| Author | Message | ||
| Michele Thomas (Crazy4buses)
Rating: N/A |
Good morning, Fellow Busnuts Mark and I need your help. We had decided to purchase a Nissan Pathfinder to tow behind our furture pd4106. However Mark located a document that stated this vehicle should be towed no faster than 60 mph and after traveling 500 miles we would need to idle the engine in neutral for several minutes to circulate fluids. As 1st Officer and Navigator I would be responsible for ensuring we stop every 450 to 480 miles as a precaution. Curious to know what other vehicles we should consider that will not require the constant stopping. | ||
| Craig Smith (Craigs)
Rating: N/A |
Hi Michele, I suggest a stick shift. We bought a little PT cruiser to tow. Works great. Craig S | ||
| Jim-Bob (Pd41044039)
Rating: N/A |
We tow a VW Jetta stick shift. It can flat tow as far as needed & it does not record miles while towing. Vehicle not modified, no fuses pulled to tow. Looking at our next tow vehicle, Jeep 4 wheel drive vehicles have a true neutral in the transfer case. Jeep website & lit says they are designed to be flat towed behind other vehicles as far as needed. Jim-Bob | ||
| Richard Bowyer (Drivingmisslazy)
Rating: N/A |
My wife and I like to go exploring when out boondocking, so I purchased an early 90's Toyota 4X4 pickup with automatic transmission. Installed a REMCO drive shaft disconnect and towed it over 100,000 miles without a speck of trouble. Richard | ||
| TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A |
450 miles is 9 hours driveing...do you drive longer than that ? I can't see the problem...guess if you HAD to drive more than 9 hours you could have a remote start, | ||
| mikekerley
Rating: N/A |
We have towed a Jeep Grand Cherokee (full time four wheel drive) for over 80 thousand miles and have had no problems. Place transfer case in neutral, transmission in park and leave the wheel unlocked. Miles do not accumulate on odometer. | ||
| John that newguy Rating: N/A |
After 9 hours of steady driving, everyone's fluids will need circulating. I used a remco transmission pump on both vehicles we've towed. It's safe, efficient and foolproof. Used in conjunction with whatever the manufacturer suggests, should allow you to do 80 for 24 hours a day. You guys runnin' from the law? | ||
| ChuckMC9 (Chucks)
Rating: N/A |
Here ya go... "Trailer Life compiles annual factory tow ratings for trucks, sport-utility vehicles, vans and automobiles. While all the specifications are provided by the respective manufacturers..." 2001, 2000, 1999 Vehicles Trailer Life Vehicle Tow Ratings Or this link might be better, for 2003-1999. | ||
| t gojenola
Rating: N/A |
The Pathfinder is highly rated, but has one distinct drawback, in my opinion. It is one heavy toad at a little over 4800# curb weight. But it is towable. In light of fuel prices these days, I would prefer something much lighter. And, also in my opinion, anyone driving a converted bus who does not stop for a routine walk-around, tire-thump, look-for-leaks, etc at least once every 250 miles or so is probably negligent. tg | ||
| James Maxwell (Jmaxwell)
Rating: N/A |
I can't imagine driving 9hrs. w/o break but I suppose people do. My routine is generally every 2 hrs. and my dogs routine is 4 hrs. So I some times bend my routine to 3 hrs. Many of the older Honda's (I don't know abt. the newer models) had the same requirement and millions of miles have been racked up towing Honda's. I towed an '87 Nissan 4x4 (stick) for several yrs. and the only negative consequence was a 3rd member that went bad at nearly 200k. | ||
| TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A |
here goes...after driveing 400 miles...the first stoplight...the wife runs back to the toad...last stoplight in that town,the wife shuts it off & runs back to the bus... | ||
| Johnny Rating: N/A |
T go: I'm planning on towing a 5500+lb K-5 Blazer or a 6000+lb Dodge Power Wagon. 4800lbs is heavy, but not THAT heavy. | ||
| FAST FRED Rating: N/A |
AS city oriented folks we chose to tow a really old (never stolen) VW Rabbit. You can visit anyplace , leave it anywhere and its always there , tires intact. Not a big concern if you go boondockin to visit the trees , but for our hobbies it works great , tows flat with almost no investment , in cash , insurance or emotions. FAST FRED | ||
| Marc Bourget Rating: N/A |
Chuck, I looked at the 3 year link and got the impression that it was a towing (rather than Tow'd) Guide. Did I miss something or not read closely? Thanks Marc | ||
| Rodger in WA Rating: N/A |
The towing recomendations for our '95 Honda Accord with auto trans read the same. The Accord has been driven 98,600 miles and towed an additional 45,000. On trips over 500 miles, I seldom drive more than 500 miles/day. Sometimes the Honda gets started during overnight stops but often not. My target speed is 60 mph. The transmission is operating fine with no maint or repair other than Honda recommended servicing. My only negative comment on the Pathfinder is its weight. Your 4106's 6 or 8V71 will be severely taxed dragging 5000 lbs up long grades and your stopping distances will be significantly lengthened with that much weight pushing you. Also, I think most towbar systems are rated at 5,000 max. IMO, a toad that heavy is a bad idea for a bus with less power than a 8V92 or S60. Also you should definitely invest in a reliable supplemental braking system. If you want a 4WD SUV for a toad, one I highly recommend is a Honda CRV. It's a great little vehicle in terms of comfort, drivability and reliability, tows great and weighs a lot less. | ||
| John that newguy Rating: N/A |
After having towed a fully loaded, full-sized Dodge Caravan behind a fully loaded 34' Winnebago El'Andan (we were moving and the Caravan carried boxes of household items and furniture; The RVs rear bedroom was completely filled with boxes filled with household items), we did not experience any problems with towing, or stopping. Since the Winnebago was powered by a Chev 454 (gas), it's brakes were hydraulic/disc, and the Caravan heavier than most automobiles, I would seriously doubt anyone would have a problem towing an SUV sized vehicle behind any standard sized bus. | ||
| ChuckMC9 (Chucks)
Rating: N/A |
Marc, as is often the case, you are quite correct, Good Sir. Sheesh, I so rarely actually add anything of value to the board and when I do I waste your time with completely wrong pointers. Please forgive my hasty posting and look to this one for what I *meant* to refer to:  Bottom right of the page, Dinghy Towing, Motorhome Magazine Also here: Dinghy Towing Guide, Towing World | ||
| Jim-Bob (Pd41044039)
Rating: N/A |
We used to tow an Explorer which is heavier than my nephew's (older) Pathfinder. We have a 4104 which has much less power than a 4106 (6-71 @170hp vs 8V-71 @275 hp or so). We could hardly feel the Explorer behind us & we couldn't see any braking difference. No toad brakes. Our 4104 @ 24,500 lbs heavy has 8,000lbs capacity remaining so I'm sure the brakes are not overloaded. I would recommend the toad brakes though, just for the safety margin. Jim-Bob | ||
| Johnny Rating: N/A |
FF: Unfortunately, a Rabbit rather sharply limits the amount of people & stuff the toad can carry. That, and I barely fit in one. Jim-Bob: weren't the 8V71's 318HP, & the 6's 200? | ||
| t gojenola
Rating: N/A |
The weight of your toad will determine whether it requires supplemental braking, at least in some states and most of Canada. These laws are not commonly enforced in the states, but certainly would be applied in the event of an accident of almost any kind. Here's a page listing the applicable laws state by state. http://www.towingworld.com/brakinglaws.html tg | ||
| Jim-Bob (Pd41044039)
Rating: N/A |
Johnny, the 8V71s were 318 commonly in truck application but somewhat less in bus application. 'Hound & Trailways were more interested in fuel cost & longevity than in acceleration. They also wanted gentle acceleration for the passengers & were moving 25-30,000lbs instead of 60-80,000lbs of freight. RPMs limit road speed, HP is how fast you get to RPM limit. The inline 6-71 with two valve head in the 4104 was 170HP with stock injectors. Later 4 valve engines with larger injectors are as much as 240hp. Remember that when the 4104 was being designed, just after WWII, the normal road speed was about 60 and there were no Interstate highways yet (Ike signed the Bill in 1959) so a 65-75 mph 4104 was pretty fast then. Now that the unofficial speed limit is 80+ we just stay in the right lane except to pass. If we get over 65, we lose the 10MPG we like. Jim-Bob | ||
| John that newguy Rating: N/A |
TG- You -did- note the disclaimer: "Information used on this site is collected from a variety of third party sources. While efforts were made to verify the information, Towing World, Blue Ox, Automatic Equipment, its employees, and affiliates, do not guarantee the accuracy of the information and disclaim all liability or any claims and damages of any nature that may arise from errors or omissions. If you have any questions please contact the appropriate government agency." Towing World isn't about to open any liability can of worms. They'd prefer the buyer takes every precaution if using their product. Check Towing World for their discontinued items and close-out specials. You can save over 1/2 list price ordering direct! | ||
| Jim-Bob (Pd41044039)
Rating: N/A |
Does anybody KNOW if a BMW 325E automatic can be flat towed? I have a friend who wants to use it as a toad. Jim-Bob | ||
| Johnny Rating: N/A |
I'd guess not, unless he pulls the driveshaft. | ||
| Michele Thomas (Crazy4buses)
Rating: N/A |
Thanks for all of your comments and advice. I am sure you can tell I am a newbie at this. There is so much to learn, comforting to know there are other busnuts willing to help. I'm very excited about attending Bussin' 05. Hope I don't bug you with all my questions. |