redcelica

So I bought my 2012 ecoboost to tow my track car to and from the tracks. I havent bought a trailer yet but eyeballing this one pretty hard

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/for/5502174965.html

I am mostly concerned about trailer sway and getting the tongue weight right. The trailer is 1900 lb and the car is about 2800. Add tools and whatnot I suppose it'll crest right at 5000 lbs.

I am also researching sway control options such as pullrite and hensley hitches, and right now all I have is a class 3 ball on the truck.

Other than finding some good shallow ramps, and figuring out IF I can get out of the uphill driveway without putting the trailer and cargo in the draingage ditch, what other considerations should I be thinking about?

As another scenario, I am also considering just ponying up for an enclosed, but have the feeling a lot more may be required:

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/hvd/5424369264.html

mike243

I would not have a problem with the flat bed pulling a car ,the enclosed might take a lot of loading/reloading to get the weight balanced but may still be possible , storing the car and equipment would be a lot easier with the enclosed after a nite at the track

RBPerry

once you get the trailer and have the car loaded on it. Take it to the nearest truck scales and get a axle weight. What you are looking for is 10 to 12 percent of the trailer weight on the hitch. You can get a weight distribution hitch that will help balance out the tongue weight on your truck, they work pretty well.

redcelica

Thanks guys. Do you have to pay anything to get weighed?

brulaz

CAT scales are pretty cheap.
Maybe $12 first weight, then you can go back after adjustments and get a reweigh for maybe $2. THink you can reweigh as often as you want, or until they refuse.

jp360cj

You'll be fine if you have the tow package. Getting tongue weight right will do wonders for swaying. I tow a jeep (guessing 4k lbs) on a 14' trailer that weighs about 2300lbs with my ecoboost with no issues if Ioad it correctly.

Did you make a decision on the trailer yet? I've been eyeballing that same one. They look well built for the money. Also did you get the weight from the dealer? That seems a little high to me. A Carry-on brand nearly identical but with a full c channel frame weighs 1700 according to their website.

smokeywren

For most of us, yeah, you have to pay to get weighed.


The most common way to get weighed is to go to a truck stop that has a certified automated truck (CAT) scale. The Cat scale has three pads, one for the front axle, one for the rear axle, and one for the trailer axles.


Common charge is $10 for the first weighing, then $2 for the second and third weighing within a few minutes of the first. Canuks have to pay more because their dollar is often worth less than greenbacks.


Here is a link to the CAT scale website.
https://catscale.com/


Note that CAT scale is a brand name. There are other brands of certified automated truck scales. For example, before Flying J was absorbed by Pilot, most Flying J truck stops on the interstate had J scales - not CAT scales. Same thing, but different name and different owner.


On that link to the CAT scales, there is a scale locator button. That will tell you where are the CAT brand scales. Somewhere I have a link to all scales, not just the CAT brand, but I can't find it now.

Aj06bolt12r

Open car trailers like that generally tow quite nicely. They don't provide enough surface area to really get blown around by the wind and passing semis. Plus the axles are mounted far enough to the rear to make it hard to have too little tongue weight. Cross winds and too little tongue weight are what usually causes sway.

I really don't think a weight dist hitch will be at all necessary. Just get the load balanced on the trailer correctly and you will be fine. Backing the car onto the trailer to get the weight of the engine farther from the front of the trailer can help if you find its a little tongue heavy.

smokeywren

Disagree. If your tongue weight is close to 500 pounds or more, you need a weight-distributing (WD) hitch. Most OEM receiver hitches have a max tongue weight limit of 500 pounds or less without a WD hitch. The Ford RV and Trailer Towing Guide says a WD hitch is required for any tongue weight of 500 pounds or more. I'll bet GM and Ram have the same rule. Whatever else you do, DO NOT exceed the weight limits of your receiver.

You want a minimum of 10% tongue weight. Better is 12.5 to 13% tongue weight, and the max is about 15%. A car properly loaded on a trailer can easily have over 500 pounds tongue weight, so don't gamble - use a WD hitch if your tongue weight might be even close to 500 pounds.


If your tongue weight is unknown, then find out what it is before you hit the road. Easiest way is with a tongue weight scale, such as this one:
http://www.etrailer.com/Tools/Sherli...ontent=General
Yes, I keep a Sherline tongue weight scale in my TT and use it regularly on all 5 of my "bumper pull" trailers.


Another way is to weigh the wet and loaded rig twice, once with the trailer tied on but without the WD spring bars attached, and another one without the trailer tied on. Add the weight on the front and rear axles of the tow vehicle. The difference of the total weight on the two axles of the TV with and without the trailer is tongue weight.


Another way is to use a bathroom scale and some wood. I've never tried to get by that cheap, but there are several DIY "how to" notes you can find with a search on the internet.

Aj06bolt12r

Yeah all of that is serious overkill towing a car that weighs less than 3000 lbs on a car hauler as long as you have the car loaded on the trailer correctly.

See the thread below for pictures. This was a very similar load to what the op is going to be hauling. No wd hitch was used or needed. I don't think anyone can look at these pictures and tell me that this was unsafe or loaded incorrectly. I tracked great, zero sway whatsoever.

https://www.f150forum.com/f118/towing-mpg-pics-322032/