Family new to Camping

[justatourist]

I have a 8x10 utility trailer that I have loaded between 3500 and 4000 pounds on to haul for scrap metal recycling. I would pull this thing with a 96 T&C van with the 3.8 motor. I do live in Florida with mostly flat land and at city speeds of 35 to 45 I felt fairly safe but at higher speeds I could feel the tail wagging the dog. Also, going over small hills such as railroad crossings I could tell the extra work the motor was doing. When adding the actual limits of the weight in the trailer plus the air drag from the front of the travel trailer I can see the van being pushed past limits. A short trip at slower speeds with no resistance would be much different from a long trip pulling a eight foot wide by atleast eight foot wide wall behind us for any length of time.

Now, I use a 2008 Ford Expedition, long wheelbase, to pull the same combination for the recycle yard and I don't even feel the trailer without electric brakes behind me. Better safe than sorry. The T2362 travel trailer tows even easier and I feel the weight distribution hitch with sway control and electric brakes bring the load back into reasonable, controllable ranges.

jim

 

[larry stone-SUN]

There was a story on TV about the rear axle (one step up from sheet metal) of minivan breaking in half while driving from rust.

Without pulling a trailer this is a deadly occurrence at 60 mph..

With a trailer this would make the local news at 6pm.

My T-1350 with two propane tanks and a full fresh water tank had almost 300 pounds of hitch weight.

All that weight is right on the tail putting a major amount of stress on a real filmsy bit of metal.

 

[bennyQ]

.Not that I want to keep this discussion ongoing but larry... the rear seats of a minivan are slightly behind the rear axle. If your really worried about 300lbs weight on the back you better not have any adults sit in the back seat especially if you have a full load of groceries.in the owners manual for my TC it says with a wd hitch the TC can handle a trailer weight 6056lbs. I'm sure with lawsuits and all in america the owners manual is probably wrong though. Chrysler probably if just over estimating their years of testing before they printed that manual. With a WD hitch they will be fine.

 

[larry stone-SUN]

The hitch weight on a loaded 17.5 is going to be 400 pounds on a little ball 2+ feet behind an axle made from light metal. When that CAR hits a pothole that is 2 feet deep the force will break that axle.


2006 Chrysler Town and Country Touring Passenger Minivan 3.8L V6 4-speed Automatic Features and Specs

Maximum towing capacity: 3800 lbs.
Maximum payload: 1200 lbs.
Gross weight: 5700 lbs.
Gross weight: 0.35 in.
Curb weight: 4236 lbs.


Since you will need to include the 400 pounds hitch weight as payload this family of four unless on a diet will need to pack light with a quarter tank of fuel.