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TomR · 09-12-2009, 07:37 AM

Andy...saw one of "your guys" in the Two Harbors city campground the other night. I was remiss in not getting his (their - also wife) names.

Used 34' '95 or 96'...with a Hensley and a Buick crossover. When I saw the Ontario license I told my wife...there is a CanAm set-up. It had hitch strengthening and mods as well as some tweaking to the hitch bar.

Owners are now fulltime and say the set-up works great.

They caught some great weather as they toured along the Lake Superior coast...can be the beginning of winter this time of year if you are unlucky.

Tom R in Two Harbors

Andrew T · 09-12-2009, 11:51 AM

Hi Tom

I know exactly who you mean, it is a 95 Limited standard body and a 2009 Buick Enclave. We have set up about 20 Enclaves now and everyone sure likes them. Very tight and quiet, great mileage with a smooth ride yet it still has nice precise handling.

Chuck · 09-12-2009, 12:30 PM

Andy: odd question for you...

how do these buick/gmc vehicles do in reverse?

One issue I have with the prospect of a "non traditional" tow vehicle is that I have to back up a steep hill to park my trailer at my house. Pickup truck has all it can do to do this; I even overheated the transmission, once. Then it dawned on my to try it in low-range (4x4). That pushes it up the hill, backwards, like it isn't even there. Ok, problem solved...for now...forever if I stick w/ conventional 4x4 platform.
I'm intrigued by this cross-over, and convinced that it would pull just fine. What I'm afraid of is that it won't push backwards.

Andrew T · 09-13-2009, 07:16 PM

They will not be nearly as powerful as your truck in low range however they may be somewhere between your low range and 4WD High Range. I can calculate the difference pretty easily. On your dodge which engine, axle ratio and tire size do you have?

Andew T

Chuck · 09-14-2009, 07:00 AM

yeah, this thing will go straight up a tree, in low range, even though its kinda "pokey", otherwise. Its amazing what you can do w/ a little bit of leverage.

its a 318 with 3.55 rear end, 265 tires on 16 inch wheels.

Andrew T · 09-16-2009, 01:38 PM

Hi Chuck

If you have the Magnum 318 in your truck it can exert 1794 pounds of thrust on the road surface in Reverse gear with your gear ratio and tire size in high range.

The Enclave can exert 105 pounds more or 1899 pounds of thrust so not dramatically better than your truck. Since the Buick is lighter as well it would push the trailer up the hill backwards easier than the dodge does in high range but not as easily as it does in Low range. Still the difference is likely enough to make it useable for you. It would maneuver easier so you may be able to hit it at a little bit higher speed as well.

Going forward the Enclave has a 4.88:1 first gear ratio compared with the 2.88:1 reverse ratio so going forward it would be no contest.

Andrew T

Chuck · 09-16-2009, 01:58 PM

Interesting.

Added speed won't be possible, as the hill also happens to wrap around a 90 degree curve. I call it the "carrier landing" of trailer parking, and its a "walking speed" maneuver, at best. 500' backwards through the woods, 2 90* curves, the second one goes uphill sharply, with another 90* turn at the top, with the trailer placed parallel to a stone wall on the blind side of the turn.

(oh, yeah: the curved/hill part is terraced into the hill, held up by huge boulders...no guard rail or anything, so don't f*&$k up!)

One of these days, I'll get this maneuver on video, but since it takes both of us to do it, I need to arrange for a 3rd person to run the camera.

Andrew T · 09-16-2009, 02:43 PM

On larger trucks we often add a front receiver for backing into tight campsites etc. It is amazing how much easier it is to back the trailer that way.

One other item if you don't need the 265 tires for off roading 225/75R x 16" LT tires will give you much better highway performance, better fuel economy and much better handling.

Chuck · 09-16-2009, 03:17 PM

I wonder if you can put a front receiver on an Acadia?

If so, I might be able to plow the driveway with it. There's a snowplow company (another great product from ON

) that used to make a receiver mounted plow...but they stopped that model, for some reason.

Aage · 09-16-2009, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck

Interesting.

Added speed won't be possible, as the hill also happens to wrap around a 90 degree curve. I call it the "carrier landing" of trailer parking, and its a "walking speed" maneuver, at best. 500' backwards through the woods, 2 90* curves, the second one goes uphill sharply, with another 90* turn at the top, with the trailer placed parallel to a stone wall on the blind side of the turn.

(oh, yeah: the curved/hill part is terraced into the hill, held up by huge boulders...no guard rail or anything, so don't f*&$k up!)

One of these days, I'll get this maneuver on video, but since it takes both of us to do it, I need to arrange for a 3rd person to run the camera.

I hope that you have good insurance, both vehicle and life.

For your birthday, suggest you ask for a new leg to the driveway so that you can go in in forward, and drive straight out again.

Aage

Andrew T · 09-17-2009, 05:28 AM

I think once you start talking plowing you need low range. I can't see an Acadia pushing much snow.

We use a an old farm tractor ourselves. We find it a lot more reliable to plow with and more compact as well, but you need to have a place to park it.

Andy

Chuck · 09-17-2009, 07:27 AM

well, you'd be surprised. I never use low range to plow. 4x4 is really only "necessary" on the hill. Where its flat, you don't even need that. My first home-plow truck was a non road worthy 1960 jeep pickup that had the front spider gears removed for some odd reason in its past. so, no 4x4--but it did have a transfer case that provided low range. Got it from my brother in law, who had used it to plow his shop parking lot...which was flat and paved. It was unstoppable in that environment. But when I first tried it at my house, it plowed the flat part without any problem, but when I tried to get back up the hill for another pass, it simply wouldn't go. As soon as the nose pitched up, the rear wheels (with chains, and a 2000lb curb stone in the bed for ballast) would just spin.
In contrast, a friend came over to bail me out of this mess with his little dodge dakota (v6, at the time), and it not only drove up the hill without even noticing...it actually pushed snow uphill, too. (4x engaged, but not low-range).

There's a snowplow forum that I've been on, where a small percentage of the participants use "non-traditional" vehicles for plowing their own driveways...some even use such rigs commercially. The vocal majority vehemently derides such practices, as either impossible, foolhardy, or outright "dangerous". Sound familiar?

Meanwhile...Snowbear and other light-duty plow manufacturers continue to stay in business, and these dudes continue to clear snow off their driveways.
Some even do it w/ 2-wheel drive vehicles...which can actually work, as long as its flat. I need more traction than that at my house, but only to get back up the hill to make multiple passes; I don't need to be able to push uphill. And actually, the hill portion is paved now, and I can clear it with a snowblower, if I have to.
Seems to me that if this gmc/buick platform has so much more low end torque than my truck, it should push snow even better. Biggest issue would be finding a mount for the plow.

Road Ruler · 09-17-2009, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rluhr

Hey, next time tell me about the trip before you go!

Looks like it was great fun.

Yes, let us know too Andy. We spent 5 days up in Algonquin last week. We counted no less than 5 Airstreams in Mew/and Lake of Two Rivers parks. The St. Laurence trip looks great.

jerrypeterma · 09-17-2009, 09:05 PM

Great Pics. Thanks for sharing and becomeing a attraction yourself

Andrew T · 09-19-2009, 01:58 AM

That Snowbear site is pretty neat, they have some pretty cool applications.
I see they make a plow for a Honda CRV so I would think they would do one for the Acadia etc.

Chuck · 09-19-2009, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew T

That Snowbear site is pretty neat, they have some pretty cool applications.
I see they make a plow for a Honda CRV so I would think they would do one for the Acadia etc.

Well, they don't have one listed...yet. They used to suggest for such vehicles, that you go w/ their front receiver mounted model, but they don't make that one anymore. And the receiver manufacturers don't make receivers for all vehicles. A lot of newer vehicles have pretty funky front bumper/skirting/what-have-you that make that impractical...or maybe there's nothing under there on some unibody chassis to attach anything to. Don't know if thats the case w/ this particular platform, not having seen one up close.
I should check Reese's site and see if they make a front receiver for it.

Andrew T · 09-09-2011, 08:13 PM

I thought I would send an update of this years eclectic group of Airstreams on a trip to Nemacolin in Southern PA to New York City Boston and home.

Andrew T · 09-09-2011, 08:30 PM

Opps Missed the R Class.

mutcth · 09-10-2011, 06:29 AM

Hmmm...R-class. We've been thinking that it would be nice to have AWD and more torque than the Oddy. Is fabricating the hitch any different than a ML?

Also curious if you have clients with new Durangos or Lincoln MKTs. (Yeah the Flex is the same platform but Jules hates how they look.)

Always neat to see your adventures.

Tom

Andrew T · 09-11-2011, 05:38 AM

Hi Tom

The R Class hitch is a little more involved but not bad, you also have to wire it as it does not come with a wiring harness but it is a fabulous tow vehicle. 125" wheelbase with a short rear overhang. I drove about 200 miles from Western Mass to central New York. We drove across Hwy 20 which has a lot of steep hills and is a much more interesting drive than the turnpike. It played with the hills and was totally stable yet it rides very smooth. Not a lot to complain about.

I have not done an MKT's as yet but I think it should be the same as the Flex performance wise. We did set up a MKX with the 3.7 Litre motor with a 30'. It works very well, I wonder if the Echoboost is really necessary with the 3.7 engine.

Andrew T