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Originally Posted by Kmikesell
I used to tell my customers when buying a trailer from me was "A bicycle can eventually PULL a trailer on level ground, it's stopping that's the problem!" Make sure you have a good Electric breaking sysytem in place as well, and know how to use it.
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I agree 100%. But there is another part to that old maxim. A bicycle can pull on the flats, as you say, but it cannot pull a TM up even a small hill. A VW van might get it up a small hill, but not up a larger one.
It has always disturbed me that tow vehicle manufacturers give you a single number for a tow rating. Does that number apply to towing on the flats in Florida, or in the Rockies? For a long time, there was no real definition of tow rating. But good advertising demands a high number, so it was probably a Florida number. Now ask yourself, if you plan to tow a 3200-pound trailer with a vehicle rated at 3500 pounds, and you plan to go to 10,000 feet in the Rockies, how should you feel?
In other words, WHERE you will tow is is almost as important as WHAT you will tow.
Having said that, I should also say that as of a few years ago, a formal test of tow capacity was developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). It is called J2807, and it is a tough, real-life, uphill towing test. Since 2015, published tow vehicle specs must meet J2807. In other words, you can trust them.
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I appreciate the added "winterizing" ideas, but there is one I forgot. Make sure you battery/batteries don't freeze. Pull them from the TM and put them in a place where they are warm and can be periodically charged.
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I sorta-kinda agree with this one. For sure, make sure your battery doesn't freeze - its case will break. But keeping it toasty warm inside? Not so much. Batteries have what is called self discharge, meaning that they discharge themselves even when connected to nothing. And self discharge is much worse at warm temps than at cold temps. So if you can keep the battery warm AND keep a charge on it, you are OK. But if you can't connect a charger, then fully charge it, disconnect it, and store it cold. A fully charged battery won't freeze until the temp drops to -92F. At 40% charged, it will freeze at about -16F.
I have tested out this theory in real life. Every year, my Ford Ranger pickup is stored in Maine for the six winter months that we spend in Arizona. Maine is cold in winter, sometimes very cold. The storage location is unheated and there is no electricity. So before leaving, I charge the truck's battery, disconnect it, and leave it alone for the winter. When we come back in the spring, I connect the battery, turn the key, and the truck starts right up. Every year for 20 years (yes, it's an old truck). The cold temperatures prevent the self-discharge.
Just my experience. The important thing, as Mike stated, is that you not let the battery freeze.
Bill