Triker33 wrote: That Smart Car setup will only use 2,000 lb. of your CCC.
And maybe 3,000 lb or so of the rear GAWR.
The Smart car itself weight 1808/1852 lbs. Don't forget the lift, platform, mount. That looks fairly substantial, probably close to 1000 lbs. I think you will find way over 3000 lbs. added to the rear axle.
I like it! Your pictures are great - I can see the load carried by the other receivers.
Great use of the toad receiver!
The winch does seem a little light duty, but with double line pull you're probably fine.
I have been leaning towards hydraulic leveling jacks so that the hydraulics could be made to work for "other" purposes. You've got my gears turning now. I realize everyone here willpoo-poo it, but the power steering pump and hydroboost pump can work for "other" purposes like this.
There is a farm here that frequently will use a harvester, large tractor or dump truck equipped with a pintle hitch to tow it's chase vehicle backwards! The chase vehicle is usually a pickup truck with an extended pintle ring bar stuck in the receiver. I am not sure how they lift the pickup into the pintle hitch, but it apparently works because I see them towing like this all over the place.
50pascals wrote: I have been leaning towards hydraulic leveling jacks so that the hydraulics could be made to work for "other" purposes. You've got my gears turning now. I realize everyone here willpoo-poo it, but the power steering pump and hydroboost pump can work for "other" purposes like this.
You just have to watch the pressure and flow. Power steering is relatively low, a few hundred pounds. The hydraulic pump for the levelers in my mh is 2600 psi. Lots of difference in how much power is available.
The problem I see is that the hitches put on DP are only rated to about 500# tongue weight. This setup is approximately 3X that.
Also, the leverage on the hitch assembly is quite severe.
Now, if the hitch's tongue weight rating is only 500# because of chassis stabiliity issues, then the 1600# tongue weight of this setup is outside of the engineered chassis stability.
On the other hand, if the hitch assembly is limit to a 500# tongue weight due to strength limitations of the hitch assembly, the excess weight AND the excess leverage exceed design limits.
Yes, the Beavers had 3 hitch receivers back in the old days. What's that got to do with anything? The hitch was still rated at 5000# with a 500# tongue weight.
As far as I know, the only vehicles engineered for supporting this kind of arrangement are trucks where the rear axles are much closer to the rear of the vehicle to reduce the leverage AND the entire structure was engineered for it.
The fact that you've been able to get away with this so far says more about your luck than it says about it being a good idea. IMHO, if you want to run this kind of setup, you should have bought a tandem axle Super C instead of a tag axle DP. The difference in towing ability between the two is night and day.
Steve & C. J.
"Gracie" the Rough Collie & "Bo'sun" the Bichon Frise
Daveinet wrote: From experience. Ever seen someone tow an old VW bug with the front of the vehicle on a tow dolly? The rear end is all over the road. At first, I'm thinking a tow dolly is different, but not totally, because the pivot point is still the same. Yes there is an extra pivot, but what the toad sees is still the same pivot point. Some vehicles are probably much better than others depending on weight distribution.
Hmmm, guess I did not know what I was doing for those 10 years I drove a tow truck. Many vehicles were towed 'backwards' down the road.
As far as when I used the sling, I would not have that upward angle that another poster already noticed.
SteveRankin wrote: The problem I see is that the hitches put on DP are only rated to about 500# tongue weight. This setup is approximately 3X that.
I agree with your concern and on center receiver of my Beaver I had to strengthen by adding another cross member so it became a H for more tongue rating/leverage.
My Monaco Dynasty's hitch is rated 10K/1K tongue weight plus the frame extends all to the back and is very massive/strong. By adding two more receivers that are supporting more of the weight than the center receiver/hitch it's 1000# is not exceeded except when lifting the toad. It already had two cross members forming a H to help with the leverage I'm putting on it.
I doubt there are any newer 40' DP's with enough CCC to do this without a tag axle. As for taking weight off the front axle, I have to run 110# on the front, 85# on drive, and 75# on tag tires with the toad on the back. Could not ask for a better handling/ride but then that's normal for the RR10S.
The point of all of this was more to show the Smart Car which I've been trying to get more info on for a month.
Daveinet wrote: From experience. Ever seen someone tow an old VW bug with the front of the vehicle on a tow dolly? The rear end is all over the road. At first, I'm thinking a tow dolly is different, but not totally, because the pivot point is still the same. Yes there is an extra pivot, but what the toad sees is still the same pivot point. Some vehicles are probably much better than others depending on weight distribution.
Yep, I have seen it done. I did it, from Tacoma WA to Great Falls MT, towing the dolly/'73 bug with a '77 Ford E150 Club Wagon. Crossed Snoqualmie Pass, Fourth of July Pass, Lookout Pass, and Roger's Pass. I-5, I-90, Hwy 200, I-15. No problems, no wag, no sway.
CM1, USN (RET)
'94 Dodge 3500 4X2 CTD, Std. cab, LB, 5 speed, 4.10 LS diff., Jacobs Rambrake, 273,000 Miles
'99 Monaco McKenzie 32' triple slide
'95 Tioga 29H Ford-based Class C
Daily driver: '06 Jeep Liberty CRD
Towed: '06 Jeep Rubicon Unlimited
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