Re: Towing

[jlandry@domain.elided (John A. Landry)]

In a brilliant stroke of genius, "Tom Harais" <tjhemh@domain.elided> blurted
out:

>My feeling is - bottom line: Set up with a well mounted class III hitch;
>using an equalizer hitch; using anti-sway bars; and staying below the 5,000
>lb limit for the loaded trailer, a Scout will work fine for towing. But the
>limit is the limit. Don't ask the Scout to handle more mass than it was
>designed for. By the way, exceeding the wheight limit is against the law.
>That's how I got my Terra and the DPO got a 1 ton Ford to pull his fifth
>wheel with. Don't forget, it's not that a beefy Scout can't handle more
>than 5,000 pounds in pulling and braking. But swaying, pushing, winds and
>side loads can make for a wild ride.

From my limited towing experiences with a Scout Traveler, I pretty much
have come to the same limitation conclusions as Tom, but I think I arrived
there slightly differently.

I've been pulling an older 18 foot travel trailer with my Traveler without
an equalizer hitch or sway bars.  John H., who has way more experience with
towing trailers than I'll ever hope to have, guesses that my trailer
probably weighs close to 4000 pounds.  It has twin axles and an electric
brake on the front axle only.  I've experienced almost perfect road manners
with it, but the trailer and Scout do get pushed side to side a bit by big
heavy trucks that pass on the freeway.  All in all, I'd say my trailer
pulling experiences have been pretty positive thus far.

On the other hand, we have Tom H's. negative trailer towing experience, not
to mention a local friend (Rick Wild) who's complained to me of similar
problems when trying to pull his larger (24 foot?) travel trailer even with
equalizer bars, etc..  Why the difference?

Well I'll tell you my hunch on it... My Traveler came from the factory with
the optional heavy duty leaf spring package.  It has a very stiff ride and
quite limited spring flex.  Personally I like it set up this way, but
depending on the conditions, for off roading chores it has limitations.  To
give you and idea of the weight bearing capacity of my springs, when I
lower the weight of my loaded travel trailer's tongue onto my Scout's
hitch, the rear end only drops maybe 1/4" or even less.  Contrast that with
the standard Scout factory springs, and you have an entirely different
situation.  The problem is only compounded by flexy aftermarket springs.

The suspension flex is only one aspect of the problem.  Add to that worn
out steering components, a high center of gravity due to increased lift and
taller off road tires, and you could have trailer towing hell.  Luckily my
Scout must have seen limited off road use in its life prior to coming in to
my possession, because the steering is relatively tight and wander is
almost nonexistent.  The fact that the Traveler is a bit heavier and has a
longer wheelbase over a regular Scout only helps even more.

The very qualities that make a Scout so good off road, coupled with typical
aftermarket suspension modifications and age (wear), all add up to less
then desirable tow vehicle qualities... if not downright dangerous
qualities!

So as Tom H. explained, there's more to it than just comparing the weight
of the tow vehicle to the weight of the trailer and whether or not the
engine and brakes have enough power, but these definitely should be
considered limits.

I'm simply lucky with the combination I wound up with.  When I bought my
Traveler I had no idea it had heavy duty springs.  I had no intention of
using it to tow a trailer, but I'm glad it all worked out in the end.  I
shudder at the thought of having to park my Scout in order pull a trailer.

Regards,

John
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