Show what you tow!

Ya, we really enjoy it there.

It is called Porteau Cove located in Howe Sound just west of Vancouver, B.C. The campsites are about 5 feet from the water when the tide is in. This is fed from the Pacific Ocean and eventually finds its way to into the Sound.

I'm curious how many others here who tow use a tongue weight scale. I picked up one from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Sherline-LM-...480691071&sr=8-3&keywords=tongue+weight+scale

It's not cheap at $150, but it's helped me out several times. I'll either stick it on the receiver itself, or right underneath the jack on the trailer, so I've learned to better manage my how I load the trailer.

It's also funny how many people scoff at the idea of my Golf pulling 2000-2500 pounds, until they see the car actually moves and can accelerate (or even pass pickups on the highway at 75mph).

2001 Subaru Outback LL Bean curbs 3700 lbs. Tow dolly is probably a few hundred. Pulled that combo about 30 miles a few months back.

@pkhoury - a like that scale. Hard to tell scale from Amazon pics but I bet it fits in the hatch better than a bath room scale, right? I think its a good idea with the variable loads you carry in your trailer.

Jason

You can build an Arduino scale for less than $75.
I have built several of these last year.
My buddy uses it to scale his race car.

https://youtu.be/6pzZ0NfQmsY

"It's also funny how many people scoff at the idea of my Golf pulling 2000-2500 pounds, until they see the car actually moves and can accelerate (or even pass pickups on the highway at 75mph)."

Listen, these cars can indeed tow a *3000* lb load or aerodynamic camping trailer... It's all about driving safely, having your tongue weight correct and trailer brakes set appropriately.
For anyone- and I'm talking to the folks with Ram Cummins Dualies and the like, who drive in excess speeds no matter how small their trailer is (or how "amazing" your tow vehicle is), you are dumb d*cks. One good gust of wind could send you into big trouble at those speeds. Brakes nor tow vehicle trumps high wind or humans who think they can drive 75-80 towing a trailer.
I don't think your setup is a problem unless you're driving unsafely or not slowing way down in bad road/weather conditions. I'm not a fan of overtaking a Pickup/trailer combo at 75 though :-(.

Bumper pulling @ 70/75 is a complete joke, no matter the vehicle.
5th wheel/goose neck with the weight over the rear axle is a trillion times better.

I'll repeat it again, there's a reason the big boys don't bumper trailers. It's just plain not safe or practical, and doesn't scale well with increased weight and length. Too much counter correction is transferred to the trailer because of being hitched beyond the rear axle.

I bumper pulled a 37foot with a modified 1ton, I shorted the frame, use single wheel rear end, and used a short box, as it's my stubby 5th wheel puller, slick for that, but my God it was scary bumper pulling that disaster. Any correction at the front end of truck made the rear of the trailer wag like a dogs tail.

Most miserable 45mph and 1 hour of my life ever behind a steering wheel.

The only exception is a tandem dually loaded with 12 yards of gravel and pulling a 9 ton machine, with probably 4 ton of tongue weight on the pintle hitch.

I did one last weekend. I'll admit, it felt very hitched. It didn't bounce through potholes. It was questionable, because the last time I was loaded like that I snapped a rear spindle on the truck.

Sent from my S-Off'ed HTC One...

Jason, you are aware that the VW OEM hitch is the Bosal-Oris design? It is NOT attached to a bumper but rather is attached to its designed mounting locations in the chassis. These are the same mounting points used by those who custom-build their own 2" receiver hitches.

The aftermarket manufacturers like Curt, Reese, Draw-Tite, et al. bolt their hitches to sheet metal partially.

romad is correct, there are different hitch options on the market. The little class 1 hitch to enable the use of a rear mounted bike rack! This one is mounted to the sheet metal around the spare tire.

Then there are the Bosal / Westfailia units that bolt into the chassis and replace the bumper rebar. These are definitely more capable than the little one.

I went with a custom made one based on the Bosal with a fixed receiver.

But how effective will any hitch be if the car and trailer are being driven beyond the speed rating of the trailer tires?? Common sense will prevail or we get some more crazy "How did he do that?" videos on Youtube

European VW TDI's can be seen pulling bigger trailers and I think the Golf won the tow vehicle of the year in 2015.

He is correct. Although I'm confused, the type of hitch wasn't my point, rather hitch location.

2", 1", whatever inch, it's not above the axle.

True towing stability which vocalvirgo was discussing, only comes from hitches which are pinned above the rear axle. Which I believe is in the spare tire area? I don't think bosal/Westfailia hitch up there, as with standard Reese and bumper style, hitched near the bumper!

A 2" Reese, a ball hitch bolted through the bumper, and a vw bosal/West, are all the same in my book. It's hitched near the bumper.

Hence my terminology, "bumper pull!"


Clarified?


Sent from my S-Off'ed HTC One...

jason - I see your point. When I did mine we extended 2 horizontal mounts about 10" further forward which does put the torsional load over the rear wheels. This also puts a lot of tensile load on the inner bolts so we beefed those up as well. We made sure that the tongue weight of the trailer was light (~175lbs) to help keep the forces down on the hitch and its connections.

I think the Bosal design may get close to the axle with the but that is at the end of the horizontal mounts. When I first looked at the hitches on the market, I thought of combining the 2 types into one as I am always in search of overkill.

Add a load balanced hitch to the picture and that really puts a lot of force on the hitch bolts and the body. There is a company called Can-Am and they make hitches for small cars to pull bigger trailers. They appear to have a good info on this whole discussion but they are too far from me to meet them in person.

vocal - I think the reason why the North American towing numbers/capacities for cars are so low is because the industry is trying to limit who is towing. It doesn't like our little cars playing in the big truck arena, and leans more towards bigger is better so we end up with Dodge Duallies and 45 foot trailers screaming along at the speed of light. My cousin and her husband just bought a Dodge 3500 and a 37 foot toy hauler. They thought it was hilarious that we had a Beetle pulling a trailer!

My Westfalia is about 18" off the ground(Either of them) and this height is specified in the owner's manual of your VW. It is also specified by the Euro regulations so they don't have adjustable hitches and don't need them either since the trailers are also made to match.
I just put a OEM hitch on the Chrysler Town and Country I bought to replace the JSW for towing and the hitch mounts in the pockets for the bumper bar just like the Westfalia units, but it is much heavier and has a 2" receiver.
The height comes out to the same as the VW probably since they sell the same setup in Europe and it has to meet the same standards.

Left the Scamp at home and did a quick one nighter in quiet "protest" of Black Friday lol





Closer pic of the trailer



I got better FE with the roof box mounted to the trailer than on the car for this 200 mile trip. I also had a large tote and ice chest on the trailer that I would not have been able to fit in the car.

DerekG, nice pictures.

That's a great way to spend black Friday

You have to set the rig up correctly no matter what it is. Our family has around 15 trailers of all types. To much weigh or too little on the hitch is a HUGE issue. We have load levelers and stabilizers for our largest enclosed bumper hitch. Without those it is white knuckle driving. Empty or full. Also matters that the vehicle is in good repair. The "Dodge diesel" pulling the bumper trailer wad close to needing a front end steering refresh. Doing the steering, stabilizers and load levelers and it is a joy to drive now no mater the "dodge" pulling it. Gooseneck or 5 th wheel hitch is ideal when you can but you can't always do that. If you have a short box truck it can be hard with some trailers without hitting the cab. No mater what you need to think about your load and plan for the unexpected.

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My load. 700 miles for some sleds

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I like the rear view mirror setup!

Also, very jealous of your garage setup.

DerekG said:

I like the rear view mirror setup!

Also, very jealous of your garage setup.

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Had to look at the pictures a third time to see the mirrors. Great idea!

My wife wouldn't let me have that big of garage. She knows that something would follow me home to take up the space. I've always wanted a square back or a thing to play with, and there's also the mid 60s mustang convertible that we both want.

I have gotten spoiled with it. I was a shade tree mechanic with my first vw. Actually there was no tree even. I had to haul the engine block of the rabbit up 3 flights of stairs to work on it under cover. Good thing I was a college wrestler at the time. No I have heat and ac in the shop as well as a welder, air compressor with air plumbed through the whole shop and a few other things. I am just as into the little Jd diesels as I am the vw diesels. I am glad the guy who built this place raced cars for a job so he basically lived in the shop and he wife had a factory job.

Mirrors are from a 74 Harley I am working on. I am putting it on a snowmobile kit. But this is what I picked up.




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cool toys

Oooo, have any better pictures of the drive train? I may have just found my next project.

Jason

SilverGhost said:

@pkhoury - a like that scale. Hard to tell scale from Amazon pics but I bet it fits in the hatch better than a bath room scale, right? I think its a good idea with the variable loads you carry in your trailer.

Jason

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It's a lot better than a bathroom scale, along with the associated pipe and planks of wood. Mine fits behind the driver's side seat (since I removed the seat cushions for the rear, since my dog is always back there.

Aknovaman said:

You can build an Arduino scale for less than $75.
I have built several of these last year.
My buddy uses it to scale his race car.

https://youtu.be/6pzZ0NfQmsY

Click to expand...

Not sure if it requires soldering skills, but I was never the best at soldering. I also wanted something quick and easy. I'm beyond overwhelmed with projects right now (including one that requires soldering and spot welding).

VocalVirgo said:

"It's also funny how many people scoff at the idea of my Golf pulling 2000-2500 pounds, until they see the car actually moves and can accelerate (or even pass pickups on the highway at 75mph)."

Listen, these cars can indeed tow a *3000* lb load or aerodynamic camping trailer... It's all about driving safely, having your tongue weight correct and trailer brakes set appropriately.
For anyone- and I'm talking to the folks with Ram Cummins Dualies and the like, who drive in excess speeds no matter how small their trailer is (or how "amazing" your tow vehicle is), you are dumb d*cks. One good gust of wind could send you into big trouble at those speeds. Brakes nor tow vehicle trumps high wind or humans who think they can drive 75-80 towing a trailer.

Click to expand...

More like dumb f***s. I've seen several with gasser SUVs or light duty trucks (F150 and the like) towing enclosed trailers with 12" Harbor Freight tires with a gust here and there. Of course, passing me, because I'm not a dumb f*** and know when I can and cannot drive fast due to current road conditions.

I don't think your setup is a problem unless you're driving unsafely or not slowing way down in bad road/weather conditions. I'm not a fan of overtaking a Pickup/trailer combo at 75 though :-(.

Click to expand...

It doesn't bother me, but again, this is on a major Interstate like 10, where I might also be ahead of them for 5 or 50 miles at a time before I need to pull over in front of them. If I were in a city and knew I was going to pull off to an exit 2 miles later, then this would be pointless. As for bad weather, I've learned what my car and car/trailer is capable of, so I don't exceed that. The worst hazard I've had to deal with is being sleepy while driving. Thankfully, there are a lot of local sheriffs departments in TX that seem to be generous in letting me pull over to the shoulder with prior permission to take a nap (except in CA, where you can get cited or arrested for that).

Since the thread has "show what you tow" but doesn't require the thing doing the towing is a vw I will post a couple pictures since it does tow the sled behind it. I just don't want to get the thread off track.

It is as simple as you can get. Engine to clutch system. Clutch on a shaft with a chain sproket. Chain to another sproket at the belt drives below it is 4 belts connected in pairs by wood cleats that the belt drive sprokets transfer power across. Steering is done by the operator and it can be a workout. You don't out many miles in a day with these. Made back in the mid 60's. They made a Diablo Rouge a couple years which is what the red seat is from. The 444 was powerful enough to pull two sleds but the others weren't. If you got a complete enough body you could bolt a cheap 4 stroke engine on it. Water skis work as a cheap replacement ski as well.

Someday I would like to put a diesel on a snowmobile. Any snowmobile where the cost doesn't get too high. Just for the fun of it.

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Hello,

coalminer16 said:

Since the thread has "show what you tow" but doesn't require the thing doing the towing is a vw...

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Although it's not in the title, the first posts asks...

QuickWrite said:

I'm curious what other people are towing with their TDI's, so post up some picks of your TDI-trailer rig!

Click to expand...

TDI's only.

Scott

DerekG said:

Left the Scamp at home and did a quick one nighter in quiet "protest" of Black Friday lol

I got better FE with the roof box mounted to the trailer than on the car for this 200 mile trip. I also had a large tote and ice chest on the trailer that I would not have been able to fit in the car.

Click to expand...

That's my kind of protest...

Interested to hear how your skybox likes riding on the trailer. I hammered (destroyed) the latch on my first Thule box by mounting it on the tongue area of my 5x8 to help the aerodynamics. It was one of the 15cu-ft clam shell boxes with a front hinge and single rear latch system. The latch had some play in the lid before it began the 2000 mile journey that broke the latch. However, I expect it was a combination of the play in the latch along with riding on the unloaded trailer with a 3500lbs axle and springs that ultimately pulled the rivets out of the upper shell. After that, it got a couple of ratchet straps around it to keep it shut the remainder of the trip back to Florida. I've since reinforced the latch bail to the clamshell lid, and adjusted out the play in the latch. However, I generally don't carry the clamshell on the trailer anymore either.

Empty trailers we really air down the tires as they can really bounce. Just plan on finding a place to fill up the tires if going to pick up a load.

Would it help if we were planning on putting a two cylinder diesel on the similar sled I have pictured? Even turbo it? Won't be direct injection though so can't call it a tdi.

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How much do you air down?

I have passenger tires on my trailer. Their load rating is ~1360 lbs. I figure that two of them are giggling at my 1000-lb max trailer weight when four of them are specified to carry a 4000-lb loaded car. I have them inflated to 28 psi, but could stand to go a little lower since I usually don't have more than 500 lbs loaded at any given point. My trailer only sees 1000 lbs about three times per year.

Stealth TDI said:

How much do you air down?

I have passenger tires on my trailer. Their load rating is ~1360 lbs. I figure that two of them are giggling at my 1000-lb max trailer weight when four of them are specified to carry a 4000-lb loaded car. I have them inflated to 28 psi, but could stand to go a little lower since I usually don't have more than 500 lbs loaded at any given point. My trailer only sees 1000 lbs about three times per year.

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That brings up an interesting question: if you are using the same size tires as the towing vehicle, on which inflation spec do you base the trailer tires?

My Jetta wagon is spec'd at 36lbs front, 45lbs rear (the Miata uses same pressure level for all four tires while the Prius has the front tires 4lbs higher than the rear). I did some calculating and your 28lbs is just over 67% of the averaged front + rear specs for my wagon. Did you do a similar calculation?

coalminer16 said:

Empty trailers we really air down the tires as they can really bounce. Just plan on finding a place to fill up the tires if going to pick up a load.

Click to expand...

I always keep a small air compressor in the car:

romad said:

That brings up an interesting question: if you are using the same size tires as the towing vehicle, on which inflation spec do you base the trailer tires?

Click to expand...

I run the same size tires as on the car. My highly scientific method for how much to air down involves looking at the dust pattern on the tread of the tires as in the following picture:



When I drove in to pick up this load of dirt the tires were a little over inflated for an empty trailer thus the dirt pattern on the tread of of the trailer tires does not extend as far towards to the sidewalls as the pattern of dirt on the treads of the tires on the car. I found that airing down to 20 PSI when my trailer is empty gives a wider pattern without seeing any deformation of the tire (which is hard to see on a radial tire until it gets down really low anyway, I know). After the yard of dirt was dropped in you can see deformation of the tire, so I aired up to 38 PSI for this heavy load (maybe 1800 lbs?).

edit: in the pictures above, the trailer tires were probably sitting at 28 psi or they would have probably looked flatter when the dirt went in.