IMHO, I'm glad someone brought this issue up concerning flammability of Rhino linings and its cousins. Although I do think the risk is minimal ( or at least no worse than undercoating with dripless oil or installing carpeting,) I would have never thought of it until this thread started....thanks for bringing this to attention....
TOWING...here are my thoughts and excuses....
I have towed well over the 10,000 lb Gross Combined Weight limit with my Scout, and I won't be doing it ever again, unless it's a BIG emergency, or just shunting stuff around. It is my intention to use my 1210 T'all to do the heavy stuff from now on. Here's why...
1/ Although the scout has sufficient POWER and TORQUE to pull the big stuff, it falls short (no pun intended) when you look at its other characteristics. The T'all has plenty of power, but none of the other shortcomings.
2/ The Scout tends to wander and shimmy because of its short wheelbase. Heavier trailers tend to push the Scout around at high speeds...the This happens to the T'all, but at greatly reduced levels...
3/ The T'all has a full-floating dana 60 rear end, easily repaired as well as being over-rated for the 3/4 ton capacity the 1210 is supposed to be set for. The Scout's Dana 44 doesn't even come close to being as durable (I'm not saying there is a problem with Scout '44's ...this is ONLY a comparison..)
4/ THE BRAKES.....this is where the meat is. It doesn't matter HOW MUCH POWER you have, if you CAN'T STOP IT, your are definitely in 'trouble.' Much of that 5,000 lb trailer weight limit for the Scout comes from the kind of brakes it is equipped with. The T'all has big front and HUGE drums in the back, accounting for much of its 10,000 lb trailer rating.
BOTTOM LINE....if you truly want to pull around big stuff with a Scout instead of something better suited (like a t'all or IH pickup) then consider modifying the rear axle and brakes to bring up your Stopping power. If you can use the Terra or Traveler, then do it...they are longer, and will reduce the shimmying quality of the short wheelbase Scout while pulling stuff.
PLEASE be careful..From my experience, it was COOL thinking the Scout was capable of pulling a 6500 lb dump trailer, but it was NOT cool while on the highway or going down hills....SCARY is a better word.