Felix,
A number of years ago I made the switch to an enclosed trailer. Aside from
the obvious (you will now have to "exactly" align the hitch with the tongue,
because attempted manual adjustments will result in multiple hernias), you
WILL now know a trailer is behind you. Figure on load-leveling bars and I
absolutely recommend a sway bar. The latter takes the error out of minor
tongue-weight guesses.
My experience with a 350 Suburban is that, aside from very long climbs, your
truck will do fine. As to how you load, put the heavy "stuff" directly
behind you cab, secured, of course. You can use other items to create
ballast to reduce tongue weight. I carry about 6500 lbs. with no problem,
and the 'burb has a carbed engine that's obviously down on horses, compared
to your Ford.
Let me add one other experience. A few weeks ago I was pulling another Nova
I have to a car show in the same trailer. Granted, no extra racing parts or
wheels/tires, but I pulled a diesel Dodge from my son's lot, and I forgot
the trailer was even there.
Assuming your annual mileage isn't in the 50k range, keep an eye open for a
Dodge or Ford diesel (just don't have experience with a GM)2500 pickup with
50-70k miles and scarf it up. It'll go to 200k without a problem, given
proper maintenance, and will open a whole new world for you. Tons of
pulling power and relatively decent mileage.
Plus, with an enclosed trailer you can host parties for fellow competitors
when it rains!
Rick Yocum
66 Nova TransAm
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-vintage-race@autox.team.net
[mailto:owner-vintage-race@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of MHKitchen@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2002 7:31 PM
To: CSRGinfo@yahoogroups.com; vintage-race@autox.team.net
Subject: Fwd: Trailer Questions
Hi List...posting this for Felix as he was having troubles...Please reply
directly to him, or on the list as you wish.
Regards,
Myles
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Message-ID: <003a01c2634b$7170a560$264cec0c@attbi.com>
From: "Felix" <fcjchiu@attbi.com>
To: <MHKitchen@aol.com>
Subject: Trailer Questions
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2002 14:51:58 -0700
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Hi Miles:
The following is a post I sent to the Vintage Race digest a few days ago but
for some reason never saw it posted. I may be posting it wrong or my ISP is
blocking mail sent to this particular address. Can you post this message
for
me please.
See you this weekend at Sears Point?
Thanks,
Felix
Thanks Miles and everyone else for the great info on trailers.
I would like to hear about the experiences of people towing relatively
larger trailers (24 feet or longer) with standard sized pick-ups or
SUVs. What it is like to tow an enclosed trailer that weights close
to or at the recommended towing capacity of the vehicle. Other than
the load should be properly balance on the trailer, what else should
be considered? Torsion bars? Some kind of sway control? Improved
suspension on the tow vehicle, such as air bags, air-shocks or
levelers? Should more of the gear/tools be loaded on the trailer or
the tow vechicle?
I currently tow with a Ford F150 with the 5.4 engine, heavy duty tow
package, four wheel disc/anti-lock brakes. Rated towing capacity is
8700 lbs. Towing an open single-axel trailer. With the car on, it
probably weights around 3,000 lbs. I can push the trailer and car
around by myself on level ground. It is easy to move and store and
the truck hardly noticed that its there when towing. Like Carl, I too
was caught in the Monsoon/Mud-bowl of the Sears Point CSRG event in
the spring. I too, is thinking about an enclosed trailer but would
not want to up-grade the truck as well and is concerned about how it
would handle a fairly big trailer that say, weights 8000 lbs when
loaded.
Felix Chiu
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