Carry it or pull it

[LandCruiserPhil]

Cruiser A weights in at 7000#
Cruiser B weights in at 5500# and pulls a trailer 1500# (trailer 6’ x 10’ x 3’)

Is it ez’r to carry 1500# or pull it? How do you convert rolling weight into gross weight? Is there any clear advantage or is this just another dumb question?

 

[Brentbba]

Just don't take Junk's Momma with you. hehehe

 

[Skim]

I would think it is easier to carry the weight.

 

[reffug]

Would depend on how you carried said weight..... i.e. roof rack=more wind resistance

Trailer=less wind resistance, although it might be 6 of one half dozen of another

 

[hoser]

Is Cruiser B pulling the trailer's weight plus 1500lbs?

Anyway, I don't know any formula but IMO it is easier and safer to pull heavy loads rather than to carry it (granted that it's on smooth terrain). Even an emergency lane change "feels" better when the weight is towed rather than carried. You have more axles to distribute the weight as well.

BTW, a stock FZJ80 has a maximum payload capacity of 1719lbs and a max towing capacity of 5000lbs.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Is Cruiser B pulling the trailer's weight plus 1500lbs?

Anyway, I don't know any formula but IMO it is easier and safer to pull heavy loads rather than to carry it (granted that it's on smooth terrain). Even an emergency lane change "feels" better when the weight is towed rather than carried. You have more axles to distribute the weight as well.

BTW, a stock FZJ80 has a maximum payload capacity of 1719lbs and a max towing capacity of 5000lbs.

The trailer weight is 1500# total

Our 80 has no roof rack and last year on vacation its weight was 8020# when we left. No problem running down the highway but it would make it a lot ez'r on us if a lot of the crap was in a trailer for access. Does handling and performance change much with a small 1500# trailer?

 

[Scamper]

You would hardly notice 1500# behind you. But you have a !500# trailer, with 1500# of gear, and now you have 3000# behind you. You will notice that. You will also probably need (per state law or just for safety sake) electric brakes.

The weight will probably run better overall if you carry it in the truck, assuming you can get it all in the truck and not make it topheavy, and you're not driving like a madman. With a trailer, though the weight of the load is carried by the trailer axle, you are now carrying an additional axle which adds a totally new dimension to driving. IMO, if you can reasonably carry the weight within your truck, you're better off. If you can't, then you go to a trailer, knowing that this entail some compromises.

 

[Critter]

Logic makes me think it's easier to pull heavy weight, think about this...

A 1 ton truck can carry a couple thousands pounds in the bed but it can tow ALOT more than that with the right trailer setup.

Carrying the weight puts all the strain of that weight on the vehicle's suspension, where towing would put some of that strain on the trailer and only force the vehicle to support the weight of tongue. If you get 1500+ pounds worth of gear in the back of a LC and don't tear the suspension up I would be surprised.

 

[semlin]

up to a point it's better to have it in the truck. That point is where the weight in the truck affects handling so much that it's less of a pita to tow a trailer. Not sure where that is on an LC but if you felt ok with 8000# I am surprised. A 1500 lb trailer would be a noticable pita on a trip I think. My boat and trailer is a little over 2000 lbs and I can barely feel it on a straight level ground, but it bothers me on hill climbs, when changing lanes, when parking and, most of all, when braking sharply or trying to husband brakes on a downhill. Otherwise it's fine

 

[Hltoppr]

Geez Phil! 1500# of gear? Maybe I should put you on a "fast and light" training regiment!

-H-

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Geez Phil! 1500# of gear? -H-

No 1500# was for example more like 1000#

Maybe I should put you on a "fast and light" training regiment!

-H-

If this is the "fast and light " system I will pass

 

[John E Davies]

It's easier on the truck to pull the weight, but the added wind and rolling resistance of the trailer will take its toll on mpg. I preferentially put all my stuff in my little trailer. I think it looks way cooler too. Isn't cool a major factor?

A trtailer makes it lot harder to maneuver on tight trails and to park in a city.

Either way, the 80 is so tough you won't hurt it, so don't worry.

http://home.comcast.net/~johnedavies/LX450-06.JPG

John

 

[Hltoppr]

LOL, That's only about 255 lbs on the roof. For this trip, we don't have the kayaks! Roof tent, 90 lbs of gas and the awning.... about 225 lbs.

But you have to remember, with a 3FE, I do nothing fast....

-H-

 

[RHINO]

well phil i dont have any formula, however there is that critical breakover weight where it is impracticle and unsafe to carry that weight in the rig.

but here is my delima: easier? maybe not the right word.
it is EASIER on the rigs suspension and stability not to carry the weight hence always a greater tow load than carry load.
however it is EASIER on the fuel and drivetrain not to tow a load because of the extra drag inherant in pulling a trailer.
like someone said, its 6 of one and a half dozen of the other.

even though i get a noticeable drop in mileage and hill climbing power when towing, i prefer the trailer for a myriad of reasons.

 

[NorCalDoug]

if carrying means piling stuff on top...then I say pull it.
There will be lots of wind resistance from stuff piled on the roof.

if the stuff is inside (i.e. not on the roof at all, then carry it -- as long as you're not exceeding the max load.

 

[Brentbba]

if carrying means piling stuff on top...then I say pull it.
There will be lots of wind resistance from stuff piled on the roof.

if the stuff is inside (i.e. not on the roof at all, then carry it -- as long as you're not exceeding the max load.

....and you didn't have anything up top at Pismo??

 

[Draken]

I just returned from a 400 mi trip towing a 6X12 U-haul trailer with about 500lbs of furniture in it. Other than getting 10 mpg from a normal 13.5-14 (for the same trip) it felt like a normal drive...The only things I had to get used to was not having any rear visibility and backing up was a major PITA. Now if I compared this to hauling 500lbs of gear in the cargo area...I would much rather tow it...Towing definitely felt a lot more stable than hauling it would have. IMHO.

 

[sandcruiser]

On our year-long tour of Central America we carried an awful lot of stuff both in and on our '60.

Before we re-started, we towed a trailer with same stuff (ok, a little more, but close)

We preferred carrying it by a wide margain.

If you are talking about mostly on-road with dry conditions, and you won't need to park in tight spaces often, then towing is probably a better way to go. We've often discussed getting another trailer for camping: just keep it loaded and hitch up and go! Your suspension can be tuned for comfort vs. load capacity. Vertical clearance is much better (we have a lot of trees overhanging roads). And we can take two friends and our dog and 4-6 surfboards without any problem if we tow...

Now, if you are doing much offroad... I'd carry the stuff and pack lighter.

Final thought: carrying is less expensive than hauling. Trailers aren't free.

Good luck!

 

[IdahoDoug]

Phil,

This is an open ended question that's left too broad to accurately answer. Most importantly, define "easier" (faster access to stuff while driving, etc) and secondly define the conditions under which this load will be carried or towed. These data points dramatically shift what I'd recommend, and as I read the posts, I see everyone tryiing to define what you've not told us - like "if I were on a trail, ...etc).

So, no opinion until I understand what you're really doing (and the actual weight more closely defined, too...)

DougM