I have to find the picture of the overloaded 2 wheel cart attached to a donkey with all four feet in the air. Caption says:
"Don't overload your ass."
Common sense is all too uncommon.
As for pulling big loads with a small vehicle, it ends up being a matter of the ability of the frame to accept it. When you can't put 80 psi tires under it, or overload springs, or trailer brakes behind it, etc., etc, you have to consider your life expectancy. I have had several incidents that if is weren't for the proper trailering setup, not only I, but those around me have an increased risk.
I put a Euro hitch on my buddies MB E320, which, strangely enough, is designed to accept that hitch. Onto that hitch, he attached a bobcat trailer and then put 3,000 lbs of rock onto it. Knowing how that hitch is designed and how much it's supposed to hold, how the frame looks, plus the way the rear shocks sagged, I think 30mph was still a dangerous speed.
I don't know if any of you considered this, but if you aren't following safe standards and exceeding acceptable limits, you may void your warranty, if you have one, but you definitely have a liability on your insurance coverage, that in a wreck, you may be denied coverage. Your insurance will not cover you if you are breaking the law. It may not cover you if you are exceeding reasonable limits.
I wonder if the Euro hitch would bend before it breaks...
Last thing... We had a customer show up with a very small trailer pulled by a New Beetle. The Trailer was a Scamp, and I used to work for them years and years ago. Cute, small and aerodynamic. They offered electric brakes as an option, which he didn't take. After nearly flipping his rig from a brush-up with a car, he's wishing he had them put on. He jackknifed the trailer. I'm thinking he is going back to install them. Luckily, he still has that option.
