Re: TomM VDayPlans...towing...chainsaws

[MikeIIDC@domain.elided]

Mark-

Well, I don't know the particulars of the whole deal, and have not got figures
on what a Scout II body weighs, but since noone else is providing much help,
I'll tell you a little.  U-Haul will ask the weight of what you are towing,
usually.  They will probably tell you that what you are towing is unsafe, and
some of them will warn you that it is unsafe and let you take it anyway, some
of them won't even let you rent it.  Thus, I usually call the national
reservations # and ask them, then if they say, "No!"  I go to the local and
make up something considerably lighter as my object to be towed.
Of course, if you are not renting the trailer, but borrowing from someone who
owns it, different story and no worries here as long as you don't  wreck it!
A lot of the wobble problem is with tongue weight.  I have had some very light
trailers hooked up that start to wobble because my distribution was way off,
and have had some very heavy ones track pretty darn good (used to own an
antique shop and drive out to Indiana and Michigan to buy from "dumb farmers"
and take them to LA and sell them to "really dumb show biz people"-please no
farmers take offense, this is meant to rail on the LA crowd, the "dumb
farmers" in question were "dumb like a fox"!).  The only thing I will say is
don't try to tow anything across Nebraska!!!  It's been about eight years, but
it seemed that 80% of the freeways in that state had grooves worn in the
highway so deep that it was like kiddie cars at the amusement park!  You were
constantly being jerked back and forth!  Particularly when you had a heavily
loaded 6'x12' open trailer towed by a Toyota PU!!!  About a month after this
trip is when I got my first IH-the '68 Travelall that I still have and am
looking for repair parts for!
Anyway, I don't know to what degree you are talking about a Scout body (no
wheels and tires?  Axles?  Drivetrain?  Etc?  Seats?  Top?  Frame?  Or tub
only?  Regardless, I also don't know what trailer you are speaking of
exactly.  Is this a "flatbed" type of trailer, or does the Scout have wheels
and this is a car dolly kind of trailer that you drive the whole vehicle up
onto?
What I do know is that I was told by U-Haul recently that to tow a Scout 80 on
one of the trailers with all wheels up off of the ground I would need at least
a one pound designated truck to be considered a safe tow.  My T'ette wasn't
heavy enough, my T'all wasn't heavy enough, and my Scout definitely wasn't
heavy enough.  My option was going to be to rent one of their 14 footers and
pull the trailer with it.  I normally would have tried to argue/persuade/bribe
my way around it, but I was going from San Fran area to Tahoe/Reno area, and
if you are not familiar with that area, it is a very uphill trip one way, and
downhill the next.  I decided to listen to them and rent the big truck.  In
such an instance like this, weight has a lot to do with the braking concerns
in question.  I don't want an extra 6500# or so pushing me down hills in my
'73 with lousy brakes for 200 miles!  They say these trailers alone are 2500#
or something like that.
Anyway, assuming you are staying mostly on flatlands-Indiana is it? This won't
be a big concern.  Also assuming that you are willing to drive reasonably and
perhaps follow the warnings to drive 45 and under, I think  some of the weight
restrictions may be "cautiously" ignorable.  I say this from my experience
with the Toyota/U-Haul combo.  As I said, I exceeded the recommended weights
and speeds, and went over the Rockies while doing both at times.  However, I
do not ENCOURAGE this, and there are many more knowledgeable about towing and
weights than I!!!  I have exceeded these limits and recommendations and
survived.  I am also in some ways considered to be very lucky in general!  Do
not take this as an endorsement to do so!  In the event that you get to
wherever the Scout is and find that it is not a "comfortable" towing
situation, it is VERY IMPORTANT to admit this and either get a big rental
truck one-way to finish the job, or scrap the trip until more suitable
equipment is available.  I think this is the biggest part of this situation,
being able to admit that you may have been wrong and reconfiguring!  There are
tons of Scout bodies out there (though never when we want them!), but only one
you, and only one of your friend (though not saying you only have one
friend!)!
As for the Ranger and its weight/towing capacity-complete unknown for me!  I
would think for U-Haul's purposes, it is not going to be heavy enough for them
to be happy with it towing much-paticularly when my Scout isn't, but once
again-if you can get the trailer from them, it then becomes your decision/best
judgement.  Just, please, BE CAREFUL!!!
As for towing possibilities of a 196, ask Tom M.  I don't know that he ever
towed much with his, but I know he had one before going to the V8.  I have
heard farm stories about the incredible feats of strength of a 196 and even a
152.  However, these are all basically pulling huge loads down a country road
at 15 MPH, or plowing a field-which takes incredible grunt, but very little
speed and shifting to upper gears!  On the road, I have no idea!  If you are
wanting a prospective tow rig, it is my general opinion that you will want to
go with a V8 anyway, but if you just may need to do occasional light towing
(toys-motorcycles, jet skis, snowmobiles, landscaping equip, etc.) , you ay be
okay with the 4 cylinder.
Now, having said all of that, I state once again that this is strictly my
opinion and should in no way be construed as an endorsement to attempt such
activities.  Hopefully, if nothing else, my writing this will inspire some of
the much more knowledgeable members to write in to tell you what an IDIOT I am
and not to listen to me, then they'll tell you what they really know!

Michael

alice@domain.elided wrote:

> Regarding my previous posting, I do not mean to be overly pressing.
> I have tentatively arranged to borrow the RangerPU so I have a
> natural concern to not do any damage to it.  As to tow ratios, I
> kinda' got the impression that as long as the towed goods weigh less
> than the towing vehicle, it will be fine.  As far as that nasty tail
> wagging, I gather this has to do with loading and tongue weight(?)
>
> Trip is planned for 1.5 weeks from now
>         ...(that's Valentine's weekend for you TomM -don't forget the SO!)
> but I want to give a heads up on the PU and trailer usage.
>
> (Hey, I'm working on borrowing a Husqvarna chainsaw next ...I hear
> truest test of friendship is allowing use of wife, chainsaw, Scout
> ...in that order.
> I'm actually considering buying on of these saws and hope to trial
> one out ...any comments on this brand appreciated ...guess it would
> be nonIH ...so best off line ..unless you can make it IH related.
>                 (Did IH make chainsaws?)
> Mark
> PS.  No better way to spend Valentine's Day, yeah!