Tongue Weight: The Key To Safe Towing

If you’re looking at towing a trailered boat this summer, you are going to need to learn a little bit about your tongue […]

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I watched this video before and didn't really connect it to the trailer tongue weight! Now I see what it means! Thanks!

 

When you call or go to your local U-Haul they will ask you all kinds of questions about your tow vehicle and determine if what you have is adequate or not. I needed an open trailer to get my air compressor home being everything I had was too short (ceiling) including my wifes horse trailer. They asked me all kinds of questions over the phone and I have a diesel truck. You want your heavy items between the wheels and the front of the trailer. I have never worried about tongue weight too much. You want enough tongue weight to keep everything balanced. When a semi is pulling multiple trailers the heaviest is always towards the front.

 

I have never thought about how to balance the items in the trailer. It is really helpful to know I should put the heavy stuff in front, not in the back! Thank you so much!

 

Just be super careful backing if you have to back. And always back to the drivers side if possible. Even ask for help if you need it. If someone asked me to help back a trailer for them I would be happy to do it. You can cause some serious damage if you jack knife the trailer.

 

Thanks for your advice! I haven't known what "jack knifing the trailer" is. I will careful with backing up the vehicle and speeding!

 

Hi everyone,

It is my first time trying to tow a trailer behind my vehicle and I recently began studying how the whole process works.

Straight to the point, would RAV4 Prime XSE 2023 be capable enough to tow a Uhaul trailer? The weight of the trailer is 850lbs (4' x 8' Cargo Trailer), and I believe the combined weight of my stuff and the trailer would be around 1500lbs (at maximum). The distance I have to drive is 1700 miles, possibly divided into 4 or 5 days.

Upon googling, I see that the maximum towing capacity of RAV4 Prime is 2,500lbs. However, as it is my first time trying to tow something, I want to make sure I am making a right decision here. If yes, I plan to install a Curt Class 3 hitch this Thursday.

Also, I read a lot of posts saying that one should consider the weight of the trailer tongue - why is this so, and how can I determine this?

Thanks in advance for all your advice!

a longer draw bar is nice!
it will help get the trailer further back for a bit better handling.

watch how you load the trailer.
Toung weight is a real issue.
100-200 lbs max
try to keep the majority of the weight over the trailer axels.

 

Thank you! I will keep the weight of the trailer most to the front I appreciate it!

 

Make sure you look over the trailer from top to bottom before a long journey like that. ( Frame rust / lights / wiring / latches ) etc etc
UHAUL are well known for not being road worthy yet still being rented daily.
There is a reason every piece of equipment they own is plated Arizona, and its not only because that's where their head office is...

 

Make sure you look over the trailer from top to bottom before a long journey like that. ( Frame rust / lights / wiring / latches ) etc etc
UHAUL are well known for not being road worthy yet still being rented daily.
There is a reason every piece of equipment they own is plated Arizona, and its not only because that's where their head office is...

Thanks! I have been so occupied with moving. I neglected checking the equipment that I rent, so I appreciate it! My previous plan was to use a cargo box but then I realized I underestimated the amount of stuff I have... this search on using a trailer has been going fast!

 

I would recommend you get the OEM or the Eco hitch rather than the Curt. The Curt rides too low and will drag over driveway entrances, such as pulling into gas stations. The OEM or Eco hitch is much higher.

One rule of thumb for stability is to keep the trailer tongue level, angled neither down or up. Best way to do that is to choose a ball mount for the hitch that either raises the ball height up, or lowers it down. For the RAV4, you will probably need to raise the ball. On my 4Runner (with a lift), I have to lower the ball when I pull my ATV trailer.

When going around corners, especially sharper corners, be sure to steer wide so the trailer doesn't cut the corner. At a corner it is best to go straighter longer than you would in a car, then turn sharper than you would in a car.

As others have said, avoid jack knife the trailer when backing up. (Jack knife is when the trailer is angled so far to the side that the rear bumper of the car will touch the side of the trailer). Best to choose places where you can pull through and not have to back up.

 

Thanks for a detailed response! I will keep in mind of your suggestions - ball mount, wider turn, and avoiding jack knife when backing up.

I would have gone with Eco hitch if I had more time to receive the products. Upon seeing your response, I searched for Eco hitch, and there does not seem to be any available online/offline store that can deliver the product by this Friday It is still helpful to know that Curt has a lower ground clearance though.

Thank you so much for taking your time!

 

One other thing to consider is that the unbraked trailer weight limit is 1000 lbs. You need to have a functional trailer braking system for the max 2500 lb tow limit (see manual, page 273).

 

Most U-haul trailers have surge brakes (which are hydraulic trailer brakes controlled by forward pressure exerted on the hitch. One good thing to check on the trailer is the hydraulic reservoir to make sure there is brake fluid in there. The reservoir is generally located just behind the hitch.

 

BTW, U Haul has official maximum towing speeds on their trailers that are well below many posted speed limits. I think most of ther trailers are listed for no more than 55 MPH.

 

It isn't because the trailer can't go faster it is to minimize the chances of an accident. I personally wouldn't go any faster than 65 towing with a RAV4. Just pay attention to your trailer behind you and if you notice trailer sway, just slow down with out hitting the brakes until it goes away. That is all I did when I used to drive tractor trailer and would often pull 3 trailers at the same time. The rear trailer would often sway depending on how much weight was in it. The condition of the road can play a roll in trailer sway too. I would after every stop do a quick check to make sure everything is still hooked up properly and the trailer tires look to be in good shape with no missing lug nuts. Stupid stuff that years of driving commercially that is habit for me.

On another note I would ask about locks. You want something that somebody can't cut off easily while your in sleeping in your hotel. You want something that you can lock the tongue of the trailer to prevent someone from coming by and unhooking it from your vehicle and hooking it to theirs in the middle of the night. A light trailer is no problem to unhook and hand carry over to another vehicle and drive off with. If that makes sense. I would also look at a lock to secure access to the cargo area that can't be cut off. The more you can deter the more likely a would be thief is going to move on. There are bright yellow locks that you can put on the trailer wheel too to prevent theft too. I don't mean to make you worry, but definitely something to think about.

 

good stuff here folks!
for the doors the hocky puck style work well if the door latches will work with this style.
and make sure to have a locking hitch pin as well.
it is overlooked when locking a trailer to a draw bar.
or grade 8 double nut with red lock tite so you have to have a torch to spin the nuts
coupler latch lock works well
wheel lock for basic locking on one wheel
master lock makes a dandy basic lock kit

 

Thanks! I will be passing through Iowa on my way to Washington State from Madison, WI. It will be a fun journey!

 

@4tuulikki @wscan @chuckles70

Thanks for all of your opinions on the break! I appreciate them all. I guess the takeaway message for me from your messages is - drive slow and be careful of using the break. I did read somewhere I should slow down when driving with a trailer. Your posts emphasize what I read earlier! I really appreciate all of your opinions!

 

@peakbagger @SLS Artemis

Thanks for reminding me about the driving speed! I am used to driving around 65~80 miles, so... it will definitely be a challenge for me but I should keep that in mind!

 

@SLS Artemis @iowagold

Thanks for suggestions about the locks. I had been thinking no one will attempt to steal my stuff given that (1) I have never experienced such a thing AND my cargo box will not have much things valuable and (2) I am from Korea and lived in Madison, WI for five years where mostly have been pretty safe. Thanks for your thoughts, and I will look into the locks!

Especially with what @SLS Artemis mentioned, you are not making me worried! I am very appreciative of your thoughts. You are giving me perspectives that I have not even thought of

 

oh yea make sure your insurance covers the trailer and contents as well!
lol
yea i used to move every 6 months with construction work.
i had it down to a few hours lol
last move it took 3 weeks and 14 trips 6x10 trailers full and one LARGE 8x18 cargo trailer.

plan your stops, and leave plenty of room in front of you for braking for no panic stops.
i always do 3 times the spacing when doing trailer tow.

 

"3 times the spacing" is a really good benchmark to have. I was not sure how much space I should put. Thanks again!

Also, I checked the insurance - I did get one from Uhaul that only covers the cargo. I hope there was one that covers everything - I did confirm with my insurance company that no auto insurance covers the trailer attached.

 

One more consideration is the safety chains. Be sure you cross them under the ball so if the trailer comes loose, the tongue will fall on the chains. If not, the tongue will catch in the first crack in the road and do a pole vault. (Sorry for the troubling visual, but I've seen it happen).

Another reason to cross the chains is so one side is not stretched when doing a sharp turn.

 

Hi everyone,

It is my first time trying to tow a trailer behind my vehicle and I recently began studying how the whole process works.

Straight to the point, would RAV4 Prime XSE 2023 be capable enough to tow a Uhaul trailer? The weight of the trailer is 850lbs (4' x 8' Cargo Trailer), and I believe the combined weight of my stuff and the trailer would be around 1500lbs (at maximum). The distance I have to drive is 1700 miles, possibly divided into 4 or 5 days.

Upon googling, I see that the maximum towing capacity of RAV4 Prime is 2,500lbs. However, as it is my first time trying to tow something, I want to make sure I am making a right decision here. If yes, I plan to install a Curt Class 3 hitch this Thursday.

Also, I read a lot of posts saying that one should consider the weight of the trailer tongue - why is this so, and how can I determine this?

Thanks in advance for all your advice!

The 2018 OEM Toyota hitch ties-in to the vehicle frame all the way forward to the rear suspension, as well as laterally, away from the framerails to the vehicle body, greatly enhancing the distribution of weight to all of the attachment points used. The original Drawtite hitch I installed, purchased at eTrailer, seemed and worked just fine, but after looking at the OEM hitch, I decided the extra money for OEM design and engineeringbto utilize the entire tongue-weight capacity of my Gen-4 2018 Rav4, well the additional money then made sense. The install, and then removal, of the Drawtite was simple enough. The OEM hitch install was a bit more involved.
Exercise caution when installing the trailer wire harness. It is easy to fry wiring. It is expensive to fix wiring.
Good Luck and safe journies. I hope you post back here regarding how your Rav handled the tow.

 

I will update you all on how my car handled the tow. I plan to weigh the trailer before I leave, so hopefully, my update helps everyone who gave me great advice in this post!

 

Here's one for you that almost got us in big trouble towing a U-haul trailer on a downgrade after freeway speeds: if you find yourself trying to stay in a narrow lane due to traffic for example, you can get into a fishtail dynamic where you keep overcorrecting thereby exacerbating the fishtailing. We did this and almost got on the edge of out of control (traffic was starting to give us a wide birth!) when the downgrade thankfully turned steadily left--this stopped the fishtailing, the sustained turn. Also, take it easy with acceleration that is a giant load on the transmission. Good Luck!

 

Thanks for sharing your experience! I once saw a video clip of a car that got into a fishtail, and it did seem very scary. I will keep your advice in mind - be aware of the fishtailing and taking it slow with acceleration!

 

One of the components of the RAV4 stability control system is "trailer sway control" (look in your owners manual). When trailer sway is detected by the computer, it will try to control the problem by selective braking some wheels and reducing the power from the engine/motors. It is not foolproof, but does help some. Still need to take it easy when pulling a trailer.

 

Thank you so much for letting me know! I looked up the manual, and it seems to be very helpful! I really appreciate it!!!

 

Hey to those who gave me tons of help in preparing for a long trip -

I am giving you some minor updates on my drive with the trailer. I am now in Badlands National Park. The distance between my previous home (Madison, WI) and here is about 700 miles. I usually drove between 55 ~ 65 miles depending on road situations, and the average mpg has been around 25~26 miles per gallon. I have been mainly using HV mode. I noticed that, the more I increase the speed, the worse the mpg became.

I had a chance to weigh the vehicle + trailer. It came around to 6,440 lbs. I am thinking that the trailer weighs more than I expected. Given the curb weight (when the car is emptied) around 4,300lbs and quite few stuff in the car when weighed, I am guessing the trailer weighs around 1700 or so. I wish I could weigh the trailer alone, but I am guessing that it would be difficult to detach and re-attach the trailer when on a scale. I will give you guys an update on the true trailer weight if I have a chance to do so.

Anyways, the drive has been very stable. Even at 70 miles (when the road is straight and good) and at some curves, the car controls the trailer really well. On bumpy roads though, I can feel the car going up and down (almost like the trailer pulling from behind) a little perhaps due to the weight of the trailer. Other than this, when the road is good (e.g., on interstate), I can feel almost nothing except when accelerating.

P.S - the car is RAV4 Prime XSE (see the picture).

 

is it just me or is the front of the trailer too low in the front?
we have made v shapes for slab fronted trailers for short trips to help divide the air.
easy to do.
looks like it is ok height roof line for the matching the rav.

yea by the time you get fuel and a few cargo things in the rav
things max out fast.

i would to have done a taller draw bar or a tall ball to help with the Toung.
they make 2 inch rise balls.
i have one for the tercel. and for the pontiac 6000 draw bars.
both cars are low in the back to start with even with the HD springs i did on both.
they are stock height with the trailer on but still low slung.

 

is it just me or is the front of the trailer too low in the front?

I don't think so. The tongue looks level and the rear of the RAV4 is not squatted down. Perhaps just the way the trailer is built.

Thanks, uwmadison, for the update. Hope all continues to go well for you. Have a safe trip.

 

After the whole trip:

As I mentioned in a previous response, the whole trip was smoother than I expected. The total drive was around 2,000 miles. The car pulled the trailer very smoothly. There was some more power needed for acceleration, but after I reached a certain speed (e.g., 70 mile/hr), I could easily maintain that speed.

From my experience, when at 55~60 miles per hour, I could easily have more than 30 mpg. When at 70~80 miles per hour (when the road was good and there were no cars front/behind), the average mpg was around 23~25.

Wrapping up, as I couldn't see a lot of posts about RAV4 trailer, I hope this post helps others who plan to use a trailer attached to Rav4 in the future.