Be Careful Out There

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by h2owmn

I think Nebraska has about 90 counties also, and back in the day the car license plates began with the county # by population. 1- (and 59-) were Omaha area, 2- Lincoln, etc etc. It was a car trip game to see how many counties we could spot. I don't know if it's still that way.

Edited to add that further research indicates that the numbers represent the number of registered vehicles in the county (not population) in 1922 when the system was implemented.

Hi: h2owmn... In my day the popular game among us kids was to count white horses. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Steve S.]

Originally Posted by h2owmn

I think Nebraska has about 90 counties also, and back in the day the car license plates began with the county # by population. 1- (and 59-) were Omaha area, 2- Lincoln, etc etc. It was a car trip game to see how many counties we could spot. I don't know if it's still that way.

Yep. Douglas and Sarpy counties (Omaha) and Lancaster count (Lincoln) now use a XXX### format, mainly because they ran out of available numbers for the old format. The rest of the counties have retained the county number format.

[PM15283]

Originally Posted by JeffreyG

I have one of those Rem 870's myself, but sadly I'm not going to wow anyone shooting clays. One nice thing about an 870 (with the "genuine hardwood" stock) is that you don't feel too much of a twinge when you wind up submerging the gun entirely when trying to cross a flooded area.

Been there....

[rmitch]

It was definitely an Airstream. I'm guessing about 26 - 30 Feet.
No wind, conditions were dry.
Do not know if they had weight distribution or not.
The truck was still connected and elevated in the rear.
Quite an insurance claim. The “cheapest” dual axle Airstream starts at $80,000

[wolfnjan]

I used to be one of those guys who didn't need/want a weight distribution hitch. I towed our Escape 19 for 30-40K miles before I finally got one. Now, I don't want to drive without it. For me, the anti-sway feature is not that important. I've never had a problem with sway on a short and well balanced trailer. But I did have a lot of problems with too much weight on the rear. My Toyota Highlander seems to have softer springs than a pick-up. The WDH has really fixed the rear sagging problem as well as the porpusing phenomenon when going over bumps. It simply drives much better with the WDH.

[Patch]

I see too many people traveling too fast when towing. I never go over 60mph, which is a suggested safe speed. That might have been the case in this accident.

[dlakeman]

Originally Posted by johnnyv

Hi Dave, whats your opinion on the 2020 f150 with max tow package in regards to wdh.

I purchased an F-150XLT with Max Tow Package last September when the dealers were "giving them away." They still are in Las Vegas! I wanted the truck for one reason - towing. I didn't need leather seats, "drive itself" options, etc. as I have other vehicles with those options.

I purchased the E2 by Fastway with my 21C and sent ETI the hitch height measurement.

I'm new to towing. When I picked up my 21C in Las Vegas and had to drive it 90 miles home to Mesquite there was a 40MPH wind. I had a very experienced friend with me who has towed all types of trailers. He was amazed at how the E2 perfectly leveled my 21C and truck. He was impressed with how the F150 handled the tow in the wind, especially on I-15 with tractor trailer trucks passing us. I was doing 60MPH. I didn't feel any sway from the trucks passing or the wind.

I own Toyota's. I didn't buy a Tundra because I heard from people the gas mileage is terrible towing, and more importantly Toyota dealers weren't discounting the Tundra's like Ford dealers were discounting the F-150's. I also received recommendations from people on this forum who tow with F-150's.

I'm very happy.

[Toad]

Coming out of Pahrump Nevada one year "pretty windy area", witnessed a TT get blown right off the road. Guy was coming downhill opposite direction and we were pushing 50 mph winds, looked like he caught a tailwind and it lifted the rig up and over about a foot or two. Odest thing I'd ever seen but it came back down on the shoulder of the road. Somehow he managed to get it back in control and pulled over down the road a bit. Only thing holding it to his truck was hitch system. Imagine he had to pull over to change his shorts...😲

Originally Posted by rmitch

Headed north on I-15 today and came across this in Mesquite Nevada. I think it was brand new. As we were going by I think it had a paper ( temporary ) license plate. Hard to tell I did not want to be a lookie loo. Be careful!

[johnnyv]

I was gonna go with the e2 if i bought it on my own. The Dutchman in me says no for Escapes 660.00 price tag. Going with fellow Hawkeye Iowa Dave, Sherm and Bags with the equalizer wdh, and Ford Max Tow Package and prayer. 340 $ i think

[Doug2000]

That guy with the Airstream, I bet he was doing 80 Mph because Airstreams are better. My local dealer told me so. They have a 26' Airstream sitting at the dealer behind a Caravan, head shake.

[emers382]

Originally Posted by Doug2000

That guy with the Airstream, I bet he was doing 80 Mph because Airstreams are better. My local dealer told me so. They have a 26' Airstream sitting at the dealer behind a Caravan, head shake.

But don't you know Doug that at Can-Am they can fix up your car to tow anything?

[77FJ40]

I have witnessed a WDH cause an accident like the one above. It was cranked too much and all the weight for traction and stability was removed from the rear axle and placed on the trailer axles and front axle of the TV. I don't travel with a WDH unless the tongue weight of the trailer is heavy enough to sag the suspension of the TV lower than the front of the TV. I have air bags in both of my trucks and rarely need one. I do travel with an anti sway bar when towing the single axle Casita.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by emers382

But don't you know Doug that at Can-Am they can fix up your car to tow anything?

Perhaps "are willing to", rather than "can"...

[gyuill]

Originally Posted by 77FJ40

I have witnessed a WDH cause an accident like the one above. It was cranked too much and all the weight for traction and stability was removed from the rear axle and placed on the trailer axles and front axle of the TV. I don't travel with a WDH unless the tongue weight of the trailer is heavy enough to sag the suspension of the TV lower than the front of the TV. I have air bags in both of my trucks and rarely need one. I do travel with an anti sway bar when towing the single axle Casita.

My understanding is that the air bags will keep the truck level, but don’t fix the problem of weight removed from the front end. The fulcrum point is just higher.

Graham

[emers382]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Perhaps "are willing to", rather than "can"...

True Brian but has anyone heard of anything going back to Can-Am for "willingly" enabling a vehicle to tow something inappropriate for that vehicle which subsequently was in an accident.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by emers382

True Brian but has anyone heard of anything going back to Can-Am for "willingly" enabling a vehicle to tow something inappropriate for that vehicle which subsequently was in an accident.

No - would you expect Can-Am to advertise that? Have you heard of anyone going back to any hitch or RV seller for setting up an inappropriate rig, even though the armchair experts readily identify crashing rigs such the one that started this thread as inadequate?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by gyuill

My understanding is that the air bags will keep the truck level, but don’t fix the problem of weight removed from the front end.

That's true... if you consider a few percent of the load removed from the front axle to be problem.

[gyuill]

Any idea how much weight comes off the front axle in a typical set up? Say a F150 crew cab and a 19 or 21 Escape. I realize there are many variables! Would there be much different with a Tacoma?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by gyuill

Any idea how much weight comes off the front axle in a typical set up? Say a F150 crew cab and a 19 or 21 Escape. I realize there are many variables! Would there be much different with a Tacoma?

This is a leverage situation. The fraction of the tongue weight which comes off of the front is the ratio of the distance between rear axle and ball, to the distance between rear axle and front axle (wheelbase); the rear axle is the fulcrum of the lever. If the ratio is about 0.33, and the tongue weight is (for instance) 450 pounds, that's 150 pounds off the front axle... or perhaps 5% of what that front axle carries when the truck is empty.

The leverage ratio is worse with a smaller truck that has a shorter wheelbase and almost as much rear overhang, and the same amount of weight transfer is worse with a lighter truck... but take the comments that I've seen in these forums about "no weight on the front tires" as extreme exaggeration.