Glad no one hurt- ebay post

[wacnstac]

The owner's manual for my 1979 31' International shows it hooked up to an El Camino. Makes you wonder how they ever towed them back then.

[Ganglin]

Mine shows a 2 door Olds - that would have had a 112 inch wheel base. Surely they didn't tow with that.......

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Ganglin

Mine shows a 2 door Olds - that would have had a 112 inch wheel base. Surely they didn't tow with that.......

Wally used a bicycle.

There are many factors that can be involved with a loss of control accident.

Speed, is just one of them.

Andy

[peegreen]

Originally Posted by yukionna

Yikes!

I'm happy to hear no one was hurt.

So, what is the wheel base vs. torque matter?

Hmmmm, now you have me wondering...will I be able to tow my 28' Ambassador with a '64 Suburban?

I'm just thinking it's the case of the tail wagging the dog.

[Minnie's Mate]

El Caminos had big engines back then. I'm sure a towing package was more than a hitch and transmission cooler like you get today. I'd think there were other upgrades, even though I have not idea. But, they were body on frame construction. You don't see that too often today. I know unit-bodies can tow, but I'm not convinced they do it as well as traditional body-on-frame construction.

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

Wally used a bicycle.

There are many factors that can be involved with a loss of control accident.

Speed, is just one of them.

Andy

SPEED... no truer word was ever spoken. My Aunt Jean had two or three Airstreams over a 20 year period starting in the mid 50's. Back then she expected to tow at about 40-50mph max. AND the roads were a lot less crowded. She stayed in the right hand lane and pulled OFF the road at a rest stop or gas station if she was creating a big backup behind her.

She always towed her streams with station wagons, (I think the biggest one was a 28') and she always went down hill slowly - saying "gravity is NOT our friend when going downhill. It's a lot easier to stop a trailer going downhill at 40 than at 60.

Paula

[slowmover]

This is also being discussed on RV.NET. The seller is a member at that site, and indicates that while he "knew" better . . . .

That said, I might have driven this rig across town in a quiet hour of the morning, but that'd be about it. I feel truly bad for him, he'd just bought it if I understand correctly.

[Brad Hunt]

I am 100% positive that the formula of a wheelbase of 110" for the first 20' of trailer and 4" per foot thereafter is inacccurate most of the time. Physics tells me this formula misleads. To really solve this problem I would want to know 1. Speed being traveled; 2. Weight of tow vehicle vs. weight of trailer; 3. Width of tow vehicle; 4. Number of tires-4 or 6 of tow vehicle; 5. Where are tires located on trailer as to its length; 6. How is weight balanced on trailer; 7. Condition of tires and road surface; and 8. How much surface area (tall) is exposed to side forces. OK, I'm fussy and a bit of a geek but somebody will get killed if they rely on a simple formula when so many other factors have to come in play.

For instance, remember the famous pic of the French racing cyclist towing an AS. On flat ground he would not generate enough speed (4-5 mph, maybe) to cause the trailer to ever sway under any circumstances so the tow vehicle/ bicycle is safe; run the speed to 20 mph and he's in the ditch. Without looking at any other factor than speed, the faster you tow the larger your tow vehicle has to be to counteract trailer wind resistance that increases much more rapidly than even a modest increase in speed would seem to indicate.

That said our friend the Xterra may have been safe at 35 mph (or not) towing the trailer but at real highway speeds he was doomed to fail. For all of the above and for all other reasons that escape me but which are nonetheless present ditch that simplistic formula.

[boondockdad]

I’m sure somebody, somewhere can justify moving a king sized mattress and box spring strapped to the roof of their Toyota, pulling their dead Honda with tow straps, while talking on the cell and eating a tofu sandwich

My point is: somewhere before rolling down the road, you need to toss the formulas and physics, look at the rig, and say ‘not a good idea’

Btw- the above scenario is based on true events.

Well, actually, I can’t be sure it was a tofu sandwich…

[safari57]

Hey!!! Hold on a minute!!!!!

I will have you know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Tofu Sandwiches....

as long as they have enough meat in them .

We saw a mattress on the road recently with cars doing their best to avoid it and a few moments later caught up with the folks in a 90's Taurus with the rest of the bed still strapped to the roof. We honked a dozen times till they turned the stereo down and told them they'd lost the mattress and right there, in the middle of a four lane non-divided highway while still clipping along at a fast pace he suddenly does a 180 and is gone back to retrieve it. Now put that fellow behind the wheel of anything with a trailer behind it and I'd be positive of a crash. I did not see any signs of tofu sandwiches but it smelled a bit like they could have been smoking it instead.

Barry

[boondockdad]

Originally Posted by safari57

Hey!!! Hold on a minute!!!!!

I will have you know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Tofu Sandwiches....

as long as they have enough meat in them .

We saw a mattress on the road recently with cars doing their best to avoid it and a few moments later caught up with the folks in a 90's Taurus with the rest of the bed still strapped to the roof. We honked a dozen times till they turned the stereo down and told them they'd lost the mattress and right there, in the middle of a four lane non-divided highway while still clipping along at a fast pace he suddenly does a 180 and is gone back to retrieve it. Now put that fellow behind the wheel of anything with a trailer behind it and I'd be positive of a crash. I did not see any signs of tofu sandwiches but it smelled a bit like they could have been smoking it instead.

Barry

LOL