Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/08/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Jim: I tow a 5,500 pound boat and trailer combination ( Etchells) with a GMC Yukon, which is basically a Suburban chassis shortened. It has a 6.5 litre turbo diesel and I can tow in overdrive at about 120km (75mph) and go up all but steep grades without even dropping out of OD. I have towed this trailer with dodge full size pickups and Ford Explores, and nothing compares to the ease with which the Yukon hauls it. It can tow it quite fast too, as sometimes we get up in the 140 KPH range. I got a speeding ticket in North Carolina towing the boat at 83mph. The big trucks are also stable. No white knuckle driving while in strong cross winds. The smaller 1/4 ton trucks like the Explores, Range Rovers, and Jeeps just don't cut it when the conditions get worse than ideal. Regards, Robert At 08:32 AM 8/10/99 -0700, you wrote: >At 09:58 AM 8/10/99 -0500, you wrote: >> >>You need a 3/4 ton vehicle with at least 400 cid engine to pull these >>trailers (except for flat land situations). You also need a vehicle that >>will take 650 lb. hitch weights. >> >>Bud > >A few years ago, a BMW sponsored race team did a tow vehicle test. It was >published in Roundel (BMW CCA magazine) and the winner, hands down, was the >Suburban (3/4 ton or 1 ton, I don't remember). They were pulling two race >cars, spares, tools, everything in one of those big double decker trailers. >They said that whether they were going up hill, down hill, at sea level, at >altitude, there was never a lack of power. It just seemed to run the same >all of the time. > >Jim > >