Need Towing advice

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

M

matty boy

10 Year
Joined
May 3, 2012
Threads
1
Messages
4
Location
Albany, CA.
Hey all,
New to the forum and need some advice on towing.
I have a '99 LC with the standard Draw-Tite class III/IV hitch rated for 5K lbs. I just bought a 23' deckboat which comes to just under 5K lbs. (including the trailer).
The trailer is a tandem with surge brakes. I'm looking for advice on whether or not this set-up is okay. I have looked and am unable to plop a equalizing hitch, for weight distribution, due to the darn surge brakes (prevents the tongue from engaging the hydrolics for the brakes since the eq. hitch is fixed to the trailer)

Let me know if anyone has any insight into this. Figuring I'm probably just fine - but thought I'd throw it out there.
Thanks in advance for any help/insight.
 
I have towed a 22' bow rider with no brake assist using a 1999 toyota 4runner. Everything worked fine. I'm not sure what a deck boat is...bowrider, pontoon, cabin cruiser. Anyways, I have also seen LC pull 24' bow rider. I didn't look like they were having problems.
 
Thanks for the reply.

I've been doing a little more research on this today and it seems that there are in fact Weight Distributing Hitches (WDH's) out there that are compatible with surge brake trailers. It seems now I just need to figure out which one to get for a trailer with a break-away tongue...
 
My bro towed a 23ft celebrity tandem axle with that same setup..came in a little over 7000lbs. Did it fine.
 
We tow this with our LX. Has surge brakes on one of the axles, weighs in around 5000-5500 lbs. No weight distributing hitch. How far are you going to be pulling it and on what kind of roads?

attachment.php
 
Pulled a 32 foot cuddy cabin with twin 250's about 10 miles once (uncle's boat, he popped a tire on his truck, so I just towed it off the ramp and back home), truck did just fine, I think you'll be ok
 
air bags
they will keep your front end on the ground
 
really appreciate all the replies. thanks all. when i'm hooked up my rear end drops 2". pulling isn't the problem. truck seems to have no issues there. i will typically be going about 150 - 200 miles with the boat (Santa Rosa to Tahoe or Clear Lake or Bucks Lake or Lake Oroville). I'll try it without anything for the first go around and then see if i need airbags or the Timbren Rear Suspsension Enhancement System (only $200).
Timbren Rear Suspension Enhancement System Timbren Vehicle Suspension TGMRCK25D
 
Keep the barf bags handy.
A 2" drop in the rear with no reinforcement will be a very light front end and the truck will feel like an old Cadillac, floating down the road (which really is kind of nice too). Also watch out for dips in the road, as the rear will drop far more than usual. Put your luggage in the rear of the boat too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom