Will an Infinity QX60 safely tow the 3124kb?

[Serenity-TMO]

So, we are looking at buying a 2008 3124 KB. Our Infinity QX60 says that it can tow up to 5,000 or 6,000 pounds but I have seen some people say that is just an estimate.

We already have a hitch and ,my husband says that we can get a weight distributor kit. Are there any recommendations on this? I saw someone on here say that you really can't do anything to change your vehicle's towing capacity so how would that work? I have been having a really hard time finding the actual weight of the TM online and I guess that it varies depending on the year. Any help is GREATLY appreciated. We live in Colorado so we will be mostly using it in the mountains. Thanks.

Also, we will be looking at replacing the mattresses with something thicker but we don't want them to be too heavy either. Any suggestions on that as well?

Another concern that I have is about winterizing it. We do not have a garage to keep it in, will that be a dealbreaker?

 

[Kmikesell]

According to Edmunds your tow capacity is 5000 lbs. Which in reality means you should not tow anything heaier than 4500lbs. (That gives you a 10% safety buffer) That includes... Trailer, stuff in the trailer, stuff in the QX60 (Including passengers other than the driver) According to NADA a 2008 3124 KB weighs in at 3090 lbs. (bare bones, no extras like awnings, AC's, etc). You are very close to capacity... but it's "do able". Just be aware of what you put inside the trailer, and the back of the QX60. (I'm sure others will give you their $0.02 as well.

As for winterizing.... There is a long debated issue of covering vs not covering.. So I wont go there. But according to the manual, to winterize my TM all that is required is to fully drain the system by opening all four dump valves and opening all faucets (Kitchen, Vanity, Bath, outside shower) Make sure when you go to use the trialer and refill the water system, you close all those faucets... Espectally the outside shower or you will just water the ground (Don't ask me how I know)

 

[Serenity-TMO]

Thank you so much for your reply. So would a weight distributer increase that towing capacity even a little, or not really?

 

[Shrimpburrito]

Not even by 1 pound. A weight distributing hitch, as the name implies, only distributes weight. Typically, some weight is removed from the tongue (and thus the rear axle of the TV), and distributed onto the TM axle and TV front axle. So if you perhaps were too tongue heavy or the rear TV axle was overloaded, that would help. But that weight has to go somewhere....

Dave

 

[Bill-TMO]

So would a weight distributer increase that towing capacity even a little, or not really?

Dave is right. Not even a pound.

It helps to know what a WDH is, what is does, how it functions, and why it is important. There is an article here in the Forum's Technical Library that goes through some of this. It will also go through why booster springs or air shocks are bad. Check it out here

https://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2616

As for winterizing, K-Mike has covered most of it. Two added comments. First, when you drain the system, BE SURE the electric switch on the water heater is off. And be sure it stays off when you refill in the spring. Replacing the heating element is not hard or particularly expensive, but it is high on the annoying scale. Second, in addition to the things K-Mike mentioned, take off the indoor shower head, shake it dry, and set it aside. Do the same on the outdoor shower head. Again in the Forum's Technical Library (it's full of good stuff), there is an article that covers winterizing in detail. Check it out here

https://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18642

The most important thing about leaving your TM outside in the winter is not allowing snow to pile up on the roof. And don't leave the TM set up - close it down. This is especially important if snow piles up, and then it rains. Almost everywhere in Colorado counts as snow country, so go to the hardware store and get a snow rake.

Bill

 

[Wavery]

So, we are looking at buying a 2008 3124 KB. Our Infinity QX60 says that it can tow up to 5,000 or 6,000 pounds but I have seen some people say that is just an estimate.

We already have a hitch and ,my husband says that we can get a weight distributor kit. Are there any recommendations on this? I saw someone on here say that you really can't do anything to change your vehicle's towing capacity so how would that work? I have been having a really hard time finding the actual weight of the TM online and I guess that it varies depending on the year. Any help is GREATLY appreciated. We live in Colorado so we will be mostly using it in the mountains. Thanks.

Also, we will be looking at replacing the mattresses with something thicker but we don't want them to be too heavy either. Any suggestions on that as well?

Another concern that I have is about winterizing it. We do not have a garage to keep it in, will that be a dealbreaker?

To give you some idea, my TM 2720SL weighs 2975# bare weight. With A/C, awning, cabinets, full propane tanks, charged toilet etc, plus our personal items, it weighs in at 4200#. About 1200# of extras. You might want to consider about 1200# above your 3124KB dry weight.

Look in the owner's manual of your Infinity and find the GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating). That is the maximum weight that you fully load vehicle (passengers and cargo) plus the weight of your fully loaded trailer can tow.

All that "Tow Ratings" tell you is the maximum weight that the vehicle can tow with no passengers and NO cargo.

 

[Kmikesell]

I used to tell my customers when buying a trailer from me was "A bicycle can eventually PULL a trailer on level ground, it's stopping that's the problem!" Make sure you have a good Electric breaking sysytem in place as well, and know how to use it.

I apreciate the added "winterizing" ideas, but there is one I forgot. Make sure you battery/batteries don't freeze. Pull them from the TM and put them in a place where they are warm and can be periodically charged.

 

[Wavery]

Also, we will be looking at replacing the mattresses with something thicker but we don't want them to be too heavy either. Any suggestions on that as well?

We just upgraded our mattress. We bought the foam from:
https://www.thefoamfactory.com/

I'd suggest 1.5" - 2" Thick "Super Lux Foam" for the base (1.5" may work for you. I'm 6'4" and weight 240#). This will keep you from bottoming out on the platform (I hate that). Although it's a little too firm for sleeping.

Then laminate (with spray adhesive) to "Lux High Quality Foam". This foam is quite comfortable for sleeping but you may bottom out if used alone. When laminated to the "Super Lux Foam" you will have a nice comfortable sleeping surface that won't allow you to bottom out.

You then will have about 1" to 1.5" to put a "Memory foam" topper if desired.

If you go any thicker than 5" - 5.5" total, you may not be able to close your trailer. We went to 5.5" and had to adjust the roof lift arms to get the roof closed.

 

[Shrimpburrito]

To give you some idea, my TM 2720SL weighs 2975# bare weight. With A/C, awning, cabinets, full propane tanks, charged toilet etc, plus our personal items, it weighs in at 4200#. About 1200# of extras. You might want to consider about 1200# above your 3124KB dry weight.

My experience is similar. Our TM gains just over 1,000 lbs when fully laden for camping, including water.

Dave

 

[Bill-TMO]

I used to tell my customers when buying a trailer from me was "A bicycle can eventually PULL a trailer on level ground, it's stopping that's the problem!" Make sure you have a good Electric breaking sysytem in place as well, and know how to use it.

I agree 100%. But there is another part to that old maxim. A bicycle can pull on the flats, as you say, but it cannot pull a TM up even a small hill. A VW van might get it up a small hill, but not up a larger one.

It has always disturbed me that tow vehicle manufacturers give you a single number for a tow rating. Does that number apply to towing on the flats in Florida, or in the Rockies? For a long time, there was no real definition of tow rating. But good advertising demands a high number, so it was probably a Florida number. Now ask yourself, if you plan to tow a 3200-pound trailer with a vehicle rated at 3500 pounds, and you plan to go to 10,000 feet in the Rockies, how should you feel?

In other words, WHERE you will tow is is almost as important as WHAT you will tow.

Having said that, I should also say that as of a few years ago, a formal test of tow capacity was developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). It is called J2807, and it is a tough, real-life, uphill towing test. Since 2015, published tow vehicle specs must meet J2807. In other words, you can trust them.

I appreciate the added "winterizing" ideas, but there is one I forgot. Make sure you battery/batteries don't freeze. Pull them from the TM and put them in a place where they are warm and can be periodically charged.

I sorta-kinda agree with this one. For sure, make sure your battery doesn't freeze - its case will break. But keeping it toasty warm inside? Not so much. Batteries have what is called self discharge, meaning that they discharge themselves even when connected to nothing. And self discharge is much worse at warm temps than at cold temps. So if you can keep the battery warm AND keep a charge on it, you are OK. But if you can't connect a charger, then fully charge it, disconnect it, and store it cold. A fully charged battery won't freeze until the temp drops to -92F. At 40% charged, it will freeze at about -16F.

I have tested out this theory in real life. Every year, my Ford Ranger pickup is stored in Maine for the six winter months that we spend in Arizona. Maine is cold in winter, sometimes very cold. The storage location is unheated and there is no electricity. So before leaving, I charge the truck's battery, disconnect it, and leave it alone for the winter. When we come back in the spring, I connect the battery, turn the key, and the truck starts right up. Every year for 20 years (yes, it's an old truck). The cold temperatures prevent the self-discharge.

Just my experience. The important thing, as Mike stated, is that you not let the battery freeze.

Bill

 

[Kmikesell]

We just upgraded our mattress. We bought the foam from:
https://www.thefoamfactory.com/

I'd suggest 1.5" - 2" Thick "Super Lux Foam" for the base (1.5" may work for you. I'm 6'4" and weight 240#). This will keep you from bottoming out on the platform (I hate that). Although it's a little too firm for sleeping.

Then laminate (with spray adhesive) to "Lux High Quality Foam". This foam is quite comfortable for sleeping but you may bottom out if used alone. When laminated to the "Super Lux Foam" you will have a nice comfortable sleeping surface that won't allow you to bottom out.

You then will have about 1" to 1.5" to put a "Memory foam" topper if desired.

If you go any thicker than 5" - 5.5" total, you may not be able to close your trailer. We went to 5.5" and had to adjust the roof lift arms to get the roof closed.

Love this idea.. Dual foam! I replaced the foam mattress in an older trailer I had and spent littleraly an hour trying to find the right density. Got it sorta right. Wife (who likes a very firm matress) loved it. I thought it was too hard. But we didn't bottom out!

I kinda did it in reverse, this time. I put a cheap Wally World topper on my standard 2006 TM matress "just to see" and this made the DW very happy, so we are sticking with it... for now. FWIW, the top closed NP.

Kory