Not sure my brand new tow vehicle can tow the 400!?!?

newell

Here's a quick video on what can happen when you have an unbalanced trailer.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mW_gzdh6to

royinmich

I pull my 2018 outback with a 2015 Acadia, 3.6ltr 6 cyl rated at #5000 towing. It tows just fine but going thru the Bluetooth mountains I was crawling. I'm going to get a Tab400 and even though I'm within the tow limit of the 400, I'm going to upgrade the TV. I think its a good idea to stay within 60%  or so of the TV rating vs trailer weight. Guess it depends on where you go. Maybe I'm being overcautious.

jkjenn

Awca12a said:

  If you lift the front end due to too much tongue weight it reduces steering ability among other ills.  

It depends on the kit. AEV offers a nice geometry correction kit that actually improved the steering ability on my JKU. I had an AEV 2.5" lift to compensate for my RTT and roof rack.

Aviatrix

[Deleted User] said:

OMG! I just bought a new bigger and stronger tow vehicle so I could buy a T@B 400.  I had a 2 door Jeep Wrangler (2000 lb tow capacity) which I used to tow my 320 (now for sale) so I upgraded to a 4 door  Wrangler with a 3500 tow capacity. My nightmare realization is the max tongue weight is 350!  The T@B website say dry tongue weight is 390! And wet is 400.  Would it be dangerous for me to tow with the vehicle I just bought for this purpose???? Is there anything I can do to lessen this weight? Remove the propane tank? Take out the table? UGH!!!! Update: I think I can get a weight distribution system to help with the tongue weight. Just when I thought I knew everything...alas I'm still learning hahahaha. I'm ok with the overall towing capacity at 3500 pounds.  I dont plan to lug a bunch of gear.

I know this is an old post, but I used to plan to get a Jeep Wrangler when I replaced my XTerra. Then I bought the T@B, so started paying attention to tow capacity. My XTerra, with a 5k tow capacity could tow the tab well. I knew that a Jeep Wrangler could not. From that point onwards, tow capacity was the first thing I looked at when considering a vehicle. And...I no longer plan to buy a Wrangler.


From Kelly Blue Book:
"How to Calculate Towing Capacity

To calculate your vehicle’s towing capacity, you’ll need to know the full GCWR, or the gross combined weight rating, of the vehicle you plan to tow with and the trailer you plan to tow, together with all the cargo each will carry, from people to wiper fluid.

Then you’ll need to know your tow vehicle’s curb weight — the weight of the tow vehicle itself when filled with gas and all the other fluids it consumes while driving.

Subtracting the curb weight plus the vehicle’s payload from the GCWR gives you the vehicle’s towing capacity. Manufacturers will stress that you should never exceed your car or truck’s towing capacity. We would add that, for safety reasons, it’s best to never come within 20% of that total.

Loads shift. People miscalculate. And, cars brake suddenly. For many reasons, driving a vehicle that strains at the absolute limits of its capability isn’t a good thing." (Towing Capacity Guide: Everything You Need to Know - Kelley Blue Book)

I bought the 320s because my Xterra could tow it without being taxed. The t@g is a solid choice to be towed by smaller vehicles.

BillCB

I tow my 2024 T@B 400  Boondock with a 2024 Ford Maverick with the tow package. Loaded the way we travel, the trailer weighs about 3,700 lbs, well within the 4,000 lb rating for the truck. Tongue weight is 360 lbs, again well within the truck specs. of 400 lbs.
The rig tows very nicely, even on the very steep Trans Canada Highway on the north shore of Lake Superior. The mileage is at least 150% of what it was when I had an F350!

rfuss928

BillCB said:

I tow my 2024 T@B 400  Boondock with a 2024 Ford Maverick with the tow package. Loaded the way we travel, the trailer weighs about 3,700 lbs, well within the 4,000 lb rating for the truck. Tongue weight is 360 lbs, again well within the truck specs. of 400 lbs.
The rig tows very nicely, even on the very steep Trans Canada Highway on the north shore of Lake Superior. The mileage is at least 150% of what it was when I had an F350!

Unless you, your passenger and everything else you put in your Maverick weigh less than 300 pounds, you are traveling overloaded.  Regardless, you are dangerously close to the MAXIMUM towing load.
This is not a safe towing condition as any unexpected emergency maneuver or road damage could easily cause the trailer loads on the TV to exceed those maximum limits.  This could easily result in damage to the TV or loss of control and an accident. 
IMO not a recommended setup...

Grumpy_G

That math doesn't math. Some googling shows the GCWR for the Maverick with 4k tow package is 8085 lbs. The curb weight is ~ 3800 lbs. That's over 4200 lbs available between the trailer and the vehicle payload, or 500 lbs available with the trailer connected. The Maverick also has over 1000 lbs of payload so the tongue weight does not push it into the red either. Dynamic loads are certainly accounted for when determining towing capacity. 

When people tow a 35ft trailer weighing 1.5 times the tow vehicle, that's when things get iffy  

BillCB

All I can add is that last month I did have to execute an emergency stop going downhill order to avoid a rig that started to fishtail in front of me. While my heart rate went up, my rig stayed stable!