WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

[GrindKore]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

geesh...boating forums...didnt realize how narrow minded people are.

Looks disproportionate, eh? But it tows, launches and retrieves like a dream. Sometimes technology (SH-AWD) > than brawn

You did not mention about stopping this rig. When someone cuts in front of you on the freeway, physics will prevail. There is a thing called "Newton's Third Law of Motion" published by Issac Newton in 1687 that they teach in high school, and it states the following; For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

This is what it means: When you slam on brakes at 65mph due to emergency, your boat and trailer will keep pushing your little SUV resulting in a nasty jackknifing or worse. No AWD, ABS, or other high tech gizmo's will override laws of physics.

I think a lot of people misinterpret what towing is all about, it?s not about what you can pull and how fast. My 20 hp lawn tractor can pull my 2200lbs boat and trailer, I use it to push the boat behind the house. Does this mean a John Deere LA125 lawnmower tractor is a proper tow vehicle? No, it is not. However, I do know that my 6100lbs F150 has a much better chance of controlling the 2200lbs trailer and boat on the public roads than a 2700 lbs crossover SUV. Think about it for a second! Your rig is likely equal or greater mass than your tow vehicle which means you really have no control over it. You may get away with this as long as you never have to face the unexpected. What you really doing is endangering public while fooling yourself in to a false sense of security because it handles "like a dream?.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

........When I see a Pinto pulling anything... its not safe. The brakes are not good enough to stop that car plus a boat.........

Apparently you've never worked on the brakes on a Pinto?
My 1980 had 9" x 2" rear brakes and 8.5" front rotors with pads and calipers as large as my full sized Crown Vic and larger than my Ranger.
The brake booster and master cylinder were the same as the same year F250, (15/16" bore).

That car would put you though the windshield if you sneezed on the brakes. I towed my 1300 lb bass boat for 10 years with that, it never got stuck, never had problems stopping, and never had any premature failure issues. The best part was that the car and trailer were so beat up and rough looking, I never had to worry about either being there when I got back.

The most I ever towed was an 18' enclosed trailer, empty, for about 25 miles, I had found it, got a deal and had no choice but to take it or lose the deal. I got some really strange looks that day. Backing it up was interesting since I had no rear view.

One thing that has always amazed me is the stupidity of drivers when the see a vehicle that's carrying a large load or a load that may not be all that stable.
It seems they have to tail gate extra close just to see if something will fall off and smack them in the face.
I was hauling a load of scrap steel coils, which when dumped on a flat trailer looks about like a huge pile of steel spaghetti. The whole way to the scrap yard, I had numerous drivers tailing the trailer.
... If I was driving along and saw a load of steel like that, with stray pieces hanging every which way, there's no way I'd get anywhere near it. I'd give the driver a wide berth. My reaction to tail gaiters is usually to slam on my brakes.

No vehicle will handle or respond the same with a trailer as it would without, even the largest SUV or truck will require more room to stop with a trailer added.
The way I see it, the weight of a small trailer behind a small car is no more weight than a full load of passengers. I weigh just under 300 lbs, the car seats four, that's a potential of 1200 lbs and far less than the weight of my aluminum bass boat and trailer. That car towed that boat far better than my current truck does, it had more pulling power due to the lower gears and lack of overdrive. The truck is geared too high and lugs pulling any trailer. The Pinto had a 4.10 rear ration and a non emission 2.3L, while the truck has a 2.3L with an overdrive 5 speed and a 2.73 rear ratio. It does the job but not as easy as that Pinto did. The truck does handle more weight, but not power wise, only tongue weight wise.
I use my boats maybe 30 or so times a year, I drive the same vehicle daily, I can't afford to keep a special vehicle just to tow my boat, it just don't add up, and with the cost of gas now, the likely hood of me getting a larger vehicle that burns more gas is all but out the window. I'd rather put that money in the tank on board the boat not the tow vehicle.

If my towing a trailer with a small truck or car bothers others, then stay back and stay away. Any driver that tail gaits or creates a hazard for a vehicle towing gets what they deserve. I especially like those that pull out in front of an 18 wheeler expecting them to stop. I've seen quite a few turned into scrap that way over the years.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

Just another point:
What did people do 40 to 50 years ago when boats were heavier and there were no big SUVs or pickups to tow with? The average tow vehicle was a 90hp family sedan and the trailers were nothing more than a skeleton with wheels and a few short bunks.
Brakes were rare on boat trailers and even the biggest car wasn't much larger or heavier than a small pickup is today. I had bought a 1950 Ford station wagon some years ago, it was clean and really cool looking, it had a flat head V8, three speed trans and a trailer hitch that clamped over the back bumper. With it came a vintage 20' long camper, which was mostly all wood with an aluminum skin. The trailer frame was real steel and it weighed about three tons. The car weighed only about 3600 lbs. The trailer and car were the same year and the original owners had apparently bought the car to tow the trailer. The car and the camper had stickers on it from nearly every state and hundreds of camp ground decals. The car had about 80,000 miles on it and other than some rear spring sag, it was actually very drivable. A bit of tinkering and some fresh fuel and air in the tires, and it drove home, trailer in tow. No sway control, no equalizing bars, no trailer brakes, and no fancy anything. Not that I would consider using it as a daily ride these days but apparently people did just fine back then towing with cars and other small vehicles. When you look at boats back then, many were wood, trailers had tiny wheels, odd suspensions, and no bearing buddies. How did they survive?
Those cars had no power brakes, no disc brakes, trailers with brakes were rare and I've yet to see an old boat trailer with brakes, boats were heavy and mostly wood, cars often were only 60 to 100 hp, there was no overdrive and 4x4 trucks were military issue only for the most part. Not to mention that many used 6 volt electrical systems that barely lit there own headlights let alone trailer lights. The average truck was built off the same chassis as a car and things like shocks weren't common until the early 50's. Tires were bias ply nylon cord, and they lasted only about 10K at best, and less if used hard. Yet those vehicles got the job done, and no one whined about them being unsafe or overloaded. They used what they had and got the job at hand done just fine.


I sold that car years ago, never really drove it much but the camper is still being used by a buddy as a guest room.

 

[GrindKore]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

Just another point:
What did people do 40 to 50 years ago when boats were heavier and there were no big SUVs or pickups to tow with? The average tow vehicle was a 90hp family sedan and the trailers were nothing more than a skeleton with wheels and a few short bunks.
Brakes were rare on boat trailers and even the biggest car wasn't much larger or heavier than a small pickup is today. I had bought a 1950 Ford station wagon some years ago, it was clean and really cool looking, it had a flat head V8, three speed trans and a trailer hitch that clamped over the back bumper. With it came a vintage 20' long camper, which was mostly all wood with an aluminum skin. The trailer frame was real steel and it weighed about three tons. The car weighed only about 3600 lbs. The trailer and car were the same year and the original owners had apparently bought the car to tow the trailer. The car and the camper had stickers on it from nearly every state and hundreds of camp ground decals. The car had about 80,000 miles on it and other than some rear spring sag, it was actually very drivable. A bit of tinkering and some fresh fuel and air in the tires, and it drove home, trailer in tow. No sway control, no equalizing bars, no trailer brakes, and no fancy anything. Not that I would consider using it as a daily ride these days but apparently people did just fine back then towing with cars and other small vehicles. When you look at boats back then, many were wood, trailers had tiny wheels, odd suspensions, and no bearing buddies. How did they survive?
Those cars had no power brakes, no disc brakes, trailers with brakes were rare and I've yet to see an old boat trailer with brakes, boats were heavy and mostly wood, cars often were only 60 to 100 hp, there was no overdrive and 4x4 trucks were military issue only for the most part. Not to mention that many used 6 volt electrical systems that barely lit there own headlights let alone trailer lights. The average truck was built off the same chassis as a car and things like shocks weren't common until the early 50's. Tires were bias ply nylon cord, and they lasted only about 10K at best, and less if used hard. Yet those vehicles got the job done, and no one whined about them being unsafe or overloaded. They used what they had and got the job at hand done just fine.


I sold that car years ago, never really drove it much but the camper is still being used by a buddy as a guest room.

Your argument is moot point, here are few simple facts:

1) 50 years ago, most interstate highways were not built yet, the average speed of travel was much lower.

2) The average sedan 50 years ago weighted more than a modern pickup truck due to heavy steel frame and stamped steel body designs.

3) There were no where near as many vehicles per capita on the road.

4) There were no seat belts or other safety devices. The fatality rate per hour driven was much higher.

5) Smoking was good for your health, 9 of 10 doctors preferred Camel lights.

6) My father in law walked to school and back uphill both ways and liked it.


All I'm saying is if your rig weights the same or more than your tow vehicle, you simply asking for trouble. Just because you have been doing it for 10 years does not mean laws of physics were canceled. You are simply a lucky guy.

 

[dingbat]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

Your rig is likely equal or greater mass than your tow vehicle which means you really have no control over it.

Using this philosophy please explain how a truck tractor can tow a trailer that is easily twice its mass....safely?

 

[hubbard53]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

You did not mention about stopping this rig. When someone cuts in front of you on the freeway, physics will prevail. There is a thing called "Newton's Third Law of Motion" published by Issac Newton in 1687 that they teach in high school, and it states the following; For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

This is what it means: When you slam on brakes at 65mph due to emergency, your boat and trailer will keep pushing your little SUV resulting in a nasty jackknifing or worse. No AWD, ABS, or other high tech gizmo's will override laws of physics.

I think a lot of people misinterpret what towing is all about, it?s not about what you can pull and how fast. My 20 hp lawn tractor can pull my 2200lbs boat and trailer, I use it to push the boat behind the house. Does this mean a John Deere LA125 lawnmower tractor is a proper tow vehicle? No, it is not. However, I do know that my 6100lbs F150 has a much better chance of controlling the 2200lbs trailer and boat on the public roads than a 2700 lbs crossover SUV. Think about it for a second! Your rig is likely equal or greater mass than your tow vehicle which means you really have no control over it. You may get away with this as long as you never have to face the unexpected. What you really doing is endangering public while fooling yourself in to a false sense of security because it handles "like a dream?.

again, a pompous boater thinks he needs to preach physics to the plebians. . .

Seriously dude, I don't need a physics lesson; I have enough education and common sense to not put myself nor the public at risk. My boat/trailer happens to be just about the same weight as my SUV. This rig becomes a 'proper' tow vehicle through common sense. Greater distance is needed to stop the rig; that's a given (just like in the rain or snow). I understand that when slamming the breaks, the trailer is still pushing against my SUV. Modern trailers have built in safety features such as surge breaks to assist in said emergencies. Are they perfect? No. But they help mitigate the results of a emergency maneuver.

Even without a trailer in tow, anytime you slam the breaks at 65mph, the potential for damage and injury is still there, all you can do is drive defensively and use common sense to avoid those situations. Even with your mega pickup truck, you run the same risk.

 

[Andy in NY]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

Just another point:
What did people do 40 to 50 years ago when boats were heavier and there were no big SUVs or pickups to tow with? The average tow vehicle was a 90hp family sedan and the trailers were nothing more than a skeleton with wheels and a few short bunks.
Brakes were rare on boat trailers and even the biggest car wasn't much larger or heavier than a small pickup is today. I had bought a 1950 Ford station wagon some years ago, it was clean and really cool looking, it had a flat head V8, three speed trans and a trailer hitch that clamped over the back bumper. With it came a vintage 20' long camper, which was mostly all wood with an aluminum skin. The trailer frame was real steel and it weighed about three tons. The car weighed only about 3600 lbs. The trailer and car were the same year and the original owners had apparently bought the car to tow the trailer. The car and the camper had stickers on it from nearly every state and hundreds of camp ground decals. The car had about 80,000 miles on it and other than some rear spring sag, it was actually very drivable. A bit of tinkering and some fresh fuel and air in the tires, and it drove home, trailer in tow. No sway control, no equalizing bars, no trailer brakes, and no fancy anything. Not that I would consider using it as a daily ride these days but apparently people did just fine back then towing with cars and other small vehicles. When you look at boats back then, many were wood, trailers had tiny wheels, odd suspensions, and no bearing buddies. How did they survive?
Those cars had no power brakes, no disc brakes, trailers with brakes were rare and I've yet to see an old boat trailer with brakes, boats were heavy and mostly wood, cars often were only 60 to 100 hp, there was no overdrive and 4x4 trucks were military issue only for the most part. Not to mention that many used 6 volt electrical systems that barely lit there own headlights let alone trailer lights. The average truck was built off the same chassis as a car and things like shocks weren't common until the early 50's. Tires were bias ply nylon cord, and they lasted only about 10K at best, and less if used hard. Yet those vehicles got the job done, and no one whined about them being unsafe or overloaded. They used what they had and got the job at hand done just fine.


I sold that car years ago, never really drove it much but the camper is still being used by a buddy as a guest room.

My best friend used to own a '64 Olds cutlass 88. It had 4 wheel non power drum brakes, the turning radious of a freight train and only 2 seatbelts in the whole car. in 2000 it only had 42,000 miles on it and drove the same as the day it came off the showroom floor...

scary as hell in anything other than...

anything.

Just because that is the way it was done back in the 50's, doesnt make it safe. they didnt have CO detectors, or hard wired interconnected smoke systems, or even smoke detectors in most homes then. Women smoked and drank while pregnant. cocaine was considered safe. single pane windows were hi tech. leaded gas wasnt hurting the enviornment. 8 mpg was acceptable.


Would you think anything I said would be acceptable this day in age???


Now, let me speak from experience here. The FIRST time heading to the launch with my new-to-me boat, I was anxious and decided to use my rusted s-10 and it;s bumper hitch to make the 11 mile trip to the launch.

this was the end result...

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=254719

So, I got smart and got a proper vehicle.

 

[GrindKore]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

Hubbard, ultimately we all make choices, some are good others are bad. When you get on the public road, your choices can also affect others.

You and others that think a small car or SUV is proper tow vehicle for rig that exceeds its mass can pretend to be captain "cool" and deny the obvious. However, know this. You are much more likely ending up in a bad situation with a complete loss of control while your rig is dragging you car sideways in to a ditch or median, possibly injuring or killing yourself or someone else.

This is what happens when trailer is heavier than the tow vehicle

 

[hubbard53]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

Hubbard, ultimately we all make choices, some are good others are bad. When you get on the public road, your choices can also affect others.

You and others that think a small car or SUV is proper tow vehicle for rig that exceeds its mass can pretend to be captain "cool" and deny the obvious. However, know this. You are much more likely ending up in a bad situation with a complete loss of control while your rig is dragging you car sideways in to a ditch or median, possibly injuring or killing yourself or someone else.

This is what happens when trailer is heavier than the tow vehicle

Do a google image search for "trailer towing accident" and you'll get hundreds of photographs of accidents involving tractor trailers, jeeps, big fords, dodges, etc. that flipped over while towing...

 

[Maclin]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

Using this philosophy please explain how a truck tractor can tow a trailer that is easily twice its mass....safely?

That is easy to answer, the semi rig TRACTOR is part of a SYSTEM. Look at all the hardware under a semi trailer. Look at all the connections between the tractor and the trailer. Then look at the size of the underpinnings on the tractor.

 

[dingbat]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

That is easy to answer, the semi rig TRACTOR is part of a SYSTEM. Look at all the hardware under a semi trailer. Look at all the connections between the tractor and the trailer. Then look at the size of the underpinnings on the tractor.

So all I need is a big hitch pin and a couple of hoses running back to the brakes?

I thought this was a physics thing? Mass must be equal to or larger than the mass being towed to be uncontrollable.

You know, Isaac Newton type stuff.

 

[kyle f]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

You did not mention about stopping this rig. When someone cuts in front of you on the freeway, physics will prevail. There is a thing called "Newton's Third Law of Motion" published by Issac Newton in 1687 that they teach in high school, and it states the following; For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

This is what it means: When you slam on brakes at 65mph due to emergency, your boat and trailer will keep pushing your little SUV resulting in a nasty jackknifing or worse. No AWD, ABS, or other high tech gizmo's will override laws of physics.

I think a lot of people misinterpret what towing is all about, it?s not about what you can pull and how fast. My 20 hp lawn tractor can pull my 2200lbs boat and trailer, I use it to push the boat behind the house. Does this mean a John Deere LA125 lawnmower tractor is a proper tow vehicle? No, it is not. However, I do know that my 6100lbs F150 has a much better chance of controlling the 2200lbs trailer and boat on the public roads than a 2700 lbs crossover SUV. Think about it for a second! Your rig is likely equal or greater mass than your tow vehicle which means you really have no control over it. You may get away with this as long as you never have to face the unexpected. What you really doing is endangering public while fooling yourself in to a false sense of security because it handles "like a dream?.

And all the Boaters with real trucks said "Amen!"

 

[reelfishin]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

Your argument is moot point, here are few simple facts:

1) 50 years ago, most interstate highways were not built yet, the average speed of travel was much lower.

2) The average sedan 50 years ago weighted more than a modern pickup truck due to heavy steel frame and stamped steel body designs.

3) There were no where near as many vehicles per capita on the road.

4) There were no seat belts or other safety devices. The fatality rate per hour driven was much higher.

5) Smoking was good for your health, 9 of 10 doctors preferred Camel lights.

6) My father in law walked to school and back uphill both ways and liked it.


All I'm saying is if your rig weights the same or more than your tow vehicle, you simply asking for trouble. Just because you have been doing it for 10 years does not mean laws of physics were canceled. You are simply a lucky guy.

1) I and most boaters around here never get near an interstate highway, the speed limits between here and the ramp are 45 mph tops.

2) The average sedan back then was not as heavy as a modern pickup, most full size pickups exceed the 6,000 lbs mark, you would be hard pressed to find many cars back then that were heavier than 4,000 lbs. I have owned many classic cars, mostly from that period, most have been in between 3,600 and 4,000 lbs with only a few big luxury cars being really heavy. The 50 Ford I had weighed less than my 94 Ranger.
What do you think the frames on a modern pickup are made from? The frame on a modern Chevy or Ford truck would weight nearly double than the frame on the average car back then. I own a 2007 F250, it weighs in on the scales at 6400 lbs, my 94 Ranger at 3,860, and my Dodge van at 6,100, compared to my 47 Chevy truck at 4100, my 50 Ford wagon at 3,643, and my 2003 Grand Marquis at 3,960 lbs.

3) There's not many cars out on the road at 4 AM when I head out fishing either, especially on weekdays.

4) "There were no seat belts or other safety devices. The fatality rate per hour driven was much higher" No but cars as you said were made of 'heavy' steel'. Somehow the population survived. Maybe people just had more common sense?

5) "Smoking was good for your health, 9 of 10 doctors preferred Camel lights."
And driving in one of those tiny fuel efficient imports people drive today is safe with all of those 6,000 lb.+ tow vehicles running around todays high speed interstates?

6) If more kids walked to school today imagine the money that would be saved in fuel in buses and maybe they'd be too tired to get into all the trouble they seem to get into.

My rig doesn't even come close to weighing anything near the weight of my vehicle, not even half. Even my biggest boat only weighs in at about 1700 lbs.
It makes no sense for a guy who tows a handful of times each year to own a $50,000, 6,000 lb truck to haul a couple thousand pound boat a few miles to the water. I don't consider myself luck, just a good driver.

There should be a law that forbids following a trailer too close. I brought a boat home the other day and had some fool driving a foot away from its motor for about 5 miles. Drivers like that need to be removed from the road. They're either looking for a reason to sue or just plain stupid. The problem is there's too many of both these days.

I owned a 36' Sport fishing boat for years, it weighed over 12 tons, plus it's trailer, a three axle steel I beam framed rig. It got towed twice a year one mile to a buddies house for winter storage. We used a half ton 4x4 truck. The current owner now tows it about 14 miles each way twice a year with a 20 year old 3 ton dump truck. Even that doesn't come close to outweighing that rig. I my opinion, there's no safe or proper way to haul that boat on the highway, it was too tall and 12.5' wide. We did it with what we had, and so did just about everyone else with that size boat. There was no way I was going to pay $2500 storage when I could store it for free a block away. If all of us here had unlimited funds, we would all have brand new boats and tow vehicles, but that's not the case, and if it were, this forum wouldn't have much purpose. I would venture to guess that more than half of us here at iBoats have older boats and older tow vehicles.

With gas at over $4/gal. you're going to see more and more small tow vehicles. Its just a matter of having drivers that have the common sense to make them do the job safely.
When it comes to common sense, I think the process of natural selection kept the idiot level down, these days we make everything idiot proof and they now survive. If you can't drive, stay off the road. Most accidents aren't caused by the guy towing, it's the idiot that pulls out 10 ft in front of him with the thinking that he'll stop.

As far as the pic of the wrecked UHaul trailer, Have you ever taken a good look at the condition of some of those rental trailers? Those don't have brakes, and if someone is stupid enough to load one to the limit and try to tow for the first time with a Honda or other, then your most likely going to have that. Chances are they had it loaded tail heavy, it got to swaying and they lost control. That's no fault of the trailer or tow vehicle. I call that operator error.

 

[GrindKore]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

It is the physics thing, it's obvious you don't understand the difference so let me explain.

In a semi-truck + trailer configuration at least half of trailer+cargo weight is distributed over the tandem axles of the tractor thus shifting force vector caused by momentum toward the center of gravity of the tractor vehicle. This fact alone makes it a much more stable platform to handle large trailer mass. This arrangement is also known as fifth wheel, during the deceleration trailer tends to push down on the tow vehicle and increase it's friction with the road surface. In addition the integrated compressed air break system is much more more powerful and responsive relative to what typical surge brake.

In a typical recreational tow behind configuration, the force vector of the trailer is parallel to the direction of forward velocity. When applying breaks the momentum of the trailer pushes the tow vehicle in a straight line relative to the trailer's motion. This presents a bigger problem when tow vehicle is changing direction of travel such as curves on the highway or emergency maneuvering to avoid road hazard while applying brakes. The trailer will apply force on tow vehicle in a lateral direction relative to the tow vehicle forward velocity. The lighter the vehicle's mass relative to the mass of the trailer, the less force it will require for the rear tires to loose grip and slide sideways. Once the rear tires loose grip, this process cannot be reversed and the tow vehicle + trailer becomes uncontrollable.

 

[Maclin]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

Dingbat (no offense intended, it is your name!),

I thought you asked how that type of rig could manage it safely without the mass seemingly "required" as stated in the other posts, and my answer is a response to that. Based on mass alone it can't if one or more of the systems fail (the driver certainly being key to one of the systems). A typical light duty (CVWR under 20,000#'s) tow vehicle is not near as over-qualified as a semi Tractor, and the towed cargo vehicle in that range as well is not as over-engineered as the semi vans and that is the point I had in mind.

 

[kyle f]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

So all I need is a big hitch pin and a couple of hoses running back to the brakes?

I thought this was a physics thing? Mass must be equal to or larger than the mass being towed to be uncontrollable.

You know, Isaac Newton type stuff.

You can build to compensate with the law of physics. What he was saying is that the Tractor rig is designed to pull weights greater than themselves and stop them. The trailers also have brakes that work in conjunction with the rig, sometimes the trailer brakes work harder than the rig brakes to prevent the trailer from pushign on them. Same thign with big F350s and such, they have brake controllers that you can adjust to make the braking situation compensate for the added mass.

 

[dingbat]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

You can build to compensate with the law of physics. What he was saying is that the Tractor rig is designed to pull weights greater than themselves and stop them. The trailers also have brakes that work in conjunction with the rig, sometimes the trailer brakes work harder than the rig brakes to prevent the trailer from pushign on them. Same thign with big F350s and such, they have brake controllers that you can adjust to make the braking situation compensate for the added mass.

Humm....So you can compensate for the physics of it with brakes...interesting.

So does that mean if I have adequate braking capacity to counteract the kinetic energy of the two objects during deceleration the mass of the objects becomes a moot point?..to an extent?

 

[Maclin]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

Who invited Archimedes? (good natured rib/compliment intended)

This thread certainly hit a couple of buttons, I am taking my paddle out of the fray and grabbing the popcorn.

 

[hubbard53]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

Who invited Archimedes? (good natured rib/compliment intended)

This thread certainly hit a couple of buttons, I am taking my paddle out of the fray and grabbing the popcorn.

lol i think its more of an ePeen contest. Who has the bigger/better tow vehicle. . .

Some think size matters whereas others think its how you use it

 

[kyle f]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

Humm....So you can compensate for the physics of it with brakes...interesting.

So does that mean if I have adequate braking capacity to counteract the kinetic energy of the two objects during deceleration the mass of the objects becomes a moot point?..to an extent?

Not really, but the brakes can keep the trailer from pushing the rig around. Surge Brakes require that the trailer be pushin on the rig.

Plus as mentioned above, the attachment point, angle, and style make a big difference in how the force is applied to the rig. I guess comepnsate is nto the appropriate term, but rather I should say that by planning ahead for extremely large mass loads you can modify the set up in a way that is designed to handle such loads, but what you end up with si a purpose built rig.

Where as a light duty pickup is not designed to just tow only liek an 18 wheeler is.