Hey guys. My cummins is in the body shop due to a hit and run - so they gave me a chevy 1500 4x4 truck rental in the meantime. It has a hitch, but no trailer brake controller. I have a 20 foot flatbed diamond plate flatbed that weighs about 2250lbs. I was thinking about taking 2 quads on it about an hour away. What do you guys think safety wise? It's not a light trailer to be using only the truck brakes..

 

Lightman,

Ohio law says trailer brakes are required at a trailer weight of 2000 lbs. and above. I don't know how lucky you feel, but if you were on a first-name basis with Murphy (of Murphy's Law fame) like me, I don't know if I would chance it or not.

By the way - check out your rental agreement. Many of them exclude trailer towing.

Rusty

 

I have moved about 2500 lbs without a controller, and I only did it once. I am not worried about my driving, it is the other vehicle I am worried about. Someone always feels the need to be in my cushion space, and drive like who knows what. Add to that the lighter brakes of a 1/2 ton, and I would advise against it.

 

I have no brakes on my flat bed trailer its 18ft I have pulled it with a car on it and never had any troubles but I keep a safe distant between me and other cars it takes more truck braking to stop but its always been controllable

 

I used to pull a 2000# enclosed trailer behind a Subaru station wagon. The trailer had no brakes and wasn't required to, so this was legal. Roughly 3000# on a full-size truck shouldn't be too tough, but unfortunately probably not legal (not legal here).

 

It will be 2250 for the trailer, and 2 quads which are 600-800lbs each - so I'm expecting at least 3500lbs. To top that off, I was just noticing yesterday how badly the brakes stink on this chevy. Maybe that makes for a bad combination and I should just throw one quad in the bed - but riding double isn't nearly as much fun

I did'nt know about the legalities regarding 2000+lbs, thanks for that info. I'm sure the rental place doesn't allow it, but am I supposed to halt my lifestyle because I got hit and my truck's in the body shop? The insurance company is there to make sure I don't have my life interrupted..

Overall thanks for the replies - it's likely I won't risk it. No I don't think I'd get pulled over, but I wouldn't want to have to try to stop fast and not be able to. I know with those two quads and trailer behind my CTD, if the brake controller isn't on, it's really pretty hard to stop - and I think my CTD has great brakes.

 

The danger isn't so much from inadequate braking in the tow vehicle as it is from a jackknife of the trailer when you try to panic stop. I always want the trailer to do it's own stopping and even a little more if it can manage it. That way, at least on dry pavement everything will stay straight. I like to be able to lock the trailer wheels before I lock the back wheels of my truck and the front wheels should lock last.

If you take it slow and allow lots of stopping distance you'll probably get lucky. Don't do it in the rain and pray some idiot doesn't pull out in front of you or you'll jackknife and have lots of damage to your stuff and probably your body as well. Watch out for the cops also.

Edwin

 

I'm probably not going to do it to be honest - not worth the risk to me or others. Knowing cleveland also, the weather will probably stink and I won't be able to go

 

Just as a sidenote pretty sure the law here is 3500# + requires trailer brakes.

You could always rent a smaller trailer for the second quad.

 

I tow a boat that I have owned for 17 years. It is a 19' ski boat that weighs in about 3,400 pounds. I bought it new, it came with a single axle trailer with no trailer brakes. It was legal at the time and in the state where I bought it. I have towed the boat A LOT and have never had a problem. IMO it is easily within the safe capability of a 3/4 ton Ram. I have towed it extensively with a Ford Ranger, and my wife's Ford Escape, no problems with the load or the tow vehicle. I wouldn't give it a second thought.

When I tow I am very conscious of what is hapening on the road way out in front of me. I take my time and am not easily agitated by other idiots on the road.

 

I remember an accident a few years (decades?) ago when a car stopped on a bridge. The car behind him was towing a boat and he hit the stopped car. The boat went over the car and landed on top of the first car. Trailer brakes don't stop everything! :-)

 

Proper tie downs are a bonus