Zero to Sixty When Towing

OP here. Many thanks to the serious, thoughtful posters. Information and knowledge was shared and gained.

To the Moderator: Time to close this thread.

Thanks again. Happy camping!

Bruce

Caddywhompus wrote:
If you can accelerate at least the same as the semi-tractors and diesel pusher RVs, you are doing fine. Anything else is just ego.

what does ego have anything to do with wanting a fast truck???? some people like power, some do not.... just because I can accell to 60 in around 10-12 sec with a 12klb 5er does not mean I do it, (just once) I never exceed 65 while towing.

If you can accelerate at least the same as the semi-tractors and diesel pusher RVs, you are doing fine. Anything else is just ego.

0 to 60? It matters to these guys! :B

with the factory turbo I could pretty much smoke the tires at full pin weight and after it hooked thinking about 0-60 around 12 sec that was at 26psi, now with the twins and 42psi, I think I can shave 1-2 seconds off... Before 550 rear wheel HP, now ??? waiting on a dyno day hope for 675-725

Sure acceleration rates matter!

SAE wants rigs to go from 0 to 60 in under 30 sec.

Amazingly our 150HP v6 Nissan mini van towed our 23' trailer in 30sec and it was quite slow, about the same rate as 18 wheelers and some heavy 5ers.

But the upgraded 260HP V6 Nissan car pulls the same trailer (0 to 60) in under 20 sec. Without a doubt, so much better when doing the on ramps and merging into traffic.

My 502 chev and the 30 ft fiver can really smoke the tires.

:S

Here I typed all that and just forgot about those controlled on ramps with a light. :S, I needed another one.

Guess I am lucky, as I have rarely used those. Then again, I avoid large metropolitan areas like the plague.

The Mad Norsky wrote:
:h

Not sure if this has been previously mentioned, but good grief! How many times in ones actual towing are you going from zero to sixty????

I'd say not that many times.

Most are mentioning merging into freeway traffic from an on ramp. Yes, many of these begin just after stop lights, but a turn is usually involved and once one hits the actual ramp from the light itself, you have some sort of rolling speed going that you actually accelerate from.

So I would guess that the acceleration involved comes once one has built up a little rolling speed, in the 20 MPH range or better, and one goes up from there.

In my mind (warped as it is :B ) it is this acceleration, from an already moving vehicle, that is of the most importance.

Zero and up is irrelevant. It is what the vehicle does merging, passing or whatever, and that acceleration starts from an already moving vehicle.

Unless you are in a urban area with flow controls on the on ramps, which is typically from a dead stop, and a shorter on ramp.

I was always taught, it is better to merge with the same speed or better, than to be going much slower than the traffic on the road!!

Spaces open up for vehicles that are going as fast or faster than the traffic on the highway.

Yes the ability to get to speed is important, as is the skill to be picking your spot as soon as you can see the traffic in the side view mirror!

:h

Not sure if this has been previously mentioned, but good grief! How many times in ones actual towing are you going from zero to sixty????

I'd say not that many times.

Most are mentioning merging into freeway traffic from an on ramp. Yes, many of these begin just after stop lights, but a turn is usually involved and once one hits the actual ramp from the light itself, you have some sort of rolling speed going that you actually accelerate from.

So I would guess that the acceleration involved comes once one has built up a little rolling speed, in the 20 MPH range or better, and one goes up from there.

In my mind (warped as it is :B ) it is this acceleration, from an already moving vehicle, that is of the most importance.

Zero and up is irrelevant. It is what the vehicle does merging, passing or whatever, and that acceleration starts from an already moving vehicle.