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RE: Xterra

To: "Joshua Milton" <jt_milton@yahoo.com>,
Subject: RE: Xterra
From: Ronnie Day <rday@airmail.net>
Date: Thu, 24 Jun 1999 13:25:18 -0500
>I brought my Roadster home on a car trailer, and I was driving an 87
>Toyota 4x4 truck with a 4cyl.  Its all in the tongue weight and how
>well the trailer is balanced.

I don't want to be a wet blanket, but want to add the following thoughts. 
I can't remember exactly where I heard it, but consensus seems to be that 
a tow vehicle should be at least 1 1/2 times the weight of the load being 
towed. If your roadster is 2K lbs and the trailer 1K, then you'd want 
something that weight close to 4K. This helps keeps the load from doing 
the towing.

In addition, I strongly suggest getting trailer brakes and a good 
controller. It'll cost a couple of hundred, but could save much more 
including your life. A friend was towing his 300ZX IT car (on a light 
trailer w/o brakes) back from Hallett with his Jeep Comanche. It got away 
from him and dragged him into the ditch, fortunately causing no damage to 
the race car/trailer, but about $500 damage to the Jeep.

Coming back from Shasta last year we were west of Albuquerque when we 
came up on a U-Haul cab over van rental towing a 280ZX on a dolly. He was 
doing well over 70 when the ZX started moving around on him and he almost 
lost it. He got it slowed down and straight, but would you believe 
started speeding up again immediately, without stopping to make sure 
everything was secure. We got past him quickly and were glad.

Be careful, maybe even a little paranoid! Grandpa will go back to sleep 
now.<G>

FWIW,
Ron

________________
Ronnie Day
rday@airmail.net
Dallas/Ft. Worth
'71 510 2-dr (Prepared class autocrosser)
'73 510 2-dr (Street Toy)


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