Looking to Hit the Road!

[billyreiner]

Im a Current owner of a 2006 Evolution pop up and a new member in SE Pa.
We have a great west Trillium style trailer on order for a may pick up. I will post more on the process as it occurs

[honda03842]

Originally Posted by Roger C H

Welcome to FGRV.

Your problem though, is not that the tow capacity of a VW Golf TDI in the US is 0#, (check your owner's manual to be sure) but that if you ever have an accident towing overweight like that. Lawyers love people that do that.

This is a popular link:

Proper Tow Vehicles A Must!

Google overweight towing and you will find that you are taking a big chance doing so.

This article has been posted a number of times. Was he overweight? How fast was he going? Why didn't he actuate his trailer brakes and stop the sway?

What was the actual cause?

Did the driver test his trailer brakes in the after hooking up? DId he even know how to manual actuate his trailer brakes?

How many of us practice the motion of manually activating our trailer brakes every day? How many of us test our trailer brakes?

Just because there's an accident or a lawsuit doesn't mean he had an undersize tow vehicle. From what I read most trailer accidents are the result of not checking to see the ball is latched by the hitch.

I have met a number of people, I believe actually one person on this site, who has dumped their trailer with a large tow vehicle. By far the driver is the most important component when driving.

[MRClaus]

a pop up may weight the same
you would be happyer with a 16 footer

[MC1]

Hey there Friday..... There was a good program on last year where David Suzuki traveled across Canada with his daughter. They used a Golf with a small 16' trailer. It did require a custom, pro installed 2" receiver to accommodate the WDH. By doing this it reduced the hitch weight that was acting on the rear of the vehicle. Seemed to work well.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by Roger C H

Your problem though, is not that the tow capacity of a VW Golf TDI in the US is 0#, (check your owner's manual to be sure) but that if you ever have an accident towing overweight like that. Lawyers love people that do that.

Google overweight towing and you will find that you are taking a big chance doing so.

I agree. Folks should always tow within the safe capabilities of their vehicle.

I was just wondering.....

I was driving on the highway the other day cruising with the rest of the traffic. Speed limit was 100klm's per hour and the flow was travelling over 110kph. No doubt if someone caused an accident the lawyers would be all over them.

Seems there is a risk factor with being out on the roadways and no one seems to be taking about 95% of the folks out there that drive over the speed limit.

Not saying it is right or wrong. Just saying.

[Glenn Baglo]

You believe Suzuki actually did the towing do you?
Amazing how they could find wonderful grassed campsites in places like downtown Vancouver, and they were the only ones there. <_<

[MC1]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

You believe Suzuki actually did the towing do you?
<_<

Knowing well David Suzuki's ecological views I would suspect he would rather tow a trailer with a bicycle but he is getting a little old for that.

[Glenn Baglo]

Never mind that he owns four homes?

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Never mind that he owns four homes?

LOL One of which he co owns with an oil company! not to mention a really big truck and a boat with the biggest engines you have ever seen!! And a dock worth a million bucks on one of the properties to park the boat. LOL You should see what his grandchildren drive LOL not a Purius to be seen! I know as they live on my street!

There’s Saint Suzuki, the one you see on CBC, and Secret Suzuki, the capitalist millionaire

[Bob Miller]

I think that we kicked the Dave Suzuki Photo-Ops around about a year back, Turned out, as I recall, that it was mostly carried on a flat bed rather than actually driven.


16" Airstream dry weight & without options = 2670 lbs
If any sane person doesn't see that as a bad idea it's time to get a sanity evaluation.

[MC1]

Lots of Golfs towing trailers Casey. From what I have heard/read it's all goodness....

https://www.google.ca/search?q=vw+go...ed=0CAYQ_AUoAQ

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

I think that we kicked the Dave Suzuki Photo-Ops around about a year back, Turned out, as I recall, that it was mostly carried on a flat bed rather than actually driven.


16" Airstream dry weight & without options = 2670 lbs
If any sane person doesn't see that as a bad idea it's time to get a sanity evaluation.

Actually his daughter did some of the driving as well as the party they rented it from - he drove it over the Windsor/Detroit bridge for them.

Suzuki Diaries - London Ontario entry by his daughter: "London: More Airstreams!
We were heading to London, and I drove the Airstream – it was a bit nerve wracking, learning how to drive this thing while on the highway and trying to have a conversation which was remotely interesting/on topic (I think the end result was me sitting very upright and having quite a bland conversation. Poor dad). "

"Detroit/Windsor: Ambassador Bridge" reads in part
" we were able to film crossing the Ambassador Bridge, from Detroit to Windsor. Kirk Thomson, who rented us the Airstream to us, drove us across the bridge to avoid hassles."

Apparently neither she nor her father were overly comfortable towing that trailer with that car.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by fridaynext

..... but I'm also self employed and work from my computer, which at the moment is a custom built desktop with a 27" display. I used to use a laptop, but I've become really quite spoiled by this setup, and I'm not sure how willing I am to part ways from it. I might be persuaded to move back to laptop life,....

Laptop, desktop.. doesn't matter. A laptop can use a docking station and "look" exactly the same with an independent monitor. It's not about the box, it's about the visual.

She says, because she uses two laptops, two desktops and a MAC on a daily basis. SHHHHH, I'm whispering.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by Carol H

Actually his daughter did some of the driving.

"– it was a bit nerve wracking, learning how to drive this thing while on the highway and trying to have a conversation which was remotely interesting/on topic "
"Detroit/Windsor: Ambassador Bridge" reads in part
" we were able to film crossing the Ambassador Bridge, from Detroit to Windsor. Kirk Thomson, who rented us the Airstream to us, drove us across the bridge to avoid hassles."

Apparently neither she nor her father were overly comfortable towing that trailer with that car.

Probably no different than any other trailer towing newbies towing a borrowed rig through customs and driving through Detroit while being photographed by a filming team. Geesh, not many of us would be comfortable in their shoes.

[Bob Miller]

Then why use them as an example of happy and content members of the NASOTP (the North American Society of Overweight Trailer Pullers).

[MC1]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

Then why use them as an example of happy and content members of the NASOTP (the North American Society of Overweight Trailer Pullers).

LOL, apparently they were operating within the safe limits of the combo and it's setup. The rig worked flawlessly all across Canada.

[Glenn Baglo]

Apparently you say.
Says a lot.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by MC1

LOL, apparently they were operating within the safe limits of the combo and it's setup. The rig worked flawlessly all across Canada.

Actually they missed a third of the country. They only went from Montreal to Vancouver.

Optical allusions are a fine thing! I enjoy watching movies that were filmed in Vancouver but depicted as someplace USA

[MC1]

Casey. Quite a positive discussion on another forum. Generally speaking the Golfs get great reviews re their stellar towing abilities. This vid below is just one example of how well they perform. Connection is very important and shouldn't be taken lightly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H65PMTcXOU

[Cathy P.]

Here is a link to a group that discusses the Alto: Any Other Alto (or Safari Condo) Owners Out There - iRV2 Forums

It is even difficult to get a pop-up now with much in it that isn't 2,000 plus lbs loaded. Ours weighs in at 2,000 with the accessories.

This is sort of a neat "calculator" and the website has other useful info: Travel Trailer Weight Calculator

A stick that runs light: Taylor Coach - Welcome

I know how frustrating it can be to realize how heavy all of the units seem when you only have the 2,000 lb weight limit.