Car/Truck to pull glider trailer

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

A few data points (all empty weights):

Minden Fab, Schreder, and similar aluminum semi-monocoque cigar-tube trailers generally run 600-750 lbs. Schreder with aluminum floors are the lightest of these, but also the most tender since Dick put the hoops 4' OC to save parts.

Cobra, Komet, and similar clamshells generally run around 900 lbs. Later ones seem heavier than earlier ones. Aluminum tops are the lightest.

Homebuilt trailers run the gamut. Made with 1/4" plywood and framed with 2x4 and 2x2 lumber, probably around 1200 lbs. Offhand I don't know how many kg that is, but I can say from experience it's a decent amount of BTUs. My Steve Smith fiberglass-skinned steel tube truss with molded fiberglass top clocked in at 375 lbs. A customer's homemade clamshell is about 1400 lbs.

My tow rig of choice these days is a 1999 Lexus RX300. I got it for the cost of a Subaru head gasket job, it has the bulletproof 1MZ-FE V6, and it has the AWD we need in a snow car. Given a choice, I'd have gotten an AWD Sienna (same running gear with a minivan body), but those are priced about 2.5x the first-gen RXs.

--Bob K.

My Mazda CX5 twin turbo diesel is an excellent tow car, and very economical. Stability is great, towing up to 160km/h steady as a rock.
I get 30 mpg or better (10L/100km for those of you in civilised countries).

On Thu, 24 May 2018 16:32:42 -0700, mikestandishmic wrote:

My Mazda CX5 twin turbo diesel is an excellent tow car, and very
economical. Stability is great, towing up to 160km/h steady as a rock.
I get 30 mpg or better (10L/100km for those of you in civilised
countries).

Is that US mpg or Imperial mpg?


--
Martin | martin at
Gregorie | gregorie dot org

Imperial, average over 2500km long trip

On 05/24/2018 05:32 PM, wrote:
My Mazda CX5 twin turbo diesel is an excellent tow car, and very economical. Stability is great, towing up to 160km/h steady as a rock.
I get 30 mpg or better (10L/100km for those of you in civilised countries).


Is that pulling a 107.14 stone trailer over an 11,000 foot pass with a
6% grade?

Its an average over 2,500km of all different terrains, including steep hills, towing a 750kg tralier.
420nm of torque gets you a long way (310 ft lb).

On Thursday, May 24, 2018 at 4:55:50 PM UTC-5, Bob Kuykendall wrote:

My Steve Smith fiberglass-skinned steel tube truss with molded fiberglass
top clocked in at 375 lbs.
--Bob K.

375 lbs, Bob? Seems way too low. An Eberle I have for a 301 Libelle came in at about 660. Axle, wheels and tires can push upwards of 175.

Just asking...

Steve Leonard

My 2006 Subaru Forester manual gets 9.6 km/l towing compared to about 11.5 km/l in the summer.

The 2008 SF automatic ate more gas with all the downshifts pulling a trailer.

I found the Suburban 2500 to be an excellent tow vehicle. Towed my nimbus 4 so well i had to hang a reminder on review mirror that I was towing. Truck and trailer had over a 400 mile range so on long drives I sent myself up for relief on the move. Loved the bench seat for long drives!


On Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at 9:04:01 AM UTC-7, 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?

Thanks for your help

Bill

The 2017 Tesla Model X I am leasing is a amazing tow vehicle. Other than the range reduction (about 200 mile max between charges) that is more obvious when driving a vehicle that makes you aware of your energy consumption, its 5500 lb weight, low center of gravity, 550 bhp, all-wheel drive, and 500 ftlb of torque instantly available at all speeds (starting at zero) make it a great tow vehicle for my Cobra 30 ft all-aluminum 15m trailer. If I don't look back, I don't even know its back there.

The 200 hundred mile max between charges is conservative, ensuring 20% of battery capacity on arrival. With Tesla's nation-wide network of fast chargers located 50-150 miles apart along all the interstate highways, long distance travel is not problem, and I can usually be recharged in 30 minutes, about the same amount of time it takes be to rest, stretch, and pee.