Towing question/help

Gotta '86 Bronco I want to put on a trailer and tow to the lease. It's drivable (and inspected, licensed, and insured), but just want to save wear and tear on a rough, tough ol' gal. Bronco weighs around 4500#; 18', wood floor, utility trailer has a 5,300# carrying capacity. 'Want to pull it with a Tundra that has a towing capacity of 9,000#+. (Electric brakes on both trailer and Tundra.) I'll strap it down proper with chains, binders, and tire/wheel strap yokes. But, if you're a stickler, the manual states "sway control hitch required" for this weight.

I've towed some, but not all the darn time. You guys that tow stuff often for work - thoughts? Is just a standard ball hitch okay to do the speed limit 5+ hours west? Or should I just drive her out? Any suggestions on weight distribution on the trailer is also appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Should be fine as long as it is a tandem axle trailer, good receiver hitch and loaded correctly. I pull heavier than that with my Tundra and no sway control but my trailer is rated at 7000 lbs. I have had to back a vehicle or tractor on a few times to get the weight distributed correctly, basically keeping the loaded trailer and truck setting level. Air up all truck and trailer tires to max and I would carry 2 good trailer spares....

I pull an extended cab Tacoma on a 20-ft trailer with my Tundra, 600+miles to the lease. I'm probably 1000# lighter than you but travel a lot farther. I had to put Sumo springs on my Tundra to keep it level, but other than that it pulls good, but I do tend to put prob more tongue weight than is necessary.

One of the things that the weight distributing hitch does is distribute the weight. Duh, right? the way the bars and chains are set up, it will help keep the front of the tow vehicle from going nose up. Without that help, you may be alright all the way out there, but if the truck begins to get squirrly, you will have a harder time correcting it with the proper hitch. That being said...I personally would probably just forgo the hitch and drive carefully.

Different set up, I know, but U-Haul carhaulers are rented all the time to folks pulling behind 1/2 ton pickups. In my experience, they do not have weight distribution hitches and those are fairly beefy trailers. If loaded properly, I would probably pull as you described. If it is going to be squirrelly, you will know pretty quick.

Guessing the trailer has 7000# axles and weighs 1700#s leaving you the 5300# capacity? Get ready to stop for fuel a bunch. In my experience, especially with gas vehicle, pulling that heavy you will be in single digits for fuel mileage.

I would flat tow the Bronco behind the Tundra. Did that with my Jeep all over the place.

Why don't you load it up and test drive around your area where you live. You will be able to tell if it will work quick.

I did that with a Jeep I had too. But the War Dept. is watching any further expenditures on this puppy very closely and a tow bar, safety chain attachments, etc. would fall into this category.

Definitely plan on doing that. With the rain, schedule and time is getting short. 'Thought I'd get as much input as possible.

At 5,300 lbs carry capacity on your trailer, Bronco is 4,500 lbs plus the WEIGHT OF YOUR TRAILER. you are pushing the carry capacity of your trailer. You better have some serious good rubber and spare if you do 5 hours at highway speed. Good luck.

Trailer is 7000# GCWR. Trailer weighs 1700#.

Unless the lease is out in the middle of nowhere, a one way U-Haul car trailer rental is about $100. It may be easier to rent a one way u-haul than to mess dragging your own trailer there and back.

5,300 lbs is going to be the cargo capacity, not the GVWR. Unless someone started building 2,650# axles

Carry 2 spares at minimum. Your at the max load for your trailer. Check weight capacity of the tires, they are more than likely only 15” tires. Make sure tires are aired up to max pressure when they are cold.
Have some help go with you.

DO not load a truck backwards on a trailer as mentioned above. Pull th bronco forward on the trailer until your Toyota drops in the rear slightly below normal ride height. 1-2”. Strap it down right there. You said you have electric brakes on the trailer. Be sure they’re set up correctly for the weight of the loaded trailer. Grease the bearings carry a spare and put both feet on the floor.

Properly loaded trailer means a little front heavy. When I tow my Scout with my Ram, I pull the Scout forward enough so the rear drops a couple inches.

Also, check tires on trailer and make sure they are aired up, probably to 65. Truck tires should also be aired up. Drive about 50 miles and stop and check everything, tires, chains, hitch, etc. go slow and don't follow close.

All depends on what is being loaded and the trailer length and axle placement, that is why I said try it until it is distributed correctly. My axles on my 18' trailer are set back farther than most so I sometimes have to adjust to put less weight on the truck. I have many trailers and a couple of tow vehicles and tow a variety of heavy equipment, tractors, farm equipment and vehicles and it all comes down to adjust the load properly whether it needs to be loaded forward or backward to get it correct. Tie it down properly and carry a couple of GOOD spares.

Yea sir it depends on what’s being loaded and it definitely depends on axle location. If you hang the motor of a vehicle out behind the rear axles from loading it backwards you will regret it in short order. Most broncos have around 105” wheelbase, it might be fine depending on his axle location on the trailer. Not many vehicles are that short. With a vehicle it’s bad practice that will put you in the ditch if your lucky. Not enough tongue weight is far more dangerous than too much. A bump in the road can cause the weight on the trailer to shift to the rear on a trailer riding “level” and the only way out of it is acceleration. Unfortunately most people will hit the brakes compounding the problem.

so true

Several have mentioned having good spares and I concur! My (sold) toyhauler came with one and I had a flat the first time out in it. Had it fixed and invested in a second tire and rim so I could have two spares.

Trailer tires are notorious and if you pull with any frequency, especially loaded heavy, you will have flats/blowouts. I pulled a buddy's 7000# trailer with about 3000# loaded on it to northern Nebraska. We had to replace all four tires AND the spare on the way. The first one blew outside of OKC and the 2nd in Wichita. When we stopped in Wichita we found that one of the others was delaminating, so went ahead and replaced all for safety. What should have been a day drive up, turned into two because we were sitting and waiting for tire repairs.

And I should add run TRAILER TIRES IF TOWING VERY OFTEN OR HEAVY. I tried to cut corners when I was younger and ran car tires on my trailers and had lots of tire problems. I finally got heavy ply trailer tires and have far fewer tire problems.

On the Tundra side of the equation, be sure to drop your transmission down into the Sequential Mode ("S"). Play around with the max gear setting, but at that weight you will probably be in either 4th or 5th depending on weight, wind, and terrain. An increase in throttle input should equal an increase in speed fairly instantaneously. If it doesn't, you are in too high of gear - drop it down and test again. 4th gear max should be plenty strong for that load.

Also, keep it in tow mode. These two things combined will help keep your transmission happy and will help with controlling your load.

My goodness. You'd think this was a question about trying to launch a rocket into space. It's quite simple, load the thing up with the right tongue weight, strap in down good, and roll.

Tell her it would be cheaper than the added fuel cost of towing it on a trailer, that’s not a lie

Me too.. less overall weight

I would not.

Neither would I.

You have all been helpful. Many thanks. If I survive the trip, I will report back.

Why not? Many people do it behind motor homes. My Jeep saw thousands of miles that’s way.

Too simplify the question, there’s more moving parts on a vehicle than a trailer.

Rarely do you see a motor coach towing a vehicle built in 1983.

Many newer vehicles have pumps on the transmission and transfer case that don't turn when being flat towed causing them to burn up....

I wouldn't hesitate to just load it a little tongue heavy, strap it down good and hit the road. all tires should be at their max psi and I would definitely have a spare, jack and X lug wrench.

"I did that with a Jeep I had too. But the War Dept. is watching any further expenditures on this puppy very closely and a tow bar, safety chain attachments, etc. would fall into this category."

Just Awesome.

so did you survive the trip?

I did. I decided to drive her out there and I pulled the pickup bed trailer behind her (not loaded too terribly heavy). She performed admirably all over the lease, although I do think the tranny slips occasionally; not during a hard pull or anything, but at odd, random times, just once or twice and just enough to make you start thinking about the walk back. I'd put it into neutral (and talk as sweetly and calmly as I could to her) and then it would be okay when I put it back in drive. It's kind of a torrid love/hate relationship. I'll probably load her on the trailer and bring her home at the end of the season. 'Hate leaving much of anything out there.

I shot an old, declining 8(&1/2)pt. cull to boot. So it was a good hunt. Processor's son overlooked one whole backstrap in my cooler, so it's fresh/never frozen backstrap on the grill tonight. My trimming abilities are sub-par, but I'm hoping the fresh taste makes up for the mangled appearance.

Check the tranny fluid level

Thanks. I topped it off before I left; and have extra, so I'll check it again when I go back out. I do appreciate the reminder.

The 80’s were a trying time for vehicle manufacturers. Detuned engines, new emissions requirements, etc.

Boerne to Sanderson is a long haul nowadays in a bronco

Does it have the 302 or 351 engine?

351.

I wish I had a time machine and I could go back and drive my first truck, a 1988 Ford with a 302. Specs show it had 185 hp, that truck seemed to run like a top and would spin the tire with very little effort, but is Anemic compared to today’s trucks, my last gas truck had 355 hp and my current truck has 440 hp and over 900 lbs of torque stock from the factory.

Even the “big” 351 Windsor only had 150 hp in 83’.

The thing about those HP ratings is they are peak ratings at high RPM's. At 0-2000 or so rpm the difference isn't nearly as significant.