On Oct 9, 10:30 pm, Mike the Strike wrote:
Yes, I know we'll get posts from the guys who'll tell us they towed
their Duo Discus over the alps using a Fiat 500. That doesn't meant
that it is necessarily a good idea!

Nobody has ever suggested that - I believe that is a "strawman"
argument.

Towing is simple. Follow these rules, and your rig will be stable in
all conditions and not need stabiliser hitch.

*Make sure that the laden mass of the trailer does not exceed 85% of
the laden mass of the tow car, and preferably less.

*Have 7% of the trailer's actual mass on the hitch. Measure with some
bathroom scales and a length of wood cut to the correct height to fit
between hitch and the scales. It's important to get this number right
- no more, no less. If the 7% value is more than the car's noseweight
limit, you'll just have to keep within that limit and accept a less
than optimum noseweight.

*Carry heavy items in the car, not the trailer, but make sure you
don't exceed the maximum axle load (or end up with your car dragging
its arse along the road). I often put the heaviest
items in the passenger footwell if I'm travelling alone.

*Look after your tyres on both car and trailer. Blow-outs can really
ruin your trip (and your glider!). Trailer tyres should be replaced
every five years and definitely every seven - rubber ages naturally,
whether you use them or not. In winter ideally take the wheels off
and
store them level in a cool dry place wrapped in hessian (not
plastic),
or at least wrap the tyres in hessian on the trailer to keep the UV
off.

*Make sure you run the correct tyre pressures all round. Check before
you set off on every trip. A tyre with low pressure will run hot and
could blow.

Now, I didn't want to mention this earlier as it sounds like willy-
waving, but I once performed a maximum-effort stop from 70 mph in a
light Euro car with an Astir on the back in pretty old trailer (no
Cobra). The car and trailer were well maintained and pulled-up very
quickly in a perfectly straight line. I could have probably let go of
the wheel.


Dan