At the end of this month I am going to Bradenton Florida for a month. I am going to tow my bike with my 2008 Chevrolet Impala SS. I was wondering if anybody has any experience with this model tow vehicle. The manufacturer only recommends a 1000 lb capacity. I have a choice between an open flat bed trailer, weighing about 500 lbs. or my 6x12 enclosed trailer weighing about 900 lbs. I am towing my 2005 Dyna Wide Glide weighing about 650 lbs. I would be interested in any comments. I will be leaving from Old Forge, PA., about 1100 miles.
Joe B :dknow:42:
Well... I think you have answered your own question. If the manufacture says 1000 lb capacity, using either trailer plus the bike puts you over the limit. The enclosed trailer plus bike = 1550 lbs, 550 lbs over the limit. Flat bed trailer plus bike = 1150 lbs, 150 lbs over the limit.
The other thing you have to look at is GWVR -
Gross
Vehicle
Weight
Rating
It’s how much weight a vehicle is designed to carry. The GVWR includes the net weight of the vehicle, plus the weight of passengers, fuel, cargo and any additional accessories. The GVWR is a safety standard used to prevent overloading.
Will what you load in the car (you, other people, cloths, tools, riding gear and so on) along with the trailer and bike be more than max for the car?
The other factor is GAWR -
gross axle weight rating.
The following is from howstuffworks.com
No matter what type of vehicle you drive -- whether it's a car, truck, SUV or even a recreational vehicle -- you should be aware of your gross axle weight rating. A good place to begin is learning the GAWR definition. A vehicle's GAWR is the specific weight determined by the manufacturer to be the maximum allowable weight that can be placed on an individual axle. Front and rear axles have individual gross axle weight ratings [source:
Help - Glossary | Ford Vehicles]. You can think of the GAWR as a weight limit for each of your vehicle's axles -- a weight limit determined by the automaker. A vehicle's axles should never be loaded beyond the manufacturer's listed GAWR.
You actually have a few other thing to look at besides just the weight of the bike and trailer. You need to look at the car, trailer, bike, and what the total load will be, and does that exceed the GVWR or the GAWR. Weird stuff can happen if you exceed either one of these or the towing capacity of the vehicle...
Besides, we want to you arrive safely in Florida to spend your money!
