<VV> Tow Vehicle

[K. Michael Kost]

The only problem around here with leaving more room than you think you need  is 
someone always fills it up!

Mike Kost



________________________________
From: BBRT <chsadek at comcast.net>
To: K. Michael Kost <vairmike at sbcglobal.net>; virtualvairs at corvair.org
Sent: Thu, November 10, 2011 12:13:03 PM
Subject: Tow Vehicle

Couldn't agree more. Chev 1T Dually crew cab long bed Duramax w/Allsion. The 
only issue is turning radius. Takes a city block.  Sure will pull a loaded 24 ft 
box trailer well. Secret there is keeping it in its torque range, esp. at bottom 
of long grades. Always leave more room than you think you need...

Chuck S
----- Original Message ----- From: "K. Michael Kost" <vairmike at sbcglobal.net>
To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 12:34 PM
Subject: Re: <VV> Tow Bar, Trailer, Tow Dolly, Tow Vehicle


> I have not towed with a Corvair but have towed Corvairs for over 30 years. I
> first started towing Corvairs with a tow bar behind my Chevy LUV 4x4 (1.8l
> stick) and found it worked OK around town in the dry if you drove with great
> care but if it was wet you had to use 4wd to avoid jackknifing. Later I got a
> GMC S-15 extended cab 4x4 (2.8l stick) rated to tow 5000 lbs. This worked well
> for for flat towing. When I got a trailer (all steel about 1000lbs no brakes) 
I
> found the towing ability was marginal and learned a lot about weight and
> balance and their contributions to stability. After some near misses on 
>stopping
> I added brakes to the trailer. One time when I weighed this rig the truck
> weighed 5K and the trailer weighed 4K. It may have been rated to pull 5K but 
>the
> 2.8l engine was overworked. My next tow vehicle was a GMC C2500 extended cab
> short bed (350 automatic). This pulled my Corvair on a trailer with no 
problems
> stopping or going and no stability problems. My only problem with this rig was
> the transmission which needed a torque converter and front pump at 30K miles
> (after towing to the convention in Ontario, CA by way of Denver, CO) and at 
65K
> when I got rid of it it acted like it had the same problem. My current tow
> vehicle is a Silverado 2500HD 4x4 Crew Cab short bed (Duramax and Allison) is
> the best so far and is rated to pull 12K. I even got 18mpg towing to the
> convention in Detroit keeping up with traffic easily and no question of
> stopping. What I learned from my 31 years of towing is get the best (and 
>longest
> wheelbase) tow vehicle that you can afford and take extra driving precautions
> the smaller the tow vehicle you use.
> 
> Mike Kost
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