HW296 TV who’s maxing out their tow vehicle

[Itwrx]

Just curious who’s maxing out or close to maxing our their tow vehicle? I don’t want this to be a “lecture” post of what your doing is wrong blah blah blah. Just curious about real world results with towing maxed out or above!!! We have a HW296 and currently only a 2014 Toyota Sienna. Mods include 1,000lb airbags. We currently tow a 3,200lb boat+trailer all over with zero issues. Also that’s at 5,500+ in elevation. Up to 6,600 feet! Ok I know the rules and what you should and shouldn’t tow. I have a WDH on our 296 along with electric brake controller. Now truth be told the van will tow the trailer almost none of the time. My Dad has a 2015 2500 ram Diesel that we use when we travel. But I have already towed it quite a bit up and down 5 to 6% grade hills from storage to home and back. No issues at all. So my question is who’s towing close to or over vehicle recommendations. Any mini van owners out there?
For the record the HW296 empty is under the max weight of my van. And that’s the only way I’ve towed it so far.

[ekskp]

We just got an 823D and yow it with a Sienna. I am sure loaded I am very close to the vans rated limit. I do have an Andersen WDH but nothing additional on the suspension. I wouldn’t mind something to help raise the back end a little more. One thing to remember about these pups is they carry most of their weight in front of the axle. My TW is around 450-500 lbs. way more than the 10% of total weight. We just hauled this from NY to Yellowstone and one Snowy Mountain pass. The pass was not fast but it pulled.

[Itwrx]

Originally Posted by ekskp

We just got an 823D and yow it with a Sienna. I am sure loaded I am very close to the vans rated limit. I do have an Andersen WDH but nothing additional on the suspension. I wouldn’t mind something to help raise the back end a little more. One thing to remember about these pups is they carry most of their weight in front of the axle. My TW is around 450-500 lbs. way more than the 10% of total weight. We just hauled this from NY to Yellowstone and one Snowy Mountain pass. The pass was not fast but it pulled.

Yeah they are hitch heavy. I wonder if the dual axels on my WD296 help with that? I see your 823D is 292 unloaded and mine is 373 unloaded. That 81lbs difference. I highly recommend you install air bags. It will make a HUGE difference. We installed the Firestone air helpers and the airlift remote controlled compressor. That way we can air up with out having to get out of the van and hook up a air chuck. Not only do they make towing better but they improve day to day driving. We keep 8PSI in them when not towing. No sway on the freeway. Better around corners. Our suspension is not worn out by any means. we only have 40,000miles on it. It’s also great when 7 people are in the van. We bump them up to tow air level.

[JohnD10]

If you are carrying kids and other family members...

You should get a real truck...maybe an F150/1500.

Better safe than sorry.

It's not what you can pull...but what you can stop!

Air bags won't help with that.

All it took for me was that one totally unexpected moment when I rounded a blind curve only to find the camper that was maybe 10 truck/trailer lengths in front of me stopped dead in the middle of the road waiting for someone to make a left turn into a driveway (despite the 'No Left Turn' sign there) and me screeching to a tire smoke filled stop 5 inches from the back of that trailer...

And THAT was the last trailer pull my Dodge Ram 1500 ever made for me (it was within the tow capacity, but not a whole lot of margin)!

A week later I bought my Chevy 2500HD and haven't looked back!

[Kaadk]

I've said it before, but tow capacities aren't hard and fast numbers. It's not the difference of being 1 lb under is no worries, and 1 lb over is a rolling death trap. If you're anywhere near the limits, you're exerting wear and tear on vehicle. The more you're loaded, the more wear and tear you have. The less loaded, the less wear and tear. The 'rolling death trap' status comes in if you're extremely overloaded.

That being said, I never liked the idea of excessive wear and tear. Yes, you're towing it just fine, but what are you really doing to your van in the process?

[GalsofEscape]

I towed a HW277 pup for one year.... with a Dodge Grand Caravan.... Then went to the V8 Durango. With the GC, we always had to take a second car as towing the pup with just the driver (no stuff in the van) was about all it could do. The Durango was much much better.

[Itwrx]

Originally Posted by JohnD10

If you are carrying kids and other family members...

You should get a real truck...maybe an F150/1500.

Better safe than sorry.

It's not what you can pull...but what you can stop!

Air bags won't help with that.

All it took for me was that one totally unexpected moment when I rounded a blind curve only to find the camper that was maybe 10 truck/trailer lengths in front of me stopped dead in the middle of the road waiting for someone to make a left turn into a driveway (despite the 'No Left Turn' sign there) and me screeching to a tire smoke filled stop 5 inches from the back of that trailer...

And THAT was the last trailer pull my Dodge Ram 1500 ever made for me (it was within the tow capacity, but not a whole lot of margin)!

A week later I bought my Chevy 2500HD and haven't looked back!

I completely understand and agree with you. We’re currently looking for a truck. They truck was supposed to be before we got a trailer. But we found the trailer we wanted before the truck. And since we have access to my Dads truck it wasn’t a huge concern. I hear it’s not what you can or can’t pull it’s what you can stop a lot. In your experience did you trailer have brakes? I tow my Dads 32ft bumper pull toyhauler all the time. Set up properly I can stop just fine. Not on a dime but definitely enough braking power for a “unexpected stop”. I’m wondering if people don’t maintain or know how to set up their brakes. We pull the hubs off every spring, repack the bearings, adjusts and test every brake. My HW296 has 4 electric brakes. I haven’t pulled them apart (I will tomorrow) to inspect them but assuming all 4 work what percentage of stopping should they provide? With a relatively light trailer to have for electric brakes my expectation is they should perform well. My van does have a electric brake controller as well. Just curious what everyone’s thoughts are. Who here sets the drag and test each wheel?

[D W]

Originally Posted by JohnD10

It's not what you can pull...but what you can stop!

I couldn't have said it better!

[timfromma]

I used to haul my 10,000lb trailer with a Toyota Tundra with payload capacity of 1700lbs. I was under my weight capacity provided I walked next to the truck.

[Mike Ambrose]

I have towed a 32 foot Windjammer the last three years with my 2010 Mercedes ML 350 diesel with zero problems. The car is rated 7200 towing, I reinforced the hitch. Weights are trailer 7210 ready to go with 10 gallons water (on the scale). My hitch weight is exactly 1000 lbs. With DW and myself and minimal gear in the car, we are right at the maximum weight for the car, a bit under for the GCVW. We have a Strap-Tek WD hitch. It all tows very well, 60 mph or more on 6% grades. Stops well, minimal sway.
If everything is set up properly, things should be fine even at maximum rated weight.
BTW, I routinely average 14.2 mpg towing at 62 mph cruise control.

[CaptnJohn]

Towing will get you a new TV sooner as either the suspension, transmission, or engine wear out.

[JohnD10]

Originally Posted by Itwrx

I hear it’s not what you can or can’t pull it’s what you can stop a lot.

In your experience did you trailer have brakes?

I’m wondering if people don’t maintain or know how to set up their brakes.

Who here sets the drag and test each wheel?

Yes...of course I had trailer brakes on that 7500-pound 2-axle TT...and they were working quite well at the time!

Your trailer brakes are not meant to stop the whole rig, but are there to help the tow vehicle stop it all!

If your TV is not at least 3/4 able to stop the whole thing in a reasonable distance, then you need a bigger tow vehicle.

By the by...my 3/4 figure above is not a fact or scientific in any way, but a number I have chosen to meet my own criteria for a TV after my white knuckle stop.

[Shrprm]

IMHO and based on 40+ years of rv towing, you are risking your lives and mine if you are towing a trailer that is too big for your TV, regardless of how much power you have or how good your gas mileage is, I believe that many of the TV s are rated too high for safe towing. It only takes one mistake on your part or someone else's for a disaster to happen
Check YouTube to confirm this.
BIGGER IS BETTER

[michigan_camper]

I tow my HW296 with a GMC Acadia, which is rated at 5300lbs tow capacity and has a 6 cylinder engine. I don't have sway bars or a weight distributing hitch. I don't have any problems. I might if I was going up and down hills out west, but I'm not. I don't usually go over 65 mph, but wouldn't anyway when towing.

[amblt]

Originally Posted by Itwrx

Just curious who’s maxing out or close to maxing our their tow vehicle? I don’t want this to be a “lecture” post of what your doing is wrong blah blah blah. Just curious about real world results with towing maxed out or above!!! We have a HW296 and currently only a 2014 Toyota Sienna. Mods include 1,000lb airbags. We currently tow a 3,200lb boat+trailer all over with zero issues. Also that’s at 5,500+ in elevation. Up to 6,600 feet! Ok I know the rules and what you should and shouldn’t tow. I have a WDH on our 296 along with electric brake controller. Now truth be told the van will tow the trailer almost none of the time. My Dad has a 2015 2500 ram Diesel that we use when we travel. But I have already towed it quite a bit up and down 5 to 6% grade hills from storage to home and back. No issues at all. So my question is who’s towing close to or over vehicle recommendations. Any mini van owners out there?
For the record the HW296 empty is under the max weight of my van. And that’s the only way I’ve towed it so far.

I've always followed the 80% rule on mechanical devices, vehicles etc. That is, I try not to exceed 80% of the rated capacities or operational limits. It's always worked for me.




Cheers

[mwdilday]

If you tow overweight you open yourself up to liability if someone gets hurt.

[My17Ram]

Originally Posted by Itwrx

Just curious who’s maxing out or close to maxing our their tow vehicle? I don’t want this to be a “lecture” post of what your doing is wrong blah blah blah. Just curious about real world results with towing maxed out or above!!! We have a HW296 and currently only a 2014 Toyota Sienna. Mods include 1,000lb airbags. We currently tow a 3,200lb boat+trailer all over with zero issues. Also that’s at 5,500+ in elevation. Up to 6,600 feet! Ok I know the rules and what you should and shouldn’t tow. I have a WDH on our 296 along with electric brake controller. Now truth be told the van will tow the trailer almost none of the time. My Dad has a 2015 2500 ram Diesel that we use when we travel. But I have already towed it quite a bit up and down 5 to 6% grade hills from storage to home and back. No issues at all. So my question is who’s towing close to or over vehicle recommendations. Any mini van owners out there?
For the record the HW296 empty is under the max weight of my van. And that’s the only way I’ve towed it so far.

Short answer: if you’re going a short distance with no passengers, make sure the trailer brakes are working good and tow it with the van. If you’re going on a longer trip with passengers, take the truck.

[JohnD10]

Originally Posted by Shrprm

IMHO and based on 40+ years of rv towing, you are risking your lives and mine if you are towing a trailer that is too big for your TV, regardless of how much power you have or how good your gas mileage is, I believe that many of the TV s are rated too high for safe towing. It only takes one mistake on your part or someone else's for a disaster to happen
Check YouTube to confirm this.
BIGGER IS BETTER

I agree with you wholeheartedly.

Unfortunately, you can see here and other places around the web that most people could care less about this.

I saw a Ford F150 nose high a couple of weeks ago on I-40 somewhere in Oklahoma or Texas towing a 5'ver toy hauler that I wouldn't even consider towing around the block with my Chevy 2500HD.

I was going 70 mph and he passed me like I was parked.

[Soft 17]

Honestly I wish the highway patrol would do more pull over inspections. Living where others vacation, I see a lot of unsafe hookups. I have a few friends who are officers and they just dont have the time to inform the uninformed.

[CaptnJohn]

Originally Posted by Soft 17

Honestly I wish the highway patrol would do more pull over inspections. Living where others vacation, I see a lot of unsafe hookups. I have a few friends who are officers and they just dont have the time to inform the uninformed.

These threads never get to this point. So many are overweight it is a joke. Most 5ers pulled by a 3/4 diesel are over. It will probably take many deaths to get some LE involvement and with all the newbies running overweight and fast it may not take long. Yes, we need some weighings to get the message out. Not all, just a sample and many can be known and or seen without a scale.