Towing question - 500 gal water trailer

ua_who · May 27, 2016

I have to rent a water trailer to get to a job site.
500 gal tank, on a dual axle trailer.
1800lb dry. 5500lbs± full of water.

I can get water easily from my office. But then I'd have to tow it roughly 30 miles to the job site.

Or, I can tow it dry, and with more difficulty (read: costs money $) can fill it up roughly a mile away.

I'm thinking, as long as I fill it full to minimize sloshing, it should be no problem towing.

Thoughts?
I have a crew cab V6, 2wd with the tow package, so I'm rated at 7000lbs towing.

Chief2016 · May 27, 2016

As you say, if you completely fill it, it should not be a problem. Only consideration is braking if it does not have surge brakes. Keep that in mind while towing full.

ua_who · May 27, 2016

I don't know about surge brakes. Maybe, maybe not. I'll find out when I pick up the trailer at the rental place.

Of course, I don't have a brake controller, so no electric brakes.

Chief2016 · May 27, 2016

I would not tow that much weight without brakes on the trailer. It outweighs your truck by 1,000 lbs.

08Canyon · May 27, 2016

I calculate almost 6,000lbs -but it's only 400lbs more than your +/- assumption.

What are the ground conditions like at the site? Dirt? Soft dirt? Hills. Your 2wd may sink too much for comfort (read: don't get stuck), or the 4,000lb trailer may squash the dirt making your 2wd not budge any.

CFI · May 27, 2016

Do not tow that load without trailer brakes.

ua_who · May 27, 2016

I have confirmation that the trailer has surge brakes.

And the route is all pavement until I reach the job site. But there's other options there if I get stuck.

CaryBosse · May 27, 2016

A one time tow, take it easy, no need to rush, take "back roads" or avoid heavy traffic, although a real freeway might be easier to handle than multiple traffic lights.

My biggest concern is the water itself - can toss the trailer all over the place as it sloshes around. Totally full tank will help.

Go for it, but take pics, please.

Arctic Cat ZRT · May 27, 2016

Tankers are a different beast than any other load. Big things to keep in mind is sloshing, it is worse when the tank is 3/4 to 1/2 full. Better to have it empty or filled to capacity to minimize sloshing. Also, be gentle on starts and stops, as well as taking your time though corners.

Also when stopped after moving (stop sign/traffic light) keep a good amount of pressure on your brakes, the water moving will cause the truck to want to move back and forth.

Just some advice from an oil tanker driver...

ua_who · May 27, 2016

Thanks for the advice.
That sloshing and water movement is what was making me nervous with the weight of water getting close to the weight of the truck.

I'll make sure it's all the way full before I head out. Arterial roads mostly, but I don't think there will be any heavy traffic to worry about.

bitcrazy · May 31, 2016

If you are fully loaded and stop while going up a hill, surge brakes won’t help when the weight of that trailer drags you back down.:surprise:

ua_who · Jun 1, 2016

Job done.
The Canyon hauled it like a champ. Completely full... you could feel it for sure, but it felt very solid.

At the site, we hauled it around a bit with the 10-yr old F150 you see in the pics too. And honestly, the Canyon felt better. The F150 was sagging too at the rear under the load.

wildwest450 · Jun 1, 2016

That's a proper water hauling setup.

AzCody · Jun 2, 2016

Hey awesome! I also pulled around d a 500 gallon water wagon with pressure wash setup ari under the job site a few weeks ago. Surprised at how easy it was on the truck. Glad I'm not the only one putting my baby through that.

ua_who · Jun 2, 2016

I have a lot more trust in the truck now. The rental guys were shocked that I was using a "small" truck to pull this empty! let alone full!
Other than small utility trailers, this was the most weight I've pulled with it, and it was good to see how well the setup worked.

I think if I end up doing this more... which we might (I might buy one of these water trailers)... then I'll end up putting on the electronic brake controller. That surge brake worked fine, but you can tell it's not the best system.

seriof277 · Jun 2, 2016

towing

I towed a t 27 ft rv trailer to Topeka Ks. The total was close to 6850lbs. my vehicle was a 2016 canyon with a towing package and the 3.6 motor. My trans temp range was between 184 to 201. Only once did it spike to 201 I felt this was to hot . I saw most of the time between 188 to 190. Is this normal for this truck or can they be a way to lower the trans temp.

ua_who · Jun 2, 2016

I didn't watch the temps. Maybe I should have. It was 105°F+ in the afternoon.

isaac33 · Jun 2, 2016

Had a similar experience, hauled a single poly tote weight nearly 3300 lbs on a dual axle 6'x16' trailer with surge brakes. My pickup (v6, gas, tow package) it hauled it no problem through the sand hills of Nebraska. Worse part was the really steep hills when the engine had go to 5K RPM to keep speed on the highway. You could tell something big was being towed but the Tow/Haul mode really made a big performance difference. Never once did I feel unsafe. In fact I think I averaged about around 10 mpg +/-2 ha!

SteveO86 · Jun 2, 2016

I bought a project car few weeks ago and towed it home on one of Uhaul's heavy car haulers. I calculated the weight at a little over 5,700 pounds. The truck did very well considering and even climbed a few very steep hills while maintaining 65 on the Highway. Trans temps never went over 160 while towing, so I was super happy with how well the truck did. Plus I found out that the computer changes the lane change signal from 3 blinks to 6 while in tow haul!

myvolkie · Jun 20, 2016

How did you get them to text you a car trailer with he short box?

SteveO86 · Jul 8, 2016

I didn't know that they wouldn't have rented it based on my bed length. When I made the reservation, they just asked if my truck had the I4 or V6, 2wd or 4wd and if it had the towing package. The Jeep isn't that heavy, only 3,300 pounds. If I had a heavier car, they may not have lent me the car hauler.

Towing question - 500 gal water trailer

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