How much does a scout trailer weigh?

[mashmaster 783]

Not sure which forum to post this in....I may be getting a truck soon and potentially in the future I may need to tow the troop trailer.  How much loaded do you think troop trailers are?  Could a Toyota Tacoma tow a typical trailer?

[jjlash 120]

Our 8x10 single axle troop trailer has a GVWR of 2990lbs.  Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is the maximum it is rated to carry - the weight of the trailer and everything in/on it.  Im sure we are pushing that with the shelving, tents, cast iron, axes etc

 

Unless you have a giant troop trailer, most any pickup should be able to pull it.  But - if you are not familiar with or experienced with towing a trailer, PLEASE do some research before you just "hook up and go".  There is more to safely towing a trailer than can the truck tow it.

Edited October 4, 2016 by jjlash

[Chisos 118]

@@jjlash is exactly correct--don't just look at "what can the truck tow' but also consider the payload rating, and the combined weight rating.

[mashmaster 783]

Thanks I will look at that rating on the trailer itself.  I am sure there is a tag somewhere.  

 

I have towed campers and boats before so I think that I have the towing part down.  At least going forward,  backing up is always an adventure :-)  But my wife won't be yelling at me to move it over to the right 3 inches....

[meyerc13 85]

I will add this, most Troops should probably load their trailer and take it to a scale to see how much it really weighs.  With the wood added for shelving, I suspect many trailers are over the weight limit for the tires and axles on the trailer.

 

Also, you need to be concerned with more than just the weight of the trailer.  You also need to be concerned with the tongue weight.

 

If you aren't familiar with the following acronyms, I think you should do some research before you thinking about towing anything:

• GVWR
• GCWR
• GTW
• TW

All of these come into play when determining what your vehicle can tow, not to mention the presence or absence of a trailer braking system, the hitch class, etc.

[qwazse 4342]

Really think long and hard about this. I've seen such a variety of trailers, that I wouldn't dare look up our troop's to give yours a comparison. Get the specific stats for your load. Remember, scouters usually have a full bed and passengers when they haul. Factor that in.

 

It's not just standing weight, but terrain, and the speed the thing is being pulled. I've seen an SM blow his engine gasket hauling up and down WV mountains. I won't disparage the make and model here, but it was the name-brand of it's day.

[NealOnWheels 73]

There should be a nameplate on the trailer.  Look up the ratings on the nameplate.  Combine those ratings with the ratings of the vehicle you are considering to see if the tow vehicle can safely tow the trailer.

[fred johnson 936]

I've seen multiple scout leaders ruin their car transmission because scout trailers are notorious for being heavy beasts.  Plus, depending on the trailer you have a big air dam that affects things too.  

 

I agree with someone else here.  Take the trailer to a truck stop or elsewhere and get it weighed with the standard stuff in it.  The three scout trailers I have used require more than what you need to pull a boat or small trailer.  They are heavy beasts.

 

AND ... just because your vehicle says it can pull something does not mean your transmission won't pay the price.  ... in another words ... I would never pull a scout trailer with anything lower than a full sized pickup.  

Edited October 4, 2016 by fred johnson

[jjlash 120]

The other thing to consider - You're likely to spend very little time pulling the troop trailer compared to not.  So how much weight (no pun intended) do you want the trailer to have in your buying decision? 

[MattR 2659]

We have a single axle, not very big trailer, and when loaded can be 4000 lbs. I have a 2003 Tacoma and will not tow it out of the city. There are newer Tacoma's with bigger engines. But I still wouldn't tow it because my truck's weight is not much different than the trailer weight. That can make for a dangerous situation on slick roads. We're fortunate in that we have a couple of full sized trucks in the troop. They can barely tell they're towing anything. One last thing, not sure why but a smaller engine can get much worse mileage than a big engine when it's pulling something heavy.

 

If you really want a bigger truck then this is a good excuse. It's also a good excuse to teach your Scout's to be thrifty.

[5yearscouter 52]

We have a beast of a trailer, picked out when our SM and a bunch of committee had 1 ton diesel trucks to pull it fully loaded with 7 chuck boxes, dutch ovens, 20 tents, and all the gear and food for outings with 40 or more scouts at a time.

Now we have a huge trailer and next to nobody that can pull it up a grade.  Sure I can pull it to the scout lodge from my house with my F150, but not up the mountains.  For that we really need an F250 at least, but the people with brand new F150s with trailer breaks and engine still under warranty are welcome to try it.  I keep talking to them about the need for a smaller trailer that can take half the stuff (or less) since most of our outings are now running at about 20 people.  Just unloading the extra gear out of the trailer that isn't needed on a campout doesn't help the gross weight enough for SUV's to pull it.

[njdrt-rdr 40]

But I still wouldn't tow it because my truck's weight is not much different than the trailer weight. That can make for a dangerous situation on slick roads.

That's why trailers have brakes. If the entire towing industry went by your standards, nobody would ever tow anything.