If you have a van with a 300 horse power motor can you haul a 5 ton cargo trailer?

Answer 1

Short answer: maybe but probably not advised. This depends on way more than horsepower. In fact, horsepower actually isn't that important. What counts is the drive axle, suspension, transmission, gear ratio, and engine torque. What model van is it? 1500? 2500? 3500? If it's either of the first two, a 10,000 lb. trailer will grossly overload it. If it is a 1-ton (3500), it might still be technically overloaded unless it has a maximum GVWR package on it (unlikely or nonexistent on vans), but you can probably get by with it as long as it's not a regular practice. It will however, almost certainly overload your receiver hitch which is most likely a class IV rated at 6-8000lbs. To safely (in terms of drivetrain survival) tow that kind of weight with a GM vehicle, you need to have either a 10.5" 14-bolt or Dana 70 rear axle, preferably with 4.10:1 or 4.56:1 gears, and preferably a dually. You also need either a TH400 or 4L80E transmission and a big tranny cooler. These are 1-ton rated parts and are necessary for towing 10K lbs. without damage. A 350 is enough motor to get the job done, but don't expect it to be real happy about it. Take it easy and don't try to race the car next to you off the stoplight.