RE: [SilverStreak] towing

["Ken Wilson" <ke5dfr@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Eddie,

The F350 was left from when we towed a 36.5' 5th wheel.  It is way more
truck than we need for the SS.  But having towed with down sized tow
vehicles, and being an engineer, I like to be on the safe side.  Besides it
would cost too much money to get a smaller truck.

I did make a short run with the SS on the F350 with no sway or load
distribution and kept it to no more than 50 MPH.  It did wiggle a bit, but
nothing bad with a truck that outweighed the trailer.  With the Reese Dual
Cam HP, never so much as a bobble from passing trucks or side winds.  

My Father in law pulled the trailer with a 2500 Suburban and it did need the
sway control at times.  Since the trailer has had the heavy sofa pulled out
and replaced with a couple of wicker chairs and a wicker chest, it is a bit
lighter on the hitch.

What part of Houston do you live?  Have to get together some time.  We
sometimes get some of the Texas Boomers gang together for a weekend dinner
when we can't be out camping.

First part of December we took the SS to Rayford's Crossing near The
Woodlands.  As we pulled in, people sure did stop and look at the SS.  We
were by far the oldest trailer in the place.  Love to show it off and point
out all of the things that it had....way back in the olden times.  When we
talked to people and told them we were in the SS...the aluminum one, they
immediately knew which one we were.



Ken Wilson
KE5DFR
Cypress, Texas


-----Original Message-----
From: sslist-admin@tompatterson.com [mailto:sslist-admin@tompatterson.com]
On Behalf Of Eddie
Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2008 9:24 AM
To: sslist@tompatterson.com
Subject: Re: [SilverStreak] towing

Ken,
Well, ya got the right truck! I did not intend to suggest never using a sway

control. I just have never needed it since towing the trailer with the motor

home. I carry it on every trip, just in case I don't have complete and total

stability, but like you I use an F350 diesel dually crew, and I have just 
never had the first inkling of a problem. I have towed a 48 Vagabond from 
13,500 feet out of Kremling Colorado to Houston. In route out of Lubbock, 
sudden flat line winds were so harsh with heavy rains, I saw several semi's 
and motor homes laying on their sides. I watched one semi and a motor home 
behind it that had pulled to a stop, blow over as I approached all sitting 
still. They were blown over from the shoulder, into the driving lane which 
was against the shoulder lean. I had to steer out of my lane to go around.

Scary beyond description, I made the decision to not stop and get blown 
over. I completed 80 miles in this at 20 mph, never finding a structure or 
overpass to huddle behind. My F350 and the Vagabond never swayed the 
slightest. I had not used the sway bar. Admittedly my long bed was heavy 
with tool boxes, tires, jacks, and lot's of equipment. Maybe that made a 
difference too. Maybe keeping moving was the key to keeping in a wind that 
varied. I will never know, but I was determined that I was not going to do 
like so many, and just stop and be blown over. That was not working for 
anyone sitting still that I passed ever so slowly to go only 80 miles in 
four hours with almost zero visibility. It was a harrowing four hours of 
constantly making a decision not to stop. I am sure every experience comes 
with choices that have to be made and decisions that may never be clear and 
decisive.
-Eddie-
Houston, TX