Very important to secure the car front & rer tight so when it bounces it dosen't come loose. We also criss-cross the tie downs so it dosent walk from side to side. Balance (tounge wheight) is important. If it is a car hauler it may already have stops for the front wheels at the proper place. Otherwise you need to have several hundred #'s on the tounge so it dosent get swaying on you. Other than that, watch your corners....swing wide so you don't clip anything and watch the mirrors closley. No quick moves!!!! Good luck! Should be no problem. Oh, also remember....takes longer to stop....no tailgating!!!! :cheers:
I would sure check my tow vehicle's Owner's Manual about towing in OD. I tow with a 150 Ford P/U and the Manual says to NEVER tow in OD. I was told by the dealer I bought my trailer from that an easy way to check if you have enough tongue weight was to measure the distance from the bottom of the hitch on the tow vehicle to the ground. Then load the Corvette and pull it forward until the same measurement was one to one and a half inches less than it was before loading the Corvette. I have load leveler bars on my set-up and I don't know if that will make a difference to this little "rule of thumb" or not but you might ask your trailer dealer for a guideline or advice.
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Your safe speed will depend a lot on conditions. Both the road and the load. I wouldn't exceed 65. A lot of racers I know, pretty much stick to 55. One of the biggest safety and comfort factors, is the previously mentioned tongue weight. You don't want the bumper of the van dragging the ground, but too much is way better than too little.
O.D. is something you will have to "feel out". Even on the flat, the O.D. will generate more trans heat than direct drive. You don't want to lug the engine. *I* would avoid O.D. on hills, up or down. There is an old truckers rule of thumb, "Never go down a hill faster than you could go up it". Take it easy. Late is better than never. Good luck, and...
You do not want the TC "Hunting" in & out of OD....that is the key. If it can pull easy on the flats it should be OK....but not if it shifts in & out!! Then keep it in "3" :thumbs:
Great topic. I just bought an open trailer to tow on my ford explorer with a V8. I just bought a teconsha brake controller and will be setting it up over the weekend. I'll be leaving thursday night from Yardley.
Location: Exit 89 GSP,Lakewood,NJ The Land Of Mojo
Re: 1st time towing tips needed... (asmokegars)
My truck has a "Tow/Haul" mode specifically for the purpose. It's supposed to reprogram the computer so the tranny isn't consistently hunting for the right gear and allows for more compression braking.
As for driving, just make sure your mirrors are adjusted properly. I have found that mirrors that are taller than they are wide allow more visibility of what you are towing where the wider mirrors give you more"peropheral" vision.
When making a right turn, you'll want to be as far left that is safe and allowed, that usually works better than swinging left and cutting right. They way the DOT calls for it when you take your CDL test is you want that rear tire to ride along the curb rather than on it, but that of course will depend on the roads you drive on.(They actually take points off if you are too far from the curb)
If you are travelling in our group, we will keep an eye on you and advise you as we go when it comes to turns. Oh and park so that you are always in a head out direction(like when we stop for lunch and gas).
I don't know how the pits are laid out but whenever possible, you want to avoid backing.
Location: 10.70 @ 124mph, Stock Bottom End @ 3620lbs, ECS Racing Team Member. The 1st NMCA LSX Index Rumble World Champion 2011
Re: 1st time towing tips needed... (YO-EL)
I have a few important tips.
1) The Vettes position on the trailer makes a big difference. If the Vette is to far forward you will have the front of your van up in the air. This will effect the steering, braking and when you hit a bump the front tires will most likely come off the ground. This also will hurt the gas mileage a lot.
2) If the Vette is to far back on the trailer, The rear of the van will be up in the air. This will effect steering/control when driving the Van. When you hit a bump on the road, You will have a hard time controling the van.
Rule of thumb is to have 10% of the total weight on the ball. This is hard to do since most people don't have a scale at there house. What I normally do that has worked for me in the past when towing diferent vehicle - I drive the vehicle onto the trailer. When the trailer and tow vehicle level out I will move very slowly forward till the rear of the tow vehicles drops about 1/2 to an inch. I will measure with my fingers the distance between the top of the tire to the wheel molding.
For someone like you that has never towed before, I would put the Vette on the trailer like I described and drive around your area to see how it stops and takes off. I would hit the brakes a few times to make sure the brake box is adjusted properly. Good Luck, May GOD be with you. :D
Corvette Store
1st time towing tips needed...
