How Much Trailer is To Much?

[garyl62]

Well I didn't plan on it, but I sold my 2 place Trition trailer that I just bought last summer. Too good of a deal to pass up and I ultimately want an inline so I decided to let it go. Here's the question: I only have 2 sleds, but may add a third. I pull with my Explorer Sport Trac and don't plan to get a full size truck in the future but will stay in the SUV market when its time for a new vehicle. I'm planning to by a new NEO round top trailer and I intend to keep it for quite a while. The three place one I'm looking at comes in at 2,293 lbs so add 3 sleds at 500 each a little gear and fluids in the sleds I'll be total weight around 3,950. My vehicle is rated for 5,000 lbs the way it's set up so I feel comfortable. But since I intend to buy a trailer and hold on to it, I'm thinking of going up to a 4 place and that will add another 850 lbs between another sled and the weight of the trailer, so I'll be up to 4,700 but then I'll never be faced with the need for something bigger. Only two of us ride now, wife may start again but that's a big if, and my kids will be on their own in 5 years or less. So... get the 3 place and be content/safe, or push it to get the 4 place?

 

[Hoosier]

Well I didn't plan on it, but I sold my 2 place Trition trailer that I just bought last summer. Too good of a deal to pass up and I ultimately want an inline so I decided to let it go. Here's the question: I only have 2 sleds, but may add a third. I pull with my Explorer Sport Trac and don't plan to get a full size truck in the future but will stay in the SUV market when its time for a new vehicle. I'm planning to by a new NEO round top trailer and I intend to keep it for quite a while. The three place one I'm looking at comes in at 2,293 lbs so add 3 sleds at 500 each a little gear and fluids in the sleds I'll be total weight around 3,950. My vehicle is rated for 5,000 lbs the way it's set up so I feel comfortable. But since I intend to buy a trailer and hold on to it, I'm thinking of going up to a 4 place and that will add another 850 lbs between another sled and the weight of the trailer, so I'll be up to 4,700 but then I'll never be faced with the need for something bigger. Only two of us ride now, wife may start again but that's a big if, and my kids will be on their own in 5 years or less. So... get the 3 place and be content/safe, or push it to get the 4 place?

Good discussion for me, because we're in the same boat. I have 2 other guys who I ride with all the time, so we normally have 3 sleds on trip. We have a 3 place open that we are selling, and a 2 place enclosed we are keeping (since we bought it cheap and it's easy to use if only 2 are going). We are planning to replace the 3 place open with an enclosed 3 place (done with open trailers). We are leaning towards trying to find the easiest to pull 3 place enclosed we can buy and afford, as none of us have or plan to buy heavy duty toying trucks. We've thought about buying a 4 place instead, to have the flexibility to take another sled with, but I think we'll end up sticking with the 3 place to keep the weight down and toying as easy on the tow vehicle as possible.

In your example, I think you may have underestimated the weight you'll be pulling. If your truck is rated to pull 5,000 lbs., I think that assumes your vehicle isn't fully loaded up with people and gear in addition to what you are pulling. Plus, the sleds will probably be quite a bit more than 500 lbs. full of fluids and full of snow (on the way back at least). Plus all the gear you probably take with adds up. I think with your tow vehicle, I'd probably stick with the 3 place. Just my opinion though. Trailers seem to hold their value, so if you end up needing a 4 place (which you said is a big if), you can probably upgrade without losing too much.

 

[garyl62]

In your example, I think you may have underestimated the weight you'll be pulling. If your truck is rated to pull 5,000 lbs., I think that assumes your vehicle isn't fully loaded up with people and gear in addition to what you are pulling. Plus, the sleds will probably be quite a bit more than 500 lbs. full of fluids and full of snow (on the way back at least). Plus all the gear you probably take with adds up. I think with your tow vehicle, I'd probably stick with the 3 place. Just my opinion though. Trailers seem to hold their value, so if you end up needing a 4 place (which you said is a big if), you can probably upgrade without losing too much.

While I know the "logical" answer is to get the 3 place, most of us always think about "bigger and better", or "what if" so my hunch is when it comes time to buy I'd go with the 3 place, but I'm wondering what everyone else thinks. As far as loads, I don't believe just because a manufacturer says you can tow something it means you will have control of it. That being said, the trailer tow rating is 5,080, and the GCWR is 10,700 (can't imagine having that much loaded into that vehicle). IMO there is no way 4 guys and gear will put me anywhere close to that 10,700 number even with a four place.

 

[chunk06]

Way to much trailer for a explorer. It's not the weight that will get you, it's the wind resistance. Most I would pull is a 2 place clamshell or one of them hybrid 2 place that R&R offers.

 

[SledTL]

Way to much trailer for a explorer. It's not the weight that will get you, it's the wind resistance. Most I would pull is a 2 place clamshell or one of them hybrid 2 place that R&R offers.

My dad uses my truck which is a sport trac to tow the sleds. It handles the two place open with a shield perfectly. My buds dad uses an explorer to pull a clam shell, and same thing no problem. Our last car was a jeep grand Cherokee and they tried to pull a four place once with a full car and it was blowing fuses as they drove. I think that the truck can pull heavier things like a four place because we tow our ski boat with no problem. If you want to go bigger like a six place you probably need a 1500 truck at that point.

 

[eagle1]

Buy as big as you have room to store it. Not much price difference between 3 or 4 place inline, so if you know your gonna need it, go bigger.
Tow vehicle is another story. How often, how far, how fast?

 

[elf]

While I know the "logical" answer is to get the 3 place, most of us always think about "bigger and better", or "what if" so my hunch is when it comes time to buy I'd go with the 3 place, but I'm wondering what everyone else thinks. As far as loads, I don't believe just because a manufacturer says you can tow something it means you will have control of it. That being said, the trailer tow rating is 5,080, and the GCWR is 10,700 (can't imagine having that much loaded into that vehicle). IMO there is no way 4 guys and gear will put me anywhere close to that 10,700 number even with a four place.

Keep in mind your GCWR is weight of the Explorer, 4 guys, gear, and the trailer and all things in the trailer. So you could get to that GCWR very quickly with a 3 place, much less a 4 place. Any idea on what the Explorer itself weighs?
I think a 3 place would about max that vehicle out.

 

[Deleted member 10829]

Good luck on the new trailer hunt, but I would never tow a 4 place with anything less than a 1/2 ton. Just my opinion after having a 4 place for years when the kids were younger. Even when I had an Expedition, it needed stabilizer bars to pull that 4 place. My F150 handles rp7x's 4 place quite well.

 

[garyl62]

Keep in mind your GCWR is weight of the Explorer, 4 guys, gear, and the trailer and all things in the trailer. So you could get to that GCWR very quickly with a 3 place, much less a 4 place. Any idea on what the Explorer itself weighs?
I think a 3 place would about max that vehicle out.

Great Point. I was putting the word "cargo" not "combined" in there. Huge difference. Did a little more research/thinking and here is what I came up with:

Max Combined Weight for my vehicle 9,600 (not the 10,700 I thought)
Vehicle weight 4,350
Max weight remaining 5,250 (only 5080 in trailer)

Then I figured a per guy weight by using 220 pounds for weight, 50 pounds of gear, 20 of supplies, a sled at 527 (my f8 weight) and gas of 75 (f8 filled to capacity) so a total of 892 pounds per guy. If I have a 3 place trailer with 3 guys I need to figure on 4,959 pounds against my max of 5,250 (660 in vehicle and 4299 in trailer) so I'm ok. If I go to a 4 place I'm at 6,088 and I'm over.

Guess that answers the question for me, but keep the opinions coming. I'd be curious about other ideas like Mark mentioned with the Expedition. I've got a guy I've riden with that pulls a 27' 4 place inline with a Expedition and has no issues.

 

[Hoosier]

Great Point. I was putting the word "cargo" not "combined" in there. Huge difference. Did a little more research/thinking and here is what I came up with:

Max Combined Weight for my vehicle 9,600 (not the 10,700 I thought)
Vehicle weight 4,350
Max weight remaining 5,250 (only 5080 in trailer)

Then I figured a per guy weight by using 220 pounds for weight, 50 pounds of gear, 20 of supplies, a sled at 527 (my f8 weight) and gas of 75 (f8 filled to capacity) so a total of 892 pounds per guy. If I have a 3 place trailer with 3 guys I need to figure on 4,959 pounds against my max of 5,250 (660 in vehicle and 4299 in trailer) so I'm ok. If I go to a 4 place I'm at 6,088 and I'm over.

Guess that answers the question for me, but keep the opinions coming. I'd be curious about other ideas like Mark mentioned with the Expedition. I've got a guy I've riden with that pulls a 27' 4 place inline with a Expedition and has no issues.

Looks like you are cutting it pretty darn close with even the 3 place. There's probably a little margin for error, but still. One thing I've seen before is that trailer brakes increase the amount of weight a vehicle can tow, since the constraint is often on stopping power.

 

[samc]

We have a 4 place inline 23 ft and pull it with a 1500. The truck pulls it fine but you do feel the wind gust. I would worry a little pulling a 3 or 4 place enclosure with an explorer. Like it was said, the really issue you will have is the wind. Wait until a semi goes past and your butt cheeks will really tighten up fast!

 

[ezra]

pulling a alloy neo 4place with 3 sleds in it and the gear that goes with it. my 13 F150 deff knows it is back there it really knows it when passing big rigs. power is not a issue I deff needed air bags
I can tell u my wife's v8 mountaineer would not make it pulling the 4 place neo it would be down right scary.

 

[indy_500]

truck sport trac. If you want to go bigger like a six place you probably need a 1500 truck at that point.

the first 3 words should never be used in the same sentence LOL and a 6 place with a 1/2 ton? no way. I wouldn't be towing a 4 place open with anything less than a 1/2 ton. I personally wouldn't want to consider pulling a 4 place enclosed with an SUV either unless its a expedition or suburban. Not worth ruining a vehicle you need to get to work every day...

 

[ezra]

the first 3 words should never be used in the same sentence LOL and a 6 place with a 1/2 ton? no way. I wouldn't be towing a 4 place open with anything less than a 1/2 ton. I personally wouldn't want to consider pulling a 4 place enclosed with an SUV either unless its a expedition or suburban. Not worth ruining a vehicle you need to get to work every day...

I have pulled a open 4 with the war dept mountaineer no prob but it is the v8 .planed my stops a bit sooner

 

[garyl62]

Well since I only have 2 sleds and riders in the family now, I don't really need bigger than a 3 place. If I get a four place I've just become the "guy with the trailer" that everyone knows. Did some looking at vehicle specs and with the right equipment the Expedition or Suburban look like they could handle the four place but there is no way I'd pull one with my current vehicle. Figure if I buy a 3 place right, I can always sell it right and move up to a 4 if the need comes up and I've already bought a vehicle that can handle it. I only pull 400 miles each way from N IL to the UP so the Sport Trac should work for the 3 place, although as most of you said, its more about wind than anything else. I guess that will be another reason why I need to convince the wife we just need to find a little piece of property up there so I don't have to trailer back and forth!

Anyone know of a good used 3 place NEO for sale?

 

[rv245]

It almost sounds like you might need what I have. I have a 7x16 (not including the V) R&R trailer. They classify it as a 2/3 sled trailer. Normally it's just my wife and I, so with 2 sleds in it their still is room to move around and for gear. I also have room for another sled just in case we are taking 3 sleds. One thing you need to take also into consideration is the lengths of the sleds you have or might want to be getting. The longer the sleds the longer the trailer. I have had 2 -121's and a 1 -136" sled in there and still had room for gear. Best thing to do if you can is tape out on a garage floor the dimensions of the trailer and see how the sleds fit.

 

[garyl62]

It almost sounds like you might need what I have. I have a 7x16 (not including the V) R&R trailer. They classify it as a 2/3 sled trailer. Normally it's just my wife and I, so with 2 sleds in it their still is room to move around and for gear. I also have room for another sled just in case we are taking 3 sleds. One thing you need to take also into consideration is the lengths of the sleds you have or might want to be getting. The longer the sleds the longer the trailer. I have had 2 -121's and a 1 -136" sled in there and still had room for gear. Best thing to do if you can is tape out on a garage floor the dimensions of the trailer and see how the sleds fit.

This is what I'm looking at. http://www.johnstrailersales.com/brands/item/aluminum-light-round-top-snowmobile-trailer 22' inside with the V, round top so there is 76" interior room and only $5,600 with upgraded tires and rims. I've got a 136 and a 128 now. May add a 136 but will never go more than 144 so I think this size will work for me.

 

[whitedust]

Nice trailer I would not go larger than 3 place with your tow SUV, weight adds up quick with full tanks of gas gear & your fat buds. You will be installing gear bins & hangers in trailer just more convenient to keep stuff in trailer than have to go back in SUV. Also you will have problems with parking inline your foot print more than 2X with inline. Go with 3 place see how that tows then decide if you have any interest in going larger.

 

[ezra]

Anyone know of a good used 3 place NEO for sale?

http://beckercustomtrailers.com
best price on a neo I have found

 

[Cat600]

Ever look at Stealth trailers?

Can get a 7 x 21' or 23' that weights just around 2ooo lbs. Saves you a little weight.

http://www.trailersmidwest.com/trailer-types.cfm?id=226

I got my 7 x 17 from them. Awesome trailer and was a pleasure to deal with them.