When you needed a towing safety margin

[felix2]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

Pintos had a ladder frame, and were live axle rear wheel drive with leaf springs. easy to beef up the rear suspension to handle tongue weight.

Plus, having a trailer behind the Pinto would protect that notorious exploding gas tank from being hit...!

[HABBERDABBER]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

We just want people to be safe and tow safely on the roads. After all, you're sharing the roads with the rest of us. Where do you plan to tow is a very important question. I live surrounded by mountains. Others live in the flats.


Be well, be safe

I've done some searching and haven't found the same.
Where's it at?

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

I've done some searching and haven't found the same.
Where's it at?

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cstats1


All kinds of cool maps by the artist/developer: https://www.redbubble.com/people/cstats/shop

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

Pintos had a ladder frame, and were live axle rear wheel drive with leaf springs. easy to beef up the rear suspension to handle tongue weight.

Pintos were unibody, but yes they had a live axle and cart springs. It's easy to change springs, but springs can be changed in any suspension, and that doesn't change structure or geometry (wheelbase, length of overhang).

Rear wheel drive is good if shifting excessive load to the rear.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Pintos were unibody, but yes they had a live axle and cart springs. It's easy to change springs, but springs can be changed in any suspension, and that doesn't change structure or geometry (wheelbase, length of overhang).

Rear wheel drive is good if shifting excessive load to the rear.

I prefer the way rear wheel drive cars handle. i've had both kinds and driven many of each. and I really do think RWD is better for towing, pushing the tug rather than pulling it, while its pulling the trailer.

[WillyB]

I always look at "Safety Margin" this way.

If you can carry 100 lbs for 1 mile, how far will you be able to carry 80 lbs?

I can surely carry 50 lbs farther and easier.

[JeffreyG]

Originally Posted by WillyB

I always look at "Safety Margin" this way.

If you can carry 100 lbs for 1 mile, how far will you be able to carry 80 lbs?

I can surely carry 50 lbs farther and easier.

Not to be overly argumentative but I think your analogy gives a misunderstanding of tow rating.

Sure, I could probably stagger some distance with 100 lbs on my back. But no tow rating is analogous to being so incredibly overloaded. It's not safe. Think of what would happen if you tripped with 100 pounds on your back. This would be like hooking a 30,000 lb gravel hauler to an F-150 and pulling it 20 miles. Sure, the truck can do it, but it's really overloaded.

If you like a backpacking analogy, then tow ratings are analogous to packing up with about the heaviest pack recommended for you. This might be something around a 30 pound backpack for most hikers. You can do it, but you will feel the aches and chafes at the end of a long trail day. And then lighter packs on down to a little 15 lb daybag with water, snacks and a camera is of course a lot easier to carry.

[WillyB]

Originally Posted by JeffreyG

Not to be overly argumentative but I think your analogy gives a misunderstanding of tow rating.

Sure, I could probably stagger some distance with 100 lbs on my back. But no tow rating is analogous to being so incredibly overloaded. It's not safe. Think of what would happen if you tripped with 100 pounds on your back. This would be like hooking a 30,000 lb gravel hauler to an F-150 and pulling it 20 miles. Sure, the truck can do it, but it's really overloaded.

If you like a backpacking analogy, then tow ratings are analogous to packing up with about the heaviest pack recommended for you. This might be something around a 30 pound backpack for most hikers. You can do it, but you will feel the aches and chafes at the end of a long trail day. And then lighter packs on down to a little 15 lb daybag with water, snacks and a camera is of course a lot easier to carry.

My analogy is based on some many people saying "my Tow Rating is 5000 lbs so my 4200 lb trailer should be just fine".

My F150 has an 11500 lb Tow Rating and I wouldn't want to pull over 6000 lbs (7 Max) across the country. Safety is #1 and long term durability of my TV is #2.

Just because it says I can doesn't mean I should.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by WillyB

My F150 has an 11500 lb Tow Rating and I wouldn't want to pull over 6000 lbs (7 Max) across the country. Safety is #1 and long term durability of my TV is #2.

While for a long trip I would keep a bit under the tow capacity for performance reasons, I would definitely be willing to tow much more than what you are. My truck is at 100,000 km has about 50k towing, about half with the 5.0TA and half with work trailers.

Not meaning to carry this much, but in cleaning up all the extra clay for the last load from a landscaping project at home, my weight at the dump was almost exactly 6 tonnes (soil and trailer), or 13,200 lbs. My 3.5L EcoBoost actually pulled it no problem. Thankfully clean fill is free to take to the dump from your own residence.

This said, I normally have total trailer weight under 5 tonne, and this is for a 30 minute or so drive is all. Still, I am amazed at how well it tows. My 5 year powertrain warranty and free service plan ran out last September, so just ahead of this I took the truck in for a full service, and complete check of everything while I was no cost. There were a few small things got done, but they said it is in great running condition.

[WillyB]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

While for a long trip I would keep a bit under the tow capacity for performance reasons, I would definitely be willing to tow much more than what you are. My truck is at 100,000 km has about 50k towing, about half with the 5.0TA and half with work trailers.

Not meaning to carry this much, but in cleaning up all the extra clay for the last load from a landscaping project at home, my weight at the dump was almost exactly 6 tonnes (soil and trailer), or 13,200 lbs. My 3.5L EcoBoost actually pulled it no problem. Thankfully clean fill is free to take to the dump from your own residence.

This said, I normally have total trailer weight under 5 tonne, and this is for a 30 minute or so drive is all. Still, I am amazed at how well it tows. My 5 year powertrain warranty and free service plan ran out last September, so just ahead of this I took the truck in for a full service, and complete check of everything while I was no cost. There were a few small things got done, but they said it is in great running condition.

I have the 2016 3.5 as well and have pulled a 28 foot 10,000 lb cargo trailer with it. It will yank it around but I've also pulled the same trailer with my friends 2014 Ford gas motor 3/4 ton.

I'm just saying it felt much more stable (Safer) with the 3/4 ton. There was much less the feeling that the trailer was a guiding the truck.

That's why I prefer lower weighted trailers for "longer" hauling across the country. Now for weekend camp outs that are an hour away. Not an issue. Long inclines, curvy passes, high elevations and a windy day across open country will make one appreciate TV to Trailer ratio.

The 3.5 is a towing beast! I've been amazed with it every time i've towed with it.
(I have a Life Time powertrain warranty from the dealer)

[HABBERDABBER]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cstats1


All kinds of cool maps by the artist/developer: https://www.redbubble.com/people/cstats/shop

Got it!

[vintageracer]

Years (15+) ago a much older than myself Corvette friend of mine passed away. He drove C1 and C2 Corvettes ONLY his whole life. Need to haul an engine? Pull out the passenger seat and put the engine in the spot where the passenger seat was. Hardcore Corvette guy!

At his funeral there were pictures of him in the early and middle 1960's on their family horse farm in the NE with 2 horse trailers hitched up to his 62 Corvette and another pics with a different 2 horse trailer hitched to his 66 427/425HP Corvette to haul horses to shows.

Stupid or Big Balls?

You would have had to know Dale that he was a huge helping of BOTH!!!

Amazing what people previously did when you didn't know any better!

[Justforus]

Originally Posted by TTMartin

No I have no idea what will happen in 44 years.

What I do know is 44 years ago you needed to take manufacturer tow ratings with a grain of salt. You needed to add in a 20%-50% safety margin,
IMO, today's tow ratings are not only realistic, but, also on the conservative side."


Using a 4Runner with a 5000 lb tow rating, would a 21 be a safe choice in your experience? (We travel light. Minimal water, empty black and gray)
Or is the 19 the "only" option unless we use the truck?
(2006 Silverado 2500 diesel- not the most comfortable ride.)

[Toad]

Ahhh, The 1970s, those were the glory days of transmission repair shops...
Wonder how many people burned up their transmissions towing to heavy a load...😲

Originally Posted by JeffreyG

The most egregious are the El Camino pulling a 2-horse trailer, and the Caprice Estate Wagon pulling what appears to be a 32' TT.

Holy hell are those optimistic.


Edit.....and the Monte Carlo towing a Corvette on a flatbed. And look at the size of that trawler two down. Amazing.


You know none of those cars had receivers, right? Just drop your 8000 lb cabin cruiser on the bumper ball and hit the road, I guess.