I used to drive tractor/ trailer rigs for a living, just so you know I know how to drive towing a vehicle. My concern was the limits of the equipment, and the class III brings that safely within my comfort zone and safe handling limits of the vehicle. I was asking because I am making this trip on a shoe string, no other vehicle options available, no funds to play with, nothing. So, being able to make it happen with what I have is the only option. *Now* my biggest concern is gas mileage. I am wondering what it will use. I calculated at 12 MPG, 19 gallons per tank, $2.35 per gallon, ad 11 tanks of fuel. It ought to be darned close.
"Ulysses" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com... | | "John Riggs" wrote in message | news:42b0f11d snipped-for-privacy@x-privat.org... | > Well, I will be going down with an empty trailer, but I'll be coming | > back with about 1,000 pounds of horse. What you are telling me is/was my | gut | > feeling, so I figured I could haul it with the bumper hitch, it was the | > loaded trailer I had queezy feelings about. The class III I installed says | > it's rated for 500 pounds tongue weight and 5,000 towing weight (6,000 if | I | > were to use a weight distributing hitch which I don't have ). I figure | that | > ought to safely haul it. | | My experience with towing trailers is that just because you can doesn't | necessarily mean you should. I was towing a 22 foot travel trailer with an | Astro Van. It was well within the limits of the van but my knuckles were | always white and I was nervous as hell driving the rig. I bought an old | F350 (maybe a little overkill) and from then on it I had to remember that I | had a trailer behind me and my adventures became fun again. Towing right at | the limit of the tow vehicle can be fine as long as nothing goes wrong, but | there's always some bonehead who wants to merge between your tow vehicle and | your trailer or some idiot who cuts in front of you and hits the brakes. | In your case I would be especially cautious because you will have a living | being back there. | | Before I started towing I used to drive "one car length for every 10 mph" | behind the car in front of me. Now, even when I'm not towing, I follow | about one quarter mile behind. I usually follow a big truck because most | people don't want to be behind trucks so it greatly reduces the number of | cars cutting in front of me. | | One more thing I just want to mention is sometimes a little more than 10% on | the hitch can improve handling of the tow vehicle and trailer (assuming you | can do this without exceeding the limit of your hitch). I adjusted all the | stuff in my boat to get it around 15% and it just felt better driving it. | Of course you would need to get your horse to cooperate ;-) Also, is it | possible to get one horse in the middle of a two-horse trailer? It may | improve handling if you don't have all the weight on one side. | >
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| > "Ulysses" wrote in message | > news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com... | > | | > | "John Riggs" wrote in message | > | news:42afb3ee snipped-for-privacy@x-privat.org... | > | > That was kinda what I thought. Why would you think anyone asking | > such | > | a | > | > question was a troll? It's a good question. I personally prefer a | class | > | III | > | > receiver hitch, but I am still trying to understand ford's thinking on | > | > putting only class II hitches on the Explorers. | > | | > | It just sounded like the kind of question a troll might post, or right | on | > | the verge thereof. | > | | > | But seriously if the trailer is empty then you might be able to get away | > | with it. If you look around you will probably not see any horses being | > | pulled by anything less than a GMC 2500 or F250. I'm no expert on horse | > | trailers but all the one's I've noticed had gooseneck hitches. Are you | > just | > | trying to move an empty horse trailer or do you plan to have something | in | > | it? | > | | > | I have towed a boat on a trailer with a total weight of about 3500 | pounds | > | with my Explorer with no problem but that was with a Class III hitch. | > OTOH | > | I pulled the same boat and trailer with an '82 Toyota 3/4 ton pickup | with | > a | > | bumper hitch (ball installed in the bumper). It was OK but I never | tried | > | taking up any mountain roads. The Explorer, of course, has a lot more | > | power. | > | | > | Generally you should distribute your load so you get about ten percent | of | > | the weight on your hitch. So if your trailer/load weighs 3000 pounds | you | > | should have about 300 pounds on the hitch. That seems like that's | > probably | > | about at the limit (what does the owner's manual say?) for a bumper | hitch. | > | I think it's around 500 pounds for a Class III. | > | | > | >
| > | > "Ulysses" wrote in message | > | > news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com... | > | > | If you weren't a regular poster here I'd think you were a troll. | > | > | | > | > | As long as the two horses aren't in it... | > | > | | > | > | | > | > | | > | > | "John Riggs" wrote in message | > | > | news:1118721002.94eef2b0df2df625eedee8822fe83267@bubbanews... | > | > | > I apparently have to make an emergency drive from Nebraska to | > | > Florida | > | > | to | > | > | > pick up my horse. Since I have a '92 EB and it only has the | factory | > | > bumper | > | > | > hitch, will that be safe enough to pull a two horse trailer 2400 | > | miles? | > | > I | > | > | > dragged my old Bronco II behind me farther than that with no | > problems, | > | > but | > | > | > that was using a tow bar, so not tongue weight. | > | > | > I need answers pretty quick guys. | > | > | >
| > | > | > Thanks | > | | > | | > | | >
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