Can a GX550 Overtrail safely tow this?

[StingEKnee]

Hello, newbie here. I have a Lexus GX550 OT that I am considering to use as a TV for a Trade Wind that I am purchasing. Can the GX handle the TW safely? Here are some numbers for the GX:
GVWR - 7165 lbs
Tow capacity - 9063 lbs
Payload - 1508 lbs
Curb weight - 5675 lbs
Or should I look for another TV?
Many thanks!

[Rich Jenkins]

I like Lexus, they are nice vehicles.

I tried to look at the online specs for the GX550, but it was hard to find tow information. Since you have one, maybe it's easier to ask:

Does it have a Class IV receiver hitch?

Does it has a built in trailer brake controller?

Can you fold the mirrors out for towing?

[uncle_bob]

Hi

The "big deal" with most SUV's is the payload number. You have 1508 pounds listed for that number. The first question would be:

Are these off the sticker on the vehicle itself or off the internet? If it's an internet number, you need the sticker number instead. Unfortunately those sticker numbers are pretty much always lower than the internet numbers.

Payload needs to cover multiple things:

First up is the folks in the vehicle. If your "family" has two people and two large dogs in it, that alone might add up to about 700 pounds. Obviously you will have a specific number to toss in here.

Next up is whatever you are carrying in the vehicle. There's only just so much storage in the trailer. Pretty much everybody stuffs things into the tow vehicle.

Do you already have a hitch receiver on the vehicle? I'm guessing you do. If not, that will need to be added and its weight tossed in.

You then have a shank (the part that goes from the receiver to the hitch) and a hitch to mount on the back of the vehicle. These should be a weight distributing / anti-sway hitch and a shank that allows you to adjust the height of the hitch. They also need to be big enough to handle the load. As a random guess, let's say you just added 150 pounds there . Could be more, likely won't be less.

Now you have the weight the trailer puts on the back end of the vehicle ( = the tongue weight). This will vary trailer to trailer and depends on how you have the beast loaded. Some of the 25' versions are up around 1,000 pounds tongue weight on a loaded trailer.

Adding all those random numbers up, gets you well over the rated payload of the vehicle.

Ideally you would like to stay below 80% of the rated payload. That just makes this worse.

What to do?

You can always "hotrod" any vehicle. There are pros who do this sort of thing. Obviously they do charge for their work.

You can load everything up and run over to the CAT scale. For very little money you can find out just what your axle loads all are. If you are going to be right up near max, this is very much part of the deal. You will adjust your WD hitch to put the right load on the front and rear axles.

You can just head on down the road regardless of the numbers. There are a lot of folks out there who do exactly that. (No, I don't recommend this option !!!! ).

Plan B would be to get a different tow vehicle.

Fun !!!!

Bob

[JJTX]

Originally Posted by StingEKnee

Hello, newbie here. I have a Lexus GX550 OT that I am considering to use as a TV for a Trade Wind that I am purchasing. Can the GX handle the TW safely? Here are some numbers for the GX:
GVWR - 7165 lbs
Tow capacity - 9063 lbs
Payload - 1508 lbs
Curb weight - 5675 lbs
Or should I look for another TV?
Many thanks!

I dont know how much a tradewind weighs, so we need that first. But it seems to be close to the upper limits of that Lexus. As someone else said, its going to come down to tongue weights and how much weight that 550 can handle after you are loaded.

A 25 + foot camper needs a 2500 frame, in my opinion. SUV or Truck.

Will your 550 do it, probably. But I'm not sure it will like it.

[BikeCamper]

Originally Posted by StingEKnee

Hello, newbie here. I have a Lexus GX550 OT that I am considering to use as a TV for a Trade Wind that I am purchasing. Can the GX handle the TW safely? Here are some numbers for the GX:
GVWR - 7165 lbs
Tow capacity - 9063 lbs
Payload - 1508 lbs
Curb weight - 5675 lbs
Or should I look for another TV?
Many thanks!

With larger trailers like a Trade Wind, trailer tongue load and vehicle payload capacity are often the deciding factor.

Trailer tongue load is considered “payload”. So after subtracting the tongue load figure from vehicle payload capacity, you’re left with available remaining carrying capacity to haul everything else (passengers and gear.)

If this is a TradeWind 25 trailer, the tongue load will likely be in the neighborhood of 950 lbs. That would leave you only 558 lbs of payload capacity to carry everything else. Which is a pretty skimpy number. (And I didn’t even throw in the weight of the weight distribution hitch - - around 100+ lbs.)

With a smaller trailer like the 23 FB, which has around half as much tongue weight, you would be in good shape.

[JJTX]

Originally Posted by BikeCamper

With larger trailers like a Trade Wind, trailer tongue load and vehicle payload capacity are often the deciding factor.

Trailer tongue load is considered “payload”. So after subtracting the tongue load figure from vehicle payload capacity, you’re left with available remaining carrying capacity to haul everything else (passengers and gear.)

If this is a TradeWind 25 trailer, the tongue load will likely be in the neighborhood of 950 lbs. That would leave you only 558 lbs of payload capacity to carry everything else. Which is a pretty skimpy number. (And I didn’t even throw in the weight of the weight distribution hitch - - around 100+ lbs.)

With a smaller trailer like the 23 FB, which has around half as much tongue weight, you would be in good shape.

This for sure.

[Wayne&Sam]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

If your "family" has two people and two large dogs in it, that alone might add up to about 700 pounds.

Bob

Those two very big people and two very big dogs.

[Wayne&Sam]

I don't have the numbers in front of me, but my Exepdition is probably in the same ball park. When I weighed it, everything was within spec, and I enjoy towing with it.

[BikeCamper]

Another thing… It looks like the OverTrail version of the GX550 has a lower payload capacity than the standard versions. In one review, they commented:

“Luckily, the 2024 Lexus GX is a body-on-frame vehicle that is set up to carry gear. The Overtrail models only weigh about 5,700 pounds and can carry 1,235 pounds.”

In my experience, this lower payload rating would be consistent with how Toyota de-rates their off-road oriented vehicles.

The way to definitively answer this question about the actual payload capacity of your specific vehicle is for you to open your driver’s door and look at the decal on the door jam. There are probably several decals, but the one we’re interested in is the Tire Pressure decal which will include a max payload value for your vehicle as well as recommended tire pressure info.

[hikingcamera]

Originally Posted by BikeCamper

If this is a TradeWind 25 trailer, the tongue load will likely be in the neighborhood of 950 lbs.

Due to the battery configuration (3 Battle Born Game Changer batteries mounted under the floor just behind the rear axle), the Trade Wind actually has a significantly lighter tongue weight than other 25FBs (less than 900-lbs loaded IRL). Mine tends to be just above 850.

Still, at 1808-lbs of payload in our truck, it's enough that my family of four has to be cautious about what we bring so at to not overload the rear axle or GVWR of our truck. My bigger annoyance is with the trailer itself, only having 768 lbs or payload capacity (325 of which is lost to a full tank of fresh water).

[JJTX]

Originally Posted by hikingcamera

My bigger annoyance is with the trailer itself, only having 768 lbs or payload capacity (325 of which is lost to a full tank of fresh water).

.....are you sure that's how its calculated? Maybe I was under false impression the basic tongue weight was with the water tank full.

[JJTX]

Originally Posted by BikeCamper

Another thing… It looks like the OverTrail version of the GX550 has a lower payload capacity than the standard versions. In one review, they commented:

“Luckily, the 2024 Lexus GX is a body-on-frame vehicle that is set up to carry gear. The Overtrail models only weigh about 5,700 pounds and can carry 1,235 pounds.”

In my experience, this lower payload rating would be consistent with how Toyota de-rates their off-road oriented vehicles.

.

..this is why I have always discouraged people from using, or buying ' trail rated ' anything for towing. They are not good tow vehicles. Even within their rating, the suspension is mushy and unstable compared to a non trail rated truck or SUV.

4x4 however offers no negative towing characteristics. Sometimes there is slightly less payload to overall weight rating, but this couple hundred pounds should be ignored as it is all super low mounted and not going to affect the handling or ride. I would guess most people are over weight by that amount anyway as a general rule.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by Wayne&Sam

Those two very big people and two very big dogs.

Hi

Two folks at 200 pounds each gets you 400. That's 10% above "average weight" in the USA. (assuming one male and one female). If it's two males, they both would be average weight.

A typical Newfoundland comes in around 150 pounds, that adds another 300 pounds for a pair of them. There are larger dogs out there ....

Bob

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by JJTX

.....are you sure that's how its calculated? Maybe I was under false impression the basic tongue weight was with the water tank full.

Hi

I believe you will find that the propane tanks are full for the ratings. All of the water tanks are empty (so no fresh water and no black or gray water).

Bob

[JJTX]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

I believe you will find that the propane tanks are full for the ratings. All of the water tanks are empty (so no fresh water and no black or gray water).

Bob

I need to re-read my book. I never travel anywhere without full water tanks. I will check the empty/full weight next time I have a chance.

[AlbertF]

Originally Posted by JJTX

I need to re-read my book. I never travel anywhere without full water tanks. I will check the empty/full weight next time I have a chance.

Water is part of payload, not base weight.

However, a full water tank doesn't necessarily add much to tongue weight. Water tanks are typically just ahead of the front axle, and I'd guess that in most cases a full tank contributes about 50 lbs to tongue weight. If you check empty/full, please let me know if I'm right or wrong!

The benefit of a full tank is that the weight is carried very low and further lowers the trailer's centre of gravity.

[AlbertF]

Originally Posted by hikingcamera

Due to the battery configuration (3 Battle Born Game Changer batteries mounted under the floor just behind the rear axle), the Trade Wind actually has a significantly lighter tongue weight than other 25FBs (less than 900-lbs loaded IRL). Mine tends to be just above 850.

Still, at 1808-lbs of payload in our truck, it's enough that my family of four has to be cautious about what we bring so at to not overload the rear axle or GVWR of our truck. My bigger annoyance is with the trailer itself, only having 768 lbs or payload capacity (325 of which is lost to a full tank of fresh water).

You make a good observation about actual tongue weight for the Trade Wind. Of the 850 lbs, how much ends up on your tow vehicle axles after the weight distributing hitch is activated? About 700? Or does the weight of the weight distributing hitch negate the benefit of distributing some of the tongue weight to the trailer axles?

I would say that the OP could realize the goal of towing with the Lexus, but should look carefully at loading and tongue weight. Getting rid of the trailer spare tire can be considered. Towing with a tall vehicle means that the stainless segment protectors are a must, so they need to stay. Travelling with less than a full water tank is possible, but the difference would be small and if you are boondocking (which is the central point of a Land Cruiser equivalent and a Trade Wind), you want to be heading out with a full tank and even extra water.

I would have no reservations about going right to the GVWR of the tow vehicle. Mercedes-Benz and Volvo are now saying (at least in Europe) that you can exceed GVWR of their cars by 100 kg (220 lbs) when towing. And those are two of the most safety-oriented manufacturers in the world.

[hikingcamera]

Originally Posted by AlbertF

Of the 850 lbs, how much ends up on your tow vehicle axles after the weight distributing hitch is activated? About 700? Or does the weight of the weight distributing hitch negate the benefit of distributing some of the tongue weight to the trailer axles?

That will depend on a variety of factors. I need to visit a CAT Scale with some more time to do some weigh ins to provide some numbers for our setup. Based on my experience I’d say we are not moving 150 lbs.

Originally Posted by AlbertF

Travelling with less than a full water tank is possible, but the difference would be small

Very small as the water tank is between the axles on the Trade Wind.

[waninae39]

yes it can

i surest you call CANAMRC in London ON CANAM RV and get them to setup calibrate and confirm that the hitch trailer combo works as you expect

andy is the best person in usa/can to setup hitches in vehicles

[BikeCamper]

Originally Posted by waninae39

yes it can

i surest you call CANAMRC in London ON CANAM RV and get them to setup calibrate and confirm that the hitch trailer combo works as you expect

andy is the best person in usa/can to setup hitches in vehicles

Yes, it can tow the Tradewind. But the concern is limited remaining payload capacity after accounting for tongue load. Nothing CanAm can do will change that.