<VV> Risky towing (some Corvair)

Fri Nov 11 10:27:08 EST 2011

Class "A" CDL? ... Me too ... and 50 years of on and off towing experience.  I would have checked the lights, tires, and brakes before that bulldozer ever left the yard.  I would have pulled that 'dozer but I would have not been caught by surprise.   I slow down and 'gear down' before descending on a really long hill ... even in my passenger car and I do not allow my tow vehicle to shift into OD.  When towing anything / with anything, keeping up with the traffic is NOT part of the plan even if I have to pull off the road to let traffic pass!  As long as traffic is moving away from me I automatically have extra stopping distance. 

Towing distance is not really very important.  If I am going a long distance at highway speeds I will be stopping every 75 to 125 miles for a pit stop and / or slowing down through town.  NEVER had any lubrication problems.  Around here, any newly purchased vehicle may be towed or driven from the point of purchase to home without plates but lights are required.  It always illegal to have a passenger in any towed vehicle ... even if it is on a trailer.

I like to put cars on trailers best.  I prefer to tow 'good' cars with the tow bar over the dolly but will use a tow dolly for wrecked vehicles.  I do not like the was cars move laterally on the dolly.  Someone once told me Corvairs did that because the rear end was too heavy so I tried towing them with the rear wheels on the dolly and the steering center bar bolted to the crossmember ... did not see much improvement.  I did tow my Elcamino on a tow dolly with my motorhome.  That vehicles was less affected by the lateral movement of the Elcamino ... of course, the motorhome has dual rear tires.

And my Elcaminos have been excellent tow vehicles and they look good doing it :-)  Same can be said for my Suburbans.

Ken P Elcamino
Wyandotte, MI
Worry looks around; Sorry looks back, Faith looks up.

**************************

> From: Ramon Rodriguez III <corvairgrymm at gmail.com>
> Date: November 10, 2011 10:34:27 AM EST
> To: Ken Pepke <kenpepke at juno.com>
> Cc: Vair Views <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
> Subject: Re: <VV> Risky towing (no Corvair)
> 
> I have a class "A" CDL and spent about two years driving over the road, usually towing a 53' foot trailer.  Before I took on that gig I spent a short while driving small dump trucks for a local paving company (doing driveways mostly).  The boss was a real idiot with a nasty attitude.... anyway maybe a week after I started working for him I had to tow a trailer loaded with the bulldozer in the pouring rain.  The boss didn't bother to tell me that the brakes on the trailer were completely non-functional.  The first time I got on the brakes the bulldozer just pushed me along.  Fortunately I had plenty of room in front of me and with a little evasive maneuvering avoided any collisions.  I finished the trip at about 10 miles per hour.  
> 
> I would be perfectly willing to tow 2,500 lbs with a late model (better brakes) as long as it was in good weather.  Eventually it might come to this, fortunately for the time being I've got access to a good tow vehicle owned by my father.... now if only I had a trailer (or at least a dolly) so I didn't have to rent one....
> 
> Ray "Grymm" Rodriguez III
> Lake Ariel, PA
> 
> 
> 
> On Thu, Nov 10, 2011 at 8:28 AM, Ken Pepke <kenpepke at juno.com> wrote:
> 
> Good points Tony ... and great examples.  Watching the road way far ahead is most important.  It always seems when one is going a little slower than usual [and slightly slower than the surrounding traffic] nothing gets in your way; there will be no hard, last second stops nor sudden moves required.
> 
> I have also found Corvairs tow best with all wheels on the ground.  I have towed Corvairs on a tow dolly also; the last time from Cleveland Ohio to Warren, MI. with an '89 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham REAR wheel drive.  50 MPH max.  The same car later towed with the 'bar' followed the same Cadillac easily at any speed.  The worst towing experience came when I had the 'bar' come loose off a Corvair bumper on one side but, I did not even notice until I saw it at a rest stop!  Apparent failure on my part to tighten the clamps :-(
> 
> Actually, braking is everything when towing.  When towing anything without brakes extra distance MUST be allowed for stopping.  The old boat trailer has surge brakes on its front axle so any Corvair could quite safely pull it at whatever speed the engine HP will allow.  When the braking is right the size of the tow vehicle is of little importance.  Look at all those tractor trailer combo's on the highway everyday ... When loaded, 85% of their weight can be the trailer!  Yeah, they use a fifth wheel ... but not on the 'pup' trailer.  Trucks use air pressure to operate the brakes but if one was doing a lot of towing it would be possible to hydraulically connect the car brakes to the towed vehicle.  It increases the brake pedal pressure required but it is what I would do if towing in the mountains.
> 
> 
> Ken P
> Wyandotte, MI
> Worry looks around; Sorry looks back, Faith looks up.
> 
> *******************************
> 
> 
> 
> > From: Tony Underwood <tony.underwood at cox.net>
> > Date: November 10, 2011 1:23:18 AM EST
> > To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
> > Subject: Re: <VV> Towing with a Corvair
> >
> > At 07:07 PM 11/9/2011, George Jones wrote:
> >> As long as you believe that knowing how to tow includes knowing not to tow
> >> with a vehicle which is too small or inadequately equipped to do the job,
> >> then I'm fine with your point. Knowing how to tow when your equipment is
> >> inadequate can't prepare you for the guy who jumps on the brakes in front
> >> of you and you have to struggle to control a load which weighs as much or
> >> more than your tow vehicle.
> 
> >
> >
> >
> > I've towed with a Corvair.   In fact, I've towed THREE Lakewoods with
> > Corvairs.   Two were just across town, the third was nearly a
> > third-way across the state, pulled on a dolly with the '69 140hp
> > Monza.   Interestingly enough, one of the Corvairs ('67 95hp 500)
> > that did two of the Lakewood towings was in fact originally itself
> > towed home by the same '69 Monza.
> >
> > This is what you do, field-expedience-wise, when you do in fact own a
> > more adequate tow vehicle (Dodge Ram PU) but it's loaned out to
> > somebody who kept it for 3 friggin' months.    >:-o    Before that,
> > it pulled home the 'Vair-kitcar tube-chassis from 110 miles north of here.
> >
> > Drive slowly, keep twice the distance you usually keep from what's
> > ahead of you, brake carefully and EARLY, and watch all around
> > you.   Do these things and you can tow your own weight anywhere
> > without a problem, but you do need to be defensive and NOT in a
> > rush.   And stop often and CHECK EVERYTHING.
> >
> > I've pulled other things with that '69 Monza and it did well.   Sure,
> > the truck does it better but the Monza gave a good account of itself
> > when it was necessary.   And, it got some thumbs-up displays from
> > people who spotted a Corvair stationwagon being towed by another
> > Corvair.   The crowning touch was pulling that Porsche with the
> > Monza.   That got a few laughs, I'm sure.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > tony..   is very careful when need be
> > ______________________________
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> -- 
> Ray "Grymm" Rodriguez
> Lake Ariel, PA
> 