Who follows towing guidelines?

[ViewRVs]

I find it funny and ironic how different individuals in the RV community view specifications.

RV DEALERS:
"Sure your Pinto will pull this 8,500 pound behemoth box trailer with no problems!" These guys ignore tow specs like no one else. Anything to get a sale.

EXPERIENCE TOW-ers'
"Even though the truck is rated for that weight, NEVER even think of approaching it. Over-kill baby! You can't have enough tow vehicle. I only tow up to half the rating on my truck. Anything more is suicide. Go big or go home!"

MOTORHOME OWNERS:
"I don't know what they were thinking when they set the TOAD weight limit. I've toad my Gas-Hog Huge SUV around for years with no problems. These rigs can easily handle more. The attorneys probably told them to lower the weight limit to keep from getting sued. Just ignore that TOAD weight limit and tow what you want." (Most Classic MH owners pulling a TOAD are over their limit since even a Toyota Echo is 2,050 pounds)

A guy at my office just bought a Honda Odyssey for a TOAD. He uses NO TOAD brakes and doesn't know what the MH is rated for pulling. He just does it. I guess ignorance is bliss until he wrecks the whole thing one day.

I guess I'm venting because if you try to do the right thing, you have no fun while thousands out there just blissfully ignore specs.

[85MH325]

Originally posted by 1985air345
I find it funny and ironic how different individuals in the RV community view specifications.

MOTORHOME OWNERS:
"I don't know what they were thinking when they set the TOAD weight limit. I've toad my Gas-Hog Huge SUV around for years with no problems. These rigs can easily handle more. The attorneys probably told them to lower the weight limit to keep from getting sued. Just ignore that TOAD weight limit and tow what you want." (Most Classic MH owners pulling a TOAD are over their limit since even a Toyota Echo is 2,050 pounds)

I guy at my office just bought a Honda Odyssey for a TOAD. He uses NO TOAD brakes and doesn't know what the MH is rated for pulling. He just does it. I guess ignorance is bliss until he wrecks the whole thing one day.

I guess I'm venting because if you try to do the right thing, you have no fun while thousands out there just blissfully ignore specs.

I hear ya! I was one of those MH owners who isn't too bright. Actually, it was just plain ignorance. I actually towed a '92 Lincoln Continental FWD behind our 325 for two years on a dolly with brakes! I was just plain lucky. It sure didn't have anything to do with being smart! I could have pulled the entire hitch off the frame! I could have trashed the tranny. I could have done a million other things. Fortunately, our towing here was pretty flat, and I was pretty conservative with the MH, but it sure did kill the gas mileage! Duh...

Roger

[wb13798]

don't worry be happy . get over it . what can i say.
i do all those things and you will always have some old lady cut you off and almost cause a wreck and if it wasn't for the braking unit in the big hog you are pulling you would have sent the old lady to by by land.
moral to the story do the best you can and don't worry be happy.
i have never heard or see any one get pulled over and checked for safety equipment.

[Pick]

Having been "fulltiming" for a month now, in Florida, in an RV park next to I75, I have seen some real doozies

Best one yet: A guy pulls in driving a Prevost. His toad is a FULL size GMC extended cab pickup, with a golf cart in the back AND a full size Honda motorcycle on a bumper carrier on the rear of the pickup He stated that "This thing can pull anything!" and "She gets 10 MPG pulling the truck, or not pulling the truck".

I see 28-34' SOB's being pulled by minivans, S10s, Dakotas, and Explorers. Some have WD hitches some don't. Even the ones with WD hitches look overloaded.

On the flip side, there is a woman who pulls in with her short bed Dodge, pulling a 2 horse trailer with WD hitch. Looks like it is set up perfect, truck sets real nice.

I have pulled 6-8000# loads without trailer brakes, with a short bed 1/2 ton GMC pickup. (Only 12 Miles) It is not fun, and you know the truck is straining to pull and stop. Some of these people that pull these kinds of loads for long distances are incredibly dense, or don't give a hoot.

Ignorance is bliss

[john hd]

Re: Who follows towing guidelines?

i don't, i exceed them!

john

[Silvertwinkie]

Well, we've all seen and heard from these folks even on this forum.

My favorite will aways be:

http://www.airforums.com/forum...light=intrepid


and ones that are similar.....

[85MH325]

I have taken to looking at every RV's hitch setup just to see who's doing what. There are some pretty scary tow rigs out there. Some of the best are the folks who tow RVs to dealerships from the factories! Too high, too low, no weight distribution, no sway control. It's amazing that they ever make it!

Roger

[Silvertwinkie]

You got that one right Rog....

When the delivered the new Twinkie, they came with a Dodge Cummings 3500 dually. No weight bars, no sway, and had the brake controller poorly adjusted.

To the dually's credit however, when I took the coach off the truck, it barely moved an inch from it's stock stance.....

.....without the weight bars though, the new and the old Twinkies both put the rear of my car down significantly....even with good cargo coils. Needless to say, I use sway, weight and have the brake controller properly adjusted.

[wahoonc]

Read an article somewhere that over approximately 60% of the tow rigs on the road are set up incorrectly, and that includes being over capacity for the tow vehicle. What scares me more is the lack of insurance and unliscensed drivers on the road. By some estimates in some areas 75% of the vehicles on the road are improperly liscensed and/or insured. "Ignorance is Bliss"

Aaron

[Davydd]

you would think a Mini Cooper could pull a 34 ft. Classic, no?

[Silvertwinkie]

Originally posted by Davydd
you would think a Mini Cooper could pull a 34 ft. Classic, no?

...only if they have the CanAm crap attached though.....and the rear wheels on the Mini were removed once connected. LOL!

[85MH325]

Originally posted by Davydd
you would think a Mini Cooper could pull a 34 ft. Classic, no?

Are you telling me it can't? Damn!!! I was all set to go out and trade the Ex for one today!

Roger

[overlander63]

On mine, I usually go "middle of the road" if there is one. I have a Dakpta, V8, pulling my Argosy 20. I use 750# WD, and a single-friction Husky sway control, with a Tekonsha Voyager for baking, not the Prodigy.
Small truck, small trailer, mid-size WD, mid-price brake controller.
If I wind up with the 25' Trade Wind that Mrs. Argosy20 has been trying to convince me to get, I may upgrade, but at this point, everything is well within ratings.
When everything is loaded to the gunn'ls, I am still within my GVW and GCVW.
Terry

[overlander64]

Murphy's Law is my constant traveling companion, so I received a wake-up call very early in my travel trailer towing experience reagrading exceeding trailer tow ratings. In 1982 in my second year of towing, I had just acquired a brand new tow vehicle (Pontiac Bonneville with 3,000 pound trailer tow package). My 1980 19' Nomad Light Weight Special had a GVW of 3,000 pounds. First trip out was uneventful, but the second was not. A group of friends and I had tickets for The Grand Ole' Opry in Nashville (about 250 miles away) - - we loaded up the Pontiac and trailer and thought that we were on our way. I knew that we were probably exceeding the capacities of the tow vehicle - - five passengers plus driver, personal belongings and camping equipment.

Just less than two miles from my home the trailer began to sway. The problem wasn't immediately apparent. Applying the trailer brakes made little difference and applying the car's brakes made it worse - - tried to speed up but the car was loded to the point that accelleration was too slow to overcome the yaw. The series of events that transpired from that point were so fast that the exact sequence is unknown - - the result was - - 180 degree skid in the center of a very busy two-lane highway with a semi-truck approaching from the top of the hill - - the car/trailer came to rest heading West (we had been heading East) along the Westbound shoulder. We had been traveling at just below 40 MPH when the Yaw began and were at less than 30 MPH when the skid began. Inspection revealed blown tire (curbside), broken spring shackle, brake wiring shredded, and missing bumper guards on the tow vehicle. Fortunately there wasn't any significant damage to the new tow vehicle; and there were no resulting accidents of a consequence of this unexpected maneuver. We proceeded very carefully to the next farmhouse where we called a tow-service to dolly the trailer back to the selling dealer. We were towing with a properly adjusted Reese weight distributing hitch and a single Reese Friction Sway control that was properly adjusted (the sway control was bent nearly in-two after the incident).

Since that time, I have been very cautious about having a tow vehicle with at least 25% surplus towing capability for my trailer; and I also keep tabs on the loaded weight of my trailer to avoid overloading its tires/suspension system. It is also part of the reason that my tow vehicle has the largest available engine even if it wasn't required for the tow rating I needed - - the feeling that the trailer is dictating to the tow vehicle is one that I never want to again experience.

Kevin

[Tarheel]

I didn't realize that my shocks were in such bad condition. I had checked the brakes and adjusted them, packed the bearings, and inspected all the tires. I was less than 10 miles from home when I got into a similar sway situation. 50 mph a little gust of wind and I was all over the road. I was running with 1/2 full fresh water tank. The water was sloshing and pulling my 6500 lb dodge all over the road. I ran the rest of the trip to Vermont with a full tank and replaced the shocks when I returned home. I'm glad I was pulling with a mini cooper. They say the minis do a wonderful job of pulling 34's down mountains.