Oh boy, I am actually very interested in this one! That would tow behind my little truck perfect! There has been several times I've needed a trailer for things and this looks like it fits the bill.
New Harbor Freight Trailer
- Thread starter Nick1994
- Start date
Yeah, I kinda want to swap cars with the daughter, get my 99 back. The Corolla is nice, but I have no enjoyment of it (outside of near 40mpg). But buying a (nearly) new car for a 16 yr old goes against my religion… but the lack of side airbags does weigh on me.
If she goes to college and needs a car, we may well finally swap.
so - if you can’t tow with these vehicles, and I’ve been there, then it’s all about the roof rack. Can I properly support a few sheets of plywood and tie it down well enough for the ride home, and how many bags of cement can it carry?
if I ever move away from driving a truck, a trailer will likely be a requirement here, and most likely a 5x8 enclosed, as some items need weather protection.
if I ever move away from driving a truck, a trailer will likely be a requirement here, and most likely a 5x8 enclosed, as some items need weather protection.
Love my 6x14, odd size but I can walk in without smashing my head on the ceiling. Low floor. Moving a few sheets of plywood is easier with a truck, moving piles of boxes was easier with a trailer.
When I was building my home office, I made one big run and left it in the trailer, until needed. It did rain, but, no issue of course.
You can still legally tow with any vehicle that has a proper hitch system mounted regardless of the car manufactures specs, and you aren't going to damage anything towing light and easy with almost any vehicle in the flatlands. If you are going up and down some long mountain grades then monitoring transmission temps would be smart.
IMO, I'd rather have a small trailer tucked in behind a car carrying plywood or whatever than on the roof, you end up with less aero drag and have an easier time securing things like plywood so they don't become a sail, or blow off and kill someone...
This trailer is 4x6.5' and I've towed dozens of firewood loads like this, around 12-1400lbs of trailer and hardwood. Its a good loading height, great for painting boards, the atv fits in it and then the trailer is only 3" wider than the atv for using in the woods. I load it with all the weight I can get on the tongue, so ~200lbs and it just tags along out of the wind. I rarely use the racks on the car if I can avoid it, they are rated for 70lbs or something, but carry a few long boards or pipes in a pinch.
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AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
How can you legally tow if the vehicle doesn't have towing specs? Who decides how much is safe? If you were to get into a trailer sway wreck with your Focus towing 1400 lbs and the police were checking things out you think they'd let it slide?
I’ll poke around a bit, but I don’t think any state has a specific law that prohibits a vehicle from towing if the manual precludes it, nor that the state can hand out tickets for being over said owners manual limits. Unsafe driving aside (as witnessed), I don’t think for personal use the state cares until that 26k limit.
YMMV if an accident happens and lawyers get involved. Which isn’t the same as moving violations that would have the police involved.
Read your highway traffic laws, mine and most don't mention anything about vehicle manufactures tow ratings, they are for the drivetrain warranty only as far as I know?
I could legally tow up to 3k lbs unbraked, as long as I have the hitch, receiver, ball, and trailer rated for no more than that. My setup is class 1 good for 2000lbs though.
I'm not over loading the axle ratings of the car, and I make sure I've got lots of tongue weight, so I've never had a hint of sway and I never should as long as I load the trailer right. Most cars with independent rear suspension have some extra toe and negative camber as the suspension compresses as well, which is good for stability, but a bit harder on tires.
ls1mike
$50 Site Donor 2024
If you have a trailer, they will certainly check and even weigh you in Washington.
Can you link a relevant information source?
The only applicable parts I see from searching are:
brakes required over 3000#
and trailer must not exceed 40% GW of the tow vehicle.
A Mk3-3.5 focus would be perfectly fine safe since the powershift would blow up before leaving the garage.
ls1mike
$50 Site Donor 2024
There isn't they will call commercial vehicle inspection if a trailer is involved. Happened to guy I camped with, he was over his max ratings for his F-150 and was cited. He was responsible for all damages. It is at the discretion of the officer at the scene.
ls1mike
$50 Site Donor 2024
That sounds like requirements for a homemade trailer here in Washington. At least that is what I have seen in the past.
ls1mike
$50 Site Donor 2024
This is how Washington gets you. It is a huge RCW that to be honest I have not read in it's entirety. I just make sure I am not over my weights. My luck someone would pull out in front of me like the old truck and I don't need that hassle. I was with my buddy when he had his accident. This what the officer cited. Like I said, better safe than sorry when your pulling 8000 lbs and 30 feet. His 09 F-150 was beyond it's limits.
Any police officer is authorized to require the driver of any vehicle or combination of vehicles to stop and submit to a weighing either by means of a portable or stationary scale and may require that the vehicle be driven to the nearest public scale. Whenever a police officer, upon weighing a vehicle and load, determines that the weight is unlawful, the officer may require the driver to stop the vehicle in a suitable location and remain standing until such portion of the load is removed as may be necessary to reduce the gross weight of the vehicle to the limit permitted by law. If the vehicle is loaded with grain or other perishable commodities, the driver shall be permitted to proceed without removing any of the load, unless the gross weight of the vehicle and load exceeds by more than ten percent the limit permitted by this chapter. The owner or operator of the vehicle shall care for all materials unloaded at the risk of the owner or operator.
Any police officer is authorized to require the driver of any vehicle or combination of vehicles to stop and submit to a weighing either by means of a portable or stationary scale and may require that the vehicle be driven to the nearest public scale. Whenever a police officer, upon weighing a vehicle and load, determines that the weight is unlawful, the officer may require the driver to stop the vehicle in a suitable location and remain standing until such portion of the load is removed as may be necessary to reduce the gross weight of the vehicle to the limit permitted by law. If the vehicle is loaded with grain or other perishable commodities, the driver shall be permitted to proceed without removing any of the load, unless the gross weight of the vehicle and load exceeds by more than ten percent the limit permitted by this chapter. The owner or operator of the vehicle shall care for all materials unloaded at the risk of the owner or operator.
Which ratings was he over? The GVWR, Axle ratings, and all the hitch components ratings do seem to used in enforcement, but the actual manufacturer tow ratings dependent on axle gear ratios, engine hp etc, don't seem to influence safety directly? If each component of your vehicle, hitch system, and trailer isn't being used over the load capacity(not towing capacity) then you are good to go as far as I can tell.
I'm not advocating people should tow super heavy with their car, but the perception that you can't tow anything legally because it says you can't in the owners manual or warranty book is false.
In any case, the laws vary by state/province, so its worth a call to your local trailer and hitch inspection company, or the department of transportation and talk to an enforcement officer if you have questions about what you can and can't do.
ls1mike
$50 Site Donor 2024
Payload and trucks rear axle.
ls1mike
$50 Site Donor 2024
I remember this one well about 4 miles from me. The WSP even put a video about this after they were done with the investigation. That is one thing they don't mess with here. They won't bother you if you don't wreck or do something stupid. If you do...standby. Not worth IMO.
Overweight trailer
Overweight trailer
