Hey guys!
I thought it might be a good idea to start up a thread with some tips on towing! I'm young driver to begin with and my family just got a tandem axle trailer for our 21ft Mastercraft X-10... I'll be towing it a ton in the future so why not start expanding my knowledge base of "how to tow properly"!!!

Spence

Trailer Specs: Eagle Tandem Axle w/ Leaf Springs and Disc Brakes

I currently work at a marina as my summer job and the technicians whip those trailers around in the lot with out a problem! Granted they have some very nice Kabota tractors with the hydraulic lift hitch and what not!

 

hate to break it to you man. but your not going to be towing that with your ranger. and if you do. your gonna be struggling. thats gotta be a heavy boat. at 21 feet. also. your going to need a trailer break controller and a 7 pin trailer harness before you can even tow that. if you are seriously going to be towing it a "ton" as you say. it would be honestly be safer to tow it with a bigger truck. my buddies parents have a 21 foot boat, and they have an expedition and hate towing that boat with it. just my two cents. i would seriously suggest at least a half ton for a 21 foot boat.

 

He is right ......... that is too long and I am sure too heavy to be pulling with our little trucks. Not trying to down you man but I pulled my dads 15ft tandem axle trailer about 250ft with my ranger crying the whole way. With that being said I probably wouldnt pull anything over 12 feet. I am currently looking for a 10 foot trailer for me to haul my lawn mower on.

 

I'd be more worried about the ramps where you launch it. **** can get ugly fast in a little truck.

 

x2! I wouldn't tow it with your truck for a long distance. A parking lot would probably be fine but with the boat loaded don't I can't see your truck making it back up that ramp easily.

 

hmmm, well my family has no other towing capabile vehicles other than my moms 2001 toyota landcrusier. They boat weighs rougly 4,000lbs so i thought my truck would be able to handle it being rated to tow 4,500lbs with the 4.0L i have... Maybe i read the max incorrectly or something... as for distance, the boat will be towed about 150miles twice a year (lake house to city home) then 10 miles on the weekends (garage to water)... Would you guys call me crazy if i went for it anyways??

 

If your within the towing capacity go for it. If you blow the trans or rear or get in an accident insurance will cover it but if its outside the capacity thats where the problems start.

 

okay, correction from earlier, apperently the towing capacity is 5600lbs, so it seems fine to me!

 

It'd be close to being over though. Trailer has to be between 800-1000lbs. Boat dry could be 4000lbs, plus with whatever you have in it such; as fuel, food, personal items, etc. might be easier to rent a larger truck for the week or see about buying an f150.

Stopping will take a runway and I wouldn't drive with the o/d on.

 

I would defiantly look into a trailer brake controller.

 

What gears do you have? That affects towing capacity.

 

the land cruiser has a V8 just use that if you're worried.

 

idk about the gears, i havent done and changes to them so there still stock... as for a brake controller, i know that the trailer has brakes, but i think the adapter that comes with the trailer should hook right up to the trucks breaking but i havent looked into that with detail... what trailer brake controller do you reccomend???

 

Find out on the gears. Look on the axle tag or the door. I am willing to bet its 3.73's but they could be something else. Stock doesn't really mean anything.

 

He has a 4x4 4.0 he's probably 4.10 gearing.


Man, just try it out around the block, see how it feels. Also, I don't know much about wiring the brakes in but honestly that's the biggest part of the battle so if you can wire that in you are much better off.

Lol that reminds me, my buddy is buying this and planning on towing it with his 96 toyota 4banger and I'm just like "wtf man"

 

x2 on the Landcrusier. Bigger, sturdier, and more power and tq. Much better off.

 

Im gonna go for it, and if in doubt ill resort to the landcrusier! thanks for the input guys! ill update you when i come down to towing it!

 

Crossing fingers for you.

 

A ski boat is not too much for a ranger, I have done it many times. You should get a brake controller though. If the trailer has brakes you should use them, and braking is the rangers weak point anyway.

 

I towed this boat 1200 miles from Belle Chase, La to Virginia Beach, Va

The boat weighs in at around 4,500lbs and it had stuff loaded in it and the bed of my truck.

It handled it like a champ. Just make sure overdrive is off and install a trans temp guage since its gonna be hot out and keep in eye out on its temperature. It gets warm in stop and go traffic though.

 

How do i turn off the overdrive? :0 noooooob

 

You'll be fine. Just anticipate stopping. If you're not familiar with backing up a trailer find a parking lot and have fun. The slower you go, the easier it is to keep in line. Also remember that its back there.

 

For mine there is a button on the end of the gear shift that says overdrive on it or you could have it on the gear select itself one D with a box around it is overdrive the D by itself is drive so OD off.

For the neigh sayers you are well within your towing rating with a brake controller you should be fine. Do not tow without a brake controller on the truck. The extra 5K you are towing will likely push the truck around like nothing. As for boat ramps 4 low and move on problem solved. If you feel the transmission start to shift funny STOP. Pull off the road and let it cool down that is going to be one of the major weak points on your truck. If you are going to be towing it a lot get a bigger tranny cooler.

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...er=238921_0_0_

Something like that would greatly benefit you.

 

Does the trailer have surge style brakes, or are they electric over hydraulic?

 

Surge i belive, this is what the specs say in the email i got about my order...

-Bolt-on Hydraulic "Surge" Brake Actuator