Overheating
Vehicles designed for heavy towing that have a towing package from the factory
come with a high coolant capacity radiator and sometimes a heavier water pump.
When hauling a heavy load on a trailer with a vehicle that is not designed to haul
such a load, the engine heats up far beyond the ability of the radiator to cool it
down. The result is overheating, blown head gaskets, and cracked or warped
cylinder heads. This is not to say that you should never tow a trailer with your
vehicle, just find out what the towing capacity is and do not exceed it. On
vehicles that tow heavy loads regularly, it’s a good idea to add an auxiliary
engine oil cooler to ensure the engine oil in the crankcase is thoroughly cooled,
because intense heat causes the oil to breakdown and lose viscosity.
Undue Stress to the Frame
Vehicles with high towing capacities generally have strong frames that allow for
hanging the additional weight of a trailer in them. When hauling a trailer that is
too heavy with a vehicle not designed to haul such weight, the frame buckles and
damage to the structural integrity of the vehicle is incurred.
Suspension Damage
The suspension is designed to handle the weight of the vehicle plus the specified
maximum trailer-towing weight. That’s it. Overload the vehicle and suspension
problems occur. Leaf and coil springs or torsion bars are overtaxed and either