Okay to pull my 2020 TAG Boon..

bbackal

Question. Just bought this wonderful teardrop. Is it safe/smart to pull our SQUONK with our KIA in the winter in mountain roads? We’ll have chains on the vehicle of course! Advice or comments appreciated!

JamesDow

I.M.O.

Yes, just take it slow and if you have trailer brakes working, make sure they are adjusted properly.

zgfiredude

Loaded question in my opinion.....have you ever towed a trailer, do you have a trailer brake controller in the Kia, where do you live/what mountains, snow tires on the Kia, is the Kia all wheel drive or front wheel drive, what is it's trailer capacity, etc?

Basically, towing a trailer in snow deep enough to require chains on the tow vehicle sets off alarms in my head.

Michigan_Mike

Is your vehicle rated for the trailer? I have been up through the mountains out in Montana after a snowfall and consider myself a seasoned veteran pulling these trailers. How do you plan to stay warm up in the mountains in freezing weather conditions? I think there is inherent danger irregardless of your experience or the vehicle that you’re pulling the trailer with. The roads tend to get icy, you are on uneven terrain and although you do have chains on your vehicle if you are traveling downhill the trailer could jackknife behind you as you probably do not have brakes on your trailer.

I wasn’t comfortable traveling in white out conditions and I pulled over for the night in Butte Montana. I drove over the mountain and down into Bozeman and will say that it was a little bit of a harrowing experience. On the flipside, if the roads are clear of any ice and snow you probably should be good to go. Even with the number of miles I’ve driven which are in the thousands, I would probably air on the side of safety, wait for weather conditions to improve, take things slow and plan out your route accordingly.

You’re better safe than sorry!

LuckyJ

I greew up and lived in quebec canada all my life, and never even tought that towing a trailer was that difficult or tricky, cause, this is what we diid, using trailer all year round. So in my book, follow regulation, drive accordingly adjusting speed to road condition, keeping more space when towing and when unconfortable, get ofdf the road and let is pass. Don't chance it.

Ah and winter is winter, all season are crap for snow and ice, the counpouds becomes to hard and do not grip.

Have fun and be safe.

JohnnyLoco

If trailer brakes were really needed, NuCamp woulda installed them on all T@Gs.

Sharon_is_SAM

I think that brakes are standard starting with the 2018 models.

LuckyJ

@JohnnyLoco , @Sharon_is_SAM trailer brakes are mandatory in many states ans provinces for trailers that are 1000 lbs and over. Some states mentionned 1500 lbs and others more. All depends where you are regestering it.

As for standard on T@G all I know is tgat thet were standard from at least the 2017 outback now boondock 5 w models. About regular 5 w or XL that I do not know.

But personal experience and I am not saying no no or must not and can not or never do, personal experience is that where I live, now that I have tried trailers brakes, I am planing to install them on almost all my trailers. And I have towed trailers in any condition, summer and winter, heavily loaded in off road condition and black top or icy roads for more than 30 years and only seldomly with heavy tow vehicule and to me, trailer brakes for me are great since we got tge T@G. But this is me.

Btw, for thos who stress out about having a TV that as at least double the capacity of tge towed trailer, in europe, with the same TV, tgey can tow double the weight. I am not saying that you should tow with under rated capacity TV, simply that respecting the tV capacity is ok according to the law. Going dou le is personal and should be mentionned as so IMO.

Remember that heavy truck and trailers with more than 100 000lbs towing capacity also get in the ditch cause they do not drive according to road condition or by humain error.

Have fun and be safe out there.

JohnnyLoco

My 2020 SEXl has no brakes from the factory so it must not be necessary. Never been a problem on frozen, wet, muddy, dirt, sand, or snowy conditions.

I’m a qualified big rig driver and in no way is the inherent danger from a jack-knife the same.

Sharon_is_SAM

@JohnnyLoco - did they only have 1 model year for the SE? The nuCamp website does not show an SE for 2020.

JohnnyLoco

I think at least 2 years, 5’ and 6’ wide. Not all are the same either. I’ve seen a few SE’s with the windows in the doors and other minor differences. Don’t know what states they sold them in. It may be a lighter trailer initially but has the weight capacity of any of them thus if the brakes were that necessary they would be installed.

The only reason I bought a T@G is because it was an SE. I usually order a custom cargo trailer with RV doors and windows from Wells Cargo to convert they way I want.

If you drive carefully there should be no problem, if it jack-knifed, still no real danger to vehicle occupants.

zgfiredude

This is a lively and interesting discussion, however it doesn't appear that the original poster of the question has ever come back to see any of the responses! Last logged in on 10/26

JamesDow

Hope we dont have to start checking mountain ravines.

LuckyJ

@JamesDow said:
Hope we dont have to start checking mountain ravines.

Even with brakes, i would not be surprised to find ome at the bottom of a ravine. Some just don't get it that towing a trailer as to be done dirrerently than not towing. 😔

GigHarborTom

If you were ever an over the road trucker rooky, looking down into a ravine can be scary. Been there done that many, many years ago.