Trailer towing with a ... well I don't know?

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by euromodder

I really don't understand why you guys in the US (or NA) make such a fuss about towing.

We use a bumper hitch (ball) usually attached to a cross-beam that's in turn attached to the chassis. Plain and simple.
We use lower tongue weights, 50 to 75 kg (110-165 lbs) and the trailers are set up for that.

And yet we get to tow around 75 - 90 % of the empty car weight with a braked trailer.
Without trailer brakes, it's usually below 50% empty weight.

We haul bigger and heavier over longer distances at higher speeds. There are those who have no other home in retirement and may travel 200k in a decade or so.

Doesn't mean the "rules" over here couldn't use some changes (mainly with the trailers, construction quality plus brakes & suspension; a trailer parking brake would be a good addition over here). I've seen some of the equipment sold for the European market (trailers and hitches) and it is admirable by apparent design.

The tongue weight [TW] of North American Travel Trailers [TT] is generally 10-15% of total trailer weight, aiming for about 12.5-13% as ideal. A weight-distributing hitch [WDH] is used to take that heavy TW and "re-distribute" it over all of the rigs axles once the TW exceeds 350-lbs. When done correctly -- and when combined with best anti-sway device (or, better, WDH design) -- it makes for a nicely stable combination. Yaw-induced oversteer is reduced. The range of vehicles that can tow a trailer greater in weight than itself is large. And, as trailer brakes stop the TT just as Tow Vehicle [TV] brakes stop the TV, one can have stellar performance even there . . . the correct rig will stop faster than the TV when solo.

This is only in speaking of "conventional" hitches, not of fifth-wheel or gooseneck style limited to pickup trucks.

The rigs I referred to in the earlier post were cars of about 5,500 to 6,000-lbs fully loaded, with trailers of up to 8,000-lbs loaded. A 12-14,000-lb combination depending on the trip.


Were the OP's concern directly mine I should start prior to e-mailing Mr. Thomson by acquiring some vital numbers. The TV should have removed from it all that is not permanent (to the drivers satisfaction) and, with himself and a full tank of fuel obtain the Steer Axle [FA] and Drive Axle [RA] readings; along with the vehicle manufacturer published numbers of same. These are the empty number sets. Second, load the TV as if for travel (use no less than 150-lbs per passenger [pax] and 25-lbs misc for each in the TV as estimates) and re-weigh.

Again, the published empty numbers, the true empty numbers, and that of being loaded for travel. [3] sets.

One will also want the tire & wheel size plus make & brand. Auto or manual. Drive gear ratio. Etc.

Second, if the TT is not in his possession, then do an exhaustive search to try and acquire the empty and loaded numbers of the TT along with TW. If the TT is available one wants:

TW: empty & loaded
TT axle[s]: empty & loaded

For a total of [4] scale tickets from a certified scale (see CAT Scale), or so; there are more ways than one to get it together; [6] sets of numbers: published, actual empty, and loaded.

(where "empty" is the TT with permanent tools/supplies aboard plus full fresh water tank & propane; "loaded" being the same plus as outfitted for extensive travel)

Plus, pictures of both, as well as relevant model year specs, etc.

With this information Mr. Thomson's firm can make the suggestions/drawings necessary to building a proper hitch, as well as any changes to the TV and TT that they see as being in the interest of best possible performance. Of course, one can -- as do many Canadians & Americans -- make the trip to their facility in Ontario. The firm has demonstrator rigs available for convincing the [rightfully] wary of the advantages found in the thorough analysis which resuts in ideal hitch rigging.

I'm pretty comfortable with how hitch rigging works, and own a state-of-the-art sway-eliminating WDH. But I look forward to the 2,000-mile trip to that facility to find the last tweaks.

90-95% of RV tow rigs in North America are incorrectly hitched, it matters not whether we are speaking of 1954 or today. The changes necessary range from minor to literally avoiding disaster the first five miles. The difference between adequate and excellent is a gulf not well traversed in words, but through experience.

The advantage for a hypermiler is that it becomes E-Z to maintain "lane-centeredness" with finger-tip control. In fact all applications of force -- steering, braking, accelerating -- are minimized for a given combination when further scale-ticket and temp readings help to zero in on ideal tire temperatures (as the number of brake & steering applications per 100-miles are reduced) as well as other measurements of temp or pressure which may result in a tweak or two.

Think of it as the reduction of rolling resistance.

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