Question on Towing???

[safari 28]

Originally Posted by DFord79

I will add this about the Ford Half ton. There is one half model of Ford that is build to tow 11,000#. It has a cargo rating of 3050#. Comes with a heavy duty frame and a 4.1 heavy duty rear end (for a half ton). comes with 10 ply "E" rated 245/75X17 tires (same tires as on the one ton dually). It only comes in Regular cab, 8 foot box, 5.4 V-8, a 3/4 ton spring pack. And ONLY comes in XL trim. It is essentially a 3/4 ton truck but Ford chooses to put a half ton body on it for marketing purposes. IT has a 144 inch wheel base. Few people own any...and few evern know how to spec one out. You cannot get it in a 4X4. It will tow any AS made...but it is a marketing tool. But it only slightly cheaper than a similar 3/4 ton.

You guys should jump over to ON THE ROAD section and read what inland andy said about tow vehicles. It is in the bicycle mounting section. It says it all regarding over rigging and 3/4 ton or greater trucks and the damage that occurs to the trailer not having suspension travel on the tow vehicle.

[thecatsandi]

Originally Posted by safari 28

You guys should jump over to ON THE ROAD section and read what inland andy said about tow vehicles. It is in the bicycle mounting section. It says it all regarding over rigging and 3/4 ton or greater trucks and the damage that occurs to the trailer not having suspension travel on the tow vehicle.

I would like to see some concrete data on what damage and how much.

[Road Ruler]

Originally Posted by thecatsandi

I would like to see some concrete data on what damage and how much.

Go to the link below and read post #60,62, and 65 by Andrew T. He pretty much explains the issues.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f36/...tml#post459924

[thecatsandi]

Ok I read the thread and We have one trailer on the forums with a problem that I know of and a few more that are 20 or so years old.

I tow my 31 Classic with a F-250 SRW. Tounge weight varies from 900-1000 lbs. I have a hitch rated for up to 12,000 lbs and 1200 lbs tongue weight. My WD bars are 1200s. The truck is running very near GVW with the transfered weight from the trailer. I think my truck is just about the right size for the job. Plenty of acceleration power, plenty of stopping power and the frame, tires and axles to handle the job.

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by thecatsandi

I would like to see some concrete data on what damage and how much.

Inland Andy is a smart man and really knows Airstream repairs, but what I would like to see is current concrete data (statistical data based on research, not empirical information) on the affects of towing with a 3/4 ton tow vehicle. Inland Andy bases his advise on his experiences nearly 40 years ago.

Having read the post by AndrewT, I am not convinced that a 3/4 ton tow vehicle does damage to the front end of an Airstream. I have a 30' Safari Bunk. It has the bedroom in the front with small wardrobes on either side of the island queen bed. There are niches in each of the wardrobes in lieu of night stands. These niches are in the front corners of the front of the Airstream where the wrap windows would normally be in the Classics and International models.

Each night I take a glass of iced-tea to bed in case I wake during the night and want something to drink (it's mostly habit, but sometimes I drink some of the tea during the night). On more than one occasion I have forgot to remove a 3/4 full glass from the niche next to my side of the bed on the last morning and have towed the Airstream home using my F-250 using an Equal-i-zer brand hitch with 1,000# bars. I keep 70 psi in the rear tires and 75 psi in the front tires for towing. This does produce a firm ride, but almost all of my towing is done on the interstate and I do tow faster than 65 MPH on the interstate. I-75 has some pretty rough spots in south Georgia and I have yet to find that any of the iced-tea left in the glass has spilled or splashed out on the ride home.

This is my experience and probably shouldn't be expected by everyone.