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Random Thought Thread

Looked at a pop-up trailer being sold by a guy literally two blocks from my house.

It's weighing in at 3770gvwr; my Kia Sedona has a towing capacity of 3500.

Damn, but this trailer has everything Dngrswife wants and the price makes it a steal.
 
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Funny, my van has a different towing capacity outside the US... I think I can do this-- I'll put in a brake assist module (already have one, ready to install), maybe an intercooler, and a suspension package.

Dngrswife will be pink for quite a while.
 
Dngrsone said:
Looked at a pop-up trailer being sold by a guy literally two blocks from my house.

It's weighing in at 3770gvwr; my Kia Sedona has a towing capacity of 3500.

Damn, but this trailer has everything Dngrswife wants and the price makes it a steal.
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Remember to include the weight of the people, luggage, gear, etc. Add that to your trailer weight as well. If it exceeds the max towing I'd think twice. Your tranny life will be shortened as well.
 
It's got everything that Dngrswife wants in a pop-up, and it's a significant upgrade for half the price it would cost me at a dealership.
 
We went with a Thule 1600XL box for the roof. It will carry the light stuff and the big items will go behind the 2nd row. Big items include a massive Commodore tent made from Egyptian cotton from 1958. Yup, still works! It was my parents when they toured Europe in 58-64.
 
bjacks12 said:
Scares the hell out of me when I drive alongside a car or minivan towing a trailer on the interstate
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Did you ever see one jack-knifed on the Interstate? I did in CT. _ Trailer
/ Car on shoulder
No idea how it happened, but coming around a corner and right there in front of you. There it is! :eek::eek::(:mad::eek:
 
Puppy-cam

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Okay, maybe not puppies: the tan one is something like ten years old, and the short-hair just turned five, I think.
 
PattiCakeUS said:
LOL bjacks, I hate spiders because they're creepy & scary!! Actually, I think it goes back to something that happened when I was a little girl - I had a brief encounter with one & I screamed my head off until my dad came & killed it.
I know it's an irrational fear since they're tiny & I could squish them, but they FREAK :eek:me out!

We have a bug lab at my company but thankfully, mainly just cockroaches, no spiders. So the only spiders I see are usually on our labels.
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I wouldn't call that irrational fear...
image
 
So many people are so ignorant about trailers. Just because your engine has the power(and most minivans can barely move themselves, lol), it doesn't mean you can tow. The transmissions aren't built for the strain, the suspension and frame aren't built for it, and the vehicle isn't hefty enough to handle the force of a swaying trailer.
 
bjacks12 said:
So many people are so ignorant about trailers. Just because your engine has the power(and most minivans can barely move themselves, lol), it doesn't mean you can tow. The transmissions aren't built for the strain, the suspension and frame aren't built for it, and the vehicle isn't hefty enough to handle the force of a swaying trailer.
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So true. My vehicle is underpowered for this trailer, which is why I am going to outfit is with better equipment as an interim solution, but I am also going to get a vehicle capable of towing this new trailer.
 
Another thing that affects towing is length of the tow vehicle. Having towed a camper with similar HD Ford pickups, one being a regular cab, and the other being a crew cab....the longer the truck, the more stable you will drive.
 
bjacks12 said:
Another thing that affects towing is length of the tow vehicle. Having towed a camper with similar HD Ford pickups, one being a regular cab, and the other being a crew cab....the longer the truck, the more stable you will drive.
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HOGWASH! I once towed, not one, but two space shuttles. Up hill, both ways, in my Le Car.
 
andruoid said:
Remember to include the weight of the people, luggage, gear, etc. Add that to your trailer weight as well. If it exceeds the max towing I'd think twice. Your tranny life will be shortened as well.
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GVRW is the max and assumes the maximum load of extras and is often way higher that what you would reasonably carry. I'm not saying Dngr should exceed the towing capacity, and he shouldn't. He is smart by getting a break controller.

I'm not sure if it is Fed DOT or Mass DOT, but we aren't allowed to haul a trailor with propane without breaks including an emergency break that engages if the trailer disconnects from the tow vehicle. Regardless, if you are pushing, or slightly exceeding the GVWR when towing, or for that matter, just plain towing common sense, you need to remember it's a lot easier to get it moving than getting it to stop. Realistically you can get 10,000 pounds moving with a Toyota Corolla but you are screwed when you continually try to stop it, let alone an emergency.

That is why when you look at tow packages on vehicles, especially pickup trucks, it way more than a drop hitch and wiring harness. Any good one includes larger discs and drums for better dispersion of heat. They will also include a transmission cooler which is a separate radiator that the tranny fluid runs through so you can run lower gears for getting the load moving and stopping. On top of that an integrated, or as Dngrs is adding, and aftermarket break controller to balance the trailor breaking system with the tow vehicles as well as allowing breaking to the trailor independent of the tow vehicle.

If you are smart, a couple hundred pounds of GVWR variance is no big deal. You don't want to be up against it regardless of what you are towing. Unfortunately, too many folks don't educate and prepare themselves to tow properly.
 
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