How much weight do you think a 96 Land Cruiser could safely tow without electric brakes? Toyota lists the capacity at 5k lbs. but I don’t know if that means they expect electric brakes. I’m not asking about speed or power as much as I’m asking about control of the trailer.
I don’t know but seems to me anything over 3000# has brakes.
Not as much as a new one rated the same. This is another question where those asking about tow capacities do so for older vehicles. We just sit here and quote the capacities as if they were new vehicles. Instead, I would take the vehicle to a reputable shop that deals with towing equipment installation and have your vehicle evaluated by someone who knows. We here don’t have a clue what your car/ truck is capable. It’s 17 years old and original specs don’t mean crappola. It’s like saying your winter tires are still mud/ snow rated after 50 k miles of wear. I don’t feel Toyota would stand by that rating if you had severe frame rust that somehow got by the last inspection or worn brakes or a motor that burned lots of oil or…a leaking auto transmission with 200k miles.
Anything over 2000 pounds and you will wish you had brakes on the trailer…
I can’t speak for the Toyota, that would be a question better asked to people that own/drive that specific car.
I have, however, pulled 4,000lbs behind my 99 Suburban (rated at 5k with the hitch I have installed) and handling/braking wasn’t an issue. Accelerating on the other hand was poor at the very least.
Again, I can’t speak for the Toyota, and even though I suspect it would be fine, you should find a competent person(s) who has experience towing with this vehicle and get their opinion. And dagosa has some really good advice about having your vehicle evaluated. I would recommend following it.
Some states require trailer brakes for any trailer over 2000 lbs empty. I’d strongly recommend trailer brakes on anything that’s 2000 lbs loaded and above. You can’t even imagine the mess you can get yourself into by towing more without trailer brakes. Picture destruction and death. Got it?
What about tow dollies?
Quite a few car/dolly combos would exceed two tons, and I don’t think too many dollies have trailer brakes.
It’s kind of an open ended question. If there is some intend like towing a small utility trailer to the dump, what’s the big deal ? But, if it’s a general question about the maximum towing capacity without brakes, which might be used at some time, that’s totally different.
As an example, I had an older Toyota 4cylinder pick up with a 3500 lb rated tow capacity. I was using it to tow my 22 foot pontoon boat to the launching are each year. It didn’t take long to discover that the burn ing smell came from clutch slippage on steep( then any ) hills. Had I continued, even with a weight that was under 3500 lbs, I could be stranded, halfway up a hill, trying to hold everything in place with a parking brake while waiting for help.
That’s an example of what older vehicles and towing are all about.
This question is best answered by:
A) reading the owner’s manual
and
B) shopping for and buying a trailer. Anything that needs brakes should have brakes already installed.
I’ve towed 4000lbs with no trailer brakes with my 4runner and 2 pathfinders a couple times for short hauls (about 5 miles)…and that’s about the limit. Take it slow and easy and give yourself a good safe distance from the vehicle in front.
Anything over 2000 pounds and you will wish you had brakes on the trailer...
That’s probably a good number. Maybe even less.
I concur.
From my own two near death situations years ago…the towing was easy…
STOPPING ( or lack thereof ) and SWAY
on the other hand…
So , ask an experienced trailer sales place like Camping World . I’m sure they’d love to up-sell you a brake system but at least ask them the parameters for choosing to do so.
This question is best answered by:
A) reading the owner’s manual
and
B) shopping for and buying a trailer. Anything that needs brakes should have brakes already installed. - See more at: http://community.cartalk.com/discussion/2294119/trailering-question#latest
Nope.