Has anyone ever pulled a trailer that weighs more than your vehicle was rated for?

Question

I have a Saturn Vue rated for towing 2500 lbs. What could happen if I pulled a 3100 lb. boat

Answer 1

Listen to fpaulk1 he is dead on the money. The biggest concern would be safety of others due to exceeding design parameters. For some reason you can't re-write the laws of physics,funny how that works.

Answer 2

I pulled a jeep cherokee loaded with scrap medel about 4000lbs on a trailer that weights about 1000lbs give or take, with a 93' Dodge Dakota 3.9L . Thats well over its limit. Make sure you have a strong hitch, dont use overdrive, make sure you get most of the weight on the trailer hitch to prevent sway. Keep your speed down, your stopping distance will incress alot. So pay close attention to whats in front of you and always look as far ahead as you can. Over loading is hard on the vehicel it self and its dangerus to everyone with or neer you. Keep in mind my dakota is in a junkyard now with a blown transmission and a smoking, dieing motor because of years of heavy hauling.

Answer 3

you would probably be OK and not notice much difference until you need to make an emergency maneuver or stop. The design of the handling and braking of the vehicle are not to be exceeded due to performance and safety issues. Overloading can lead to drive train damage and excessive brake wear. You can also be a hazard to others if stopping performance has been compromised by overloading.

Answer 4

Bad idea.  Ratings aren't pulled out of the sky, man.  You could ruin your engine.

Answer 5

And by the way, as the owner and operator of the vehicle's, your the one that is legally and morally responsible for what ever happens. Over loading a trailer beyond it's weight limit's can create a very dangerous scenario. And trying to pull a load that is too heavy for the tow vehicle can cause severe mechanical damage, and also may create a dangerous situation.