I have been meaning to post this pic. The trailer has an unloaded weight of 3000 lbs. I had 60 gallons of water, about 500 lbs worth of H2O, a huge pile of firewood, and all our camping stuff..I estimate the trailer was around 4000 lbs. keep in mind the H3's towing capacity is only 4500 lbs.. I use a weight distributing hitch, notice how the rear end is not even saggin, it still looks level with the front. At close to max weight no sag, not bad huh? I was impressed.

 

Well.......how did it hold out on the tow??

 

Oh, BTW nice trailer.

 

It towed better than I expected. On the flats I was able to cruz at 55-60 no problem ( which is the speed limit for towing trailers in CA ). On some of the steepest grades on the freeway I slowed down to 45-50 but it still wasnt all that bad.

It never seemed to bog down or really struggle. It's no V-8 but for a 3.5L it held it's own

In a nut shell it did good [sm=icon_cheers.gif]

 

Matt, haven't towed with the H3 Alpha yet. Have the trailering package. Nice to know the 3.5 did so well. I will feel even better about towing with the Alpha if I ever need to.

 

Sounds like you have done ALL of your trailering homework. Good Job! Weight distributing hitch is #1 IMO and really does wonders for the whole trailering experience.

But...I do have questions;
[ol][*]Manual or Automatic?[*]Electric trailer brakes?[*]If Auto, tranny cooler?[*]If Auto, did you have to tow in Drive3?[*]Mileage with loaded trailer?[/ol]

 

Just curious, and hopefully not too off-topic, but . . .

How much of a drop-down hitch do you recommend for a stock H3 Rig (no lifts or oversized tires)? I'd like to get one just to have in hand, but I don't have a specific trailer to match it to.

 

1. Auto
2. Yes, I installed the brake controller, piece of cake
3. No. It would be nice to have though...I watched the engine temp and it stayed normal.
4. Yes, stayed in 3 the whole time except when going down some hills
5. Not sure yet, probably dont want to know

 

Nice trailer/toy box....I'm curious what does one of them go for?

 

Just to chime in here... I too tow a trailer was surprisingly good results. I have a 19ft travel trailer that weighs in at 3650 dry. When I add a little water and a lot of beer, it's probably getting close to the 4500 lb limit. I have pulled that trailer about 2000 miles without a hitch (get it?). Actually, I use a load equalizing hitch, electric brakes and use Royal Purple fluids.

The water temp creeps up to about 5/8 on the gauge. (Sure wish they had numbers on them things).

I get 10 -11 mpgs pulling and 14-15 without.

I added one of those wireless back up cameras to help me align the truck to the hitch. It is such a POS that it always scrambles out just when I need it. Maybe it's that plate in my head.

Anyway, it is a real joy to bring the trailer and then have the H3 to enjoy once I get to my destination. Here's a pic



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