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