Has anyone towed a trailer that approaches the 5k limit? If so can you give me some feedback on how well the Ridge handles it? Enough power to pull inclines? Any handling issues? Gas mileage? I'm thinking of getting an 18' toyhauler with a dry weight of 3600#. Wet and with a couple of dirt bikes and gear it will probably get close to 5k.

Thanks,

bsnm8

I had my truck with a trailer load of old deck scrap that weighed out at over 9,000 pounds. I towed this over 50 miles with no issues at all. You will feel the weight during acceleration and braking, but it handled exceptionally well. I've towed weight several times for long distances and got between 13mpg-15mpg, but that should be the least of your concerns.

Thanks for the reply shovel, that's what I wanted to hear. The mileage isn't important, I was just curious. I only get 14 to 16 pulling my little open m/c trailer with 2 dirt bikes on it. If I can get close to that with the toy hauler I'll be pleased.

bsnm8

Another data point. I towed a tandem axle trailer, total trailer weight about 2800 pounds through the Berkshires. There were thunderstorms the whole time, including points where it was a total monsoon, and drivers were driving like complete idiots. I had to check up several times in these conditions, and stops were smooth and controlled. This is an amazing truck.

Were you using trailer brakes? I'm pretty sure I'll need to install a brake controller for the toyhauler just for peace of mind.

What shovelhead do you ride? My street bike is an '03 Heritage.

Bsnm8

The trailer had surge brakes.

I no longer have the Shovel. :(

I've had two heavy towing experiences. The first was moving from Seattle to Idaho. I had a 12' Uhaul trailer fully loaded (probably overloaded). I wish I had weighed it but I didn't so take this for what it's worth. I could pull it OK but at anything above 70mph, it got really scarry. It was the tail wagging the dog kind of thing. I think this was probly due to the way it was loaded however.

The other heavy load I pulled was a bobcat skid-steer. The rental place said it weighed 5800 lbs + the trailer. I'm guessing the total was close to 9000 lbs. The RL was sluggish but I managed ok and didn't have the fishtailing that I did with the Uhaul.

It was the tail wagging the dog kind of thing. I think this was probly due to the way it was loaded however.
It certainly does. You need to have 10-15% of the weight on the tongue. If the trailer is loaded too heavily in the rear, it will cause trailer sway, and in some cases can be extremely dangerous.

I just found out in another thread (relating to my recent towing experience) that you're supposed to disable VSA. I didn't know this. Just an FYI.

I just found out in another thread (relating to my recent towing experience) that you're supposed to disable VSA. I didn't know this. Just an FYI.
I just posted a reply there. That is definitely wrong information.

Yeah, see, now I'm confused. Guess I'll have to read the manual. Thanks, webwader. I saw your other post too. :D

Just a follow-up... didn't see anything in the manual that suggests that VSA should be turned off when towing... I did see some things about not using D3 when driving on dry pavement and towing, and when to use VTM4-Lock when pulling a boat out of the water, but nothing about VSA.

Has anyone towed a trailer that approaches the 5k limit? If so can you give me some feedback on how well the Ridge handles it? Enough power to pull inclines? Any handling issues? Gas mileage? I'm thinking of getting an 18' toyhauler with a dry weight of 3600#. Wet and with a couple of dirt bikes and gear it will probably get close to 5k.

Thanks,

bsnm8

Hey BSN. What kind of toy hauler are you looking at? I'm trying to find one that weighs in at 4000# or less. Any help would be appreciated.

I have a Starcraft Toy Hauler that is about 4000 lb dry, and with dirt bikes, gear and some water, may approach the limit. It does great as far as handling and braking, but anything over 65 mph with even a light head wind the RL has trouble getting out of 3rd gear and the RPMs are over 4000. A trailer with a tall flat front catches a lot of wind at highway speed. If you can drive below 65 it would do pretty good. I seem to be getting a bit more power as I approach 2000 miles on the RL, I am hoping that helps in towing also.