PDA

View Full Version : Is 7000# Rating really enough to pull a ZJ?



Zombie
08-27-2008, 05:31 PM
As I've been shopping for trailers I've started to wonder about the weight rating.
Figure a well constructed wood deck 16 foot trailer weighs around 1500 pounds... I know the 14 foot big bubba's I use weighs about 1300.

As I remeber a ZJ typically weighs about 5000 pounds. Add steel bumpers sliders, extra weight from longarm suspension, potentially a winch, oversize tires, possibly heavier wheels, and you can be looking at over 7000 pounds pretty easily.

I've pulled quite a bit with the 7K setup, and I haven't had a problem, ever, but that dosn't make it right. I also understand that the rating is probably understated, with the assumtion that some dumbass like me will overload it, but are we as ZJ owners really safe using 7K trailers?

ArloGuthroJeep
08-27-2008, 05:45 PM
I think a stock ZJ weighs around 3800-4200lbs, not 5000lbs. So add 1500lbs and I think the most you would see is 5500-6000lbs. And that is probably WAY on the upper end IMHO.

SirFuego
08-27-2008, 05:48 PM
After my ZJ "build up" was finished, it tipped the scales at exactly 5000# with two people in it and minimal tools

V8, 4.5" Claytons, 33 trxus mts, hp30, 8.8, custom bumpers.

5000 is a conservative estimate for a moderately built ZJ.

Zombie
08-27-2008, 06:12 PM
This is good info. I remember reading somewhere theat the 5.9 was closer to 5k (with msot of the extra weigh comeing from sound deadening material).
I'll weigh mine when I finish and see what I get, but this makes me more comfortable about having used that trailer...

nate
08-27-2008, 07:52 PM
My ZJ weighs right around 5000lbs with winch, bumper, spare parts, camping gear, heavy Swampers, etc.

I think that's a conservative trailer weight though. My 18ft Big Bubbas weighs right around 2500lbs.

cLAYH
08-27-2008, 09:35 PM
I put my ZJ on a 7k trailer. Its an H&H 18ft tilt deck and weighs 1800# empty. I burned off the stock tires VERY quickly but they were cheap "C rated" tires and most of those miles were with my commercial mower(2500#) not the Jeep. I replaced them with tires 2 sizes bigger and load range "D" and am getting much better life from them.

I have hauled my ZJ loaded with tools, spare, some camping equipment and a 400cc quad behind the trailer and its done fine.

Don't forget as well that 10-15% of the trailer load is on the hitch and not the wheels/axles. I find that the farther forward I load the Jeep on the trailer the better the trailer tows. But I tow with a dually so its hard to overload it.

markr
08-28-2008, 12:32 AM
Its not hard to overload the tongue!!! Look at the specs If you have a #8000 Ball Mount it only has a tongue wieght of #800 , 2" balls dont come much more than that 2 5/16 only 1000 tnogue wieght usually.
And remember #5000 jeep and a #2500 trailer your @ # 7500 now you have #500 over the axle rating and a tongue wieght min #750
Just food for thought.

nate
08-28-2008, 01:00 AM
If the trailer weighs 2500 and the Jeep weighs 5000, the combo would be 7500, but subtract the tongue weight and you are under the 7k rating.

markr
08-28-2008, 06:39 AM
:smt115 good point!!!!:rolleyes:

cLAYH
08-28-2008, 11:44 PM
2500# is also pretty heavy for a 7K trailer. Mine is a tilt deck so it weighs a bit more and its only 1800#.

nate
08-29-2008, 01:35 AM
That's true. My trailer is an 18ft 10k and that weighs 2500lbs. It has 2 5200lb axles and either 6 or 7" 1/4" C channel frame, 1/4" diamond plate fenders and some heavy duty ramps (almost 100lbs each)

markr
08-31-2008, 09:25 PM
Now we are getting down to it!!!
Nate what are your draw bar and ball rated?? Do you use weight distribution?
This is the type of info I like to hear.

All too often I see trailers going down the highway hooked to a 1 ton truck looking like they have the complete weight of the trailer on the tongue, a one ton truck with the trailer hitch draging the ground. Or a 1/2 truck pulling a #10000 travel trailer through the mountains \ /:smt065

nate
09-03-2008, 07:04 PM
Class V hitch, rated to 1500lb tongue, 15000lb load (16k with weight distro)

Class V ball mount, 1000lb tongue, 10000 load.

Truck is a Ram 2500 diesel.

I don't use weight distro since I'd need an 8-10" drop setup and all the setups I've seen don't drop that far. I end up with around 900lbs of tongue weight anyhow, so I'm fine.

cLAYH
09-11-2008, 11:57 PM
'01 Dodge 3500 Dually 4X4 with a Putnam 15K hitch(16K with WD).

I'm one of those guys you see going down the highway with all the weight on the tongue. :-D Except it still rides level, even with the 12ft camper on the back.

Never felt the need for a WD hitch, with the Jeep moved up it tows great. Actually it needs to be snugged up forward, the tilt design requires the wheels to be moved farther forward on the trailer for it to tilt properly so the Jeep needs to be placed forward to get good weight on the hitch. If the weight is too far back it tows like crap, sways. I load a car backawards once and placed it over the axles, couldn't go over 50mph with out it starting to sway.

http://www.mallcrawlin.com/forum/%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u92/clayhardock/Aug%202008%20BC%20Trip/DSC_1125.jpg%5B/IMG%5D
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u92/clayhardock/Aug%202008%20BC%20Trip/DSC_1125.jpg

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u92/clayhardock/Aug%202008%20BC%20Trip/DSC_1131.jpg
http://www.mallcrawlin.com/forum/%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u92/clayhardock/Aug%202008%20BC%20Trip/DSC_1125.jpg%5B/IMG%5D

redline61
09-12-2008, 12:28 AM
Tongue weight is by far the biggest factor in towing. You need some to get good towing behavior but too much and you will be wearing the front set of tires on the trailer. When I haul cards we always stack them engine forward and then the next car with the engine facing back and the third facing forward to equal out the tongue weight. Now if only we had a different trailer to pull the Jeep. 3500# trailer plus the Jeep and all the gear. Even with the powerstroke the hills get long quick.

cLAYH
09-14-2008, 11:35 PM
If my 7000# trailer can handle this I'm sure your ZJ will be fine...

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u92/clayhardock/2003%20Ddoge%20Dually/DSCN1694.jpg

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u92/clayhardock/2003%20Ddoge%20Dually/DSCN1698.jpg

Fully loaded Diesel, 6spd, 4x4 with heated leather, dvd, the pedals even adjust for shorter/taller drivers! Got it for $8500 cause the engine is siezed. \:D/

Those H&H trailers are tougher than they look....... I'm glad I went to a heavier duty tire on it though. ;)

CrawlerReady
09-14-2008, 11:56 PM
I have used my 16ft. 7000# trailer for my ZJ plenty of times and haven't had any problems.

http://a180.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/5/l_027da83a9af8a7cdbd41ee2a55bd496b.jpg