True Real World Towing Ability with 24 foot enclosed trailer

I'm looking at a race car enclosed aluminum 24 footer Gold Rush heavily built from 2000. Lots of goodies inside like cabinets racks and tool box winch generator etc...weighs 4750 empty. I have a 1991 300zx tt that weighs about 3750 wet. Add a few tools and spares I'll be knocking on 9000 lbs. I comes with a load distributing hitch and sway bar. Opinions welcome!

 

too much, mainly limited by payload of the truck.

 

Oof I think that’s too much as well. A smaller trailer would work. I didn’t realize the Z’s weighed that much! I do love me a tt

 

I'm slightly mistaken TundraTT its more like 3450 curb weight on the Z. That still puts me over 8000 before I add any tools or spares...looks like I need a more lightly built trailer or try to buy the guys F350 old srw reg cab 8 foot bed...I think it's a power stroke. Just for towing duty ha. Just need to sell off a couple more old Toyota's lol.

 

Can anything be stripped off/out of the trailer to lighten the load ?

 

how so? they measure two very different concepts. Payload = weight of the passengers, cargo, and accessories that a vehicle can carry in its bed or cargo area. Towing capacity = maximum weight that a vehicle is capable of pulling behind it.

 

From your numbers in the original post... I'd be ok with it.. make sure trailer brakes are working good...

 

As far as weight reduction, yes and no, guy just retired from drag racing Super Pro it has a small Honda generator, small portable compressor, full spare on the wall, floor jack in it's own compartment, good sized tool box bolted in...but all stuff that would be great to have at the track...right now just running at a track an hour away but might be expanding that.

 

Part of the payload calculation is the tongue weight of the trailer you're pulling. Generally 10-15% of the weight of the trailer is on the tongue aka transferred to the tow vehicles axles.

 

You have to also add tongue weight of the trailer to the payload. At 9000 lbs of trailer weight you can expect (need) 10-15% of that being tongue weight so 900-1350 lbs on the rear axle from tongue weight alone. My 23' TRD Pro only has 1350 lbs of payload rating so that trailer would take up all of it with 15% tongue weight without any passengers, cargo, luggage, or anything in the bed.

I can't seem to dream up a scenario where you could technically pull 11k+ lbs and stay within payload with even a very light load of passengers/luggage/bed for most configurations of the 3rd gen. Will it actually pull it without issue is another question entirely that I'll refrain from comment on....hypothetically I have pulled something over payload and it did just fine. Hypothetically.

 

I believe it would pull that trailer just fine. It might have trouble stopping it though. Doing it often might wear things out at a faster rate. Your kinda right in between 2 worlds, the upper limit of this truck or a no sweat for an HD.

 

Actually it is possible...here is a video of a Capstone passing the FLT towing torture test pulling a 10k lb. load a mini dozer and it is rated at least 500 lbs less than my 1794 TRD

https://youtu.be/_3BHBp0UQds?si=8TsEuVexDioIso4r

 

Really.....look at a Ford dually. The Tundra will tow it.....aint gonna stop it.

 

Oh it’s definitely doable. Im more concerned about the wear and tear of x number of track days and distance trips over a season

 

I’ve owned 4 tundras including my wife’s. Two 2.5 gen and now two 3rd gen. They have all performed great hauling heavy occasionaly. (Not daily). I’ve towed 9K cargo trailer full of quads and camp gear many times with the payload overloaded. All the trucks perform very well. I have done the same with half ton silverados and the tundras greatly out performed. I know some safety ninjas are gonna cry but I’m just sharing my experience.

 

Get this man a Full send certificate

 

It’s a small skid loader,, not a mini dozer. A full size Bobcat weighs a tad more

 

Right now I am committed to the insane asylum...uh 4 track days at Millville NJMP... it's an hour from me have been driving in and back in the Z so far which is doable on 200 semi-track tires

 

I drag 9k with 1600 in the bed. The truck doesn't care. It tows it just fine.

 

I remember those days. Sticky tires sending rocks at Mach Jesus into the wheel wells

 

Awesome build major props on time patience and skillz k0kitten!

 

Yeah it's an addiction Tundra TT. I was talking to the guy who got me hooked...said it sure is nice to get out of the weather, have tools and shop, and if you break something ya still got a ride home...

 

Amen. If I had room for a trailer and a 4th vehicle, I’d still be doing it!

 

Enjoy life....shit wears out fix it....thats what extended warranty is for . You do it with the Race Car. Live you life ....you only get 1 unless your some whacked out religious nutball.

 

No way for me. I pulled a 24' Featherlite with about 800lbs of stuff and a GT3 in it. Call it 9000lbs. I used an F350 6.7 and that was just about right. Any more than that and I'm not doing a bumper pull. Hot days, mountain passes and idiots cutting in front of you. I want lots of reserve capacity.

 

I’m with you on that. Sometimes my analytical tendencies take over. Just send it

 

I pull a 9400 travel trailer 36'r, and it pulls it and stops very well, you'll be fine if you're experienced in pulling trailers, if not go lighter.

 

I confirm, peoples do not realize that max tow doesn't mean ANYTHING if you do not look at your truck payload limitation!
Safe practice is to stay under the 60% of the max tow which translates into a 6 to 7000 lbs max trailer weight.
The weight of your trailer's tongue will take away a large portion of your truck's payload and it would be best to stay within these figures if you don't want to get in trouble with the DOT or your insurer in the event of an accident, but above all to drive safely!

Today I finally decided to weigh my trailer, a Freedom Express 20SE TW listed as 512 lbs by Coachmen.
Well, without the 2 propane bottles and battery, using bathroom scale technique I get 640 lbs and when I add the 2 propane bottles and the battery, I get 820 lbs.
My Tundra has a 1320 lbs payload which doesn't leave too much cargo capacity.
I will redo measurements by adding a little weight to the rear of the trailer, the spare wheel (and/or a bike rack) for example, and see if that lightens the TW a little.

 

@Jettster ... Just put airbag suspension on the truck and go... It's a game changer... I put my gas golf cart (lighter than electric) in the truck and pull a 33' camper (7-9000 lb) .. I'm in Fl. and we do Tn a couple weeks a year like that...

A properly loaded trailer will make the tongue lighter...

 

I pull a 30’ (24’ inside) travel trailer that runs 7500-8000 loaded with a weight distributing hitch and the truck pulls it no sweat. The truck feels more planted and controlled pulling that weight than any other 1/2 ton I’ve driven.