[Shotimes] OT - how not to tow a trailer

[Donald Mallinson]

You might have gotten the wrong impression from my reply, It 
doesn't matter to me if you ever hook a trailer to your SHO, 
most people never will, and I support your right.

I was just saying that it isn't that hard on the car if you 
do it right and don't pull too much.

I happen to think a car/trailer combo looks OK, sometimes 
even good.  But I grew up in a family that went camping 
every chance we got, and back in the 50's and 60's people 
didn't need to or WANT to use a truck for that, all the 
trucks were really crude and not close to being passenger 
friendly.  Plus we had a fleet of cars in the USA that would 
pull up to 10,000 pounds without a complaint or putting them 
or anyone else in peril.

My '89 has 180,000 miles and I would pull my little trailer 
to CA with it if I thought it was necessary, but I won't 
this year, as I will just mail what needs to be there, and 
travel a little lighter.

Just wanted to point out that the SHO, or just about any car 
can tow at least a little without damage.

Don Mallinson

Shylo McKinsey wrote:
> Ok, Ok, let me elaborate on why I'll never tow
> anything with my SHO. 
> 
> #1- The engine has 194,000 miles on it. It's already
> got some issues. I'm thinking within the next 2 years
> I'm going to have to look into something different.
> Whether I try to rebuild it or get a replacement
> engine (one reason why I really wanted that rolled
> SHO). 
> 
> #2- My transmission is original. I don't have the
> money to fry it (or the clutch) by pulling something.
> I don't have the money to replace those things. I make
> enough to feed the SHO (gas, oil, and other
> preventative stuff) and myself, and thats about it.
> 
> #3- I'm not too sure the how my chasis would handle
> it. I know you say it holds up just fine, but if
> something were to happen, I'm not the mechanic I would
> need to be to fix it. Don't really know how to weld
> all that good, and, I'm basically learning what I know
> about mechanics as things get replaced on this car.
> 
> #4- I just think it would look uuuuugly. I've never
> seen a SHO pull something, but I've seen enough cars
> around pulling things, and it just looks wrong. My
> opinion I guess...
> 
> Maybe I'm babying the car too much, but I can't afford
> to lose it. I don't really punch it anymore, either. I
> think it may have gotten above 5000 rpm three times in
> the month of April. I need that car to last a while,
> or at least till I have a job that can let me drive it
> like it should be driven, not like the SLO most people
> take it to be....
> 
> Sorry for the rant...
> 
> Shylo McKinsey
> 
> '91 White MTX
> --- Donald Mallinson <dmall@mwonline.net> wrote:
> 
>>Shylo,
>>
>>It is all in WHAT you tow, and how you do it.
>>
>>my '89 had a hitch from it's first owner.  The car
>>never 
>>towed anything till I had it though in 1991.  I tow
>>a small 
>>box trailer (been to a convention lately?) that I
>>have had 
>>at the last few conventions.  IT weighs maybe 350
>>pounds and 
>>total load is at or under 1000 pounds.
>>
>>I have towed this trailer with my '89 many times,
>>and with 
>>my '96 (added a tranny cooler to the 96) with zero
>>problems. 
>>  The hitch on the '89 is a typical "bumper" hitch
>>that 
>>bolts to two places on the body and to the bumper
>>supports. 
>>  The hitch for the '96 is a hidden receiver type
>>that means 
>>you can remove the ball mount for a cleaner look
>>when not 
>>towing.
>>
>>I am positive that neither car is not hurt at all
>>for the 
>>towing.  Now if I tried to tow a 4000 pound load,
>>then I 
>>would be having problems.
>>
>>I have towed loads up to 10,000 pounds with the
>>proper 
>>vehicles for the past 35 years or so.  I like
>>towing, maybe 
>>I have a desire to be a truck driver?
>>
>>The reason I tow the trailer with the SHO?  For
>>conventions 
>>I need to haul all the trophies, shirts, computer,
>>portable 
>>office, plus sometimes my race tires, tools and
>>other stuff. 
>>  If I put that in the car I would be on the spring
>>bumpers 
>>and be doing real damage to the suspension.
>>
>>With the trailer, I have about 60 pounds on the
>>hitch and 
>>the car is empty except for me and my wife.  Car
>>rides 
>>level, springs don't get smashed, struts don't get a
>>
>>work-out.  Trailer tires/springs take almost all of
>>the load.
>>
>>Don Mallinson
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 	
> 		
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