Towing help

[dmb90260]

How much will a transmission cooler help improve towing?

A friend is looking at a teardrop weighing 1400# and her vehicle limit is 1500#
I think she is too close but wondered if a transmission cooler might help any at all.

[Cosmo]

what is the tow vehicle?
I towed a 1500 pound (loaded)teardrop with a 2014 Subaru Forester for 2 years. Forester is rated to 1500 pound max. It did fine. Car burned no oil but was slow on hills.

Wil the trailer have electric brakes?

Tongue weight on the suspension should be considered too. I see many vehicles on the road with too much weight on the rear wheels. I see them bobbing down the highway.

I switched from the Forester to the Outback in Feb of this year. The Outback has the same engine but can tow over 2000 pounds and has a 200 pound tongue capacity (Forester had 150 tongue capacity). They have the same engines. The difference is the body frame is stronger on the Outback and can take the extra weight. Brakes are also much better on the Outback (larger). If you have electric brakes Subaru and many other makers - indicate you can tow more weight.

If boondocking is in scope - check ground clearance - the more the better. Subi has 8.75 inches of clearance which is better than the 6 inches many cars are offering. All wheel drive is an asset too!

If the financial shock of swapping vehicles is too much there are many inexpensive light weight trailers available. Some as low as 600 pounds which any car can tow.

=Cosmo

[Ottsville]

A cooler won't help towing, but it may save her transmission.

Here's my general take on these situations(fwiw, ymmv, you get what you pay for and this is free advice):
1) car manufacturers probably slightly underrate their vehicles for liability reasons. Also, the same car may have different tow ratings in different countries(there was a big thread about this on another forum but I can't remember which one)
2)a cooler is usually part of a tow package and that usually ups the tow rating. But that isn't the only concern.
3) a person inexperienced with towing(dunno if this is the case here) should not be cutting their load that close. Not only do they risk damaging their car but they can be a danger to others on the road.
4)most vehicles with a 1500lb tow rating aren't really designed to tow, they are designed to be passenger cars.
5)many people underestimate their actual load. Is 1400 lbs her ACTUAL LOADED WEIGHT?
6)some passenger vehicles have a tow rating that is for one 150 lb person in the car. My honda odyssey was this way. Tow capacity decreased by the weight of the additional passengers and cargo in the vehicle.

[nemoskull]

towing isnt the problem, its stopping. my 2400 lbs yaris hauls my 1400 lbs trailer and gear at just over 55 max. get scary when traffic is going 90. i have trailer brakes, stopping is still a bit nerve wracking. as far as pulling goes, the trans cooler will help prolong the life of the transmission, but automatics are in general less forgiving about overloading.
it really boils down to if the driver is up to the task. the mechanics are the easy part.

[RJ Howell]

Some very good advise given here, yet the questions of 'Is the 1400# the loaded weight? and What tow vehicle are you speaking of?' is to be answered. Fairly important items when figuring to or not to.

I could voice an opinion that really would be worthless for you until the questions are answered.

[TimC]

I'm with nemoskull. Even after looking at towing capacities and max tongue weight, it's all about stopping that trailer in an emergency.

Total weight loaded as well as tongue weight, trailer brakes (or not) and frontal surface of trailer (exposed to wind) are all more important in this case than whether the tow vehicle has a transmission cooler. The answer to your question depends on many variables. It comes down to, "When in doubt, don't".

I drive Ford vehicles for the most part. Although I wasn't happy with it, when Ford told me not to tow anything with my Focus it was for a good reason. I'm towing 1400# (w/ brakes) with a 3500# capy Escape. That's the kind of safety margin I am happy with. But, that's just me.

Tim

[Modstock]

Yes. A cooler is a must for any towing.
If it has a factory cooler (in radiator) then add a small second. If not then get the biggest ya can.

Up-hills down shifting a lot will bring on the heat.
Here's what I do.
After 3 downshifts cause of hills, headwinds , I'll put it in 3 and keep it there until It levels out or winds subside. Keeps trans cooler .

Also I leave it at 65mph and let others pass. Trying to do 75-80 towing is harder on the car.
Driving stress goes down also.
I run a temp gauge too, helps keep an eye on the trans. Have a small fan I turn on before the big climbs on my 2nd cooler.
Every little bit helps.

On the downhills dont be afraid to downshift and help the brakes keep cool. Just know what mph is at 3rd, 2nd, 1st .
For example:::: my 2nd max is 40mph and 1st is 25mph . I have to be under those speeds to have a comfortable rpm to slow me down.

Hope that helps. Happy towing.


Sent from my H1611 using Tapatalk

[tony.latham]

A friend is looking at a teardrop weighing 1400# and her vehicle limit is 1500#
I think she is too close but wondered if a transmission cooler might help any at all.

I think it depends on where she is going to tow her teardrop. If she lives in the midwest, I doubt her tranny will hiccup. If she's planning on a climb up Donner Pass, then it may. But that may not be the limiting factor that created the rating.

Towing capacity ratings are based on the engine, transmission, braking power, frame, axles and probably the suspension. I think you are assuming her transmission is the weak link.

If she is going to beef up her tow system, I'd suggest she puts the money in trailer brakes.

Tony

[gudmund]

the quote explaining 'towng capacity taken directly from my PU truck's owner manual...
"Maximum trailer weight is calculated assuming only the driver is in the tow vehicle and it has all the required trailering equipment. The weight of additional optional equipment, passengers and cargo it the tow vehicle must be subtracted from the maximum trailer weight."

in other words, per what is being written here - a max of a 1500 lb tow rating will -not- be leaving much weight space for camping gear-passengers, etc.......... which brings up the other consideration when towing

'GCWR' = Gross Combination Weight Rating - This is the total allowable weigh of the completely loaded vehicle and trailer, including passengers, cargo, equipment.

here are words from the owners manual - "If there are a lot of options, equipment, passengers or cargo in the vehicle, it will reduce the tongue weight the vehicle can carry, which will also reduce the trailer weight the vehicle can tow."

Example case in point = my PU, it has a 3200 lb tow capacity rating (w/a 4cyl engine) - I tow a 1440lb trailer w/160lb tongue (1600lb total weight) which leaves a 1600 lbs tow weigh capacity 'cushion', right?? well, with the PU totally loaded (PU w/me - and all of my camping 'stuff' I carry in the canopy covered bed) my rear axle ends up weighing just short of the 'max' axle rating of 2900lbs along with my "total" weight being at 6800lbs which is just 200lbs short of the PU's 7000lb 'max' rating for the "whole" package. (Not much left of that 'extra' 1600lbs of cushion from the total 3200lb 'towing capacity' rating - now is there??) And,yes I have spend a just bit of time, after hours visiting my state's truck scales. And also yes, I have trailer brakes too....................I'm good

[gudmund]

slowcowboy, you have 'validated' the "main" point when it comes to towing - you are better off having "more" than what is needed and as the saying says that I have read 'many-a-time' here on this forum ..."you can go down a hill a thousand times slow, but the first time you do it fast - could be your last..........." take care

[crttaz]

Listen to "Wolf Creek Pass" by CW McCall and you'll get the idea.

Yet to decide on what I'm going to buy/build I ended up with a 2005 Durango Limited with full tow package and a HEMI! Rated for 8500+ lbs, previous owner pulled 24' race car trailer from North Carolina across the Appalachian mountains without a problem. This year I had it up to Devils Playground on Pike's Peak with a load of camping equipment for the Hill Climb.

I can fit a full size air mattress in the back with seats folded which is perfect for one person. Able to fit two if they are friendly. I might just end up with a "Supply Wagon" trailer to haul stuff in, like a chuck wagon.