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Truck vs Car as a tow vehicle



 
 
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  #12  
Old October 28th 20, 06:58 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
AS
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Posts: 653
Default Truck vs Car as a tow vehicle

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'
  #13  
Old October 28th 20, 07:22 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
[email protected]
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Posts: 774
Default Truck vs Car as a tow vehicle


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.
  #14  
Old October 29th 20, 01:39 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
2G
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Posts: 1,439
Default Truck vs Car as a tow vehicle

On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 10:58:34 AM UTC-7, AS wrote:
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'


I have never heard of a Class C motorhome jackknifing while pulling a glider (I have heard of passenger car towing accidents, however). Perhaps you can cite the accidents you are referring to.

Tom

  #15  
Old October 29th 20, 03:01 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
AS
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Posts: 653
Default Truck vs Car as a tow vehicle

On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 8:39:38 PM UTC-4, 2G wrote:
On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 10:58:34 AM UTC-7, AS wrote:
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'


I have never heard of a Class C motorhome jackknifing while pulling a glider (I have heard of passenger car towing accidents, however). Perhaps you can cite the accidents you are referring to.

Tom


Interesting! So because you have never heard of if means it hadn't happen? You keep a running log of every accident involving a class C camper towing a trailer worldwide ever since class C campers or similarly sized vehicles were equipped with trailer hitches? ;-)
Also, please reread my comment - 'can' being the operative word to look for.. My assertion is based on simple physics. A top-view free body diagram should make it clear why a longer lever arm between the tow hitch and the rear axle is a disadvantage when the trailer and towing vehicle is not in line during hard braking.

Uli
'AS'
  #16  
Old October 29th 20, 03:09 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
AS
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Posts: 653
Default Truck vs Car as a tow vehicle

On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 10:02:00 PM UTC-4, AS wrote:
On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 8:39:38 PM UTC-4, 2G wrote:
On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 10:58:34 AM UTC-7, AS wrote:
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'


I have never heard of a Class C motorhome jackknifing while pulling a glider (I have heard of passenger car towing accidents, however). Perhaps you can cite the accidents you are referring to.

Tom


Interesting! So because you have never heard of if means it hadn't happen? You keep a running log of every accident involving a class C camper towing a trailer worldwide ever since class C campers or similarly sized vehicles were equipped with trailer hitches? ;-)
Also, please reread my comment - 'can' being the operative word to look for. My assertion is based on simple physics. A top-view free body diagram should make it clear why a longer lever arm between the tow hitch and the rear axle is a disadvantage when the trailer and towing vehicle is not in line during hard braking.

Uli
'AS'


Oops - forgot to mention: I used to own a class C motorhome and I towed a brakeless trailer with it. The motorhome was based on a 1977 Dodge B-Van, so no ABS or any other electronic assistance on this blue shag-carpeted puppy.. I ended up almost jack-knifing on my way to Caesar Creek when traffic ahead came to a sudden stop in a rain storm and I tried to change lanes. Fortunately, there was nobody next to me but seeing the trailer in it's full glory in the outside mirrors was not fun.

Uli
'AS'
  #17  
Old October 29th 20, 04:25 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
2G
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Posts: 1,439
Default Truck vs Car as a tow vehicle

On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 7:02:00 PM UTC-7, AS wrote:
On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 8:39:38 PM UTC-4, 2G wrote:
On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 10:58:34 AM UTC-7, AS wrote:
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'


I have never heard of a Class C motorhome jackknifing while pulling a glider (I have heard of passenger car towing accidents, however). Perhaps you can cite the accidents you are referring to.

Tom


Interesting! So because you have never heard of if means it hadn't happen? You keep a running log of every accident involving a class C camper towing a trailer worldwide ever since class C campers or similarly sized vehicles were equipped with trailer hitches? ;-)
Also, please reread my comment - 'can' being the operative word to look for. My assertion is based on simple physics. A top-view free body diagram should make it clear why a longer lever arm between the tow hitch and the rear axle is a disadvantage when the trailer and towing vehicle is not in line during hard braking.

Uli
'AS'


It means EXACTLY what I said: I have never heard of it. It sounds like YOU have never heard of it, either.

Tom
  #18  
Old October 29th 20, 04:38 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
AS
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Posts: 653
Default Truck vs Car as a tow vehicle

On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 11:25:07 PM UTC-4, 2G wrote:
On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 7:02:00 PM UTC-7, AS wrote:
On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 8:39:38 PM UTC-4, 2G wrote:
On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 10:58:34 AM UTC-7, AS wrote:
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'

I have never heard of a Class C motorhome jackknifing while pulling a glider (I have heard of passenger car towing accidents, however). Perhaps you can cite the accidents you are referring to.

Tom


Interesting! So because you have never heard of if means it hadn't happen? You keep a running log of every accident involving a class C camper towing a trailer worldwide ever since class C campers or similarly sized vehicles were equipped with trailer hitches? ;-)
Also, please reread my comment - 'can' being the operative word to look for. My assertion is based on simple physics. A top-view free body diagram should make it clear why a longer lever arm between the tow hitch and the rear axle is a disadvantage when the trailer and towing vehicle is not in line during hard braking.

Uli
'AS'


It means EXACTLY what I said: I have never heard of it. It sounds like YOU have never heard of it, either.

Tom


It sounds like YOU have never heard of it, either.

Only experiences an almost jack-knifing (see my follow-up post), so I know first hand that it can happen. It made me rethink this whole 'trailer w/o brake' thing.

Uli
'AS'
  #19  
Old October 29th 20, 06:26 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
2G
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,439
Default Truck vs Car as a tow vehicle

On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 8:38:30 PM UTC-7, AS wrote:
On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 11:25:07 PM UTC-4, 2G wrote:
On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 7:02:00 PM UTC-7, AS wrote:
On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 8:39:38 PM UTC-4, 2G wrote:
On Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 10:58:34 AM UTC-7, AS wrote:
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'

I have never heard of a Class C motorhome jackknifing while pulling a glider (I have heard of passenger car towing accidents, however). Perhaps you can cite the accidents you are referring to.

Tom

Interesting! So because you have never heard of if means it hadn't happen? You keep a running log of every accident involving a class C camper towing a trailer worldwide ever since class C campers or similarly sized vehicles were equipped with trailer hitches? ;-)
Also, please reread my comment - 'can' being the operative word to look for. My assertion is based on simple physics. A top-view free body diagram should make it clear why a longer lever arm between the tow hitch and the rear axle is a disadvantage when the trailer and towing vehicle is not in line during hard braking.

Uli
'AS'


It means EXACTLY what I said: I have never heard of it. It sounds like YOU have never heard of it, either.

Tom


It sounds like YOU have never heard of it, either.

Only experiences an almost jack-knifing (see my follow-up post), so I know first hand that it can happen. It made me rethink this whole 'trailer w/o brake' thing.

Uli
'AS'


So, you don't know of any Class C jack-knifing.

Tom
  #20  
Old October 29th 20, 06:30 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
2G
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Posts: 1,439
Default Truck vs Car as a tow vehicle

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
 




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