Traveling with 4x10 utilty Trailer

[cxkali]

I was wondering if i could get some pointers when towing. will be traveling soon from kentucky to oklahoma have towed other trailers with the voy but only short distance this will be a 12 hour drive should i drive in 3rd or would drive be ok? anything would help.

 

[RedEnvoyDenali]

I was wondering if i could get some pointers when towing. will be traveling soon from kentucky to oklahoma have towed other trailers with the voy but only short distance this will be a 12 hour drive should i drive in 3rd or would drive be ok? anything would help.

You will get a lot of different opinions with an open question like that. Personally I drive in "Drive" and pull a 17' (4000lb) boat and trailer. That being said where I tow is relatively flat. I would switch to 3rd if I found the tranny changing gears on a regular basis.

The only other suggestions is make sure the trailer is road worthy with working lights. Be sure to load with a sufficient amount of weight on the tongue (a light tongue will have the trailer wagging the dog, very dangerous). I also believe in a tranny oil cooler to help keep the tranny temps under control.

Last but not least drive defensively accidents happen very quickly, reactions don't with trailer. Good luck and happy trailering. :wootwoot:

 

[Busterbrown]

I have a 6x10 enclosed cargo trailer that I've towed several times across the country with my I-6 Rainier. And this was before my renewed appreciation for the truck (and before finding the OS). Trailer weight with load was around 3400 lbs. My Buick never skipped a beat and that's after several passes though the high mountains in Colorado and the Cascades though Washington state. 99% of the time my tranny was running in 4th gear. Only on steep grades (incline or decline) did I run in 3rd. My auxiliary trans cooler wasn't installed until after most of the big trips. Most members recommend an additional inline cooler to help ease the burden of the radiator-mounted one.

My advice to you is drive the speed limit using caution on the declines. Also, as the previous member stated, load balancing is essential for a safe trip. I follow the 60/40 rule, where 60% of the weight of the load is in front of the single trailer axle and 40% is behind it. As a general rule, the total weight of the trailer (load plus trailer) should be around 10% on the tongue. Safe trailering.

 

[gmcman]

Get a good idea of where and when your torque converter locks up in OD. I pull my 14' tandem in OD but only if the trans doesn't start hunting in and out of lockup. You will find that your trans will learn there is a load and will hold the lock with the accel pedal depressed further than normal, but not too much more.

When you get on the gas and the RPM's tend to stay put you know the TC is locked, but will unlock when coasting. Not sure if you try to look for this but it will be obvious. Naturally if you are pulling long hills and the trans keeeps downshifting then you need to select a lower gear.

 

[Jkust]

With a trailer that will likely be light compared to what many of us tow, I wouldn't have any issues towing in D. What I will say is that ST tires are actually rated to be towed at a max of 65mph. Of course I see people towing all the time much faster. Also ensure you have a spare or two and also a piece of wood to place the jack on if you are in a difficult spot. Ensure that the lug wrench for the truck fits the lugs on the trailer because many times they don't. Grease the bearings both from the front of the wheel and the zerk in the back before you go and check the air level in the tires. If you plan to stop overnight make sure you lock the trailer onto the hitch at a minimum for what can really only be a deterence to thieves. I've been trailering my 24 foot boat trailer and snowmobile trailer for a long time and have learned I think every lesson in the book over the years and is the only reason I have owned three of our platform and still have two of them. Double check your trailer policy and see if you have trailer roadside assistance if you get into a situation. As recently as this past holiday week, I had a near catostriphic trailer incident when the supposid high quality/expensive and nearly new spair tire holder simply broke off the trailer causing a near catastrophee on the road and did cause major damage to my boat trailer. You think you've covered all the bases but in my case even my safety cable holding the spare to the trailer just incase this happened snapped in half. I always bring a took kit and extra trailer bulbs.

Point being luck favors the prepared but not all the time.

 

[JerryIrons]

I have a 5x10 utility trailer sided with 3/4 plywood that I use throughout the year for various things. (last fall hauling 3 face cords of wood). I also go to lake erie several times a year, 30 minute drive, and I haul my 18 ft inboard outboard boat with it as well.

I never haul in drive, always put it in 3. I am too afraid of putting it in drive on a flat spot and forgetting about it. If your trailer starts to sway, you can put some weight on the tongue to help possibly. (or distribute weight better in thing you are hauling) I would rather waste gas than burn up the transmission.

Some tips:

1) check your transmission levels and color often, and change it every year.
2) make sure your front and back brakes are in good shape, you will wear them down more.
3) make sure your emergency brake works.
4) Don't haul with tires that are bald. Especially at a boat ramp.

Make a test run to see how it works. I am very happy with the tb hauling ability, but I have an EXT, not sure what yours is.