1/30/2011 2:12:29 PM, "Denman" <denman.hans@gmail.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.
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