"No fun while towing"

[jerem0621]

Just musing tonight

I keep seeing this term

"It will be no fun while towing with (insert whatever here)"

Mostly this term refers to someone answering another person who they perceive has a lesser tow vehicle. .

Diesel guys say - its no fun towing with a gasser

Big block guys say- its no fun towing with a small block

Big Small block guys say- its no fun towing with the smaller v8 motor

Everyone seems to say - its no fun towing anything with a V6

Then those that have 4 bangers are told that they can't tow anything.

Does anyone else dislike the term "it's no fun towing with (insert whatever here)"

Does towing above 2500 RPM's reduce the fun factor that much? My previous truck was an old 1997 F150 with a 5.4. I towed my trailer (7700 GVWR) all over middle Tn with it. I never had the thought "man this is no fun at all."


Thanks

[Captain_Obvious]

Its all about attitude.
Its no fun breaking down in the desert, until you go back to the TT and break out the ice cream.
Its no fun watching the gas gauge drop, but the priceless memories with the family make it worth it.
Its no fun chugging up the hill and watching the cars fly by you, but there's nothing like sitting outside the TT at a remote mountain campsite with no one else around.

I love camping, and I love taking the trailer out. Even when it rains. 🙂

[MMarty]

The only thing "not fun" for me when towing is watching the gas guage drop like a rock. BUT then I think oh well at least I'm not a full timer.

[Vulcaneer]

If your tow vehicle is not capable, you are at risk. Is that fun?

Try towing downhill. Roads just a little wet from the morning dew. Then somebody makes a left turn in front of you. Far enough ahead. But you need to step on the brake because he misjudged your speed. And when you step on the brakes, the trailer starts to push your tow vehicle ahead. So you clamp on the brakes even harder. The tow vehicle brakes lock up. The tires skid and smoke. If you have ABS, the brakes shudder...but you know you cannot stop in time. The trailer starts to jack knife...to the left into the oncoming traffic lane. You lose control of the tow vehicle...because it's skidding, out of control. All the time your family is sitting in their seats. Totally unsuspecting of what is going on. But you are fully aware. Because it is your responsibility to drive the family safely.

The oncoming guy, aborts the left turn and hits the shoulder. So he and his family can avoid the rear of your trailer, which is swinging into his lane. This all happens within a 5 second time frame. And you cannot in any way control the outcome.

If you are lucky...You and your family slide through. Not because of your good judgment. But because of others that take evasive action.

Is that fun? And can you tow with an incapable tow vehicle again. With your family riding with you? Will it be fun the next time something happens? We all hope so. You are lucky if you get through one bad mistake. Many are not so lucky. That is no fun.

[_40Fan]

BeerCan wrote:
Me, I have no fun towing anything with anything. The fun starts for me when I get there.

I have to agree. I hate it too. Just knowing what I get to do when I get there makes the trip there horrible.

"One TT and 4-wheeler to beam over, Scotty!"

[Taco]

Towing fun or should I say stress free towing mostly has to do with chassis and hitch setup and or having enough chassis for the weight and the right weight distribution.

I don't see where the engine really has that much to do with stress or fun. I guess if you were worried if you were going to make it up a hill then it might get stressful, but I really doubt if there are many situations that there really is a chance of not making it. I have only had one situation where i didn't think I was going to make it up a grade but it had to do with a mechanical problem on the truck not the power the truck would have made healthy. It was when the catalytic converter got plugged up on an old f350 I had. By the time I got home it would barely do 25 mph. After I "repaired" the catalytic converter with a steel rod and put it back on it was good as new.

[4x4ord]

Come to think of it there was a time when I would have to say towing wasn't real fun. That particular time it was fun for kids but I was a little stressed knowing that when I pulled over to let my wife out of the trailer she was going to kill me.::E

[chracatoa]

My rig is much better now but I always feel something. Maybe I'm more sensitive. My wife says that she doesn't feel anything anymore (no jokes please) and that I will never be able to tow a trailer without feeling like the trailer is not behind us (I know, contradictory statements).

Anyway, this weekend I saw a pickup truck pulling a trailer the same size as mine swaying like crazy. He was at around 65 mph. Every truck or TT rig that passed him on the left would push him to the shoulder.

I was curious so I speed up to 70 (max speed on I-90) to check on the truck (I always drive at 60). I couldn't believe when I saw it was a 1 ton truck (Ford 350 or something). I guess that even with a good truck if your trailer is not set up correctly you can have sway. And a lot of it.

[jmtandem]

Obviously not many giving that advice have ever towed with a Cumins diesel or a Ford Ecoboost

Skip,

The Cummins is an inline six not a V-6; otherwise good comment regarding the OP's initial discussion about V-6 gas engines. And the Cummins is putting out about 800 foot pounds of mountain flattening torque while the Ecoboost only 400 foot pounds so there is a vast difference between the oil burner and the gasser. The Ford normally aspired 6.2 and Toyota's Force 5.7 put out about the same torque as the ecoboost, albiet both being eight cylinder gas engines. If Ford ecoboosts the 6.2 up to around 500 foot pounds of torque then there would be quite a powerful small block gas engine.

[JamesBr]

"fun" is subjective. About the only not fun experiences I have ever had in all of my towing combinations was breakdowns or blow outs. Both where frustrating as I am somewhat OCD about maintinence and pre trip checks. But you can't stop them from happening completely.

[transamz9]

They probably meant to say "small V6"........ whoops can't say that either can they? LOL!

Power is power. The biggest thing is when the power is made. The Eco Boost is the perfect example that if you can get reliable power in the RPM range that you are running for the task at hand then the size of the motor has nothing to do with it.

[Campfire_Time]

Really, its all relative according to expectations and needs. Some want to tow a up a 6% at 70mph without running the RPMs high. Some are perfectly happy towing up a 6% at 45 mpg and 4000 RPMs. Some want to pass a line of vehicles doing 80mph (and don't deny it, I see plenty of 3/4 and 1 tons with 5vers doing this all the time). Others are happy letting everyone pass them. Some people need to tow in mountains. Others will never tow more than 200 miles from home.

People who claim you "won't have any fun towing" will often cite personal experience. That's fine except for the fact that more often than not its comparing apples to oranges. Lots of people touted how great it was to tow a 4000# trailer with a Chevy Astro. We towed a 2500# pup with one and it sucked rocks. Could be a lot of reasons for that but I never questioned those that had good experiences.

So would it "be nice" to have a big honking 2500 PU to tow a 4000# trailer? Sure it would. I have no doubt in my mind that it would be a fine towing experience. Is it practical to have the additional expense of one? Not for a lot of people.

The inline 6 in my Trailblazer towed our old 3500# HTT through mountains just fine. 50 mph or so at 3500 RPM. We tool along the flat roads at 62mpg or so. Now we no longer take really long trips. Our Trailblazer tows our new Jayco X20E, 4750# GVWR, just fine through WI. It really doesn't feel much different towing it than our old trailer. I wouldn't tow this combo through mountains, but I also don't feel I need to replace the truck for the kind of towing we're doing today. And trust me, I was concerned about towing this trailer with this truck, but it went well beyond my expectations. BTW, I have NO PAYMENTS. More money to spend on fun things. That said when we do replace it, it will be a bigger TV. We just don't have a burning need to do so right now.

[skipnchar]

OP wrote:
Everyone seems to say - its no fun towing anything with a V6

Obviously not many giving that advice have ever towed with a Cumins diesel or a Ford Ecoboost 🙂

[goducks10]

Bring that truck out to Oregon and tow around some and "it won't be no fun at all". Just depends on where you are. I go from 100' to 5000' heading over to central Oregon. Not really much fun when I had my 5.4 with 7300lbs behind it. If I was just cruising thru some rolling hills it would "be more fun".

[jerem0621]

rhagfo wrote:

jerem0621 wrote:


Does towing above 2500 RPM's reduce the fun factor that much? My previous truck was an old 1997 F150 with a 5.4. I towed my trailer (7700 GVWR) all over middle Tn with it. I never had the thought "man this is no fun at all."


Thanks
TT: 1995 Layton 2910
Tow Vehicle: 1999 F-350, v10, 2wd, Crew Cab, Dually
Hitch: Draw-Tite Trunnion WD Hitch
Sway Control: Valley dual friction sway control
Brake Control: Tekonsha Voyager

"It's Kind of Fun To Do The Impossible"
~Walt Disney~

I find it intresting that you currently have a V10, and have spoken in the past of stepping up to a Diesel :B

True, but that has little to do with towing. I want a diesel to consolidate to one vehicle. I currently have the dually and a daily driver. I never intended this to be a gas vs diesel thread. 🙂