Towing

["John Hofstetter" <hofs@domain.elided>]

David,
Without wanting to be argumentative, I accept your statement about
what you will do in towing as being a valid statement. However, I
don't feel that that basing your maximum towing weight on the tow
vehicles gross weight, alone, is a valid generalization. There are
many, many other factors, among which are:
Single, double, or triple axles
Hitch setup
Equalizer bars
Total length of tow vehicle
Wheelbase of tow vehicle
Braking setup, for instance brakes on one axle of tandem setup
Center of gravity of towed setup
Center of gravity of tow vehicle
My own experiences don't validate generalizations any more than I
believe yours does, David, but I'm towing a trailer that weighs twice
as much as my Grand Cherokee, and I feel as safe as I ever did when I
was towing a 5000 lb. trailer with a 10, 000 lb. rated 1210. That's
not to say that Travelall wasn't much more of tow vehicle for its time
than the GC, it's just that the way I have my present tow rigs set up,
make me feel about as safe as I've ever felt. 
A California Highway Patrolman who specialized in inspecting trucks
was looking at my setup one time when I had the Travelall, and said
something like, "You know, if that were my rig, I wouldn't have big
heavy safety chains on there, as the last thing I'd want if that hitch
came off the ball, would be for my trailer and my tow rig to be
whipping around at opposite ends of heavy duty chain"  Something to
think about, and I have.
Anyway, deciding what you can tow safely should be based on multiple
factors.
I have a section on the FAQ on trailer towing that some may find of
interest.
Regards,
John Hofstetter

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From: owner-ihc-digest@domain.elided (ihc-digest)
To: ihc-digest@domain.elided
Subject: ihc-digest V6 #807
Date: Fri, May 7, 1999, 6:58 AM


From: "David Willmon" <dwillmo@domain.elided>
Subject: Towing

I suspect UHaul is just trying to keep from having another trailer
bent up
by someone towing more than their vehicle can handle.  I will never
tow
anything remotely close to the gross weight of my towing vehicle
again.