Car/Truck to pull glider trailer

On Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 5:04:01 AM UTC+13, wrote:
Hi All,

I am new to this group and last fall added a glider rating to my ASEL certificate.

I am planning to replace my car this summer and in anticipation of purchasing a glider someday, I would like to purchase a vehicle that would do a good job towing a glider. I also want it to get the best gas mileage that it can while still being a good tow vehicle. I don't want something that is marginal and will make long distance towing a stressful affair, but also don't want a vehicle that is overkill.

What is the typical range o gross weights of a single seat glider plus trailer?

Recommendations on a good tow vehicles?

I've towed gliders up to DG1000 and Grob twins with a '95 Legacy Wagon and my current '97 Outback wagon. Both with 2.5l non-turbo. The Legacy was automatic, the Outback is a manual. The manual is better.

I've towed the Grob from Auckland to Wellington, and the DG multiple times between Wellington and Taihape and Wellington and Masterton/Greytown, both of which involve some decent hills.

Glider towing is more about stability than about power. Even if you have to go slowly up one or two hills it probably only costs you a couple of minutes on the complete journey time. However with the 2.5l Subarus I've never had a problem keeping up with the speed limit or the traffic, whichever is slower. Less power would be fine as long as you don't get into cooling problems.

Stability mostly seems to mean the tow ball being as close as possible to the rear axle, and having decently solid rear suspension.

The new(ish) Subaru XV might well make an even better tow vehicle than the Outback, as it has a very short rear overhang even though it has less power.. The CVT would be interesting.

With a 100 km/h (65 mph) speed limit I use about 8 l/100 km empty, and 11 l/100km towing the DG1000. Google tells me that's 29.4 mpg and 21.4 mpg in USA units.

Subaru Forester fine for single seaters.
But I wrote off my 2004 with a trailer
jackknife pulling a Puch.

Hadn't yet read "If the combination starts
to sway, hold the wheel straight and
brake..."

I've seen a DG-1000 giving a pickup a
hard time. Traffic was scared to pass it
as the trailer was weaving.

My 2008 gets better mileage pulling a
fibreglass top trailer than an metal top.

If you go for a car instead of a truck,
consider a manual.

A CVT might be an expensive experiment.

North American tow ratings can be much
more restrictive for the same vehicle
compared to Australia or Europe where I
wouldn't be surprised to see a Smart Car
pulling a glider.

I use a 90 Cherokee for that job:
not too big, enough power, inexpensive to maintain, inexpensive to buy.

And the ugly old Cherokee is dedicated to gliding: all my stuff remains in the car, and I'm not afraid when time comes to pick up the glider in the middle of crops.

On Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 7:00:06 PM UTC+13, George Haeh wrote:
Subaru Forester fine for single seaters.
But I wrote off my 2004 with a trailer
jackknife pulling a Puch.

Hadn't yet read "If the combination starts
to sway, hold the wheel straight and
brake..."

I've seen a DG-1000 giving a pickup a
hard time. Traffic was scared to pass it
as the trailer was weaving.

With a relatively light tow vehicle you do have to do things right. Maximum permitted pressures all round in car and trailer tyres. Make sure the trailer weight balance is good.

The only combination that has given the Subaru any trouble at all was a Grob twin in a massively heavy and un-aerodynamic rectangular steel and corrugated iron trailer. It was too unstable to tow at more than 85 - 90 km/h, and I got pretty good at stopping the weaving -- watch the mirror and when you see the trailer go right (for example) give a little quick jerk of the steering wheel to the left and then straight again, to get the car lined up straight with the trailer. Then *gently* turn back the other way before you go out of your lane. Extremely effective once you practice a bit.

I towed that Grob to another club for them to borrow/evaluate for a couple of weeks. One of their members towed it back with a large SUV (Bighorn?) and complained that it was diabolical.

Towing glider trailers can be readily split into two areas. retrieves where
you might have to drive down farm tracks and accross fields and road
towing.
For retrieves nothing beats a 4x4 with plenty of ground clearance. The
limiting factor is usually the trailer.
For road towing a car is usually better as they are much more economical to
run.
Size and weight are important but not at the expense of decent suspension.
For example I had a very interesting 30 seconds with a Nissan Navara towing
a K21 in a cobra tailer. The same trailer behind my VW Passatt was much
more stable. I put this down to the Navara having leaf springs on the rear
with poor lateral location of the axel. The Passatt with modern suspension
was much more precise.
So far this year I have driven 3500 miles across europe towing a variety of
trailers in the passat averaging 43mpg (36 us mpg) The navara was in the
mid 20s.

Timely thread, gearing up for northern hemisphere spring.

I've towed with a Honda Accord ( V6 manual ). It's relatively heavy at 3400 lb, plenty of power and tows my old Komet ( around 2000 lb ) stably up to 70 mph. I've only been nervous once - coming down I70 into Denver with a steep downgrade. Slowed way down and it was OK.

The trailer surge brake has been inop for years -Any one have suggestions on where I could take it for overhaul or replacement with electric brakes? Local garage? Or, is even necessary? I really should check for trailer tongue corrosion and double check the hitch mount points.



On Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at 11:04:01 AM UTC-5, wrote:
Hi All,
...
What is the typical range o gross weights of a single seat glider plus trailer?

Recommendations on a good tow vehicles?

Thanks for your help

Bill

Since you mentioned Denver, a quick google search for "trailer repair
denver" yielded several prospects. Give them a call and ask them about
surge brakes. Good luck!

On 3/25/2015 8:50 AM, Sarah wrote:
Timely thread, gearing up for northern hemisphere spring.

I've towed with a Honda Accord ( V6 manual ). It's relatively heavy at 3400 lb, plenty of power and tows my old Komet ( around 2000 lb ) stably up to 70 mph. I've only been nervous once - coming down I70 into Denver with a steep downgrade. Slowed way down and it was OK.

The trailer surge brake has been inop for years -Any one have suggestions on where I could take it for overhaul or replacement with electric brakes? Local garage? Or, is even necessary? I really should check for trailer tongue corrosion and double check the hitch mount points.



On Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at 11:04:01 AM UTC-5, wrote:
Hi All,
..
What is the typical range o gross weights of a single seat glider plus trailer?

Recommendations on a good tow vehicles?

Thanks for your help

Bill

--
Dan Marotta

Hi Bill,

Once you have narrowed down your search, look at the towing capacities of the vehicles. Some will even say (ie. Honda Civic), "not recommended for towing". I am on the bubble with mine in respect to towing (2.5l Outback) but with the bigger engine, I could tow more (bigger brakes?) and with trailer brakes, I could tow more. Anything can tow going down the highway at 60-70 mph but not anything can stop/slow down in time.

mas

On Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 10:50:30 AM UTC-4, Sarah wrote:
Timely thread, gearing up for northern hemisphere spring.

I've towed with a Honda Accord ( V6 manual ). It's relatively heavy at 3400 lb, plenty of power and tows my old Komet ( around 2000 lb ) stably up to 70 mph. I've only been nervous once - coming down I70 into Denver with a steep downgrade. Slowed way down and it was OK.

The trailer surge brake has been inop for years -Any one have suggestions on where I could take it for overhaul or replacement with electric brakes? Local garage? Or, is even necessary? I really should check for trailer tongue corrosion and double check the hitch mount points.



On Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at 11:04:01 AM UTC-5, wrote:
Hi All,
..
What is the typical range o gross weights of a single seat glider plus trailer?

Recommendations on a good tow vehicles?

Thanks for your help

Bill

Google "Adjusting the wheel brakes of your Cobra trailer" and you get a pdf with lots of pictures on adjustment of the alko running gear:
http://www.cobratrailer.com/Bremsein...englisch_1.pdf

Dan

On Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 8:20:50 AM UTC-7, Dan Daly wrote:
On Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 10:50:30 AM UTC-4, Sarah wrote:
Timely thread, gearing up for northern hemisphere spring.

I've towed with a Honda Accord ( V6 manual ). It's relatively heavy at 3400 lb, plenty of power and tows my old Komet ( around 2000 lb ) stably up to 70 mph. I've only been nervous once - coming down I70 into Denver with a steep downgrade. Slowed way down and it was OK.

The trailer surge brake has been inop for years -Any one have suggestions on where I could take it for overhaul or replacement with electric brakes? Local garage? Or, is even necessary? I really should check for trailer tongue corrosion and double check the hitch mount points.



On Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at 11:04:01 AM UTC-5, wrote:
Hi All,
..
What is the typical range o gross weights of a single seat glider plus trailer?

Recommendations on a good tow vehicles?

Thanks for your help

Bill

Google "Adjusting the wheel brakes of your Cobra trailer" and you get a pdf with lots of pictures on adjustment of the alko running gear:
http://www.cobratrailer.com/Bremsein...englisch_1.pdf

Dan

Link is inop (404 not found)