Re: Boat towing

[<hofs@domain.elided>]

>So anyway, how would a non-rebuilt Traveler with a 345, 3.73 axles,
>and a 727 handle this 6500 lb (and 27-foot long) boat?  Further, how
>would you compare this to a '75 Travelall with a 392, 3.73 axles, and
>a 727?  
>
>Thanks,
>
>Ken Farmer

Ken,
I took up way too much band width the other day talking about towing 
wheel base. If you didn't see it I could find it and e-mail it to you 
personally. 27 feet is a lot of boat, and boat trailers tend to have long 
distances between their front axle and the hitch in order to get good 
weight distribution on the trailer. The Travelall has the Traveler beat 
all to heck for this application. Personally, I never thought the 
difference in torque between a 345 and 392 was very significant for 
trailer towing, but the extra displacement couldn't help but help. I 
towed several different kinds of trailers (horse, vacation, utility, rock 
hauling, flat bed, car carrying) for many years with a Travelall and 
several Scout II's, and there's an amazing difference in towing ability. 
My Travelall was a 1210 which meant it was a three-quarter ton and I 
realize that also helped. The Traveler has a 118 inch wheel base and I 
don't remember what the Travelall has, but it's a lot more. My Travelall 
was factory rated to tow 10,000 lbs.and I don't know what the Traveler is 
rated, but it's a lot less than that. I tow up to about 7000 lbs with my 
present Terra,and it is epuipped as is the Traveler you described above. 
The 727 seems to be up to the task. Also on my web site are some photos 
of the SSII that I had, also similarly equipped, towing a trailer and it 
towed a 5500 lb. vacation trailer to Alaska a couple of times. The engine 
on that one went before the tranny. Visualize the long leverage of the 
boat trailer trying to move the back of the tow vehicle, as opposed to 
the short leverage of the tow vehicles wheel base trying to resist, and 
you will get the picture.

I should do a section on trailer towing for the FAQ so I don't end up 
repeating myself, shouldn't I? I think I'll ask Bill about that. 

John



John Hofstetter  "Ol'Saline's Web Site" www.goldrush.com/~hofs
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