trailer on ford escort?
Steve Glenner
I have a 93 ford escort GT (hatchback, automatic). I want to put a
trailer hitch on this car to pull my 18' boat about 7 miles, twice a
year, at max speed about 35-40 mph, over a fairly flat road with a few
small hills. I'm not sure how much the boat & trailer weigh, but i'd
guess around 2,000 lbs. (It's an 18' stern drive on a single axle
trailer). I can lift the toungue on the trailer by myself without too
much trouble, so I'm guessing the tongue weight is about 100 lbs.
I know this application sounds a little far out, but I only need to
make this drive twice a year (launch in spring, pull out in fall).
Any recommendations on where I can get a hitch for this? I'm fine with
drilling & bolting; I could probably do welding if I had too but I'd
rather drill & bolt. How much can I expect to pay for the hardware?
Would I need a trans cooler for this short ride?
Am I completely nuts?
thanks
steve
...remove _nospam from my address...
Dantu
Steve
Not only would you be risking your life and belongings,but also the life
and belongings of everyone else on the road with you. The escort, while it may
be able (barely) to pull such a load, could NEVER stop it within a reasonable distance.
If you insist on this idea, please post the area you are in, so I can avoid
it like the plague
--
Dan
Reply To is correct email address
Joe in CC
In addition to all the previous replys to the original question about
Boat vs. Escort, if you really must do this with the Escort, make a
small hitch for the front bumper, to make getting in and out of the
ramps a bit easier, so long as you don't submerge the engine.
-Joe
Gene Gruender
Steve Glenner wrote:
> I have a 93 ford escort GT (hatchback, automatic). I want to put a
> trailer hitch on this car to pull my 18' boat about 7 miles, twice a
> year, at max speed about 35-40 mph, over a fairly flat road with a few
> small hills. I'm not sure how much the boat & trailer weigh, but i'd
> guess around 2,000 lbs. (It's an 18' stern drive on a single axle
> trailer). I can lift the toungue on the trailer by myself without too
> much trouble, so I'm guessing the tongue weight is about 100 lbs.
>
> I know this application sounds a little far out, but I only need to
> make this drive twice a year (launch in spring, pull out in fall).
>
> Any recommendations on where I can get a hitch for this? I'm fine with
> drilling & bolting; I could probably do welding if I had too but I'd
> rather drill & bolt. How much can I expect to pay for the hardware?
>
> Would I need a trans cooler for this short ride?
>
> Am I completely nuts?
>
> thanks
> steve
>
> ...remove _nospam from my address...
Been there, done that. I'd recomend you not do it.
In my case, I had an 84 Escort diesel with a 5 speed. Boat was about
what you describe. My hitch was a frame mount I made myself, which was
much stronger than anything the car could pull.
I used the car/boat combination a couple times. Once was to pull it from
Abiline, Texas to Austin, about 200 miles or so when I bought it, then a
couple times to launch it.
It is dangerous on the road, no where near enough car to control it. If
you had one quick stop to make, it would all be over in a pile of mashed
up cars, squashed in the jacknife that would result It was nearly
impossible to get the boat back out of the water at the ramp. I was
using the most shallow angle ramp in the Austin area.
If you have a 5 speed standard (it doesn't sound like it), you might just
barely make it. If you have an automatic, I'd expect it wouldn't hold
up.
I did haul a 15 foot bass boat, total weight about 1000 lb, on a regular
basis. It would handle that pretty well. It did have problems once in a
while on steep ramps. I would have to get several volunteers to sit on
the hood to get enough traction to make it up the ramp, and that was
usually in a cloud of tire smoke.
I did have a similar hitch custom made for a Mercedes wagon I currently
drive. Cost was about $200, just for comparison.
Bottom line, I might move the boat once in an emergency, but to plan to
do it on a regular basis - no way.
Gene Gruender
Rainbow Chaser
Dan Delgado
On Mon, 16 Mar 1998 22:27:32 GMT, ste...@microsoft.com (Steve
Glenner) wrote:
>I have a 93 ford escort GT (hatchback, automatic). I want to put a
>trailer hitch on this car to pull my 18' boat about 7 miles, twice a
>
>thanks
>steve
>
Who knows? First, be real honest with yourself about the trailer
weight. My 18ft I/O with a 4.3 V-6 weighs 3300 lbs with the gas tank
empty. If your boat truly weighs only 2000 lbs, and you don't drive
far or fast and your hitch is well installed, you might get away with
it. I'd be curious to see how you do on the ramp hauling the boat
out. Possibly, not very well.
-Dan
kpil...@mail.win.org
In article <350da3b9.349141531@newsvr>,
ste...@microsoft.com (Steve Glenner) wrote:
>
> I have a 93 ford escort GT (hatchback, automatic). I want to put a
> trailer hitch on this car to pull my 18' boat about 7 miles, twice a
> small hills. I'm not sure how much the boat & trailer weigh, but i'd
> guess around 2,000 lbs. (It's an 18' stern drive on a single axle
> trailer). I can lift the toungue on the trailer by myself without too
> much trouble, so I'm guessing the tongue weight is about 100 lbs.
>
> I know this application sounds a little far out, but I only need to
> make this drive twice a year (launch in spring, pull out in fall).
>
> Any recommendations on where I can get a hitch for this? I'm fine with
> drilling & bolting; I could probably do welding if I had too but I'd
> rather drill & bolt. How much can I expect to pay for the hardware?
>
> Would I need a trans cooler for this short ride?
>
> Am I completely nuts?
>
> thanks
> steve
>
> ...remove _nospam from my address...
>
I suspect that boat weighs more than you think. I do not think its a good
idea.
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
http://www.dejanews.com/ Now offering spam-free web-based newsreading
Dick Campagna
Big Jim <jul...@compuserve.com> wrote in article
<35112849...@news.spry.com>...
> On Mon, 16 Mar 1998 22:27:32 GMT, ste...@microsoft.com (Steve
> Glenner) wrote:
>
> >I have a 93 ford escort GT (hatchback, automatic). I want to put a
> >trailer hitch on this car to pull my 18' boat about 7 miles, twice a
> >year, at max speed about 35-40 mph, over a fairly flat road with a few
> >small hills. I'm not sure how much the boat & trailer weigh, but i'd
> >guess around 2,000 lbs. (It's an 18' stern drive on a single axle
> >trailer). I can lift the toungue on the trailer by myself without too
> >much trouble, so I'm guessing the tongue weight is about 100 lbs.
> >I know this application sounds a little far out, but I only need to
> >make this drive twice a year (launch in spring, pull out in fall).
> >Any recommendations on where I can get a hitch for this? I'm fine with
> >drilling & bolting; I could probably do welding if I had too but I'd
> >rather drill & bolt. How much can I expect to pay for the hardware?
> >Would I need a trans cooler for this short ride?
> >Am I completely nuts?
> >
> >thanks
> >steve
> >
> >...remove _nospam from my address...
> never be able to launch or retrieve the boat. Picture sitting on a
> ramp, boat successfully on the trailer. You put the car in gear, floor
> it, and NOTHING happens. You don't have enough power to move.
> Twice a year, 7 or 8 miles? Can you borrow the nieghbors pickup or
> something?
In addition to the above response, which I agree with: (1) Tongue weight
is WAY too low. It should be 12-15% of the loaded trailer's weight. And
that much weight would push the back of your Escort WAY down, and lighten
your front end even more. You would sway all the way from home to the boat
dock, then you wouldn't be able to pull the boat out of the water, (2) You
GUESS that the boat's weight is 2,000 lbs, but it could easily be more.
Have it weighed. It probably weighs as much as your Escort. So you'd be
doubling the strain on your car's drive train and brakes, (3) What you want
to do is probably in violation of your state law, unless the trailer has
brakes and you install a brake controller in your car.
In summary: If you can't borrow a pickup to tow the boat back and forth,
buy an old $1,500 pickup (don't care what it looks like) specifically for
that purpose. Even a 6-cylinder truck will do the job that you want it to
do. And you won't have to have collision insurance on it. Only liability.
Please forget using the Escort.
Dick (& Geri) Campagna, Mt Laurel, NJ mailto:camp...@nothinbut.net
25' Shadow Cruiser 5W & Dodge Ram/Jayco 806 popup & Acura Integra
RV Club (R-CHAR-00226); SKP; GS Club (Life); RVCG; CW Pres Club
ICQ 5620040 "Life in the Slow Lane" RVing since Expo 67!
Marcus G Bell
Steve Glenner (ste...@microsoft.com) wrote:
> I have a 93 ford escort GT (hatchback, automatic). I want to put a
> trailer hitch on this car to pull my 18' boat about 7 miles, twice a
> year, at max speed about 35-40 mph, over a fairly flat road with a few
> small hills. I'm not sure how much the boat & trailer weigh, but i'd
> guess around 2,000 lbs. (It's an 18' stern drive on a single axle
> trailer).
I have a 93 Escort Wagon. I have a DrawTite hitch (available from
UHaul and boat dealers) which I installed myself in an hour. Drill and
bolt to the "frame". I had a Haynes manual to give me the wiring
diagram to hook up the taillight/turn signal convertor box.
I use this to tow an 800# rig: 14' aluminum runabout with 40 HP motor,
trailer, gear. It's kind of pushing the limits. I don't recommend
towing anything heavier with my car. I'd bet that your vehicle is
even lighter with it being the 3-door model.
I take it 600 miles one way, 4 times a year. The stick shift is my
prefered setup, but automatic tranny as you have is more useful for
ramps.
Front wheel drive makes for interesting traction problems coming up
ramps. I have a passenger next to me to increase weight on the
traction wheels, and I winch the boat on the trailer to where it just
about balances for zero tongue weight for the pullout. Once I'm off
the ramp and out of everybody's way, I winch it home and tie it down.
> I can lift the toungue on the trailer by myself without too much
> trouble, so I'm guessing the tongue weight is about 100 lbs.
Tongue weight is adjustable by moving the tongue, the boat, or the
gear in the boat. Keep as much weight located at the axle as
possible. The more tongue weight you have as a fraction of the rig's
weight, the more stable the rig.
Max tongue weight on the Escort wagon is 100 lbs.
> I know this application sounds a little far out, but I only need to
> make this drive twice a year (launch in spring, pull out in fall).
You have to consider that once you're on the road, you have no control
over who's going to put you in a collision situation, and that
avoiding the collision may be impossible with your rig.
It's a perverse thing, but when folks see you ambling down the road
with your rig, they'll try to pull out in front of you rather than
risk having to ride behind you. They assume you're going slow even if
you aren't.
> Am I completely nuts?
I would recommend a heavier vehicle for this application. I think
you're taking big chances if you do it, and I think you are smart to
ask before you do it.
--
--
Marcus. ( be...@mail.med.upenn.edu )
Alan Sanderson
Steve Glenner wrote:
>
> I have a 93 ford escort GT (hatchback, automatic). I want to put a
> trailer hitch on this car to pull my 18' boat about 7 miles, twice a
> year, at max speed about 35-40 mph, over a fairly flat road with a few
> small hills. I'm not sure how much the boat & trailer weigh, but i'd
> guess around 2,000 lbs. (It's an 18' stern drive on a single axle
> much trouble, so I'm guessing the tongue weight is about 100 lbs.
>
> make this drive twice a year (launch in spring, pull out in fall).
>
> drilling & bolting; I could probably do welding if I had too but I'd
> rather drill & bolt. How much can I expect to pay for the hardware?
>
> Would I need a trans cooler for this short ride?
>
> Am I completely nuts?
>
> thanks
> steve
>
> ...remove _nospam from my address...
Andrew Semeiks
I have a 1990 Escort with a1.9 liter engine and 5 speed manual.
I put on a receiver hitch that I bought from J.C. Whitney. the hitch
bolts via U-bolts to the to the pipes that the bumper is mounted to
and through the sheet metal into the spare tire wheel well.
I use this to pull a small utility trailer to haul lumber from the
lumber yard about 5 miles away. I'm careful not to put over 1000 lbs.
on it. At this weight and under it handles well but I'd be carefull
of panic stops and speeds over 50 mph. I do not think you could pull
2000 + lbs up a steep wet boat ramp.
The 1997 Ford Towing guide rates the Escort for a 1000 max gross
weight trailer with a max tongue weight of 100 lbs. It also
recommends a transmission cooler for automatics hauling distances
greater than 50 miles.
Andy
Jeff Breuer
<snip>
What you want
> to do is probably in violation of your state law, unless the trailer has
> brakes and you install a brake controller in your car.
or use surge brakes
Vogt Family
Steve Glenner wrote:
>
> I have a 93 ford escort GT (hatchback, automatic). I want to put a
> trailer hitch on this car to pull my 18' boat about 7 miles, twice a
> year, at max speed about 35-40 mph, over a fairly flat road with a few
> small hills. I'm not sure how much the boat & trailer weigh, but i'd
> guess around 2,000 lbs. (It's an 18' stern drive on a single axle
> trailer). I can lift the toungue on the trailer by myself without too
> much trouble, so I'm guessing the tongue weight is about 100 lbs.
Don't. I sometimes pull a 19' Glasspar stern drive (Merc 165) and she
is HEAVY. She makes the drive interesting even for me and I have a
heavy iron Chevy full size. I would guess the trailer and boat weigh
almost 4000 lbs.
> I know this application sounds a little far out, but I only need to
> make this drive twice a year (launch in spring, pull out in fall).
I agree with another poster that you would be well served to buy an old
work truck. You will find many other things to do with it. A six
cylinder will be fine. I have a 350 and I find that it will pull the
boat and trailer out of ramps faster than I can safely steer if I give
it enough throttle. Going fast should be the least of your worries.
Birken T. Vogt - KE6DLT
Peter W. Meek
On 17 Mar 1998 18:58:31 GMT, be...@mail.med.upenn.edu (Marcus G
Bell) wrote:
>Steve Glenner (ste...@microsoft.com) wrote:
>> I have a 93 ford escort GT (hatchback, automatic). I want to put a
>> trailer hitch on this car to pull my 18' boat about 7 miles, twice a
>> year, at max speed about 35-40 mph, over a fairly flat road with a few
>> small hills. I'm not sure how much the boat & trailer weigh, but i'd
>> guess around 2,000 lbs. (It's an 18' stern drive on a single axle
>> trailer).
>
>I would recommend a heavier vehicle for this application. I think
>you're taking big chances if you do it, and I think you are smart to
>ask before you do it.
>
For only twice a year, consider finding a friend
with a pickup who likes to fish and take him
out in return for a 7 mile tow a couple times
a year. It would be a lot different if the
trip was longer or more often.
--
--Pete
pwm...@mail.msen.com (Peter W. Meek)
rec.boats caps at:
http://www.msen.com/~pwmeek/cap-main.html
acss...@acs.eku.edu
In article <3514056e....@ftl.msen.com>, pwm...@mail.msen.com (Peter W. Meek) writes:
>>I would recommend a heavier vehicle for this application. I think
>>you're taking big chances if you do it, and I think you are smart to
>>ask before you do it.
>>
> For only twice a year, consider finding a friend
> with a pickup who likes to fish and take him
> out in return for a 7 mile tow a couple times
> a year. It would be a lot different if the
> trip was longer or more often.
Make several boating friends with trucks. You can't have too many
boating friends.
dsc - acss...@acs.eku.edu
Daniel Chenault
On Tue, 17 Mar 1998 18:21:06 GMT, delg...@psnw.com (Dan Delgado)
wrotd:
>On Mon, 16 Mar 1998 22:27:32 GMT, ste...@microsoft.com (Steve
>Glenner) wrote:
>>I have a 93 ford escort GT (hatchback, automatic). I want to put a
>>trailer hitch on this car to pull my 18' boat about 7 miles, twice a
><<snip>>
>>
>>thanks
>>steve
>>
>
>Who knows? First, be real honest with yourself about the trailer
>weight. My 18ft I/O with a 4.3 V-6 weighs 3300 lbs with the gas tank
>empty. If your boat truly weighs only 2000 lbs, and you don't drive
>far or fast and your hitch is well installed, you might get away with
>it. I'd be curious to see how you do on the ramp hauling the boat
>out. Possibly, not very well.
The boat weighs about 2000 pounds. The Escort weighs about 2700
pounds. Using vector analysis, that leaves 700 pounds on the towing
vehicle to control 4000 pounds. Torque comes to mind here.
Have fun in those crosswinds.
Hugh Darling
Does this mean a 6,500 lb pickup towing a 12,000 lb trailer has a negative
5,500 lbs to control a 12,000 lb trailer?
Daniel Chenault wrote in message <35114edb.152510673@newsvr>...
JR
I have an 18 1/2 stern drive and it weighs just over 3,000....Get a
neighbor to pull it if you only got to do it 2X a year.
Peter W. Meek <pwm...@mail.msen.com> wrote in article
<3514056e....@ftl.msen.com>...
> On 17 Mar 1998 18:58:31 GMT, be...@mail.med.upenn.edu (Marcus G
> Bell) wrote:
>
> >Steve Glenner (ste...@microsoft.com) wrote:
> >> I have a 93 ford escort GT (hatchback, automatic). I want to put a
> >> trailer hitch on this car to pull my 18' boat about 7 miles, twice a
> >> year, at max speed about 35-40 mph, over a fairly flat road with a few
> >> small hills. I'm not sure how much the boat & trailer weigh, but i'd
> >> guess around 2,000 lbs. (It's an 18' stern drive on a single axle
> >> trailer).
> >
> >I would recommend a heavier vehicle for this application. I think
> >you're taking big chances if you do it, and I think you are smart to
> >ask before you do it.
> >
> For only twice a year, consider finding a friend
> with a pickup who likes to fish and take him
> out in return for a 7 mile tow a couple times
> a year. It would be a lot different if the
> trip was longer or more often.
>
Daniel Chenault
On Thu, 19 Mar 1998 22:15:56 -0500, "Hugh Darling" <h...@localnet.com>
wrotd:
>Does this mean a 6,500 lb pickup towing a 12,000 lb trailer has a negative
>5,500 lbs to control a 12,000 lb trailer?
I didn't bother to show the entire worksheet of vector analysis; few
people in the general population are able to follow the math.
No, it means the trailer has the torsional advantage. This is overcome
by power, wheelbase and traction on the towing vehicle.
>Daniel Chenault wrote in message <35114edb.152510673@newsvr>...
>>On Tue, 17 Mar 1998 18:21:06 GMT, delg...@psnw.com (Dan Delgado)
>>wrotd:
>>
>>>On Mon, 16 Mar 1998 22:27:32 GMT, ste...@microsoft.com (Steve
>>>Glenner) wrote:
>>>>I have a 93 ford escort GT (hatchback, automatic). I want to put a
>>>>trailer hitch on this car to pull my 18' boat about 7 miles, twice a
hug...@dreamscape.com
Not to question your math, I was trying to be "funny". I am not suggesting the
boat in question is a bad load for the Escort, however, no matter how you run
the numbers, the conditions for the example I cited still are just as bad. The
Escort has a 1.9L engine towing 1,800 lbs. This is ~950 lbs/liter. The Pickup
should have a 7.4 liter towing 12,000 lbs. This is ~1620 lbs/liter. The area
of the tire footprint is going to be more favorable with the Escort. The boat
is not like a slab side trailer, hence wind is not going to push it around as
much. The combination still is poor, Escort/boat, but the Escort is capable of
towing a small ~1,000 lb poptop. Know this is true, towed an 8' Coleman.
So, could you please run my problem thru your solver and let us know if my
problem is really different?
In article <3512938e.235647183@newsvr>,
dan...@trinity.mensa.net (Daniel Chenault) wrote:
>
> I didn't bother to show the entire worksheet of vector analysis; few
> people in the general population are able to follow the math.
>
> No, it means the trailer has the torsional advantage. This is overcome
> by power, wheelbase and traction on the towing vehicle.
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
The Hermit
In the early 80's I drove a 76 Chevy Chevette, towing about a 1500LB trailer
from Illinois to Virginia, about 700 miles. Not only was it hard to build
up any speed, it was also very scary to stop! I took that setup through the
Virginia mountains, and I will NEVER try that again. I have owned an 81
Ford Escort, and it was a great car, lots of get up and go for a four
banger, but not enough to SAFELY tow a 2000LB trailer around the block, much
less 7 miles. Good luck.
Steve Glenner wrote in message <350da3b9.349141531@newsvr>...
>I have a 93 ford escort GT (hatchback, automatic). I want to put a
>trailer hitch on this car to pull my 18' boat about 7 miles, twice a
>year, at max speed about 35-40 mph, over a fairly flat road with a few
>small hills. I'm not sure how much the boat & trailer weigh, but i'd
>guess around 2,000 lbs. (It's an 18' stern drive on a single axle
>trailer). I can lift the toungue on the trailer by myself without too
>much trouble, so I'm guessing the tongue weight is about 100 lbs.
>
>I know this application sounds a little far out, but I only need to
>make this drive twice a year (launch in spring, pull out in fall).
>
ray jensen
Lots of truck rental places like Hertz, Ryder, Budget or UHaul would rent you a
pickup with a tow hitch on it for maybe $25 or $30 plus mileage. Since you
don't have far to drive, and only need to use the truck a few times a year,
renting seems like a simple idea. Its sure cheaper than blowing up a tranny or
engine.