Date: Wed, 10 Mar 1999 18:01:04 -0700
Reply-To: Rich Burdick <rburdick@BWN.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Rich Burdick <rburdick@BWN.NET>
Subject: Re: Not exactly...was: towing with a vanagon
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>Bill wrote--
>"If you paid attention in physics ...
>I don't have time to write out all the details ...
>In particular, during emergency braking, ...
>If the load is tethered to the rear of the vehicle, the valve may not sense
>the forward shift in mass accurately, and in fact, the rear of the van may
>be likely to have an increase in load, as the mass on the trailer tries to
>remain in motion, and shifts forward, pressing down on the tongue.
I wasn't going to say anymore on this subject - but ...
All of these issues are quite important - towing vs. wight in van, load on
engine (which is where it all started) - but *handling* is a *FAR* more
complex issue than has been discussed.
Points in case:
- What do you think happens in a cross-wind when going up a moderately
steep grade that is slick due to ice/water if you are pulling a reasonably
heavy load with a reasonbly lightly loaded van?
- What about braking downhill in the same situation?
- What about turning and decelerating on a slick surface?
- How about earth-bound 'wind-shear' (sudden changes in direction/velocity
of wind)?
- Most trailers do not have shock absorbers, when one wheel goes over a
bump, the trailer may ocsilate, sometimes *violently* from side to side.
How does one respond appropriately?
- If you pull a vehicle, or trailer, with a 'tow-bar' type set up, usually
the pivot point of the bar on the towed vehicle is lower, or *much* lower,
than the ball on the van. How do you think this affects handling during:
acceleration, braking, *hard* braking, normal cornering, accelerating while
cornering, braking while cornering? (I won't ask about *hard* braking while
cornering, because there usually aren't any survivors to ask.)
And this only *begins* to cover the real world, serious, driving situations
which can/may/will occur.
But these points all have much more to do with the issue of physics involved
in driving a vehicle that is towing something else - and do not pertain
directly to anything that is *different* about towing with a Vanagon of any
ilk.
If discussion of any of this is interesting to the list, I will continue to
respond here.
If anyone has specific questions, I'll be happy to respond privately.
Rich