Car Trailer towing question ?

[Dennis T.]

I want to tow a 900 pound motorcycle on a 400 pound aluminum trailer behind my 2.5 Nissan Ultima car with it's class A hitch. Most small car manufacturers set a warranty limit of 1000 pounds for towing limits. This total 1300 pounds puts me over the limit by 300 pounds.
I will only tow this load once a year over level terrain, a total of 3000 miles a year. We all know 'fudge factors' are built into these 'manufacturers set limits of 1000 pounds'.
Would you consider this acceptable and safe to do or not ? Would you do it.

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[bwssr]

Load it up and do a test run...easy one....if the trailer has brakes than it may be ok, but most max towing is based on no brakes..but properly equipped trailers mean with brakes and sway control.1500 miles one way that's flat?....were is this?

 

[Eric McCarthy]

I know 300 pounds isnt much. Hell its just about as much as I weigh. However it is YOUR motorcycle you loose in the event things head south and the trailer breaks away from the car.

 

[hodge]

Load it up and tow it around, get a feel for it. Tow ratings shouldn't be ignored, but they have a large safety factor figured in. Trucks are a good example- my 3/4 ton has had MUCH MORE on it than that, with no problems.

There is a guy in a nearby town that tows a 5x8 dump trailer behind a Ford Fusion. He hauls trash, etc. in it. That trailer alone probably weighs more than your trailer and cycle. I doubt that you will have problems, but pulling it some will tell you if the car handles it, how much it holds it back, how much harder it will be to brake, and how much it makes the rear end squat.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Is it the trailer hitch itself your concerend about or the car being able to handle the 1000 pounds of weight?

 

[Dennis T.]

Is it the trailer hitch itself your concerend about or the car being able to handle the 1000 pounds of weight?

Eric,,
The hitch would be the least of my concerns. It's interesting, I talked with two veteran traffic LEO's, they both felt 300 pounds over was not a problem.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Well I've seen plenty of compact cars hauling both single and double jet ski trailers. I cant forsee a motorcycle and an aluminum trailer hurting the car all that bad. As mentioned before hook it all up and try it out around town before taking off on a 3000 mile trip and get a feel for it now before going that far with the load.

 

[ipz2222]

Understand this, if you have a wreck and the ins co finds out you were overloaded, guess who pays??? Ever been sued for half a million dollars???

 

[Brick]

I see two issues;

1. Can your car tow 1300 pounds without causing damage to the engine, transmission, etc. I think the comments above address this issue.

2. Liability - As Ipz2222 was saying, if you are involved in a car accident while towing a weight in excess of that recommended by your vehicles manufacturer, I think you open yourself up to the possibility that the other driver or insurance company will try and argue that you are somehow at fault for causing the accident.

Of course, every accident is different and involve many different facts. The photo below makes me think a 900 pound motorcycle on a 400 pound trailer might be a bit top heavy.

 

[hodge]

If if's and but's were candy and nuts, we'd all have a wonderful life.
If the car is happy, and the trailer is stable, I would do it. Simple as that. You can overanalyze this, do all the right things, and still get sued. There are a zillion 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks that haul more than their weigh limit every day, and do they get sued for being heavier than the stated limit? Not that I have ever heard of. If you have an accident while towing the motorcycle, chances are it will be due to other circumstances. You can flip any trailer or vehicle, if you try hard enough.
At the end of the day, regardless of specifications, laws, and advice, you still have to make a judgment call. Others may disagree, and I accept that- I just stated my opinion.

 

[skeets]

Awww hell just load it up and mash your motor,, but really you SHOULD BE RIDING THAT BIKE to where ever it is your trailering it....

I rode my bkie to trailer week

 

[ipz2222]

hodge,, the ifs and butts",,, I used to agree with that untill!!!! I got sued for $300'000 and insurance is not covering me. Can't share details but just got another letter from my lawyer yesterday. This ain't looking good for the home team.. me.

 

[Brick]

Where can I get some good candy and nuts?

 

[Dennis T.]

hodge,, the ifs and butts",,, I used to agree with that untill!!!! I got sued for $300'000 and insurance is not covering me. Can't share details but just got another letter from my lawyer yesterday. This ain't looking good for the home team.. me.

Deep pocket syndrome
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A situation where claims are made based on the ability of the defendant to pay rather than on share of blame. An injured party will try to blame the party with the greatest wealth (i.e. deepest pocket) where there is more than one potential defendant.


Good Luck, I hope that turns out well for you.

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[Dennis T.]

Awww hell just load it up and mash your motor,, but really you SHOULD BE RIDING THAT BIKE to where ever it is your trailering it....

I rode my bkie to trailer week

Towing down to Az in the dead of Winter. After talking with several Car Mechanics ....motor I'm not concerned about, maybe transmission !

 

[hodge]

That trailer and motorcycle won't be much heavier than a carload of people. If your transmission can't handle that, how could it handle a full car in the Rockies? I doubt that you will have trouble.

 

[Dennis T.]

That trailer and motorcycle won't be much heavier than a carload of people. If your transmission can't handle that, how could it handle a full car in the Rockies? I doubt that you will have trouble.

After talking with many experts, I intend to go ahead, I'll do a full report later on this year about my objective results either good or bad.

Thanks All for your feedback.