People that bring golf carts...we need a suggestion please

[AuburnJen92]

Here is our dilemma...please offer suggestions if you have experience in this area...


We have a '05 Tundra crew cab, short bed truck that is pulling a 23' trailer to WDW on Sat. We also have a 1985 EZGo golf cart that we are planning on putting in the bed of the truck for the 2 hour drive on the Tpike. When the cart is put up in the bed of the truck, it sticks out a tiny bit, with the back wheels on the joint between the tailgate and the bed of the truck. The tailgate must be down in order to transport. So, we initially bought a hitch extender, but my DH and I are divided on what to do. Here are the scenarios we have to choose from...

1- leave the tailgate down and tie down the cart and put the hitch extender on...the hitch extender reduces the tow weight by 1/3...the tow weight of the truck is 7100 lbs. The trailer is 4500lbs and I am guessing the cart is around 400-500lbs...

2- take the tailgate off and tie down the cart and leave the regular hitch on with extra tiedowns on the cart.

3- (suggestion by wdw4us who we are palling around with) buy a airgate and put it on the truck....will still have the tailgate on and hitch ext.

I am getting a lot of flack from DH about this so I need some experienced advice. Please help. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[FortWildernessFan]

You need to take the tailgate off and place it inside the RV. That way you can put it on while you are at the Fort. Definately DON'T use the hitch extender. The overall weight of the trailer is not as a big deal as the tongue weight is. Also the extension will dramaticaly reduce the effectiveness of the weight distribution hitch. The extender pushes the tongue weight further back from the rear axle, this creates more leverage for your trailer against your truck. That is why the extender says that it reduces the towing capacity by 1/3. Also remember that your vehicles towing capacity is reduced by the weight of the vehicles contents including passengers, cargo, fuel etc. IS the cart electric or gas? If it is electric I would say that the weight is closer to 600-700#. Those batteries alone probably weigh between 150-200#'s.

I hope this helps you out.

 

[Disney Campers]

i'm betting you are going to be over your GVWR with the cart in the back, i also would advise against using the hitch extender, be sure to check your tire pressure before starting out (Truck & Trailer),

 

[reeeoga]

Place the cart with the heavier end twords the cab of the truck. This will help with weight distribution. Remove the tailgate. Place 2x6's under the cart wheels and Tie everything in place!

 

[AuburnJen92]

Thanks to you all. My DH is so pleased you agree with him! We have used the trailer before on trips, but never with the cart. Yes, it is electric and I forgot about the >6< batteries. I will make sure he backs the cart into the bed. Hope to see some of you up there. Y'all have been a tremendous help. (Needless to say, I did not go with this plan but, I insisted we get opinions from people who have done this.)

 

[ftwildernessguy]

WOW! Am I the only one seeing red flags here? I don't mean to be negative, but my guess is that this is one overloaded rig. I think you need to really sit down and do the math re. weights on this one. I would guess that the 4500 lbs is dry weight for a 23 ft. trailer. Consider going to a scale and having the loaded trailer weighed, preferably weigh the whole set up with the golf cart on board.

 

[cwmajors]

I did a bit of math, and I think we're OK. We shelved the idea of using the hitch extender, so we're working with the full towing capacity of the truck. The towing capacity of the truck is listed at 7000 lbs. in the owners manual. Estimating 800 lbs (high) for the cart in the bed (which is well under payload capacity for the cargo bed), 4500 for the trailer (dry), and 500 for passenger weight still leaves us with 1200 pounds for cargo (distributed between trailer and passenger cabin), and I -know- we don't pack that heavy.

If there's some calculation that I'm missing that worries any of you, please let me know- thanks!

 

[tim5055]

I did a bit of math, and I think we're OK. We shelved the idea of using the hitch extender, so we're working with the full towing capacity of the truck. The towing capacity of the truck is listed at 7000 lbs. in the owners manual. Estimating 800 lbs (high) for the cart in the bed (which is well under payload capacity for the cargo bed), 4500 for the trailer (dry), and 500 for passenger weight still leaves us with 1200 pounds for cargo (distributed between trailer and passenger cabin), and I -know- we don't pack that heavy.

If there's some calculation that I'm missing that worries any of you, please let me know- thanks!

I am a little concerned also and would suggest a trip to the scales all loaded up.

The highest tow rating I can fiond on the Toyota weeb site is 6,800 lbs, not 7,000. That would bring your 1,200 CCC down to 1,000.

Remember, most trailer ratings do not include all of the options so the weight of A/C and other things also need to come out of the mix. I would be willing to bet you are within a couple hundred pounds of your maximum before you add in any luggage/food.

Again, this is just my opinion and we all know what those are worth. You are the final judge of what you feel is safe for your family.