tow vehicle question |
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Topic: tow vehicle question Posted: 19 Mar 2016 at 7:46am |
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MUST...RESIST..THE...URGE...TO....JUMP...INTO...THIS... OK, I can't resist. Here are my thoughts on tow vehicles, in general: previous post The best advise I can offer is - do not approach the towing situation with the mindset "What is the smallest tool that I can use to get the job done?" Personally, I like my camping/travelling to be enjoyable. I find it hard to enjoy the experience when my motor is screaming and I am "in everyone's way" out there. Good luck in your decision. I don't think it possible to go too big/powerful. However, it is possible to go too small. |
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TheBum
Senior Member Joined: 26 Feb 2016 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 1407 |
Posted: 19 Mar 2016 at 12:09am | |
I'm on my first trip with my 179, pulled with a 2012 Toyota Highlander. With the cruise control set to 70mph on Texas and Louisiana roads, my TV was revving up to 4500-5000rpm on most grades, which are very gentle in comparison to mountain roads.
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GLBCamper
Senior Member Joined: 30 Jun 2015 Location: Oregon Online Status: Offline Posts: 274 |
Posted: 18 Mar 2016 at 11:22pm | |
I'm new to towing, so I'm not sure how it "feels." That's actually why I ask the question. I worry when I tow up hills, but I wonder if it's unnecessary to worry. If the specs say I have nothing to worry about I would feel much better. But maybe it's not as simple as that. I read the article referenced above and get more confused than ever.
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Old: 2014 177 HRE
2015 Tacoma V6 4x4 Double Cab New: 2016 EVO ATS 200rd 2016 F150 4x4 Sport |
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288 |
Posted: 18 Mar 2016 at 10:30pm | |
How does it feel when you are towing? That is the more important question. Does it feel like it is towing adequately, both on hills and on level ground? If so, then it is likely adequate. If it feels like it is really straining and can't maintain speeds on an upgrade, then it is probably inadequate. |
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288 |
Posted: 18 Mar 2016 at 10:24pm | |
However, the same article used this illustration: The Honda, with high horsepower and low torque is a vehicle unsuitable for towing.
"In other words, torque lets you do the work, but horsepower lets you do the work quickly." "In the end, all the evidence points to torque as being more important than horsepower when it comes to towing. Why? The power at low-end rpm provided by high levels of torque lets you move huge loads without much effort. As stated before, some diesel trucks produce twice as much torque as they do horsepower at near-idle RPM levels -- meaning that they can start pulling something like a trailer or a boat with ease. Horsepower is important because it allows a car to move faster on the highway and at high rpm. However, if you can't get that trailer off the line, all the horsepower in the world won't help you." The full article would differ. My point was not to say horsepower isn't important. However, it is not enough to have a lot of horsepower if there is insufficient torque available to apply it. One needs both. Looking up some quick specs for your Tacoma but not knowing the exact model, it looks like the figures for the supercharged engine horsepower are 296@5400 rpm and torque are 318@3600 rpm. The specs for my Escape with 2L Ecoboost engine are horsepower: 240* @ 5500 rpm, torque: 270 @ 3000 rpm. In both cases, the torque specs are higher than the horsepower as opposed to non-supercharged or non-turbocharged where the horsepower specs are usually higher than torque, and which vehicles have a harder time towing. It is the reason I traded from my old Escape, which had a larger engine, but less horsepower and torque, and would not have been suitable to tow the R-Pod 179. |
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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GLBCamper
Senior Member Joined: 30 Jun 2015 Location: Oregon Online Status: Offline Posts: 274 |
Posted: 18 Mar 2016 at 10:20pm | |
So...I am towing my 177, moderately loaded with a Toyota Tacoma 4L V6 with factory tow package spec 236 HP @ 5200 rpm torque 266 ft lbs @ 4000 RPM tow rated at 6300lbs.
All of that means nothing to me. How does it sound? Plenty? Just OK?
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Old: 2014 177 HRE
2015 Tacoma V6 4x4 Double Cab New: 2016 EVO ATS 200rd 2016 F150 4x4 Sport |
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CharlieM
Senior Member Joined: 23 Nov 2012 Location: N. Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 1797 |
Posted: 18 Mar 2016 at 8:39pm | |
Not to re-litigate the issue, but engine torque is only a minor contributor to towing. Torque at the wheels is a function of gearing. ANY engine can move ANY trailer up ANY grade given enough time. To quote the referenced article: "It comes down to this: torque measures how much work is being done and
horsepower measures how fast that work is being done [source: Polk]." Work is simply moving something from one place to another, regardless of how long it takes. If you want to accelerate from one speed, including zero, to some other speed within a reasonable time you need horsepower. If you want to get a rig from a low elevation to a higher elevation at a reasonable speed you need horsepower. If you don't want to be the slow vehicle at the head of a long traffic line you need horsepower. Think mountain driving. Given two engines of a given horsepower, by all means chose the one with higher low end torque, but don't be wowed by high torque values at the expense of horsepower. All that said, the RPM at which the HP is rated is also important. Today's smaller engines are in a race to see how fast they can run before destroying themselves or wearing out prematurely. This is in pursuit of mandated fuel economy standards. The mandators will be nowhere around when these engines wear out from running at 6000+ RPM.
I rest my case and wonder off in search of a cold brew. |
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Charlie
Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288 |
Posted: 18 Mar 2016 at 7:53pm | |
However, one needs torque also. That horsepower needs to be applied. Diesels are strong on torque, which is why they work so well.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/towing/towing-capacity/information/horsepower-versus-torque.htm |
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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Leo B
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 13 Jan 2012 Location: Lyndonville, VT Online Status: Offline Posts: 4508 |
Posted: 18 Mar 2016 at 6:49pm | |
Welcome. I agree with Charlie, if you are going to head to big mountains you need Horsepower.
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Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
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johnmaci
Senior Member Joined: 17 Jun 2014 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 202 |
Posted: 18 Mar 2016 at 6:30pm | |
Is money an object? :)
Toyota LandCruiser, Nissan Armada-(2017 Patrol), New or Used Land/Range Rover, Used V10 tdi/V8 Tourareg. |
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