Using an fj40 to tow

[kerplunk]

I am starting to understand the deal here better. The tool box bumper is basically a heavy duty bumper, it's made of 1/8 to 1/4 inch steel, but has a lid and open space inside, which is why I call it a tool box. Basically it's just a bumper so I should make that clear to avoid confusion. I can stand and jump on this bumper and it doesn't budge other than my suspension moving.

I've read that the tongue weight should ideally be about 10% of the gross trailer weight. I'm guessing a cord of wood averages 2000 pounds? plus a trailer that weights probably 1500 pounds, you should have at least 350 pounds tongue weight. And that's on a 6 inch lever trying to twist it's mounting point on the bottom of your box / bumper. So get a friend (a big one) and the two of you jump on the end of the ball mount?

An fj40 is short, the staff at the local ferry dock told me it was 13'6" to the end of the swing out cooler basket on the back of mine. It's going to swap ends fast if that trailer gives it a little push going around a corner. And the trailer isn't going to follow the back around in a nice arc that you make spinning donuts in the snow, it's going to keep going straight, or trying to, with the land cruiser going sideways... Someone suggested a longer tongue to give it more length, but this also gives it more leverage for it's tongue weight to push the rear of the land cruiser down and cause the front end to float (very bad situation, something like 80% of braking it from the front, usually the better performing brakes, they won't work if there's no weight on the axle, makes turning really hard too, if there's no weight on the front tires with a large trailer).

Without seeing it all, and inspecting close, no one can really make a good call on it. And even then, people with a lot of expertise (which isn't me) are making a few educated guesses (how heavy is that trailer loaded with wood?). Going slow, staying home when it's wet (there's your excuse to not work in the rain) and making sure there's a lot of room in front of you can make a lot of questionably safe hauls go forward without incident. But every now and then something bad happened, most of the rated max loads get designed for that, the closer you get to these, the less chances you have for getting through the problem. And I'd just guess, your close to that limit on what any vehicle of a similar wheel base & weight should be hauling.

 

[jlhollowx13]

Thanks, I appreciate everyone's input. I think I'll just try not to use it for that and if it's absolutely necessary, be safe about it. Maybe half load the trailer, and I definitely don't get wood when it's wet, already had a scary day doing that! Haha

 

[JohnnyC]

Scary wood cutting... Kinda like you and your buddy axing away at wood (some wet) to look over your shoulder to see your buddy staggering back after the ax he was chopping with bounced back and struck him on his forehead ?

His wool hat keeping from bleading all over... (Kinda helped... His shirt was absorbing a lot as well) Rushed him to the hospital and talked to the nurse told to sign in... I write "split head open with ax"

We wait joking seeing coughing people being taken before us (they were signed in first)

When the dr. sees him "glad you got here when you did ... Looks like you had lost quite a bit of blood"

Well when you wait an hour to be seen I guess quite a bit of blood can escape during that time lol

You seem like a level headed person... You after all came to ask here first

IMHO as Downey also said and I think others ... remove the rubber spacers... That is the weak point to your setup

Be safe

 

[Weber Sarge]

You want no added distance between that hitch and the rear frame - it creates too much leverage . I've pulled over 3500lbs with mine on a 6.5x12 utility deck with ramp - but I have full brakes on the trailer and a controller in the 40 . I towed up to 2000lbs without the brakes and will never do it again - that trailer tried hard to steer the 40 sideways under medium braking and it doesn't feel good for sure . You also have to consider the strength and condition of the rear frame braces and rivets , they can get weak/bent over time and need to be addressed . I'd start with a good known base - weigh that trailer at a nearby truck stop with another tow vehicle and get a properly built hitch on the 40 . It's not hard to install inertia brakes on a trailer as well , and worth the coin for safety's sake .

Sarge