Trailering from an SUV

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

Lucy Chaplin Trumbull elsie@calweb.com
> Has anyone had any experience towing a two horse bumper-pull 
> with a SUV?

Two weeks ago on a Friday night around 11 pm, we received a 
phone call from some friends. They were on their way to a 
motorcycle meet, towing their travel trailer with light-weight 
m/c in the back from their 4-Runner.

A large truck had gone past them on the freeway, sucked them
in, and, as they described it, suddenly they were being swept
back and forth from the whiplash effect of the trailer - tail
wagging the dog, so to speak. 

The trailer eventually hit the fencing by the side of the road, 
ripped out a 30' length and flipped over, nearly taking the 
4-Runner with it.

Even if a tow vehicle has enough power to pull a trailer, 
please think about whether it has strong enough brakes and 
weight to stop it, and also to avoid being flicked around 
if the trailer starts to weave.

From our friend's experience, in retrospect I was very glad 
that we took the plunge a year ago, and bought a 3/4 ton truck 
with the heavy-duty tow package to tow my 2-horse bumper pull. 
I know that my truck is big enough to keep the trailer going 
in the direction that I want it to go, at the speed I want it 
to go in.

I can't think of many more scarey things than seeing that
trailer flipped over on the freeway, camping stuff and m/c
stuff strewn everywhere - but at least they didn't have 
furry beasts in there.

Please urge your friend to examine her budget and see if 
she can't use a truck instead of her SUV. It's definitely
worth it. (and, btw, up until a couple of weeks ago, I was
commuting in my truck on a daily basis - I love that thing,
it's like my home from home).

-- 
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Lucy Chaplin Trumbull - elsie@calweb.com
Repotted english person in Sacramento, CA 
http://www.calweb.com/~trouble
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