s. I do also own a FJ45LPB and FJ62 which may be trailered. More the likely the 45 than the 62. The 62 would only be trailered if broken down and I wanted back in Phoenix for repairs. My tow vehicles are a 2000 TLC and a 2004 4Runner. Both are V8s and full time 4WD. They are rated at 6,500# and 7,000# towing. Both will be set up with a brake controller. Now The Question is anyone using a 14' car hauler for there FJ40 and can you get the right balance on a 14' trailer. I what to get the right amount of weight on the vehicle tongue so it would trailer right. So would you go 14' or 16' with my setup. Not going to go any longer than 16' because of weight concerns. 5000# GVW is to light and 10,000# GVW too heavy, 7,000# GVW would be right? Any input would be appreciated.


Thanks, John

 

[bigndn]

You should get it big enough to haul your largest load safely. That would be your FJ62, right? What does it weigh? My '60 weighs 5880# with all the goodies and me in it. So a 7K trailer wouldn't work for me. "Most" tandem axle trailers are set up 60/40 (60% of the trailer in front of the tongue), so you shouldn't have an issue with getting the balance and tongue weight you want. You might just check the weight difference between the 7K and 10K trailer, it's could be just different axles.

I think the recommended TOW RATING is for trailers w/o brakes, or am I wrong? I just got a 24' 14K rated trailer and I'm most certain that without the 4 wheel electric brakes, even my Dodge would have a hard time stopping it if it was loaded.

Want to talk to a guy that's been building trailers for the last 20 years? Email Jack. soonermfg at aol dot com

PM me your email addy and I'll fwd the email Jack sent me about his trailers and prices. For example, his 7 X 20 (10K#) tilt trailer was going for $2895

 

[Living in the Past]

I'm not againt the 10,000# trailer I'm just more concerned about total weight. Phoenix is around 1,100' elevation, while my cabin is at 6,900'. I have to climb once then down then climb again to get there. The 4.7 V8 is a good engine but not a real power house for towing like a big diesel. So total weight is a major concern.

I'm sure the towing rating is the limit not just the limit without trailer brakes. I can fill the weight of a FJ25 that around 3,500# try to push me when stopping, I wouldn't what to tow something twice that without brakes.

I know about the 60/40 thing. But that doesn't mean 60% on the tongue. I think it means with the area between the axles being the center of the trailer that you want 60% of your weight on the front half. Around 10% of the total weight is would you want on the tongue. Pickups are design to carry alot of weight in the bed so they seem to do better with heavy tongue weight than an SUV. The longer the trailer the more room you have to find the right balance. An FJ40 with the old case iron six cylinder and no top or doors will be front heavy. With a trailer that's to short iI put to much weight on rear bumper causing poor handling.

My FJ62 is stock weighting around 4,500# but still really getting to large to be tow by a 100 series. I really shouldn't factor this one into to the mix. Since the only time it would be trailered is it it broke down. For that I could borrow or rent a larger trailer. I would like to trailer my FJ45 and that longer wheel base but not really that bad since so much of the LWB hangs out over the base axle.

I see that most 3,500# axles are five bolt pattern on the wheel while the 5,000# are six. This isn't a big advantage since the 100 series uses a different five bolt pattern and the 4Runner's spare would be to large for the trailer. I'll do like I do on my military trailers and have a spare just for the trailer.

Bottom line if the 14' would work safely that is what I will go with. Pictures anyone of an FJ40 on a 14' car hauler?

John

 

[Jeepin Jason]

I had an 16' and just hauled a Jeep TJ and would not want to go any smaller than that for your bigger rig. One problem you will have at 14' is getting enough of an angle on the straps to hold the vehicle to the trailer. You do not want the straps to be straight up and down. I prefer to use axle straps, but that is always a big debate... 16' is also nicer if you ever wanted to put a storage box on the front of it. I am going to go a lot bigger on my next trailer. In fact, I may go big enough for the TJ and the m416 both to fit on the trailer. I am also towing with a diesel so the weight is not an issue.

 

[Cruiser_Nerd]

John,

Here's my trailer with various stuff on it. It's an 18' deck, 82" wide, and I think #1800. I had the 55 a little further forward than usual but, I'm still mainly using the deck to the front of the axles, so you may be able to go shorter.

 

[bigndn]

I know about the 60/40 thing. But that doesn't mean 60% on the tongue. I think it means with the area between the axles being the center of the trailer that you want 60% of your weight on the front half. Around 10% of the total weight is would you want on the tongue. Pickups are design to carry alot of weight in the bed so they seem to do better with heavy tongue weight than an SUV. The longer the trailer the more room you have to find the right balance. An FJ40 with the old case iron six cylinder and no top or doors will be front heavy. With a trailer that's to short iI put to much weight on rear bumper causing poor handling.


John

You're absolutely correct. 60% of the trailer is in front of the axles (on the tongue side). Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[KOWBOY]

Many years ago I hauled my Junk around behind a 33' motorhome from jobsite to jobsite and used a 14' deck trailer to try to keep my overall length as short as possible. Securin' it weren't no big deal ... just make an "x" with the straps underneath the rig. In fact, I still strap down in that fashion.

The problem was it towed like s***. My 40 was front-end heavy as are most. If I pulled it on forwards then I had too much tongue weight ... if I backed it on it was even worse since I didn't have enough tongue weight. Just no extra deck space to make any kind of weight adjustment.

I've owned my 40 'bout 18 years and towed it well over 100K miles by now. I have grown to prefer big trailers ... and big tow rigs.

Just some deep thoughts from a shallow mind.

 

[Living in the Past]

Thanks for everbody's input. I ended going a little bigger than I had planned. Went with a 83" wide deck instead of a 77". Plus went 18' over the 14'/16' length. Has a small 2' beaver tail/ dove tail on the back. Brakes on both axles. Went with wood ove steel deck because of the deck becoming slippery with mud and ice, plus wood is lighter. The weight and cost were not that much moer than the smaller trailers. Now to get a brake controller and a winch setup.


John

 

[KingBeeIII]

Thanks for everbody's input. I ended going a little bigger than I had planned. Went with a 83" wide deck instead of a 77". Plus went 18' over the 14'/16' length. Has a small 2' beaver tail/ dove tail on the back. Brakes on both axles. Went with wood ove steel deck because of the deck becoming slippery with mud and ice, plus wood is lighter. The weight and cost were not that much moer than the smaller trailers. Now to get a brake controller and a winch setup.


John

Let's get some pics.