Hi Lew
Why don't you do a "How to Choose a Tow Vehicle" FAQ and post it in the
Files section and then we can direct folks to that file. Save a lot of
repetition.
Just a suggestion.
Sarge
_____
From: AirstreamList@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AirstreamList@yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of pcfranke@ix.netcom.com
Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2011 11:32 AM
To: AirstreamList@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [A/S] New 2011 Eco-boost Ford!
1/30/2011 2:12:29 PM, "Denman" <denman.hans@gmail.com
<mailto:denman.hans%40gmail.com> > wrote:
>The problem I run into with 1/2 ton trucks is not tow capacity,...
I don't want to offend anybody, but it seems like this discussion has rolled
around every 2-3 months since this list began.
Obviously, this repetition is due to newbies joining the list and needing to
get up to speed on this critical issue.
Probably everyone faces this issue at the beginning of their a/s'ing
experience..Now, newbies are wonderful, essential to the
survival of this list, and the more the merrier. However, perhaps we
oldsters could better help them deal with this issue in
another way - an FAQ, perhaps? A wiki maybe? Some destination that would go
up on the web and stay, crafted especially
for the newbies and discussing this particular issue, with a link included
in each post - say, in the streamer at the bottom.
My 2 cents: How about some simple physics?
There is no such thing as a "free ride".
Corollary #1: there is no such thing as too large a truck.
Corollary #2: there is no such thing as too light a trailer.
Now, pushed to absurdity, this would have us all towing our teardrops with
Freightliners. But it is not absurd to tow even a
vintage a/s with a 1 T truck. The point has little to do with the size of
the engine. It has everything to do with the size of the
brakes, springs, frame, transmission, etc. It has to do with safety - having
enough overkill to see you safely through even an
improbable situation. In very crude terms, it has to do with how much your
brakes fade on a long downhill (you cannot bet
your life on trailer brakes), and how much damage you can do to the other
vehicle.
Of course there is a price to pay for overkill. Big trucks by their very
nature are thirstier. Big, stiff springs make for a harsh
ride when you don't have the weight of your a/s on the rear axle.
Now where is the "sweet point"? When is a truck "big enough"?
Sorry, just as there are no "free rides", there also are no "silver
bullets". This is an individual judgment. There are people
who tow with ordinary sedans, while others (like us) insist on a I T (I'll
bet there are even a few Freightliners, though I've never
seen one towing an a/s). The individual a/s'er must decide the tradeoff for
him/herself - safety vs an inexpensive pneumatic
ride - and no one else can make that judgment for you.
Peace,
-- Lew #4239
'72 Safari 23'
'99 Chevie 3500 conversion van
Stuck in Ohio while wifey is still recovering (slowly but surely) from her
hip replacement - and waiting for the ice to strike.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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