Posted by David on April 14, 1999 at 09:30:04:
In Reply to: Re: I'm smarter'n you 'cause I've already done all the dumb things you're about to do posted by Tim Offutt on April 14, 1999 at 06:24:37:
Tim me boy
My input was not intended as a slap in the face
to anybody. It was intended as anecdotal evidence
that Murphy (as in "Murphy's law") is alive and
well and he doesn't care what the vehicle
manufacturers say about tow rating. The builders
of these plastic toys also call their vehicles
things like "Rugged off-roader" and show them
racing down desert roads and splashing through
rivers. As an owner of an off-road towing
business who has recovered too many of these
new "rugged off-roaders" whose owners believed
the hype from the manufacturers, I'm telling you
"It ain't so".
As another writer pointed out, the stories of
lost trailers/loads are legion. We only hear of
the lucky ones; the unlucky ones are dead.
You describe an ideal situation with a HUGE tow
vehicle (suburban @5500lbs.) and years of
experience as well as your own trailer.
The person asking the Q has an itty-bitty
expedition @3500lbs) and apparently little or no
experience with this type of load and probably
will end up using a "gas station trailer" like
most of us. As I said, I've made these dumb
mistakes as have many of the others of us. We
can't all be you and plan on having a perfect
scenario. In light of that, the rest of
us have to expect the worst and take preventive
measures. As also pointed out by the other writer
and as I too have encountered, many places won't
rent a car hauler unless your tow vehicle has
eight or more lugs and a long wheelbase.
Why do you think that is? Hmmmm?