Mods to Increase Tow Capacity

[Nivek]

So, my jet ski and trailer weigh 1275 lbs. dry. Add another 50 lbs. for fuel and gear.

You could try getting an aluminum trailer, if you dont already.

If you keep the GCWR within range and watch the tongue weight I wouldn't hesitate to pull it for short trips to the lake.

 

[HTXSlate]

No aftermarket part can increase your payload or tow capacity. Period.

Helper springs do not increase capacity.
Air bags do not increase capacity.
Heavier tires do not increas capacity.

Period.

And please stop using multiple quesiton marks in a question. One is sufficient.

Thank you for the input.
Why??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

It is so much fun and a stress release!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

J/K. Sometimes you need to poke the bear for fun.

Seriously, thank you for the input on towing capacity though. My internet detective work came to the same conclusion.

You could try getting an aluminum trailer, if you dont already.

If you keep the GCWR within range and watch the tongue weight I wouldn't hesitate to pull it for short trips to the lake.

Trailer is aluminum so no weight cutting to be had there.

I like your stars and stripes rendition in your avatar.

 

[HTXSlate]

Honestly, you're probably fine, as long as you don't try to tow your jet ski up a mountain pass in Arizona on the hottest day of the year with the A/C blasting. The standard towing tests are absurd, and part of the reason modern trucks are so gargantuan and overpowered.

I wish it was easier to reinforce the rear subframe for strength, but I expect you're on your own there... just try to keep the weight as close to the axle as possible with your hitch setup, no receiver extensions or crazy lift/lowering. A weight distribution hitch would help with the moment loads, but probably isn't necessary for a jet ski trailer.

Trailer brakes are good insurance.

I would have had no qualms about towing a jet ski (didn't have one of those, but we did have a little pontoon boat that weighed about that much) with my anemic 1993 Ford Ranger and a ball on the bumper. Dealing with the anemic 85HP 4-cylinder, manual transmission, bald college kid tires, and RWD setup on an algae-covered ramp took some doing, and I have no doubt that SAE J2807 would've said it couldn't be done. That was WAY less truck than Slate will be - 1/3rd the torque, weight a thousand pounds less, rear drum brakes, long box was more truck but weight distribution was awful....

Don't quote me on it, but I'd send that jet ski without worrying if I was you.

Not sure if you have been to HTX. No danger of mountain passes (maybe a freeway overpass) or AZ heat. Does get hot here (and humid) but not AZ hot.

 

[DT444T]

J/K. Sometimes you need to poke the bear for fun.

I have a 16' Bass Tracker that I plan to tow with my Slate and I'm not really concerned with the tow capacity. Granted I'm only going like 10 miles each way, but I'm gonna do it.

 

[Driven5]

Why are we concerned with reinforcing the truck? Even a class 1 hitch on a compact car can tow 2,000 lbs. The issues are potentially overheating the powertrain or stopping the load.

The issues are potentially anything that towing puts additional stress on. The reality is nobody here knows what the weakest link is, nor what the next weakest link is once that one is resolved. There is a good chance that multiple aspects of the truck are all engineered based on that 1k limit. Cooling and brakes of course, but have you seen the awkwardly cantilevered hitch configuration used in the tow rating tests too?

If you're only towing on smooth flat ground in a mild climate at low speeds over short distances, even substantially exceeding the tow rating may very well otherwise stay within the engineered limits. If you limit the towing conditions enough you *can* tow all sorts of things...

Just don't get...

 

[Revenant89]

but have you seen the awkwardly cantilevered hitch configuration used in the tow rating tests too?

This hitch?

 

[DT444T]

have you seen the awkwardly cantilevered hitch configuration used in the tow rating tests too?

I have not. Care to share with the class (please)?

 

[Driven5]

I have not. Care to share with the class (please)?

That's it, one post up.

 

[1yeliab_sufur1]

Anecdotes.
These do NOT increase the rated capacity. Just because someone did it does not make it legal.

i have seen literal scrap being driven around in my state, legality means nothing as long as it has the lights and turn signals. only worry would be if the modifier got into a accident. then its ether insurance doesn't pay out or if the case of someone dying potential negligent homicide.

 

[1yeliab_sufur1]

This hitch?

looks like a hitch extender that would be interesting if it did extend out like that

 

[YDR37]

No aftermarket part can increase your payload or tow capacity. Period.

Your payload and tow capacity are defined by the manufacturer and cannot be changed by aftermarket parts.

However, the manufacturer can offer optional packages that increase payload or tow capacity. For example, the standard tow capacity of a Ford Maverick is 2,000 lbs, but Ford offers an optional "4K Tow Package" that boosts it to 4,000 lbs. There's no sign that Slate has any plans to offer anything like that, but it would be possible in theory.

 

[E90400K]

I'm in the camp of just tow your jet ski trailer with the Slate as is. The frame structure can easily take more than the 1,400 pounds of your trailer. The real unknown is the trailer hitch configuration that will comprise the Slate trailering equipment.

Hopefully the aftermarket will develop a larger capacity radiator for the battery cooling system and an oil cooler for the drive motor unit. Either or both of those additional equipment should handle the increase cooling needs of doubling the tow rating.

Though I'll also state, the hauling load rating is 1,400 pounds, so my reasonable opinion is the drive system is already engineered with a suitable cooling capacity for a tow rating above 1,000 pounds. And the Slate has the option of the 84 kWh battery, which the cooling system must be engineered for, for preconditioning the larger battery for charging.

 

[E90400K]

And no worries, WhistlinDiesel will eventually tow 10,000 pounds with the Slate he gets to try and break it. Then that will answer your (and mine) ?????

Lol.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

It's fascinating when online communities decide they know more about a platform's capabilities than the engineers who designed it.

 

[sodamo]

It's fascinating when online communities decide they know more about a platform's capabilities than the engineers who designed it.

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