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Can I tow a 5x8 Cargo trailer?

30K views 44 replies 12 participants last post by  IssaquahWA1979 
#1 ·
#2 ·
Did the van come with the tow-pkg option?

How many miles are on the transmission (and how has it been maintained)? How about the cooling system?

Do you plan on filling the van up to the roof and towing at the same time? Then I'd recommend against it.

Breaking down on the road and with a trailer dosn't leave you many choices.
 
#3 ·
I put the trailer hitch on.
I only have a few things to transport, like a few moving boxes, two twin size matrasses with spring boxes (that's why I need a trailer, too large) , a rockingchair, 5 alluminum wheels without tires, 4 suitcase.

The Van is maintained very well, got 90.000 mls on it. Changed transmission fluid and filter, coolant, oil (got castrol high mileage oil in) new Monroe shocks for heavy loads, new breaks.......
 
#5 ·
#14 · (Edited)
#15 ·
The cooler you listed in the link should supplement the factory cooler well. It is recommended to route the cooler lines so that the fluid goes first to the external cooler, then goes into the radiator cooler and back to the trans. This helps the trans to warm up when cold but the external cooler keeps the fluid cool enough when under load.

The cooler in the picture is very tiny. I wouldn't expect this to do much cooling at all. I am currently using only an external cooler slightly smaller than the one you listed and even with the temps around 20, the trans warms up very easily. In the spring, I plan on reconnecting my built in cooler after I replace the radiator.
 
#16 ·
So then replace the existing small cooler with this one?



Did you recommend a second external cooler too in your text or should this replaced one be enough?
 
#17 ·
Ok i did not understand what you originally meant. If you have that tiny cooler, then that means you have the auxiliary cooler option. The cooler should also go to the radiator for extra cooling (someone correct me if I'm wrong). I would replace that tiny cooler with a bigger one.

In the picture in your post above this one, the middle cooler is the one I have to supplement my radiator cooler. I think that if you replaced the tiny one with that one, your trans temps will be perfectly normal.
 
#19 ·
If the setup you have is what's on this picture you posted don't do anything more. You already have BOTH internal AND external coolers. The one on your van is made by Hayden and is a very efficient plate type cooler. Don't waste money buying a bigger coil type you will actually LOSE efficiency.
Make sure the trans fluid is fresh and clean, if it makes you feel better run the van over to a shop that can read the trans codes like CVI readings etc. This will give you a very good idea of the health of yours.
Follow towing instructions in the owner manual. If not too loaded you should be fine
 
#23 ·
In addition to the weight of the trailer, the weight of the van and contents, you must consider the frontal area of the trailer.
If you refer to the owners manual, it does not recommend greater than 32 sqft.
For vans with HD trailer tow package the max weight of vehicle and trailer not to exceed 8,300 lbs. Without trailer packeage the weight drops to 6350 lbs.

Cheers
 
#24 ·
May I sak what exaclty is in this Towing Package?

If I calculate:

3959 lbs the Van
900 lbs the trailer
500 lbs what I put into the van and trailer

Makes 5359 lbs total weight. So I will be in the 6350 lbs rec. weight.
 
#27 ·
For what it's worth, several years back I towed a 1992 Honda Accord from albany, NY, to Boulder, CO, with a 1999 Voyager with the 3.3. I had U-Haul put on the hitch, and renter one of those car haulers with just the front two wheels of the car on it. I have the stock van - no special coolers - and did the trip in august. No special preparation whatsoever. The van was loaded down with the stepdaughter's stuff for college. The van had around 80,000 miles on it at the time.

No problems whatsoever.
 
#30 ·
please just do not do this to your van and the u-haul....


all because of a u-haul cheap made in china stinger....


oh and the Tow safe insurance although it was a major PITA to get my money at least paid for the items in the trailer....
 
#35 · (Edited)
The tow safe insurance is through u-hauls crooked self underwriting insurance company and is offered at the time of rental it was $30 best spent since most auto insurance companies will not cover the internal items of the trailer/vehicle if they cover the trailer at all.

The hitch was a Master lock brand and was a class 4 rated hitch far above and beyond what was being towed. I have Sled pulled 45,000 pounds with hitches like this and never seen one fail in the manner this one did, it was as though I just ripped it apart. The failure report turned out what I had suspected when I first looked at it which was improper cooling of the steel; the inside looked like fine swiss cheese. As for brands I will NEVER buy anything from China ever again that has the potential for my safety.

The accident was horrible and should never had happened we were doing roughly 50mph on I-5 through the Rosenberg area of Oregon mile marker 103 to be exact. The hitch went BANG and the nose shot over (found out U-Haul had wayyyyy to long of chains and bound them as to not drag turned the chains into a bungee cord) and went off the side of the road it then grabbed the shoulder and was launched over the van pulling the rear around and the van into a barrel role. The passenger side of the van came down on the uneven edge of the highway which is what collapsed the passenger roof area. This was one of those cases that I was glad not to be buckled up in the passenger seat I was asleep on the floor in the back. I shattered my shoulder and many bruises but it would have been much worse if not fatal had I been where I would have normally been or had a passenger there.

I would like to note though that if you notice I bought another one without hesitation due to how well the van took this accident. Neither side glass broke and both sliders remained operational after the accident, even with the stressed and contortion of the rear door it did not break and was operable. The accident response system worked as advertised the flashers turned on, doors unlocked and interior lights came on which I think helped avoid being struck by following traffic and aided assistance. I was told by the paramedic that most accidents they have had on that stretch of road were fatal and was amazed that the most injury was my shoulder.

Here are a few more pictures of the accident I had a thread about it as well.






 
#38 ·
The hitch was a Master lock brand and was a class 4 rated hitch far above and beyond what was being towed. I have Sled pulled 45,000 pounds with hitches like this and never seen one fail in the manner this one did, it was as though I just ripped it apart. The failure report turned out what I had suspected when I first looked at it which was improper cooling of the steel; the inside looked like fine swiss cheese. As for brands I will NEVER buy anything from China ever again that has the potential for my safety
Good to hear that you are doing fine.

I 100% agree and stay far away from MADE IN CHINA if at all possible. They simply do not have standards. If they say they meet them, they might and might not. They do not police their standards. Remember the recalled children's toys because of lead based paint? It was not legal when it was imported but they simply don't care.

I could tell you story after story about tooling purchased in China for less money that was supposedly made from "tool steel" only to find out that they have their own standard for D2 tool steel and it simply is not the same.
 
#32 ·
I'm glad that Stanbus (on the 3rd page of posts) finally gave us some reference to the owners manual.

Yes, make sure you stay within the frontal area limit of 32 sq-ft. That uhaul link has the 5x8 trailer (floor dimensions) at 208 cubic feet. Divide that by the length (8 ft) gives you 26 sq-ft of frontal area, so you're good there.

Beyond that, the van (without the tow package) carries a 2000 lbs max tow limit. To the guy making fun of us Yanks about our class ratings, we increase numerically because you can always increase weight. If you make Class 1 = 10,000 lbs, what do you do when you want a 15,000 lb class. Nobody wants to shuffle the ratings to mean somethings new. So, class 1 is 2000, class 2 is 3500, class 3 is 5000, etc.

For this van, you have a class 3 hitch, which is rated for 5000 lbs with or without a weight distributing hitch. But the vehicle itself is only set up for 2000 lbs weight carrying. So, find out the empty weight of that trailer, subtract that weight from 2000 lbs, and that's how much weight you can put in the trailer and tow it safely.

If you put an aux cooler on it, IN MY OPINION, you can tow just fine up to the 3800 lbs tow limit. Problem is, you would need a WDH kit and functional trailer brakes (per the van's owner's manual) to go beyond 2000 lbs.

My recommendation (unless you will do much more towing in the future) is to find a smaller trailer (like a 4x8) that will weight less empty, and then load it up to 2000 lbs and be happy. That 5x8 is probably pretty heavy, and won't give you much capacity for actual stuff, given your 2000 lbs limit.
 
#33 ·
So, find out the empty weight of that trailer, subtract that weight from 2000 lbs, and that's how much weight you can put in the trailer and tow it safely.
:ThumbsUp:

The empty weight of the trailer is 900 lbs.
So that gives me a room for 1100 lbs what I can put in the trailer?

Man, I only got app 500 lbs. :headbange

So that means I am on a very safe side even with the regular tranny cooler?
 
#36 ·
Unbelievable!!!

Have never seen something like that.

I bought 30 min ago a trailer hitch mount & ball from Valley. Made in CA, USA. And I am glad I chosed the Hidden Hitch. I also changed the transmission fluid and filter 30 min ago. Cross my fingers that my van will make the 2100 miles.

I looked also on the 5x8 trailer at U-Haul. It says on the side Max. Speed 55 mph.
 
#37 ·
One more thing. How can I protect the trailer from steeling from my Van?

I saw on the trailer from U-Haul only a coupler like this:



We have to stay at motels for a few days over night and do not want that the trailer is going to be stolen.
 
#39 ·
1. Park in a well lit area.

2. back the trailer up to the curb at the hotel, or over the curb and on the grass if possible in a corner spot.

3. Use a heavy chain and bolt cutter resistant pad lock and lock the A to the van receiver hitch or axle.

(do not forget to unlock and remove the chain before you leave in the morning.)
 
#41 ·
the only problem is the bolt cutters that I carry in my truck make short work of any lock you install, it is better to park as stated in a manner that makes getting the trailer out of the spot impossible rather than trying to lock it down. Lets face it if you park in such a way that they cannot get the trailer out they are going a) give up and move on, b) cut the lock and empty the trailer right there or c) just steal the van and trailer as a whole.
 
#45 ·
yeah when my buddy lost his keys to his "top of the line" hitch lock it took about a whole 10 seconds with the portable plasma torch to well make it disappear.... The problem with today's tools is they are far more capable than you give credit, a good carbide tipped drill or hydraulic cutters can do quick work of just about anything you want into, which leads me back to the park smart and make it difficult for them to want to mess with it. My weatherguard tool box had my chains in it this winter I was gone so I told my buddy just pick the lock and if necessary just drill the lock since I needed a new key anyhow he said he chucked up a carbide bit in the dewalt and 10 seconds later pop went the lock, makes you feel real safe doesn't it?
 
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