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Alamen · 07-31-2018, 11:39 AM

You have a 3700 lbs rear axle. That will be 3700 lbs over axle weight with the weight of the SUV, gas at around (8 pounds a gallon) passengers and anything else you stick in the unit. I can tell you without a doubt that the units you are selecting for their weight will put you over axle load. Those are light axles with small brakes. People seem to think that GCWR is the only thing to be concerned with. It just boggles my mind. There are 3 concerns always.

1) True over axle weight. Hitches, fuel, water and anything else you put in that unit will add up on tongue weight. Anything in the vehicle will take away from usable tongue weight. You can only CARRY so much. Guaranteed your over with a 5500 LBS dry trailer with the axles on the Jeep. Has nothing to do with combined vehicle weight. To be safe you should have an equalizer hitch to prevent sway. Those aren't light. Again taking away from amount you can CARRY not tow. You can drag more across the ground on any vehicle out there, you just cannot CARRY it. Get in an accident, even a minor one and watch what your insurance does for you.

2) Stability. Longer wheel base means more stability. This is critical. You are going to get passed by semi's and they are going to move you with air. Trust me. Equalizer hitch will help this. Get air shocks to help with keeping the rear level under weight. You will need them. Your rear springs aren't going to cut it. When you drop the trailer on the hitch your front end should not move up more than 1" with a proper setup. Or close to it. Measure from ground to bottom of front wheel well and then re-measure again after load and equalizer hitch is adjusted. Check for the 1" rating.

Measure trailer from front to back to see if its level. Low front trailer will cause your truck front end to lift when brakes are applied hard. High front of trailer will cause rear of truck to lift. Get it? Its a pocket knife. The blade is strong when straight out but collapses when bent in.

3) Downhill. You need brakes and the ability to slow the unit down going downhill. Make damn sure you can hold this unit back going downhill without using a ton of brakes. Brakes heat up and fade, then you cannot stop and the unit runs away on you. Brakes are for maintaining desired speed. Apply to keep speed at desired level by applying the letting go. If you got to ride them to hold the units back your in trouble. They will heat up and fail.

Anybody can drive a unit on the flats and be reasonably safe. Be prepared for the above 3 things and your heading in the right direction. Those are the things that will fail you. I towed a 5800lbs dry weight Cougar on a 2008 F150 with tow package and once I scaled it I was only 200lbs under axle weight in rear and 250 under on front. This was with proper setup. My rated tongue weight on trailer was 550LBS. One of the lower ones on the market. Very well balanced trailer. Weighed more of course once hitch was attached.

07-31-2018, 11:39 AM	#31
Alamen Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Canada Posts: 11	You have a 3700 lbs rear axle. That will be 3700 lbs over axle weight with the weight of the SUV, gas at around (8 pounds a gallon) passengers and anything else you stick in the unit. I can tell you without a doubt that the units you are selecting for their weight will put you over axle load. Those are light axles with small brakes. People seem to think that GCWR is the only thing to be concerned with. It just boggles my mind. There are 3 concerns always. 1) True over axle weight. Hitches, fuel, water and anything else you put in that unit will add up on tongue weight. Anything in the vehicle will take away from usable tongue weight. You can only CARRY so much. Guaranteed your over with a 5500 LBS dry trailer with the axles on the Jeep. Has nothing to do with combined vehicle weight. To be safe you should have an equalizer hitch to prevent sway. Those aren't light. Again taking away from amount you can CARRY not tow. You can drag more across the ground on any vehicle out there, you just cannot CARRY it. Get in an accident, even a minor one and watch what your insurance does for you. 2) Stability. Longer wheel base means more stability. This is critical. You are going to get passed by semi's and they are going to move you with air. Trust me. Equalizer hitch will help this. Get air shocks to help with keeping the rear level under weight. You will need them. Your rear springs aren't going to cut it. When you drop the trailer on the hitch your front end should not move up more than 1" with a proper setup. Or close to it. Measure from ground to bottom of front wheel well and then re-measure again after load and equalizer hitch is adjusted. Check for the 1" rating. Measure trailer from front to back to see if its level. Low front trailer will cause your truck front end to lift when brakes are applied hard. High front of trailer will cause rear of truck to lift. Get it? Its a pocket knife. The blade is strong when straight out but collapses when bent in. 3) Downhill. You need brakes and the ability to slow the unit down going downhill. Make damn sure you can hold this unit back going downhill without using a ton of brakes. Brakes heat up and fade, then you cannot stop and the unit runs away on you. Brakes are for maintaining desired speed. Apply to keep speed at desired level by applying the letting go. If you got to ride them to hold the units back your in trouble. They will heat up and fail. Anybody can drive a unit on the flats and be reasonably safe. Be prepared for the above 3 things and your heading in the right direction. Those are the things that will fail you. I towed a 5800lbs dry weight Cougar on a 2008 F150 with tow package and once I scaled it I was only 200lbs under axle weight in rear and 250 under on front. This was with proper setup. My rated tongue weight on trailer was 550LBS. One of the lower ones on the market. Very well balanced trailer. Weighed more of course once hitch was attached.