Boat loader/TOAD

[JohnEd]

Cody,

I have towed all my cars with all 4 down and had no problems.  I start the engine and let it idle in neutral and that protects the trans.  Curiously, my Ranger 4X4 CANNOT be towed without a special control chip that puts the transfer in a neutral mode that isn't available without mods.  Talked to the service mgr and the mech and learned that it is the output shaft bearing that fries BUT!  BUT! idling that rig in neutral resolves the issue there also.  Buy her whatever she wants and disregard the towing issue.

I have heard people say that under no circumstances would they tow a rig that had it's engine running.  Oh well!

John

[Van]

John, I often wondered how we would tow our 2WD silverado with out the exspense of a pricey disconect contraption .I guess that disconnecting the drive shaft is a possibility,but I heard you mention that idling routine once before, would that work on our truck? how is it done? and at what additional expense in fuel?

  Thanks

[JackConrad]

Maybe White-Eagle will chime in. He tows a full size van that has an automatic transmission. He has towed from Ohio to Florida several times a swell as to Texas, all with the engine idling. Never any problems and I don't think he used very much gas.  Jack

[cody]

We tow 4 down now, thats not a problem, the problem is the chain we would have pulling down the road lol, the car, the golfcart behind that, the harley tailing behind lol.

[white-eagle]

as Jack said, we pull a Chevy Express van loaded with my tools, my boards for getting the bus up a foot and some other gear.  probably 1200 lbs of gear.  10k lb blue ox tow bar. maybe 6000 lb vehicle gross?

we did the drive shaft disconnect and tied it up underneath.  worked ok, but i pulled into flying j and found myself in front of a roped off pump.  had to reconnect, disconnect, then drive off in the van in order to get back in line.  then, couldn't make a turn at a campground to get into the "pull-thru", so had to spend the time hookin' it up.  imagine a rainstorm.

someone suggested leaving it in nuetral with the engine running.  we tried it, then further, no problems. 
We've been to florida and back twice, around some other places, maybe 10,000 miles so far.  no leaks, no damage, no problems (knock on wood  ).  We use maybe 6 gal of fuel for a day's driving at idle.  our day is ~400 mi give or take.  mostly interstate, at 65-70.

no, i wouldn't tow a truck/boat that way.  looks unstable, probably feels like it also.  i agree with Cody that someone probably did check it out, but it wouldn't work for me, just like some of you may not like towing a running toad.
hope that helps.

[JohnEd]

Van,

This all started for me when I needed to tow my Daddy's Olds Toronado.  Really didn't want a dolly but saw no choice.  I called two trans shops and got a thumbs down from both.  Two Olds dealers got me the same.  After brooding a couple days I had a brain storm.....let it run.  Called all four back and asked how much trans oil pressure I had at idle and was told that the trans had "full oil pressure" at idle in neutral.  Yahoo!  And can do.

I pondered the chance of it stopping all by itself and concluded that if it had never quit in 10 years of him driving it it probably never would.  Made one round trip from Pa to Fla that way.  No problemo.

Still had that "feeling" so I installed some "stuff".  I put a connection in that strapped the oil and water temp idiot light senders through diodes and let that drive a relay through a toggle switch.  The relay powered common air horns. Procedure is : get in and turn the emergency switch off, start the car and switch the emerg sys on, the horn is silent at that point.  Release brake and you are good to go. I have this same system mounted on my RV and along with the back up alarm I have a bright red light on the panel.  Who was ever looking at the gauges when one of them bounced off the bottom?  I augmented my senders with idiot light switches and if it ever looses oil pressure or overheats while i am going down the road it will wake me up.  All the race cars got this system and you know how I like to "keep up with the racers".

My Ranger is a stick and the modern trans need the input shaft to pump the trans fluid around inside the trans and prevent the output shaft bearing from freezing.  Then you will disconnect the drive shaft to get going again after you replace both rear wheels.....puke!

Good luck Buddy,

John