What vehicle do you use to tow your T2?

A forum about Trailering, Launching and Retrieving the Telstar.
Jwood1
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What vehicle do you use to tow your T2?

Post by Jwood1 »

From all the other great posts, I understand that you need a vehicle rated at over 6,000# and an equalizer hitch. It would be interesting to hear what vehicle people use for towing and how well they like them. I'm considering a used (96-99) Surburban 2500 (3/4 ton) with the 6.5 turbo diesel. I like the idea of a diesel because I'm planning on towing long distances and they appear to get better milage. I be interested to hear other's thoughts on the benefits of a diesel.
Dan

What vehicle do you use to tow your T2?

Post by Dan »

I tow mine using a V-8-equipped AWD Ford Explorer, so you should be fine.
Ron
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What vehicle do you use to tow your T2?

Post by Ron »

A Chevy Avalanche with 300 hp 5.3 V8 and a re-programmed chip, intakes, etc.. After 5,000+ miles, no problems other than climbing a grade in high gear. You need a diesel to do that. Gas engines deliver mediocre torque at lower rpm's, while diesels usually have max torque starting at around 1500. Would have already traded the Avalanche in for a crew cab long bed GMC Sierra with the Duramax and 6 speed Allison gearbox, but I won't do it until the price of diesel fuel drops down to where it should be (less than regular). I may never get one then ???

I've heard that vehiecle as small as a Jeep Liberty have left the factory with the boat in tow. I wouldn't do it though, especially if you have to climb any real grades on the trip home. Stopping and turning could also be interesting with a tow vehicle that weighs 2,000 pounds less than the boat and trailer.

Any 1/2 ton truck or SUV with an 8,000 pound or so tow rating would be perfect, other than climbing hills in high gear. For shorter distances you can probably do it with a mid-size SUV with a 6,500 or 7,000 pound rating.
Ron Marcuse
Telstar 28 #359 "Tri-Power"
Gene
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What vehicle do you use to tow your T2?

Post by Gene »

Nissan Titan P/U here... works well
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Ron
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What vehicle do you use to tow your T2?

Post by Ron »

The minimum requirements for a longer distance (over 20 miles?) tow vehicle are that it must be rated at 6500 pounds or better with 500 to 600 pounds on the hitch. On most vehicles this would imply that a weight distributing hitch is MANDATORY. The exceptions would all be HD pickups like an F350/250 Ford or 3500/2500 GMC, and even then it would probably be safer to spring for the better hitch. That said, I also have to note that people have towed the boat home with vehicles as small as a Jeep Liberty (with diesel). I wouldn't do it though.

Two of us have weighed the trailer and boat with a certified truck scale and it comes in at around 6500 pounds. The PCI modified trailer (they add several galvanized beams for the bunks and other supports) is a lot heavier than the stock trailer.
Ron Marcuse
Telstar 28 #359 "Tri-Power"
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simonhayes
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What vehicle do you use to tow your T2?

Post by simonhayes »

I use a Range Rover 4.6 HSE which works great for the few hundred miles I have towed my T2 around - really has been pretty effortless. The built in load leveling suspension negates the need for a load equalizing hitch in the RR and it very useful for lowering and raising the car and hence tow bar height a few inches when launch/recovering and when hitching/unhitching the trailer.

Although very expensive new, you can pick up 5-10 year old RRs very reasonably. Maintenance is expensive, especially if you take them to a dealer - best to find one of many independents shops..

Since I am originally a Brit - it feels right too... :-)

- Simon
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Ron
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What vehicle do you use to tow your T2?

Post by Ron »

Simon -

The Range Rover is a great SUV. Tony Smith drives one too. I think he uses it to trailer a T2 to the various shows, and to help the travel lift up and down the steep hill at the factory.

But don't think that the load leveling will take the place of a weight distribution hitch. Totally different concept. The load leveler will get the back of the truck up to normal riding height, but the see-saw effect of the tongue weight will still move weight from the front axle to the rear. In your case the rear will come up again, but it's still carrying an extra thousand pounds or so - the weight of the trailer tongue AND the front axle weight that was shifted to the back axle by the tongue. Even the heavy duty 1 ton pickups with their Class 5 2,000 pound hitches would benefit from this. Better to distribute the tongue weight to all of the tires. Physics 101.
Ron Marcuse
Telstar 28 #359 "Tri-Power"
Dan

What vehicle do you use to tow your T2?

Post by Dan »

I agree with Ron, I think the load leveling hitch still makes sense on the Range Rovers, even with the load leveling system. The load leveling system doesn't change the loading on the suspension at all, it merely adjusts the height to keep the chassis level. The load-leveling hitch will help distribute the weight more evenly between the front and rear of the Rover’s suspension. I am willing to bet that once you’re using the Equalizer hitch, you’ll need to use the load leveling system less.
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simonhayes
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What vehicle do you use to tow your T2?

Post by simonhayes »

You are right about the load leveling hitch doing a better job with fast moving forces while towing but the pneumatic suspension on the range rover is not just load leveling - it is specifically designed to get equal forces on all four wheels- comes from it's off road heritage. Because of that range rover specifially recomend against using a load leveling hitch .It takes a few seconds to respond to changes but I would prefer to have an RR with level suspension and equal balance vs and no leveling hitch vs a sqautting tow vehicle and a load leveling hitch.
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Ron
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What vehicle do you use to tow your T2?

Post by Ron »

Simon -

A weight distributing hitch uses torsion bars or torque rods mounted on the trailer to create a force acting on the truck's frame to shift weight from the rear to the front axles. It's as if levers were welded to the frame and some giant is twisting them to move the weight forward to the trucks front axle. Internal load leveling systems don't do that. The spring rates increase to absorb the additional weight, or decrease to lower that end if weight decreases, BUT EXTRA WEIGHT IS STILL THERE AT THE REAR AXLE AND MISSING AT THE FRONT. Say you've got 1,000 pounds on the hitch at the back of the truck. Because the hitch ball is several feet behind the rear axle, there is a lever effect that is taking weight away from the front axle of the truck, and putting it on the rear axle. You could wind up with 1400 extra pounds on the back tires and minus 400 on the front. A really heavy trailer could conceivably raise the trucks front tires off of the ground.

By the way, most leveling systems have problems with heavy trailers because they attempt to defeat the twisting in the frame performed by the trailers weight distributiing torque rods. It's like 2 systems at war with each other.

Physically there could be a way of doing a self contained system within the tow vehicle, but I've never seen it done. It would involve putting additonal torsion bars solidly mounted (not hinged) to the rear frame, that are twisted or raised by the leveling system itself - to shift the weight forward or aft. I'll take a look at Rover's web site to see what they are doing with it. Just about everyone else is using variable springs, air leveling bags, or air adjustable shock absorbers and they will not solve this problem.

You've got a good SUV and I'm sure it will do a decent job of towing the boat even without the weight distribution. The 6500 pound Telstar and trailer really aren't all that bad. The tongue weight is under 500 pounds and the Rover should be able to take that in stride. Add the 50 hp Honda in back and it may even be under 400 pounds.

But that brings up another small problem - the tongue weight should be in the 600 to 650 pound range, and not under 500 - based on the 6500 pound weight of the much modified trailer and boat. One should put everything stored in the boat as far forward as possibe to get it up to around 600 pounds. Unfortunately, most hitches have a label clearly stating that the maximum tongue weight of a non equalizing hitch should be under 500. Hence the need for a weight distributing hitch for most tow vehicles.

I apologize for hounding everyone about the above (both here and in the old forum) but I've been trailering some heavy things for a long time. It pays to do it right. Hey - it's your life when the heavier trailer runs you off of the road.
Ron Marcuse
Telstar 28 #359 "Tri-Power"
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