Re: [A/S] towing

["Mr. Joy H. Hansen" <joytbrew@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi All,

I sit with my finger on the delete button and wonder what all the discussion
about safe towing means to me?  How much weight on the front and rear of the
tow vehicle?  How much weight on the trailer axle?  What "not to do" with my
Reese equalizer hitch.  The A/L egroup has done a great job of educating me
about hitch operation.  However, I like to look at the weak link of any
system and towing systems are no different.

I looked at the massive steel draw bar that holds the tiny 2 inch ball for
my A/S and the short stab that slides into the receiver on my tow vehicle.
The label says it's rated for 750 pounds of hitch weight with an equalizer
and something like 550 pounds without.  I thought about the short stab on
the drawbar, the  tiny 5/8th inch pin that holds the drawbar in the foot
long receiver, and finally "How does this equalizing thing work?"  Imagine
putting enough bind on the receiver to  share the hitch weight on the front
wheels of the tow vehicle.  I can visualize the tons per square inch of
pressure at each end of the union of the towbar and the receiver.  It works!
My job is not to reason why, but I do .  .  . and it levels the tow vehicle
and trailer as required by the trailer manufacturer.

So the questions keep surfacing.  Who installed the hitch?  Did GM design
the aft of my tow vehicle to tolerate the kind of lever to transfer weight
from the rear axle to the front axle?  Is the receiver prone to stress
cracks and failure?  Are  both my tow vehicle and the trailer at the same
level when hitched?

As a newbee to towing, I was amazed that my neighbor in the camp ground
towing a new A/S 25 foot was asking me why my hitch had those silly friction
points on the end of the equalization bars.  Must be an old fashioned hitch,
since his new model had only a chain attached to the end of his bar.  And
that sway bar in the storage area of his unit wasn't necessary.  He related
that he towed at 80 + without much concern?

As I sat and studied the 1969 A/S owner's manual in the section on towing
tips, there seemed to be a lot to be concerned with.  Put 15 percent of the
total trailer weight on the ball.  Be sure both the tow vehicle and the
trailer are on the same level.  The service technician set everything up and
said I was a go.  On the road, my headlights were scanning the night sky for
UFO's.  A bit of input from the steering and the sway of my tow vehicle
frightened my spouse such that she might not participate in RVing.  More
pressure on the equalizer bars without using the jack!  Sort of worked OK,
but those trucks passing at twice my speed put everything in a pendulum
motion.  With each passing truck I learned more of how to control the sway.
At one stop, I saw smoke from the trailer wheel - what a nasty electric
brake controller.  Will I make it home?  Is the advice from experienced
RVers worth listening to, or must all of it be gained from experience?

Well, I did my first 800 mile tow and with the "quick learn" by the seat of
my pants we arrived safely.

In retrospect, I should have met every RVer in the park and asked for
counsel about towing.  Surely some of them would have "correct" information
to share.  For now, I'm completely involved in restoring my '69 Safari.
Much like towing, the restoration is much more than I could have imagined
when I purchased the unit.

Can't wait to attend a VAC gathering and sit through a towing session and
visit with  new friends of the egroup.

                                                 Joy