quote:

Etrack everywhere

One of mankind's best inventions.

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
I built a similar trailer for going motorcycle racing and the winning strategy on sleeping IMO is to construct a fold down full size.

I am trying to wrap my head around this. Pictures please?

My trailer is in winter storage so I can't get you a picture. I've seen a million variations on how its done from simple plywood and hinges with a mattress to fabricated folding brackets. Just look up murphy bed and dream how to do it in your trailer. There are also commercial versions to give you the idea.
http://www.busrvparts.com/bunk...___Murphy_Style_Bed_
https://rbcomponents.com/colle...-76-charcoal-cloth-1
and plenty of nifty utubes as well. Mine is simply using the etrack and some fabricated brackets.

Was a time when I used to tow my Searay Seville Mid Cabin cruiser from Metro Detroit to Lake George, New York every summer. BTW, that's a 718 mile trip one way. My tow vehicle was a 1985 Monte Carlo SS that had a tow rating of 5000 lbs. and that boat and trailer tipped the scales at 5200 lbs. Over a 24 year span I learned a LOT about towing

Lesson One is an absolute. GET A WEIGHT TRANSFER HITCH. Air shocks don't cut it because with enough tongue weight to produce a stable tow package you'll be taking weight off the front wheels. The result of this is steering that is best described as "over sensitive and twitchy". Basically turn the wheel just a hair too quickly and you find a tiny delay in the reaction at the front wheels followed immediately by a sharp over reaction.

Lesson Two. Don't even think about cheaping out on tires. If there is ANYTHING questionable about a tire then replace both tires on that particular axle.

Lesson Three. Have enough cooling. Note, there were times when I would run the heater on full hot to provide some additional cooling capacity in the Monte Carlo. Think about it, a 90 degree day and I'm running the heat on full for 718 miles. Not fun. When I re-did the entire powertrain in the Monte the first item purchased was a LARGE 2 row aluminum BeCool radiator that is basically identical to what is used in NASCAR.

Lesson 4. Have enough Power. In an ideal world you would want to be able to do your tow in overdrive at 65-75 mph. Before the powertrain replacement the Monte had a 305 V8 with 180 HP and 240 ft.lbs of torque and towing meant running in Drive at about 55 mph. Currently the GMPP HT383 is rated at 345 HP with 415 ft.lbs of torque. Towing with that setup was at 70 mph in OD.

Concerning your rig, it should be good to go but that 5.3 V8 may just a touch mild in regards to torque. While it's an amazing engine in regards to power vs displacement that 385 ft.lbs. of torque may have you slowing down and downshifting for steep uphill grades. However if you are east of the Mississippi I see no need to be concerned because the 5.3 will handle the smaller grades in the eastern half of the US. If you are going to tackle the Rockies I would suggest you look in to trading up to a truck with a larger engine with at least 450-500 ft.lbs. of torque. BTW, length of grade an altitude are the reason for the larger engine out west, there aren't any 5000 feet elevations in the Appalachian's and lots of 5000 ft. + in the Rockies.

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
"It is about wear and tear on the vehicle." I'm going to try and explain the lack of common sense involved in that post. I have a farm and tow horses on a regular basis. Let's say I need to take 3 of them somewhere (12.5K tow rating this specific truck, 4.5K trailer weight, payload at your 60% rule 3K). If I apply that 60% rule I have to make 3 trips to do that. Huh? There is not a chance that's a winning strategy. The actual same facts would be true for you with your 150 and the 12K dump trailer if you need to move more than your 60% limit. More trips.
While you can make the argument that some items that wear are weight related (brakes come to mind and obviously fuel) most everything else is not. Its silly to make more trips because of some arbitrary (and totally unproven IMO) wear and tear argument and tow below max safe load if you need to tow something.
The OP is talking about 8 trips/year with a setup that on the surface is clearly within the capabilities of his tow vehicle. Its time to tell him to weigh everything, get a good weight distributing hitch, make sure he has not exceeded one of the various boundary items like tongue weight, and to change his fluids on a 'severe' schedule.

You are cherry picking examples. I specifically said for daily towing. IE if his trailer was a work rig like mine. Towing every day on downtown streets, freeways and interstates. Keeping the trailer weight at 60% saves you brakes, gas, tires, and wear and tear on the transmission.

He isn't doing that. Once a month is what he said. So that 60% is out the window. Reading his other response, the only thing he does not list is the brakes on the trailer.

If he has brakes on both axles then sure. That % can be bumped up.

As for you example. Towing infrequently on county back roads versus city/metro area daily is a big difference.

It has nothing to do with the number of trips.