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Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Discussions => Topic started by: Cape Bretoner on January 22, 2020, 08:33:12 am

Title: Pulling a trailer
Post by: Cape Bretoner on January 22, 2020, 08:33:12 am
Pulling a trailer How many out there pull a trailer behind her Motorcoach And how do you get along with it especially  entering Campground do most campgrounds have parking or storage area u can unhook
Title: Re: Pulling a trailer
Post by: Chuck Pearson on January 22, 2020, 08:57:35 am
I haven't noticed many places that have a storage area for trailers.  What it typically comes down to is either boondocking in an open space, or staying in a pull through rv lot.  Pulling a trailer falls into the category of necessary evil for me, a small 4 down tow car is far more convenient. 
Title: Re: Pulling a trailer
Post by: Old Toolmaker on January 22, 2020, 09:10:26 am
Pulling a trailer How many out there pull a trailer behind her Motorcoach And how do you get along with it especially  entering Campground do most campgrounds have parking or storage area u can unhook

Having a parking area for my trailer is something I check on before I go.  So far my experience has been the campground having a small vehicle with which to move my trailer.

With practice, you can learn to back your trailer with enough precision to run over the flashlight you're using as a marker in the fog.

And from experience you can feel when you touch the flashlight, but not well enough to save it.
Title: Re: Pulling a trailer
Post by: Cape Bretoner on January 22, 2020, 09:14:54 am
I haven't noticed many places that have a storage area for trailers.  What it typically comes down to is either boondocking in an open space, or staying in a pull through RV lot.  Pulling a trailer falls into the category of necessary evil for me, a small 4 down tow car is far more convenient. 
I have a BMW  Z3 2002 Convertible and I enjoy sightseeing with the top down and enjoying the sunlight and all the back roads that I can find and this vehicle can not be towed four wheels down just like someone that loves biking and trailers a bike I in joy  trailering my little car around used to trailer it with my three-quarter ton truck and stay in  cabins or motels but decided to try this RV life But I know where you're coming from it could be a big inconvenience don't plan to stay in one place  more than a week love to travel did the long trucking most of my life and love to see the Country
Title: Re: Pulling a trailer
Post by: John S on January 22, 2020, 01:11:08 pm
If I can pull in with my Jeep attached I can pull in with a Trailer. If you get an enclosed one you might look at getting a tug to move the trailer since the bmw might not do a good job
Title: Re: Pulling a trailer
Post by: John Haygarth on January 22, 2020, 01:16:38 pm
I guess it must be Auto transmission as a friend has a manual and it works fine behind his coach
JohnH
Title: Re: Pulling a trailer
Post by: Cape Bretoner on January 22, 2020, 01:22:08 pm
I guess it must be Auto transmission as a friend has a manual and it works fine behind his coach
JohnH
automatic

Title: Re: Pulling a trailer
Post by: turbojack on January 22, 2020, 05:35:34 pm
I had pulled a 26' boat behind my coach to California and back.  We stayed in either truck stops or pull thru sites. The problem I found was the turning radius of the boat trailer did not match the campground roads going into the camp sites. and had a hard time trying to make the turns to get into the sites. This was with my 36' coach.
Title: Re: Pulling a trailer
Post by: Cape Bretoner on January 22, 2020, 06:12:55 pm
I had pulled a 26' boat behind my coach to California and back.  We stayed in either truck stops or pull thru sites. The problem I found was the turning radius of the boat trailer did not match the campground roads going into the camp sites. and had a hard time trying to make the turns to get into the sites. This was with my 36' coach.
Thanks it looks like I'm going to drop the ideal of tow a trailer on my first trip don't know where I'm going just heading south looking for warm weather to get away from the snow and I look into getting rigged up to tow 4 down for next trip next fall like to be able to go from one camp ground to an other with out to much trouble and I think the trailer will spoil the trip for what I would use the car
Title: Re: Pulling a trailer
Post by: Green99 on January 22, 2020, 06:23:14 pm
Sounds like a good decision.  I used a tow dolly for several years because I wanted to keep  a particular auto.  I was very glad to move to towing 4 down.  Less aggravation, more fun.
Title: Re: Pulling a trailer
Post by: "Irish" on January 22, 2020, 07:06:29 pm
Do they not make the drive shaft disconnect any more that allowed any vehicle to be towed ?
They were really common back in the early 90's
Title: Re: Pulling a trailer
Post by: craneman on January 22, 2020, 07:40:03 pm
Do they not make the drive shaft disconnect any more that allowed any vehicle to be towed ?
They were really common back in the early 90's
Remco is gone but another company is getting their link. Not much available unless custom built.
Title: Re: Pulling a trailer
Post by: bigdog on January 22, 2020, 07:57:32 pm
Pulling a trailer How many out there pull a trailer behind her Motorcoach And how do you get along with it especially  entering Campground do most campgrounds have parking or storage area u can unhook

Pulling a trailer is super easy and they are very easy to back up. I pulled our Mercedes SUV behind our 320. I could then use the SUV to put the trailer to bed. whether it was on our site or a storage area at the campground.

The big bugaboo I had was that it was a fiddly process if we wanted to make a midtrip quick stop to check out a nice scene or go to a store. Unstrap SUV, deploy ramps, Inflate the rear airbags & deflate the front airbags (to ease the trailer to ramp angle) Put jackstands under the trailer to keep the trailers tongue from cranking upward on the tow-ball.
Title: Re: Pulling a trailer
Post by: Cape Bretoner on January 22, 2020, 08:15:23 pm
Pulling a trailer is super easy and they are very easy to back up. I pulled our Mercedes SUV behind our 320. I could then use the SUV to put the trailer to bed. whether it was on our site or a storage area at the campground.

The big bugaboo I had was that it was a fiddly process if we wanted to make a midtrip quick stop to check out a nice scene or go to a store. Unstrap SUV, deploy ramps, Inflate the rear airbags & deflate the front airbags (to ease the trailer to ramp angle) Put jackstands under the trailer to keep the trailers tongue from cranking upward on the tow-ball.
Can't put a trailer Hitch on a Z3 BMW and it very low  to the ground it a little two seater sports car that would of been fun to bomb around on those little side trip touring with the top down had the trailer So it would've been convenient but I'll have to set up at 4 down with the wife car the sports car was just a fun toy not something to tow 4 or 5 thousand miles and in the winter going south and heading back north that would ruin that little car just bought this motorcoach and trying to set myself up will get it figured out
Title: Re: Pulling a trailer
Post by: Protech Racing on January 22, 2020, 08:34:22 pm
2001 BMW Z3 Trailer Hitch | etrailer.com (https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjz9sbfyZjnAhUEpLMKHe3pBfwYABAAGgJxbg&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESQeD272TrmL7Lx7aic2HofUeceOJhaV-JrWfXPxwwB0bcR81jgnvWcGPxwesa7_qjZaoiTdgIknbPQN7a9iwPZKIi&sig=AOD64_2UPjBgm9A2wKnbkOHVhw18hbJ3Ww&q=&ved=2ahUKEwiHs77fyZjnAhUlZN8KHbUkAEgQ0Qx6BAgOEAE&adurl=)
 Somebody makes hitches for about anything.
 I pull a 32 ft two car trailer  often. 73 ft. total  Just have to look ahead. Backs up a lot easier than a tow dolly.
Title: Re: Pulling a trailer
Post by: Cape Bretoner on January 22, 2020, 09:01:14 pm
2001 BMW Z3 Trailer Hitch | etrailer.com (https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjz9sbfyZjnAhUEpLMKHe3pBfwYABAAGgJxbg&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESQeD272TrmL7Lx7aic2HofUeceOJhaV-JrWfXPxwwB0bcR81jgnvWcGPxwesa7_qjZaoiTdgIknbPQN7a9iwPZKIi&sig=AOD64_2UPjBgm9A2wKnbkOHVhw18hbJ3Ww&q=&ved=2ahUKEwiHs77fyZjnAhUlZN8KHbUkAEgQ0Qx6BAgOEAE&adurl=)
 Somebody makes hitches for about anything.
 I pull a 32 ft two car trailer  often.  Just have to look ahead. Backs up a lot easier than a tow dolly.
Backing up not the problem I drove tractor trailer all my life it what to do with it at the campground and a lot of campground  you have all you can do to back just the coach in never mind a little 16 ft trailer with 36 ft coach the trailer doesn't track behind not like my last 41 ft fifth wheel and a 20 ft truck you can swing wide for the trailer or jack knife hard to make the turn  it harder to swing wide with long coach and short trailer  my thought there not much room between a 102 wide coach and the wall of the trailer like the song said give me 40 acres and I'll turn this rig around l.o.l  some campground are made for big coach but the older campground especially in Canada  where made for small rv the long the trailer the easier it is to back
Title: Re: Pulling a trailer
Post by: bigdog on January 22, 2020, 09:21:32 pm
One thing to consider Rick is simply offering some coins of the realm to a gas station, car or RV dealer in exchange for parking up your trailer. If staying more than a month. Perhaps even renting a spot at a local storage facility. I was lucky and I never did run into an issue parking the trailer at a campground (even in the tight camps on the Oregon coast) Like you I have big rig experience, So backing is second nature. But unlike you, I had an SUV that could move a 20ft trailer around.
Title: Re: Pulling a trailer
Post by: "Irish" on January 22, 2020, 10:53:45 pm
Get an electric dolly for the trailer, have seen a lot of these used down in Florida
Trailer Valet XL Trailer Dolly, 2-5/16" Ball Mount | Camping World (https://www.campingworld.com/trailer-valet-xl-trailer-dolly-2-516-ball-mount-321106.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIls6T3uiY5wIVT__jBx3REQELEAQYAyABEgI_ofD_BwE)
Title: Re: Pulling a trailer
Post by: kb0zke on January 25, 2020, 09:16:18 pm
I just went to Store : Remco (http://www.remcotowing.com/Towing/Store.php)

The copyright notice at the bottom says "REMCO" with a 2020 date. Sure looks like they are still in business.
Title: Re: Pulling a trailer
Post by: craneman on January 25, 2020, 09:29:15 pm
They now manufacture transmission pumps. A different company is doing the disconnects.