Is this a bad idea?

[70CT]

Thoughts? I've got to pull this from Dallas to Houston.

[moosetags]

Not necessarily bad for a short trip, but not great, either. The tow vehicle looks under strain even with a WD hitch. This may impact steering, especially on a wet road. If I were doing it, I would stay off of the Interstate.

Brian

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Yes, it's a bad idea. Will it kill you? Probably not. Is it the worst thing I've seen today? nope. Have I done stuff like this .... errr .... You could loose both the trailer and the TV if there is trouble. That's a lot of money.

If this is a one time effort, there are places that will rent you a truck or van you can tow with. It's cheaper than a new rear axle (or even new rear bearings) on the SUV. If this is a regular sort of thing, I'd shop for a proper TV.

Bob

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by 70CT

. . .
Thoughts? I've got to pull this from Dallas to Houston.

Pretty hard to give an informed opinion without complete data on the tow vehicle's weight ratings and capacities, the WD hitch, and full data on the trailer IMO. [Edit -- full data should include tire ratings, tow vehicle rear axle ratings, TV cargo capacity, and a full-on weigh-in of the combined rig.]

Is this thread a continuation of the following discussion?

[click on arrow in quote to go to that thread]

Originally Posted by 70CT

It's going on a 2011 Ford Expedition, towing a 30 Int'l Serenity. I'll update on the install.

Heck of a lot easier to stay in one thread IMO.

Peter

PS -- I am going to venture a guess, based only on the tow vehicle being down at the stern, that you have exceeded at least one of the weight/capacity limits mentioned above. If so you are subjecting everyone to unnecessary risks IMO. Further, if you are involved in an accident, your insurance may not protect you.

PS2 -- The other thread:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f238...ol-172728.html

[Mollysdad]

1. Electric brake controller?
2. I'd put more "lift" on the WD bars.
3. Is the car rated to tow that much?

Would I? I've done some crazy things, so maybe.

[ijustlee]

The most important thing is how much weight is on the rear tires. If your tires can handle the load and you are aware that you will have a problem if you have to make any sudden moves it should be doable for a one time deal.

[70CT]

Thanks for the responses. Made it back to Huntsville so far. Tows just fine, brake controller works well and has plenty of power to cruise. Everything is completely dry and only me in the TV. Rated for 8900 lbs and 1350 tongue. Equalizer WD hitch. The hitch came off a f250 so needs some adjustment to take some of the stern load off. The mirrors are the real issue. Can't see anything behind me, so I've been cruising off interstate.

[70CT]

Should also be noted that this is temporary as in this trip only. I will be getting a new TV.

[DaveMc]

Nice looking trailer!!! We're on the west side of Lake Conroe, hope you have a safe trip home! I pull our 30' with a 3/4 ton, great for pulling and also doubles as a rodeo simulator when I drive around Houston with it! Ha!

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by 70CT

... The mirrors are the real issue. Can't see anything behind me, so I've been cruising off interstate.

Are you familiar with "The Waggle", a common technique with TT towing? It is a mild s-turn totally within your own lane. Start close to the left side of your lane, then steer to the right side and then quickly back to the left. As you start the manoeuvre back to your left you can see who is close behind you in your driver's mirror that may not otherwise be visible in your mirrors. It is safe, but may require some practice.

[70CT]

Originally Posted by Adventure.AS

Are you familiar with "The Waggle", a common technique with TT towing? It is a mild s-turn totally within your own lane. Start close to the left side of your lane, then steer to the right side and then quickly back to the left. As you start the manoeuvre back to your left you can see who is close behind you in your driver's mirror that may not otherwise be visible in your mirrors. It is safe, but may require some practice.

Nope but I am now! Thanks I'll give it some practice.

[70CT]

Originally Posted by DaveMc

Nice looking trailer!!! We're on the west side of Lake Conroe, hope you have a safe trip home! I pull our 30' with a 3/4 ton, great for pulling and also doubles as a rodeo simulator when I drive around Houston with it! Ha!

Just picked it up this morning! Time for the 4 of us to upgrade to a bigger trailer. No lie on the Houston roads....

[wulfraat]

I towed my 2017 30' international with my Infiniti QX for ~3,000 miles (moved up from a 25' which I towed for ~20,000 miles with the QX). There are plenty of members on the forum who use large SUVs to safely tow 30' trailers. The Infiniti has similar payload, max tongue weight and towing load as your expedition. I also use an equalizer.

I can tell you that for sure, you need to adjust your hitch with the help of CAT scales. With a large SUV with independent suspension everything should be level within 3/4" - front / rear TV fender height and front / rear frame clearance of the trailer.

It's clear that you've got too much weight on the rear axle of your TV and that trailer looks to be nose down.

Your ball height is probably good, but you need to get more aggressive with the head angle of the hitch / possible raise the L brackets one hole. I used 7 washers for mine - and everything is level within 1/2 inch.

Get familiar with running through the CAT scales to ensure you are within your rear axle weight rating and that overall TV gross vehicle weight is under what your door sticker states.

You can safely tow that trailer if you carefully manage TV payload and have a correct hitch configuration. Which basically means you cannot carry anything but a few people in the SUV as the 30' international will generate 950 - 1,000lbs of tongue weight loaded for camping with WD applied.... Lots of good threads here with more details on how to calculate your weights to ensure you are within the limits of your vehicle.

PS- I have since moved to a 3/4 ton diesel - for 2 reasons - (1) more payload and (2) more power/weight/wheelbase.

Having owned and towed a 30' with both a large SUV and 3/4 ton I can honestly say that each has its pros and cons.

Living in Colorado a larger rig ended up working out better for our particular needs, especially regarding payload, power and braking as we travel throughout the Rockies on a regular basis and like to take people + stuff with us in the truck.

[nickclifford]

What vehicles would have been used back in 1972 to have towed my 31' Landyacht, Admittedly much lighter at 5,000 and 500 at the tongue but surely vehicles today are much beefier and safer ? Maybe not so ?

[OTRA15]

Broad brushes like that, Nick, can mask irresponsible towing practices which put us all at risk, especially in this litigious society, with aggressive insurance companies writing the checks after expensive accidents.

"Measure twice, cut once" IMO.

The OP made it home safely, thankfully, but a careful set of data from a thorough weigh-in might reveal a variety of risks with the set up, again in my opinion.

Maybe not, but good luck on one adventure should not be used as a draft for the next.

Have a good weekend!

Peter

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by nickclifford

What vehicles would have been used back in 1972 to have towed my 31' Landyacht, Admittedly much lighter at 5,000 and 500 at the tongue but surely vehicles today are much beefier and safer ? Maybe not so ?

Hi

We have been through this in many threads. Like it or not, cars have gotten smaller over the years. They have gotten better in some, but not all respects. A "nice big family car" back in the 1960's was closer to a large SUV today than to a modern sedan. The difference between a 5,000 lb trailer and an 8,000 or 10,000 pounder still means a lot today, just as it did back then. Also back then, the whole idea of driving 80+ MPH as "normal" ... not so much. 20 MHP slower than the "other guy" was (at most) 45 MPH.

Bob

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by nickclifford

What vehicles would have been used back in 1972 to have towed my 31' Landyacht, Admittedly much lighter at 5,000 and 500 at the tongue but surely vehicles today are much beefier and safer ? Maybe not so ?

Earlier vehicles had a full frame but less horsepower and stability than what we have today.

Original poster's picture looks way overloaded in the back but I'm sure he was careful knowing how he was set up, and made it OK. I've towed a lot worse back in the day.

Just bought a Hensley for our new 27' but I noticed on the sticker my F350 payload is 4000 lbs and could probably tow just fine on the ball. Oh well, already spent the money.

[ijustlee]

Hey Nick, if you weren't towing your 31"er with a Olds Vista Cruiser station wagon you just weren't cool!

[FCStreamer]

Looks fine to me.

[Jim Flower]

You have to dial in your setup to ensure that the Airstream is level. Raise the hitch on the shank, adjust the angle, and transfer more weight to your front Axel. Should then be a great combination.