Weight Towing limits

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Permalink Reply by Steve Hope on October 20, 2013 at 1:24pm

I would ask a trailer company. Try these guys, they are big locally and I am sure they can answer your questions:

http://www.pacwesttrailers.com/  good luck.

Steve Hope.

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Permalink Reply by DWH on October 20, 2013 at 9:16pm

As far as I know the tow ratings do not increase with electric brakes. In fact the owners manual says anything over 1,000 lbs towing requires supplemental trailer brakes.

Not sure if the tow limits changed from 2007 to 2008, but the 2008 limit is 5,000 lbs. I tow a 2,000 lb trailer with a cord of wood on it and would not want to pull much more than that weight wise. A cord of wood is around 3,500 lbs. So the weight was probably over the limit a bit. There were definitely a few times where I could feel the trailer wanting to push the FJ around. I would not be comfortable pulling any more than that.

Btw, the weight you can tow is decreased pound for pound for anything inside the FJ as well, including driver and passengers.

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Permalink Reply by Niko on October 20, 2013 at 9:23pm

No way would I haul around a 5000' horse trailer with an FJC. Maybe for short distances, but not for a trip longer than 30 minutes.

Regardless of tongue weight, the rear springs are too soft, and you definitely don't want the trailer to outweigh the tow vehicle.

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Permalink Reply by DWH on October 20, 2013 at 9:54pm

Good point. I should mention I have aftermarket, stiffer springs as well.

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Permalink Reply by Nicole Martin on October 21, 2013 at 12:06pm

Thanks guys thats kinda what I thought. I guess if I want to tow 2 horses I either need to get a lighter trailer or make someone else do it!  Do you think with just the one horse so 3700 lbs I should be getting airbags or stiffer springs? I would be towing out about 1-2 times a month mostly all within 45 min. Maybe 2-3 times a year a longer distance.

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Permalink Reply by Niko on October 21, 2013 at 12:11pm

Another thing about towing a horse trailer is that it's a dynamic load - horses move - not a lot, but still.

And if something happens with the trailer, it's not like like you dropped a cord of wood. It would be a tragedy.

Have you towed the trailer with your dad's Tundra? How does it work with that?

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Permalink Reply by Nicole Martin on October 21, 2013 at 12:15pm

I have not towed it with his Tundra. He doesnt have the brake control unit .

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Permalink Reply by GRM on October 21, 2013 at 4:23pm

Most I have done behind an FJ is 8,000 lbs. It was squirrelely, but no major issues. Longest I have towed is a 20' trailer. Both ways, 5,000 is fine :) 

Get a weight distribution hitch, brakes on both axles, and give er hell. :) 

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Permalink Reply by Nicole Martin on October 27, 2013 at 9:31am

Where did you guys hook up the purple backup wire to? I tried acessing the wire harness under the fj that goes to the back, matched the blue wire with white pin to the blue wire with white pin that goes to the reverse lights and used a quick connect but that did not do it. I figured there was a diff in wire gauge so that could be an issue, checked that there was indeed power to that cable and cut it to connect it but  The back up lights were still on in my truck  so clearly it was not that cable. How did others connect the purple wire from the harness kit?

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Permalink Reply by DWH on October 27, 2013 at 5:27pm

The purple wire in my kit was not hooked to anything. It was labled as "auxillary lights" and I did not need it.

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Permalink Reply by Nicole Martin on October 27, 2013 at 11:18pm

For mine it releases the brakes when in reverse so I can back up. But I need to find out what to hook it into

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