Re: re: S10 Towing

["Celia Krall" <celiak@pcrs.net>]

Once had to pull 7 horses up Gothic (above Crested Butte) for a ride
between Crested Butte and Aspen, Colorado, using a Ford Ranger (??).  Have
forgotten the name of the ITTY BITTY truck.  At some point, we stopped
going forward, stopped moving at all, and then the trailer began to pull
the truck BACK down the hill.  Ever sweated bullets?  Finally stepped on
the brake hard enough, and jammed the emergency brake down, cautiously
opened the door and stepped out.  Tried to lock in the hubs.  Left one,
fine. Right one just spun.  Swell.  Really, just swell.  Loved my job - but
we sure were tough on equipment.

Jumped back in, put it in 4-low and low on the column.  Made it.  (Did I
mention it was raining?  DId I mention the muddy road?)  Tough hill.  I
will never, ever pull a trailer with a little truck again.  Not even a
two-horse.  Rather walk.  Or ride.  Or pony six horses.  Or stay home.  I
recommend a bigger truck.  Even if you never drive up Gothic.

Cel

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> From: twoodcock@lendleaserei.com
> To: ridecamp@endurance.net
> Subject: RC:  re: S10 Towing
> Date: Wednesday, August 23, 2000 7:38 AM
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> cocoastar@juno.com on 08/23/2000 02:40:48 AM
> 
> To:   ridecamp@endurance.net, suendavid@worldnet.att.net,
adlee@bigfoot.com
> cc:    (bcc: Tamara Woodcock/US1/Lend Lease)
> 
> Subject:  RC:  re: S10 Towing
> 
> I actually have no problems towing a two horse steel trailer with an SUV.
 I
> have a Jeep Grand Cherokee (all the time 4WD, automatic 5.2 V8, and
heavy-duty
> tow package including pumped up cooling system and rated for 6500 lbs). 
My two
> horse doesn't have trailer brakes or anti-sway bars.  Hauls fine in what
ever
> conditions I need it to haul in.  I've only used it to haul 1 horse at a
time,
> but that's because I only have one horse I can get to load in this
trailer.
> 
> I've also pulled my stock trailer with this Jeep (16" steel trailer) with
two
> horses weighing around 2100 lbs. combined.  Had no problems on the
highway, did
> have a bit of a problem pulling a really steep hill that had a stop light
at the
> bottom of it (which I got stopped at) and does required a long time to
stop
> smoothly.  This does have electric brakes, but no anti-sway bars.  The
only
> problem I have with hauling a trailer of this size with the Jeep is the
hitch
> height.  I use a receiver hitch and in order to make the two horse
trailer ride
> level when loaded the hitch has to be lower than for the stock trailer. 
The
> hitch is just a bit to low when hauling the stock trailer right now, but
this
> can be corrected simply by me remembering to buy a 2nd receiver hitch at
setting
> the ball higher.
> 
> I do prefer to use my old F350 dually for pulling, but it's gotten to
where it
> just can't do the hills anymore and burns a quart and a half of oil with
each
> tank of gas.
> 
> -Tamara
> 
> 
> 
> Guess I should add that the type of small truck you have makes a
> lot of difference in how well the rig handles.  A 4-wheel drive is
> typically taller and a bit less stable than a longbed 2-wheel drive
> model.  The shorter the wheelbase and the higher it is off the
> ground the worse it will handle towing a load.  An SUV like a
> Bronco II or an S10 Blazer would be the worst handling of the
> bunch.
> 
> My Ranger was a 2-wheel drive supercab so I had some advantage
> over a 4wd Toyota - even though the Toyota might have more
> horsepower!  And I would not go back to the Ranger since I have
> been pulling my gooseneck with my F250 diesel for several years now.
> It's all kinda relative......
> 
> Again  YMMV
> Dave Bennett
> Georgia
> 
> 
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