Recently my wife has gotten involved = in hot air ballooning. Purchasing our own balloon is a distinct = possibility in the near future. The balloon, basket, burner, fuel = tanks, and inflator fan will total up to about 850-1000lb. I = estimate that I can build or buy an aluminum trailer weighing around = 250-350lb.
My question for the list is, can = I tow this amount of weight with our 1990 Westie with an = automatic transmission? Initially it would be in the immediate = area, i.e. short hauls to the launch site then back from the landing = site. Retrieval from the landing site might involve driving on a = dirt road or into a dry field. Eventually we would like to tow to = balloon festivals in the Pacific Northwest. This would entail = driving grades up to 7% or taking the long way around. I am = considering the TIICO engine swap giving me some needed horse power but = I'm concerned that I will exceed the load capacity of the = transmission. I was also thinking about installing a transmission = fluid cooler to offset the higher loading but this doesn't address = items such as gearing and brake straps are not up to the extra = torque. Can somebody give me some feedback on this? = Are there alternatives such as replacing the automatic with a standard = tranny? Has anybody put their fully loaded Westie on a = scale? I have not and I'm curious if there is any spare = capacity on the GVW. Any input will be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Tom Moritz