Quote:
Originally Posted by adouglas
My understanding is that as long as total trailer weight is within the towing limits of the vehicle, you're good.
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You're good as far as the tow vehicle's capacity is concerned, but the more weight you put on a trailer without brakes, the longer your stopping distance will be in an emergency. In an extreme case, like a 10 lb. car pulling a 10 ton trailer, it takes a huge amount of force to stop the trailer, but the car can't put more than about 10 lb. of stopping force on it, assuming the tire coefficient of friction is 1, so it will skid a very long way before they stop. Arrange it the other way, with a 10 ton tow vehicle and a 10 lb. trailer, and the stopping distance won't change much whether or not the trailer is there.