Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeandgina
Thanks so much everyone. Your information is invaluable. I'll be talking to U-Haul this week-wish me luck!
Mike
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You may want to be very careful about the "Legal and technical advice" that you receive on the internet.
Many people tow many things with many types of vehicles. That doesn't make it legal or even prudent.
If you really want to know if the T&C that you have is up to the task, you will need to find out what the GCWR (Gross
COMBINED Weight Rating) is. Tow ratings tell you very little.
MAXIMUM Tow Ratings are just that and usually calculated on an empty vehicle. Not many people go camping without passengers and cargo. You usually have to subtract the weight of your passengers and cargo from the tow rating on most vehicles. If you are carrying a family of 4 and 1500# of cargo, your 3500# tow rating could easily be cut to 1500# due to the excess weight that the total
COMBINED package has now become.
Take the GCWR and subtract the vehicle's dry weight. This will tell you what the vehicle can legally tow including the fully loaded trailer, passengers, cargo and fuel. Remember, these weight ratings are maximum legal limits, not recommendations.
This may be particularly important in your case as your boss may not take kindly to you getting in an accident because you were towing with a company vehicle that may not be designed for that use. If there are injuries or fatalities involved, I can guaranty you that your company would be named in a civil suite, especially if they have deep pockets. You could also find yourself being charged with criminal negligence. It's best to get the facts and use them to your advantage rather than ignore them.
Telling the judge that you got your advice on the internet may not exonerate you, neither will teliing him, "Lots of other people do it".. I would suggest getting the legal limits that your vehicle was designed for from Chrysler and get it in writing. It should be in the vehicle's Owner's Manual.
Although adding a trans cooler and HD brakes etc are all very good things to do, they do not change the legal weight ratings on the vehicle. Neither does a weight distribution hitch. These things protect the vehicle's mechanical devices but do little to protect others. The legal weight limits are designed to protect others by being sure that the vehicle is designed to STOP a maximum load in a minimum stopping distance (among other things).