Fwd: Re: Perhaps the M-17 is not for me... M-15?
I'll throw in a second for Gary O's trailering rant...um...I mean advice! :-) hahaha For me...when it comes to towing SIZE matters. And by that I mean the size of the trailer vs the size of the tow vehicle. I have probably gone to overkill, however, I can't even describe to you how much more relaxed towing is with a vehicle that is able to dominate the trailer, instead of the other way around. I towed our boat all the way home from Florida (to Arizona) with our Tahoe. It towed OK but demanded what I would describe as "constant driving" and the need to continually work at creating a buffer space ahead in case of a rap id stop scenario. Even though the trailer is equipped with disc brakes which work well it was not a very comfortable drive. On the flip side, last year we towed her all the way to Larry's San Juan trip, a distance of 1500 miles each way with some pretty serious grades both up and down. This time we towed with a 1 ton dually. The difference was night and day (so was the fuel bill! hahaha). My point not being that you should go out and buy a fuel guzzling aircraft carrier like dually pickup, but just that the handling characteristics and stopping ability while towing is greatly affected by the tow vehicles capabilities. Many light weight economical vehicles are more than capable of towing an 17 or 15 foot Monty with respect to power. Just be careful if you are getting close to the "tail wagging the dog scenario". I've had the tail start "wagging" before and it's a little scary!!!! And....Trailer brakes, although not standard equip on small trailers, are a GREAT thing and used correctly can make all the difference in the world. Just make sure you maintain them. They will save your life. End of rant...........GO SAIL!!!!! GO SAIL!!! GO SAIL...... Heading to Catalina Island in 7 days!!! Pictures and video to follow. Sounds like at least three Monty's making the trip! Sean and Jo M23 Dauntless _www.havasumontgomerys.piczo.com_ (http://www.havasumontgomerys.piczo.com) **************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with Tyler Florence" on AOL Food. (http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4?&NCID=aolfod00030000000002)
I'll throw in a third. It's not so much can you get her up to speed is can you stop her? My thoughts on this were formulated at an early age, growing up on a farm, when my folks sent my sister and I to town (I was 13 and capable of driving, but she was 16 and the only one street legal) to pull at 1,000 gallon anahydrous tank home with a 3/4 ton pickup. Farmers do this every day. She was driving and tried to stop it on a downhill grade. The tank was too much weight and pushed us off the road and into the ditch, where the trailer hitch snapped. We walked away with nothing more than a dented rear fender. We went back and got a new tank, I drove this time and made it home safely. But just as Sean says, you have to get some space to stop and I can remember numerous times when towing the M17 when somebody would pass me, cut me off and slow down. I've had more than a few too sudden stops. The trailer doesn't have brakes. If you are pulling with a light vehicle, it better have some brakes on it of some kind. I was towing with a 3/4 ton Suburban. Now a Tundra 1/2 ton. Just about right in my book, but I still leave plenty of room just the same. Howard On Jun 9, 2008, at 11:05 AM, Nebwest2@aol.com wrote:
I'll throw in a second for Gary O's trailering rant...um...I mean advice! :-) hahaha
For me...when it comes to towing SIZE matters. And by that I mean the size of the trailer vs the size of the tow vehicle. I have probably gone to overkill, however, I can't even describe to you how much more relaxed towing is with a vehicle that is able to dominate the trailer, instead of the other way around. I towed our boat all the way home from Florida (to Arizona) with our Tahoe. It towed OK but demanded what I would describe as "constant driving" and the need to continually work at creating a buffer space ahead in case of a rap id stop scenario. Even though the trailer is equipped with disc brakes which work well it was not a very comfortable drive. On the flip side, last year we towed her all the way to Larry's San Juan trip, a distance of 1500 miles each way with some pretty serious grades both up and down. This time we towed with a 1 ton dually. The difference was night and day (so was the fuel bill! hahaha). My point not being that you should go out and buy a fuel guzzling aircraft carrier like dually pickup, but just that the handling characteristics and stopping ability while towing is greatly affected by the tow vehicles capabilities. Many light weight economical vehicles are more than capable of towing an 17 or 15 foot Monty with respect to power. Just be careful if you are getting close to the "tail wagging the dog scenario". I've had the tail start "wagging" before and it's a little scary!!!! And....Trailer brakes, although not standard equip on small trailers, are a GREAT thing and used correctly can make all the difference in the world. Just make sure you maintain them. They will save your life.
End of rant...........GO SAIL!!!!! GO SAIL!!! GO SAIL......
Heading to Catalina Island in 7 days!!! Pictures and video to follow. Sounds like at least three Monty's making the trip!
Sean and Jo M23 Dauntless _www.havasumontgomerys.piczo.com_ (http://www.havasumontgomerys.piczo.com)
**************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with Tyler Florence" on AOL Food. (http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4?&NCID=aolfod00030000000002) _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
Here's my bet: I''ll bet that a Mazda Tribute makes better a tow vehicle then a Subaru Outback. And a 1/ 2 ton Toyota Tundra makes a better tow vehicle then a Mazda Tribute. And a full sized Dodge pickup makes a better tow vehicle then a Toyota Tundra. And a one ton dually makes a better tow vehicle than the Dodge pickup. And a Kenworth T800 REALLY kicks butt... Any takers? Jim M-17 "Spirit" On Jun 9, 2008, at 9:32 AM, Howard Audsley wrote:
I'll throw in a third.
It's not so much can you get her up to speed is can you stop her? My thoughts on this were formulated at an early age, growing up on a farm, when my folks sent my sister and I to town (I was 13 and capable of driving, but she was 16 and the only one street legal) to pull at 1,000 gallon anahydrous tank home with a 3/4 ton pickup. Farmers do this every day. She was driving and tried to stop it on a downhill grade. The tank was too much weight and pushed us off the road and into the ditch, where the trailer hitch snapped. We walked away with nothing more than a dented rear fender. We went back and got a new tank, I drove this time and made it home safely.
But just as Sean says, you have to get some space to stop and I can remember numerous times when towing the M17 when somebody would pass me, cut me off and slow down. I've had more than a few too sudden stops. The trailer doesn't have brakes. If you are pulling with a light vehicle, it better have some brakes on it of some kind.
I was towing with a 3/4 ton Suburban. Now a Tundra 1/2 ton. Just about right in my book, but I still leave plenty of room just the same.
Howard
On Jun 9, 2008, at 11:05 AM, Nebwest2@aol.com wrote:
I'll throw in a second for Gary O's trailering rant...um...I mean advice! :-) hahaha
For me...when it comes to towing SIZE matters. And by that I mean the size of the trailer vs the size of the tow vehicle. I have probably gone to overkill, however, I can't even describe to you how much more relaxed towing is with a vehicle that is able to dominate the trailer, instead of the other way around. I towed our boat all the way home from Florida (to Arizona) with our Tahoe. It towed OK but demanded what I would describe as "constant driving" and the need to continually work at creating a buffer space ahead in case of a rap id stop scenario. Even though the trailer is equipped with disc brakes which work well it was not a very comfortable drive. On the flip side, last year we towed her all the way to Larry's San Juan trip, a distance of 1500 miles each way with some pretty serious grades both up and down. This time we towed with a 1 ton dually. The difference was night and day (so was the fuel bill! hahaha). My point not being that you should go out and buy a fuel guzzling aircraft carrier like dually pickup, but just that the handling characteristics and stopping ability while towing is greatly affected by the tow vehicles capabilities. Many light weight economical vehicles are more than capable of towing an 17 or 15 foot Monty with respect to power. Just be careful if you are getting close to the "tail wagging the dog scenario". I've had the tail start "wagging" before and it's a little scary!!!! And....Trailer brakes, although not standard equip on small trailers, are a GREAT thing and used correctly can make all the difference in the world. Just make sure you maintain them. They will save your life.
End of rant...........GO SAIL!!!!! GO SAIL!!! GO SAIL......
Heading to Catalina Island in 7 days!!! Pictures and video to follow. Sounds like at least three Monty's making the trip!
Sean and Jo M23 Dauntless _www.havasumontgomerys.piczo.com_ (http://www.havasumontgomerys.piczo.com)
**************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with Tyler Florence" on AOL Food. (http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4? &NCID=aolfod00030000000002) _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
_______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
participants (3)
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Howard Audsley -
James Poulakis -
Nebwest2＠aol.com