Trailers

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BZEP

BZEP

Joined
Oct 23, 2007
Threads
25
Messages
267
Location
Charlotte, NC
Who out there trailers their cruiser? If so can you tell me a little about it. I am going to start looking into purchasing one and want to make sure I get one that I wont regret later. Where you got it, size, special features it might have, maybe a pic of it. Do most of the local off road sites such as caney fork have places you can park a truck and trailer and leave it for a couple days while you are away? Thanks in advance for the help.
 
Mabe These Guys?

I WOULD TRY THESE GUYS. MY DAD AND A FEW OF HIS FRIENDS USE THESE GUYS. I KNOW THEY BUILD A GREAT PRODUCT AT A VERY GOOD PRICE.
www.[B]kaufmantrailers.com[/B]
 
Thanks for the info guys I will be picking one of them up soon. Both of the above companies measure 83" in width, thanks for the heads up. Would you suggest a 7000 or 8000 GVWR for an FJ 40? Also I will be pulling with a F150 so I shouldnt have a problem, on the other hand my brother is also looking at purchasing a trailer to pull his FJ40 but he would be pulling with a Nissan Frontier V6, the specs on his truck say that he can tow 6100lbs. Any suggestions on what you would do in his situation are appreciated. I think with a trailer and FJ he will be really close to maxing out the limit. Maybe dollies? Thanks again!!
 
BZEP said:
Thanks for the info guys I will be picking one of them up soon. Both of the above companies measure 83" in width, thanks for the heads up. Would you suggest a 7000 or 8000 GVWR for an FJ 40? Also I will be pulling with a F150 so I shouldnt have a problem, on the other hand my brother is also looking at purchasing a trailer to pull his FJ40 but he would be pulling with a Nissan Frontier V6, the specs on his truck say that he can tow 6100lbs. Any suggestions on what you would do in his situation are appreciated. I think with a trailer and FJ he will be really close to maxing out the limit. Maybe dollies? Thanks again!!
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A 7000 lb GVWR should be fine for an FJ40. The F150 should pull it ok, it might be slow on steeper hills (Black Mountain). Make sure you have a good brake controller. Being able to stop the truck and trailer is more important than being able to pull it.

I would not recommend towing an FJ40 behind anything with a V6. It will have a hard time pulling it, and probably doesn't have the brakes to stop it either.
 
I'm going to selling a dolly soon. I use it w/ my FJ40, but w/ 33" tires it's less than ideal and I'm planning on going to 35's before too long. Shoot me a PM if you are interested.

Ramon
 
mtweller said:
I'm going to selling a dolly soon. I use it w/ my FJ40, but w/ 33" tires it's less than ideal and I'm planning on going to 35's before too long. Shoot me a PM if you are interested.

Ramon
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So I take that as it will not work with 35's???
 
Not sure, but it is doubtful. The problem is the basket straps - the radius of the tire is wider than the "tray" where the tires are meant to rest. Makes it difficult to get strapped down. I have been able to run mine w/ 33's safely with some custom straps I had made, but it is somewhat tedious to load. The axle is a little narrow on the Cruiser too - a wider axled vehicle would work ok w/ 35's I think.
 
I'll have it at URE on 12/7.
 
and strangely enough, a tow dolly or flat towing requires MORE of the tow rig than a trailer.

A 7k trailer is fine.. when you start stepping up in GVW, the trailer REALLY starts to get heavy. You can spec the trailer with the 5200# axles over the 3500's, which gets you bigger tires, bigger brakes, and bigger bearings. But, as long as you service them once a year or so, the 3500's should hold you fine.

My trailer is a '99, 7000#, with brakes on all 4 (important!), wood deck, and it's pretty light, about 1500#.

I'll second NOT towing a cruiser with a 1/4 ton anything.. (Tacoma, frontier, ranger, etc) they may be rated (barely) to tow the weight, but that's an ideal weight.. low CoG, solid (i.e. the suspension doesn't shift and make the trailer try to sway, etc..) The smaller trucks don't have the longer wheelbase, bigger brakes, transmissions, and suspension to support that.

However, I wouldn't hesitate to tow my buggy (4600#) behind any of the newest generation 1/2 tons, but if you get back around Y2k models, I'd start to lean towards 3/4 or "heavy half" trucks. An '07 Tundra makes me drool, but my wallet says '01 Chevy 2500.
 
I have towed plenty of FJ40s with a tow dolly behind a 2002 4Runner on trips over 600 miles with no problems. Granted they were slower than normal trips and I had to keep real good attention on my horizon. But got to my destinations safe and sound. Checking the straps every other hour for tightness.

No doubt a big diesel truck with a full size trailer is the ideal set up and most people here that tow frequently will attest they are the best option (which I agree) but you can get a lot done with a dolly and a midsize SUV. It takes more patience and awareness in your driving but by no means it is as unsafe and terrible as people describe it here on mud.

So for my needs that set up has served me wheel and also saved me money since I did not have to buy a diesel truck and a full size trailer.

Ramon I have towed an FJ40 with 35 baja claws all the way from Maryland with dolly with no problems at all. Your dolly might not be big enough I know you said yours was the same as mine but I do not think it is if you are having so much trouble with it.

Also how a dolly takes more on the tow rig than a full size trailer??
 
worldcruiser said:
I have towed plenty of FJ40s with a tow dolly behind a 2002 4Runner on trips over 600 miles with no problems. Granted they were slower than normal trips and I had to keep real good attention on my horizon. But got to my destinations safe and sound. Checking the straps every other hour for tightness.

No doubt a big diesel truck with a full size trailer is the ideal set up and most people here that tow frequently will attest they are the best option (which I agree) but you can get a lot done with a dolly and a midsize SUV. It takes more patience and awareness in your driving but by no means it is as unsafe and terrible as people describe it here on mud.

So for my needs that set up has served me wheel and also saved me money since I did not have to buy a diesel truck and a full size trailer.

Ramon I have towed an FJ40 with 35 baja claws all the way from Maryland with dolly with no problems at all. Your dolly might not be big enough I know you said yours was the same as mine but I do not think it is if you are having so much trouble with it.

Also how a dolly takes more on the tow rig than a full size trailer??
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I'm glad your set-up has worked for you Juan, but I still wouldn't recommend it. I tow my full size trailer with my F250 diesel, and it works great. No, you don't have to have a diesel, but it definetly makes towing a lot easier and safer.

It doesn't matter how careful you are with a tow dolly and mid-size SUV if somebody cuts you off in traffic on the interstate and you have to get on the brakes hard to avoid a multi-car pile up. The chances are that you are not going to be able to stop your load safely or keep it under control in an emergency. That puts your life in danger, as well as the others on the road with you.

Just my 2 cents.

R.K.
 
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RK speaks the truth. I could theoretically flat tow anyone's trail rig behind a Tacoma.. but it leaves NO margin for the soccer Mom yapping at her 2 kids while loading a DVD who cuts you off, the brain-dead cell phone talker who cuts across 3 lanes of traffic as not to miss her exit, or any of the other "OH s***" moments that can happen.

I've towed many thousands of miles, and twice in the last 2 years, had to use the handling of a larger truck and trailer to prevent getting into an accident. Once was kinda my fault (was watching some dumbass about to drive into the side of the trailer, and traffic stopped short), the other time was a multi-car pileup near D.C. that hapened right in front of me. we swerved across 2 lanes of traffic with Cruiser in tow at 55mph, and swerved back, with no drama. Try that with a 4-runner and something in tow.

a trailer is better than a dolly, which is better than flat-towing, regardless of the weight penalty, IMO.
 
Being able to stop a load has also to do with the speed you are towing at, there are limitations with a dolly I never said otherwise. You guys missed the point in where I said that it is a slow ride and you have to be extra careful with all your senses into the drive.

Also if some one cuts you off that person is the one putting others in danger not the one who has to correct for their mistake. I did not recommend a dolly as the "Ideal" set up for towing but it does have a place. Hence that is why dollies are made and are a popular option for towing vehicles. I do not have the 4Runner anymore I tow with my 100 series and it is much more apt for towing with the dolly.

That being said you are right a full size diesel truck and a full size trailer is the best option. Although not the only one and not for everybody. It serves your purpose for many trips a year and thousands of miles. For me to take two trips a year to URE does not make it cost effective to have a full size diesel truck and trailer combo.

Believe me I would not intentionally try to put anyone at risk by my actions. Rest assured I understand risk.... I make a living at it.
 
I just don't think a tow dolly's place is towing a ~4000 (or more) pound, Short WB, high CoG vehicle with a locker. Tow dollies are great for cars. Having a trailer even behind a smaller truck is giving you some safety back. they track better, and having 8 brakes is better than 4. The cost for a tow dolly is not that much less than a trailer, so why use a dolly instead of a trailer?

And don't get me wrong, a 3/4 ton diesel is great, but a 1/2 ton fullsize is twice the tow rig that a smaller truck is.

I didn't miss where you said it was a slow ride, but I was doing 55 at the time the pileup happened.. traffic was moving at about 65..

A 100 isn't a half-bad occasional tow rig either, I went for a few hours through the rolling hills in Texas with one pulling a FJ55.. on a trailer. ;)

I guess my main point is, trailer vs. dolly. when you're towing a 4000lb FJ on a 300lb dolly with a 5000lb vehicle, You've got 9300lbs trying to be stopped by the same brakes.. That's 2325 lbs per brake. Add a trailer in the mix, now you've increaed the weight by 12% to say 10,500 lbs, but you've doubled the brakes, making each brake have to slow only 1312 lbs. SOME tow dollies have surge brakes, which are OK, but not nearly as good as an electric brake setup with a controller.

No matter what tow vehicle you have, that's a better bet in my book, and you're buying yourself some safety back.

(The guy I bought my trailer from sold the trailer to get a dolly, which cost every bit as much as what I paid for the trailer ($1400) once ha added in the brakes and all that. He sold the trailer because he wanted to reduce the amount of weight being pulled by his 1/2 ton.. he regrets the decision, and wants the trailer back.. That's real world experience between a dolly and a trailer, with the same tow vehicle and load. He's pulling a Jeep TJ with a detroit in the rear.. a very similar load to a FJ40, whether we want to admit it or not.)

Besides, in Worldcruiser's case, he's got 8 vehicles in his sig.. why not add a tow rig and trailer? :P
 
The cost for a tow dolly is not that much less than a trailer, so why use a dolly instead of a trailer?

-Yes it is much cheaper you can get a nice used dolly for about $350 or less

Besides, in Worldcruiser's case, he's got 8 vehicles in his sig.. why not add a tow rig and trailer? :P

-My need of a tow rig and trailer is not directly proportional to the amount of vehicles I own. It has to do with how much towing I do. Like I said I do not tow that much. If my needs change I might purchase a trailer.

So for $350 you can start towing your 40 in no time...No registration, tag...taxes..etc. It is very convenient It is to me and it is not as UNSAFE as you portray it.

To whoever uses a trailer with a large tow rig I agree Your set up is the IDEAl and BEST. But there is place for others opinions and needs. I did not claim my set up to be better over yours. I said it works for my CIRCUMSTANCES. And since the gentleman who started the thread was asking about tow dollies I saw fit to comment on my experience.

So to BZEP your brother needs to explore all towing options and figure out what is best for him.
 
So I am taking it that the best towing option would be to use the Yaris and Flat Tow the 40.;) I hope I didn't start any trouble here I was just asking about what everyone does out there. Thank you all for your responses the knowledge and expertise is greatly appreciated. I think I am going to go with a trailer on the F150. I believe in my brothers matter he is going to use the parents old bronco (the OJ Simpson style) and pull a trailer as well. Again thank you all. I hope to finally meet some of you on the 8th at URE.
Thanks again, Brian
 
worldcruiser said:
The cost for a tow dolly is not that much less than a trailer, so why use a dolly instead of a trailer?

-Yes it is much cheaper you can get a nice used dolly for about $350 or less

Besides, in Worldcruiser's case, he's got 8 vehicles in his sig.. why not add a tow rig and trailer? :P

-My need of a tow rig and trailer is not directly proportional to the amount of vehicles I own. It has to do with how much towing I do. Like I said I do not tow that much. If my needs change I might purchase a trailer.

So for $350 you can start towing your 40 in no time...No registration, tag...taxes..etc. It is very convenient It is to me and it is not as UNSAFE as you portray it.

To whoever uses a trailer with a large tow rig I agree Your set up is the IDEAl and BEST. But there is place for others opinions and needs. I did not claim my set up to be better over yours. I said it works for my CIRCUMSTANCES. And since the gentleman who started the thread was asking about tow dollies I saw fit to comment on my experience.

So to BZEP your brother needs to explore all towing options and figure out what is best for him.
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I wasn't slamming you personally Juan. I understand what you're saying about your towing needs, and towing slowly. But I still say you can't control all situations, no matter how careful you are.

The main reason I posted what I did is because I could see someone with no towing experience reading your post, and thinking it was fine to tow there FJ40 on a tow dolly behind a mid-size truck or SUV. "That guy does it, so it must be fine" could lead to a serious accident, once again giving "us" a bad reputation.
 
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