Truck vs Car as a tow vehicle

On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 10:30:16 PM UTC-7, 2G wrote:
On Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at 6:43:15 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Sunday, October 25, 2020 at 11:23:41 AM UTC-7, Chris Behm wrote:
I am wondering how often a truck for towing a glider trailer might be an advantage? I have yet to buy my first glider, but of course and thinking that the next vehicle I purchase should be a good one to tow with (Incidentally, thinking of the GMC/Chevy Canyon/Colorado, with the 2.8L inline 4 diesel).
But I am wondering how often that a truck is a better choice, all things considered.

Thanks.

Regards,
"Target"

I tow with a 1997 F150 and a Lexus RX300 SUV which is AWD and has a tow package. They both do a pretty good job towing my single seat glider in a Komet trailer. I prefer the Lexus as it drives nicer and you can haul the guys to dinner when out on an encampment. There’s plenty of room in the back with the seats folded down for equipment.

I would recommend 4WD/AWD pickup or mid size SUV. Make sure it comes with a tow package in either case.
AWD is significantly different from 4WD - AWD delivers power only to the rear wheels until traction is lost, then it transfers power to the other wheels. 4WD delivers power to all wheels, regardless of whether or not they have traction. In the time period that AWD senses traction loss and transfers power, you can lose control.

Tom
I was thinking about when you need to get in that muddy pasture or farmers field. I typically drive my F150 in 2WD. No control issues at all.

On Thursday, October 29, 2020 at 4:41:08 AM UTC-7, wrote:
On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 10:30:16 PM UTC-7, 2G wrote:
On Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at 6:43:15 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Sunday, October 25, 2020 at 11:23:41 AM UTC-7, Chris Behm wrote:
I am wondering how often a truck for towing a glider trailer might be an advantage? I have yet to buy my first glider, but of course and thinking that the next vehicle I purchase should be a good one to tow with (Incidentally, thinking of the GMC/Chevy Canyon/Colorado, with the 2.8L inline 4 diesel).
But I am wondering how often that a truck is a better choice, all things considered.

Thanks.

Regards,
"Target"

I tow with a 1997 F150 and a Lexus RX300 SUV which is AWD and has a tow package. They both do a pretty good job towing my single seat glider in a Komet trailer. I prefer the Lexus as it drives nicer and you can haul the guys to dinner when out on an encampment. There’s plenty of room in the back with the seats folded down for equipment.

I would recommend 4WD/AWD pickup or mid size SUV. Make sure it comes with a tow package in either case.
AWD is significantly different from 4WD - AWD delivers power only to the rear wheels until traction is lost, then it transfers power to the other wheels. 4WD delivers power to all wheels, regardless of whether or not they have traction. In the time period that AWD senses traction loss and transfers power, you can lose control.

Tom
I was thinking about when you need to get in that muddy pasture or farmers field. I typically drive my F150 in 2WD. No control issues at all.

The time will come when you realize that you need 4WD because you will be stuck. I needed 4WD just to get into my backyard. It came in particularly handy when I did a long retrieve in Nevada and was in 4WD for 50-60 miles of back roads, some of which were flooded. Remember, you only need one bad point to get stuck.

Tom

Remember also two truisms about 4WD: 4WD gets you further in before you
get stuck, and ALL vehicles (these days) have 4 wheel brakes (that's for
all the 4WD guys that jam the throttle on icy roads).

Dan
5J

On 10/29/20 9:36 AM, 2G wrote:
On Thursday, October 29, 2020 at 4:41:08 AM UTC-7, wrote:
On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 10:30:16 PM UTC-7, 2G wrote:
On Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at 6:43:15 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Sunday, October 25, 2020 at 11:23:41 AM UTC-7, Chris Behm wrote:
I am wondering how often a truck for towing a glider trailer might be an advantage? I have yet to buy my first glider, but of course and thinking that the next vehicle I purchase should be a good one to tow with (Incidentally, thinking of the GMC/Chevy Canyon/Colorado, with the 2.8L inline 4 diesel).
But I am wondering how often that a truck is a better choice, all things considered.

Thanks.

Regards,
"Target"

I tow with a 1997 F150 and a Lexus RX300 SUV which is AWD and has a tow package. They both do a pretty good job towing my single seat glider in a Komet trailer. I prefer the Lexus as it drives nicer and you can haul the guys to dinner when out on an encampment. There’s plenty of room in the back with the seats folded down for equipment.

I would recommend 4WD/AWD pickup or mid size SUV. Make sure it comes with a tow package in either case.
AWD is significantly different from 4WD - AWD delivers power only to the rear wheels until traction is lost, then it transfers power to the other wheels. 4WD delivers power to all wheels, regardless of whether or not they have traction. In the time period that AWD senses traction loss and transfers power, you can lose control.

Tom
I was thinking about when you need to get in that muddy pasture or farmers field. I typically drive my F150 in 2WD. No control issues at all.

The time will come when you realize that you need 4WD because you will be stuck. I needed 4WD just to get into my backyard. It came in particularly handy when I did a long retrieve in Nevada and was in 4WD for 50-60 miles of back roads, some of which were flooded. Remember, you only need one bad point to get stuck.

Tom

2G wrote on 10/28/2020 10:30 PM:
On Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at 6:43:15 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Sunday, October 25, 2020 at 11:23:41 AM UTC-7, Chris Behm wrote:
I am wondering how often a truck for towing a glider trailer might be an advantage? I have yet to buy my first glider, but of course and thinking that the next vehicle I purchase should be a good one to tow with (Incidentally, thinking of the GMC/Chevy Canyon/Colorado, with the 2.8L inline 4 diesel).
But I am wondering how often that a truck is a better choice, all things considered.

Thanks.

Regards,
"Target"

I tow with a 1997 F150 and a Lexus RX300 SUV which is AWD and has a tow package. They both do a pretty good job towing my single seat glider in a Komet trailer. I prefer the Lexus as it drives nicer and you can haul the guys to dinner when out on an encampment. There’s plenty of room in the back with the seats folded down for equipment.

I would recommend 4WD/AWD pickup or mid size SUV. Make sure it comes with a tow package in either case.

AWD is significantly different from 4WD - AWD delivers power only to the rear wheels until traction is lost, then it transfers power to the other wheels. 4WD delivers power to all wheels, regardless of whether or not they have traction. In the time period that AWD senses traction loss and transfers power, you can lose control.

There is part-time AWD, which you described, and full-time AWD, which delivers the power to all
the wheels as needed - no waiting for traction be lost. Most pilots will never need the
off-road advantages of 4WD for retrieving, so might be better served with AWD, or even 2WD,
giving them a much wider choice of vehicles.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

On Sunday, October 25, 2020 at 2:23:41 PM UTC-4, Chris Behm wrote:
I am wondering how often a truck for towing a glider trailer might be an advantage?

Weight and wheelbase are your friends. These are the criteria for better towing regardless of vehicle type.

I am wondering how often a truck for towing a glider trailer might be an advantage?

Uhh- How about EVERY TIME you are towing a glider trailer?

At 13:44 28 October 2020, wrote:

I am wondering how often a truck for towing a glider trailer
might be
an advantage?

Uhh- How about EVERY TIME you are towing a glider trailer?


The only problem I have had towing was with a Land Rover
discovery ,my daughter jack-knifed it with a DG500 behind.

I think the hard tyres and springs bounced it into trouble.

I now tow with a Mercedes C class estate car and think the softer
ride helps.

Sorry in the British makes don't make sense in the USA.

wrote on 10/28/2020 6:44 AM:

I am wondering how often a truck for towing a glider trailer might be an advantage?

Uhh- How about EVERY TIME you are towing a glider trailer?

The OP did not provide a "mission profile", so we are just guessing at what's suitable for him.
For me, I much prefer my Sienna mini-van to go to the airport than any of the trucks I've
owned. It's only 4 miles, doesn't jar the trailer as much going over the railroad tracks, and
it's easier to get things out of the back of it (wing dolly, etc). For long trips, a pickup
with a camper on it works well, and the camper can be removed when I get to the glider event.
Nowadays, we prefer a 24' motorhome for the long trips. A person that prefers motels or tents
will make very different choices, but which may not based on the towing function. For example,
some pilots choose the tow vehicle preferred by their crew - my case :^)

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

Nowadays, we prefer a 24' motorhome for the long trips.

Has been mentioned numerous times before here but since the secret weapon of any teacher/instructor is repetition, I say it again:
Beware of vehicles with a long overhang, i.e. distance between the rear axle and the tow hitch. Any bumps in the road the towing vehicle goes over will be amplified as far as up and down motion goes. Class-C Motorhomes can have a ridiculous overhang.
Also, if the trailer has no brakes and the rig gets out of line during hard braking, a long overhang can wreak havoc and end in a jack-knife much faster than towing with a vehicle having a short overhang.

Uli
'AS'

Beware of vehicles with a long overhang, i.e. distance between the rear axle and the tow hitch.

A few years ago, there were some Cobra tongue (drawbar) failures behind long-overhang RVs. The instances involved the older round tube drawbars vs. the newer square tube versions. I recently converted my 1981 Cobra round tube drawbar to the square tube design. The wall thickness and surface area of the square tube is much larger than the round-tube. Plus, the new drawbar has the gas spring operated emergency/parking brake lever vs. the "ratcheting" handle lock mechanism.

Not a difficult conversion, but I had to modify the brackets that hold the tube on the trailer floor for clearance and hole spacing requirements.