Towing, lessons learned
11-16-2014, 01:27 AM
#17
About Towing, lesson learned :
Now : what is the tongue weight ? since about two years I'm using a "SenZbar".
With the boat, you never know the amount of water and gas in the tanks, and what gears/stuff you have in it.
If you want to be safe, it is better to know your tongue weight. I found that the SenZbar hitch is super great.
See : http://www.senzbar.com/
Btw, another "trick" that changed my life when towing the boat is the following:
I have a camera that is fixed in the center of the rear of the boat. it is connected (internaly) to the boat electric dash, and there, I have a wireless transmitter.
When, I tow, I fix on the surface of the central rear mirror a LCD display (when the boat is in place, anyway, you only see a big white mass tailgating me !) and this LCD is connected to a video wireless receiver, so, my central mirror give me the view from the back of the boat.
I did this "trick" about 4 years ago, and frankly, it enhance the towing life big time.
in photos :
..my two tricks !
Now : what is the tongue weight ? since about two years I'm using a "SenZbar".
With the boat, you never know the amount of water and gas in the tanks, and what gears/stuff you have in it.
If you want to be safe, it is better to know your tongue weight. I found that the SenZbar hitch is super great.
See : http://www.senzbar.com/
Btw, another "trick" that changed my life when towing the boat is the following:
I have a camera that is fixed in the center of the rear of the boat. it is connected (internaly) to the boat electric dash, and there, I have a wireless transmitter.
When, I tow, I fix on the surface of the central rear mirror a LCD display (when the boat is in place, anyway, you only see a big white mass tailgating me !) and this LCD is connected to a video wireless receiver, so, my central mirror give me the view from the back of the boat.
I did this "trick" about 4 years ago, and frankly, it enhance the towing life big time.
in photos :
..my two tricks !
11-22-2014, 10:25 PM
#18
Rennlist Member
Had the dealer install the factory tow hitch package last month and wanted to share some lessons learned.
I towed a UHaul 5x8 single axle trailer 700 miles with about 1500 lbs inside.
- Hooked up the trailer and the first thing we noticed was that the standard UHaul hooks for the safety chain are to small to hook on the hitch. I bought two stainless steel D-Rings for the hooks to hang on to . Each of the rings are rated at 5000lbs. If you need to lock the trailer chain to the car, you'll need a larger than usually lock to get through the hitch's hookup.
- Using a Pollack 7-4 adapter, I noticed that at each start up I would get two warnings about my rear lights. Easly cleared with the right thumb wheel button. Turn signals will give you a warning too. I am 99.9% certain that this is caused by UHaul using LED lights. The car and Uhaul's lights tested OK despite the warning.
- With the car off, the car's computer likes to send small voltage signals that cause the LED lights to flash faintly periodically. While fascinating and curious, I disconnected the lights for overnights. Not sure what the drain is and what the system is doing but a weak battery on a 10 degree morning is not high on my list of things to experience.
- LCA deactivates when it senses that trailers lights are connected. You'll know that you forgot to rehook up the trailer lights when you get a radar signal alert flaming you from your radar detector with no one around.
- The self leveling systems is great.
- Car tows like a dream and I've towed for 40 years.
- Mileage went from 21 highway (avg 75mph) to 15 (avg 75). I expected that.
- Oil consumption for the first 4000 miles (95% highway) with no trailer was not measurable by the system. It showed full the entire time. Pulling the trailer on the highway through the mountains for 300 of the 700 miles showed an oil volume reduction of one segment on the screen. I expected some oil consumption and that small amount was okay in my book. I was maintaining highway speed regardless of grade and keeping the RPMs up.
Tow safely boys and girls.
I towed a UHaul 5x8 single axle trailer 700 miles with about 1500 lbs inside.
- Hooked up the trailer and the first thing we noticed was that the standard UHaul hooks for the safety chain are to small to hook on the hitch. I bought two stainless steel D-Rings for the hooks to hang on to . Each of the rings are rated at 5000lbs. If you need to lock the trailer chain to the car, you'll need a larger than usually lock to get through the hitch's hookup.
- Using a Pollack 7-4 adapter, I noticed that at each start up I would get two warnings about my rear lights. Easly cleared with the right thumb wheel button. Turn signals will give you a warning too. I am 99.9% certain that this is caused by UHaul using LED lights. The car and Uhaul's lights tested OK despite the warning.
- With the car off, the car's computer likes to send small voltage signals that cause the LED lights to flash faintly periodically. While fascinating and curious, I disconnected the lights for overnights. Not sure what the drain is and what the system is doing but a weak battery on a 10 degree morning is not high on my list of things to experience.
- LCA deactivates when it senses that trailers lights are connected. You'll know that you forgot to rehook up the trailer lights when you get a radar signal alert flaming you from your radar detector with no one around.
- The self leveling systems is great.
- Car tows like a dream and I've towed for 40 years.
- Mileage went from 21 highway (avg 75mph) to 15 (avg 75). I expected that.
- Oil consumption for the first 4000 miles (95% highway) with no trailer was not measurable by the system. It showed full the entire time. Pulling the trailer on the highway through the mountains for 300 of the 700 miles showed an oil volume reduction of one segment on the screen. I expected some oil consumption and that small amount was okay in my book. I was maintaining highway speed regardless of grade and keeping the RPMs up.
Tow safely boys and girls.
