What you tow with

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, [not a boat person] how do you dyno a prop? Pictures?

The PO had the motor pulled, not clear exactly what the dyno looks like, but the connection is the prop shaft, no prop. I guess it's like doing a pull at the crank instead of the wheels.



All I'm sure of, it goes like stink...

Bob

[28Argosy]

A Chevy Express Extended cargo van.

[andreasduess]

Originally Posted by 28Argosy

A Chevy Express Extended cargo van.

That's a really interesting choice. I am planning on taking our family across the continent sometime in the next years, taking a couple of months off work, and I keep coming back to a van as the ideal vehicle to do it with.

Ample seating, protected storage, powerful engines. I bet you could even put a bunk in the back if needed.

[jspafford]

Ah, yes, a full sized van, the tow vehicle that all other tow vehicles aspire to be. Used vans are cheap, and many were previously used as Vanpool vehicles - fleet maintained, freeway used, never used as tow vehicles. In 2009 we bought our used 2005 12 passenger Express with 46,000 miles for $13,000.

They are adaptable in so many ways - with all the seats in you can bring the Scout Patrol along, the preschool class to the zoo, the whole family to grandpa's birthday party in Azusa or the church group and their luggage on the mission trip. With the seats out you can haul a load of plywood and 10' 2x4's, and cement bags, your tools and your helper. With one bench seat in you are ready for camping: you and your companion in the front seats with excellent visibility, the dog(s) on the second seat messing up the window with their noses, the generator, camping gear, grill, outdoor rug, camp chairs and firewood in the back - and plenty of room left over for the ugly chair your wife wants to buy at the antique store you found. All the gear is secure in the back - you don't have to use a cover as you would with a pickup.

Our van is not a daily driver - we use it for Airstream outings and special events. It should last a long time and be a useful part of our adventures and family life.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by jspafford

Ah, yes, a full sized van, the tow vehicle that all other tow vehicles aspire to be. Used vans are cheap, and many were previously used as Vanpool vehicles - fleet maintained, freeway used, never used as tow vehicles. In 2009 we bought our used 2005 12 passenger Express with 46,000 miles for $13,000.

They are adaptable in so many ways - with all the seats in you can bring the Scout Patrol along, the preschool class to the zoo, the whole family to grandpa's birthday party in Azusa or the church group and their luggage on the mission trip. With the seats out you can haul a load of plywood and 10' 2x4's, and cement bags, your tools and your helper. With one bench seat in you are ready for camping: you and your companion in the front seats with excellent visibility, the dog(s) on the second seat messing up the window with their noses, the generator, camping gear, grill, outdoor rug, camp chairs and firewood in the back - and plenty of room left over for the ugly chair your wife wants to buy at the antique store you found. All the gear is secure in the back - you don't have to use a cover as you would with a pickup.

Our van is not a daily driver - we use it for Airstream outings and special events. It should last a long time and be a useful part of our adventures and family life.

I loved this. I was waiting for a shoe to drop but it never happened! Brilliant!

:-)

[Denis4x4]

This is a 2013 Grand Cherokee with the hemi and factory tow package. Can't tell you how happy we are to use a real car instead of a truck for towing.

[Alumaholic]

Love this thread!

[Landrum]

2011 Toyota Sequoia 4.6L V8 and a 2011 23FB. TV did precede AS by a year which limited us to 23FB....so....we are sleeping 5 in the AS and the kids love it. If only I had bought the silver Sequoia instead of white......

[28Argosy]

Originally Posted by andreasduess

That's a really interesting choice. I am planning on taking our family across the continent sometime in the next years, taking a couple of months off work, and I keep coming back to a van as the ideal vehicle to do it with.

Ample seating, protected storage, powerful engines. I bet you could even put a bunk in the back if needed.

We Love our van! Though she is a beast in size, she handles like a regular car. Able to transport all 8 of our dogs ( 7 Borzoi and one greyhound), yet still even big enough to put a queen size mattress to rolls of carpet ( ie 12 length).
We bought her new, though a left over, after remembering what happened to those people when Katrina hit. We wanted something large enough to transport us and the dogs if ever had to.
We removed the center seats as not needed and replaced just beds etc ( for the dogs). In camping, we easily can also fit coolers etc if need be. Shoot could even put a tent in it ( as in assembled )

Originally Posted by jspafford

Ah, yes, a full sized van, the tow vehicle that all other tow vehicles aspire to be. Used vans are cheap, and many were previously used as Vanpool vehicles - fleet maintained, freeway used, never used as tow vehicles. In 2009 we bought our used 2005 12 passenger Express with 46,000 miles for $13,000.

They are adaptable in so many ways - with all the seats in you can bring the Scout Patrol along, the preschool class to the zoo, the whole family to grandpa's birthday party in Azusa or the church group and their luggage on the mission trip. With the seats out you can haul a load of plywood and 10' 2x4's, and cement bags, your tools and your helper. With one bench seat in you are ready for camping: you and your companion in the front seats with excellent visibility, the dog(s) on the second seat messing up the window with their noses, the generator, camping gear, grill, outdoor rug, camp chairs and firewood in the back - and plenty of room left over for the ugly chair your wife wants to buy at the antique store you found. All the gear is secure in the back - you don't have to use a cover as you would with a pickup.

Our van is not a daily driver - we use it for Airstream outings and special events. It should last a long time and be a useful part of our adventures and family life.

Absolutely! Our van is basically my vehicle, and she gets good gas mileage as well. ( average about 22-24 highway, and 20-22 city) .

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

I loved this. I was waiting for a shoe to drop but it never happened! Brilliant!

:-)

Not a single dropped shoe, though due to the longer wheel base, in deep snow, the van is difficult. The tow package though helps a lot in the snow as it changes the differential in gearing, and I have used it several times if in the snow for this reason.
Insurance wise and personal property wise, its much less expensive also.
All the size, possibilities of loading, with comfortable driving.

[Skatiero]

We love towing with a van, too! We have two full-size ford e350s with 7.3 liter engines. They are the most reliable and comfortable and powerful tow vehicles I can think of! (we don't have much choice, though, nothing else is big enough for our family.)

[Joe Palmieri]

We got a new TV a few weeks ago. A 2013 GMC 2500HD extended cab long bed, Duramax with an Allison trans. It's a little more truck than we actually need for our A$ but it will pay off when we travel out West in the mountains. On a 250 mile shakedown cruise (mostly turnpike) it gave us 20.2 MPG right out of the box lightly loaded. We haven't towed "Miss Piggy" yet, she is asleep in the garage for the winter, but I think with the weight of the cap, the bed slide and all our camping stuff this should be a good combination.

[m.hony]

Cat scales ticket ready to camp-
Still don't know the tongue weight or truck and trailer weights unhitched, but i am with all known limits- front GVW, rear GVW, Payload, Towing Capacity- so I am thinking I am within the limit on tongue weight as well. I am guessing the trailer weighs about 8,400# with a 900-1,000# tongue weight.

[kevin242]

1977 25' Tradewind with our 2011 Ram 1500 SXT.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by m.hony

Cat scales ticket ready to camp-
Still don't know the tongue weight or truck and trailer weights unhitched, but i am with all known limits- front GVW, rear GVW, Payload, Towing Capacity- so I am thinking I am within the limit on tongue weight as well. I am guessing the trailer weighs about 8,400# with a 900-1,000# tongue weight.

Important question....how much weight are you transferring forward to the TV steering axle and back to the trailer axles? That's what will tell you if the WD is set correctly.

TV weight un-hitched, loaded for camping, full fuel.

TV & trailer no WD

TV & trailer with WD set, notice the steering axle is within 100lbs of the TV alone weight with WD set for the road.

Bob

[m.hony]

How can you measure those weights?
It ain't like you can just hang out at the Cat scales and unhook your trailer- is it?

[ROBERT CROSS]

That's what I do....

Just let the attendant know your an RV, (trailer), and you'll need several weights to get set-up properly. Shouldn't be a problem.
Most all the scales I've used have charged full price for the first and a buck for the rest. I just un-hitch out of the way on the lot and go from there.

Bob

[Pahaska]

Originally Posted by m.hony

How can you measure those weights?
It ain't like you can just hang out at the Cat scales and unhook your trailer- is it?

I go in and tell the clerk that I will weigh 3 times. First time, set up for the road. Second time, with weight bars loose. Third time, unhitched with tow vehicle only. That tells me everything I need to know.

I do weigh my rig, but in my estimation, a lot of folks are going way overboard with the weighing. If the weights on the tow vehicle axles are within spec and the tow vehicle squats fairly evenly as measured at the wheel wells, that is all that is required. To sweat over a few pounds more or less transferred to the front axle is meaningless. Reminds me of an engineer I once worked with that would measure something with a ruler and then calculate to 3 or 4 decimal places.

I can feel no difference in handling with the jacks within a range of over an inch and the measurements at the wheel wells of the truck vary less than 1/2 inch..

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Pahaska

I go in and tell the clerk that I will weigh 3 times. First time, set up for the road. Second time, with weight bars loose. Third time, unhitched with tow vehicle only. That tells me everything I need to know.

I do weigh my rig, but in my estimation, a lot of folks are going way overboard with the weighing. If the weights on the tow vehicle axles are within spec and the tow vehicle squats fairly evenly as measured at the wheel wells, that is all that is required. To sweat over a few pounds more or less transferred to the front axle is meaningless. Reminds me of an engineer I once worked with that would measure something with a ruler and then calculate to 3 or 4 decimal places.

I can feel no difference in handling with the jacks within a range of over an inch and the measurements at the wheel wells of the truck vary less than 1/2 inch..

^
X2

Once your set-up properly it pretty much goes by seat-of-the-pants feel from then on.
I usually weigh on the first trip of the Season just to be sure nothings changed.
The above tickets were for three weeks of 'dock'n and we were way heavy, cases like that I'll weigh on the way., just to be sure.

Bob

[m.hony]

You have to go to one that actually has an attendant- not a button and a staticky speaker 100 yards from the building. I will try again one day near my home where it is a little less crowded and there isn't a line of trucks waiting. Seems like all you have to do in order to get tongue weight and trailer actual weight is unhitch from the truck.
There may be no further need for change or adjustment. Everything may be as good as it gets.
I'm just satisfying curiosity.

[m.hony]

Front GVW 3900
Front actual 3060
Difference 840
Rear GVW 4160
Rear actual 3960
Difference 190
How do I transfer more weight to the front axle?
I would like for the front and rear differences to be closer to the same-
Or am I just nitpicking?