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Old 02-25-2016, 11:10 AM   #41
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Originally Posted by BigT View Post
Hello;

Many experts recommend the shortest distance from the rear wheels to the hitch which often is not a pickup truck but rather a sedan or Suv.
The shorter the overhang, the greater the stability when towing.
All the best,
Big T
not an expert on towing but my practical experience with having towed with trucks past and current as well as other vehicles the above is very true. I suspect a few folks who have only ever pulled with a truck might be a little taken back as to how correct the "experts" are in this regard.

As I said originally if I where the OP and pulling a 13' trailer I would be seriously looking at the many other optional vehicles that have the tow rating for it instead of a truck.
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Old 02-25-2016, 11:19 AM   #42
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not an expert on towing but my practical experience with having towed with trucks past and current as well as other vehicles the above is very true. I suspect a few folks who have only ever pulled with a truck might be a little taken back as to how correct the "experts" are in this regard.

As I said originally if I where the OP and pulling a 13' trailer I would be seriously looking at the many other optional vehicles that have the tow rating for it instead of a truck.
Carol, I agree completely... well mostly. Generally speaking, wheelbase is King when it comes to issues towing. The longer the wheelbase, the more refined the tow ability. Unfortunately, with longer wheelbase typically comes longer overhangs as well, but wheelbase trumps overhang.

My last trailer towing setup was a Toyota FJ 'Cruiser with Heartland MPG trailer. I used an Anderson WDH because of the short wheelbase on the FJ. I didn't have sway issues, nor was the MPG too heavy in any regard. The FJ had about the shortest overhang you can get (as a competent off-road vehicle) but it didn't have enough wheelbase to suit my liking as a tow vehicle.

There are always trade-offs to be made.

DSCF3338 by Roger H, on Flickr
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Old 02-25-2016, 11:51 AM   #43
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Roger, I have a friend who pulls an SOB similar to what you have in the photo who pulled it originally with a Tacoma and switched to the FJ. They indicated they felt FJ's towing stability at freeway speeds and/or windy conditions was an improvement over the Tacoma and where happy with the change. Did not get into the other issues with the FJ they might have had though. There is always going to be a trade off or two. ;-)
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Old 02-25-2016, 12:06 PM   #44
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Roger, I have a friend who pulls an SOB similar to what you have in the photo who pulled it originally with a Tacoma and switched to the FJ. They indicated they felt FJ's towing stability at freeway speeds and/or windy conditions was an improvement over the Tacoma and where happy with the change. Did not get into the other issues with the FJ they might have had though. There is always going to be a trade off or two. ;-)
There are a lot of variables that affect towing much more than overhang. First, tires, tire pressure, shocks and springs, and a literal host of other issues need to be looked at first and then which model of Tacoma is important ('04 or older or '05 or newer) and its wheelbase are also significant issues.

My FJ was really an excellent tow vehicle. I really only bought the Anderson WDH because I wanted that little bit of added control because it was such a short wheelbase and a much heavier trailer. Before that combo, I towed my last '03 Scamp 16 for three years behind my '03 Honda Element on a bare ball without issue.

That said, I once towed a Trillium 1500 with my 7500lb Ford Excursion and the Trillium jumped the hitch ball and swung around on just the chains and nearly rolled me in the Excursion. Were it not for the 7500lbs that the Trillium had to try to influence, I'm sure it'd have rolled me. And my other tow vehicle in those days was a '94 4WD Toyota extended-cab Compact Truck.
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Old 02-25-2016, 12:25 PM   #45
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Gasoline under $2 makes it a lot easier to go 4WD.
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Old 02-25-2016, 01:15 PM   #46
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That sounds like a great idea, Tom! If my motorhome had a tag axle I'd even consider that. It'd work a LOT better in the sand!

Or with your 2WD towing a trailer, you can just get stuck any ol' place you park when you least expect it with fewer resources at your disposal than those who choose to have 4WD. Any grassy, soft campsite can turn into a real challenge to get out of with an overnight soaking rain.

All that those of us who are 4WD adherents are trying to do is to help folks learn vicariously from our failures and travails so they won't have to. I'm a slow learner, and I've made just about every mistake that I think there is to make in 4WD and trailering. And of course I was making those mistakes in the '70s and '80s before the internet and there were few good resources from which to learn vicariously.

On the other hand, some folks still choose to learn their lessons first hand and the hard way, and that's entirely up to them.

Vaya con Dios, mi amigo.
I'll just have to rely on my knowledge acquired growing up on a Minnesota farm with 80 acres of slough ground and learning to drive with a 1945 2WD International pickup. However, I may just throw my hand winch in the back for good measure.
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Old 02-25-2016, 01:33 PM   #47
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I'll just have to rely on my knowledge acquired growing up on a Minnesota farm with 80 acres of slough ground and learning to drive with a 1945 2WD International pickup. However, I may just throw my hand winch in the back for good measure.
My first car was a '50 Ford F-1 with a granny first too, Tom... and I grew up on pretty poorly maintained roads in NW Iowa in the late '60s and early '70s so I know what you mean.

I've also driven a '90s 2WD Ford Aerostar work van all over the back country and mountains of Northern California doing crime scene and other patrol work for a Sheriff's department, and got it through areas that the other guys in THEIR 4WDs got themselves stuck. I only got that Aerostar stuck once in the eight years I worked there, and that was while fording a stream that was over the rocker panels, and I slowed down just enough to lose momentum on smooth river rock. I had to be pulled out by a Jeep Cherokee on the far bank. I made it back out through that same place just fine though.

You're absolutely correct in that knowing how to navigate difficult terrain is key in driving any kind of vehicle, but I've found over the years that I have to do a lot less work digging myself out of reduced-traction places with 4WD over 2WD. It's not that I go places that are worse, it's just that 4WD is more competent.

And yes, it comes with penalties in weight, gas mileage, and potentially in maintenance (although it's never been for me,) but after owning and driving 4WDs for nearly 40 years, I won't be without it for a tow vehicle. In my world, 4WD just makes life easier.
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Old 02-25-2016, 02:23 PM   #48
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Gasoline under $2 makes it a lot easier to go 4WD.
the OP lives in Canada where we have not seen $2 a gallon gas in many years!

Currently prices are pretty low (by our standards) price for regular at the station near me today is 103.9/litre - average price across the city today is 105.9. Way better than the norm of 135.0/litre or higher of not so many months ago.

3.78541 litres to the US gallon will let you do the math
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Old 02-25-2016, 02:49 PM   #49
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Well, Roger if you ever see a guy in his 70s with a Toyota Tundra/Casita stuck somewhere with his spouse of 48 years telling him "I told you so!" I hope that you'll be kind enough to throw him a rope or log chain and forget what he said about 4WD! ;]
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Old 02-25-2016, 03:15 PM   #50
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Well, Roger if you ever see a guy in his 70s with a Toyota Tundra/Casita stuck somewhere with his spouse of 48 years telling him "I told you so!" I hope that you'll be kind enough to throw him a rope or log chain and forget what he said about 4WD! ;]
Tom, I've always carried a tow rope with me. A friend of mine with a 3/4 ton four-door Dodge 2WD was carrying over a cord of firewood in his truck when he buried it past the axles in his back yard in SoCal. He didn't know who to call, so he called me as I lived nearby.

I attached the tow line to his front end, dropped my Iron Duke 4cyl '81 Jeep Scrambler in 4Low and walked him AND his firewood out of the quagmire that was his yard. The Jeep never spun a wheel or even stuttered. My buddy couldn't believe that a 4 cylinder Jeep could haul him, his truck AND the firewood out of being buried that deeply.

I'll always help out a fellow camper.
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Old 02-25-2016, 04:10 PM   #51
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So who needs 4WD when Roger is around?
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Old 02-25-2016, 04:38 PM   #52
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Uh... who's gonna pull ME out when I do something dumb?

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Old 02-25-2016, 06:52 PM   #53
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Originally Posted by Carol H View Post
the OP lives in Canada where we have not seen $2 a gallon gas in many years!

Currently prices are pretty low (by our standards) price for regular at the station near me today is 103.9/litre - average price across the city today is 105.9. Way better than the norm of 135.0/litre or higher of not so many months ago.

3.78541 litres to the US gallon will let you do the math

Wow! It's $.84 a litre here in NS. Still not $2 a gallon though!
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Old 02-25-2016, 06:59 PM   #54
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Roger, if you get stuck....it may be time to sell...................?
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Old 02-25-2016, 08:40 PM   #55
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Wow! It's $.84 a litre here in NS. Still not $2 a gallon though!
Thats the nice part of living in a part of the country where you don't need rapid transit on every block & a way to pay for it!
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Old 02-28-2016, 10:39 AM   #56
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Having had and towed with I would not be without 4x4 or AWD. Never had AWD but know people who do. Personally I would never be without one or the other. There have been situations where I NEEDED 4x4 and times when I just wanted it and used it. I've never seen any significant difference in mileage. Also not enough weight difference in towing capacity that would make a difference to me. Of course you pay more for 4x4 but get part of it back when you sell. Basically comes down to your own personal situation or wants.
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Old 02-28-2016, 11:12 AM   #57
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While I haven't read through all of the answers to this question, the key word to me in the OP thread was "boon docking". With that in mind I wouldn't think out loud about camping in the western provides of Canada without having 4WD, let alone if you head across the border and down to the southwest states where it can become imperative with or without a travel trailer.

In this day and age the only time a 2WD (non AWD or 4WD) vehicle makes any sense to me is if you live in the southern half of the continent and absolutely know you will not ever be traveling into areas of possible snow and rough terrain.

Hope this helps.
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