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Large trailers are town by large trucks in Europe too. It is not practical or safe to tow a trailer with an underpowered truck.

by ls15 4y ago

nradov 4y ago
Europeans tow some surprisingly large trailers behind small, underpowered cars. I've seen an older BMW 3-series sedan towing a loaded double horse trailer in rural Germany. They manage this by keeping the tongue weight low to work within the limits of weak rear suspensions, which of course causes trailer sway and some really impressive crashes when things go wrong. And you'll be cursing if you get stuck behind one on a mountain road. So obviously the European approach to towing is not super smart, but when people can't obtain proper tow vehicles then they tend to make do with whatever is available.
- ls15 4y ago
  At least in Germany, cars are rated for a maximum towing capacity. BMW X3 is a small SUV and I think it is rated for 750 kg unbraked and 2,400 kg braked (up to 12% slope) total trailer weight. A loaded braked double horse trailer is probably within these limits, so it is not underpowered. Obviously underpowered towing vehicles may be pulled out by the police for safety reasons. F350 are rare in Europe, which does not mean that they (or similar vehicles) are not available, but they are also not as practical to use as in the US.
  - Ancapistani 4y ago
    > BMW X3 is a small SUV and I think it is rated for 750 kg unbraked and 2,400 kg braked (up to 12% slope) total trailer weight Good context here! Our truck has a listed towing capacity of 12,500# - 5,670 kg. My dad and I are driving ~90mi tomorrow each way to pick up an inline bale trailer he just bought. We checked hay prices in that area, and they're cheaper than what we can buy locally - enough cheaper that we bought eight bales to bring back with us. Each bale is ~1,200# (+/- ~200#), for a combined load weight of 9,600#. The trailer weighs 2,700#, so we'll be towing ~12,300#. The truck itself is another ~7,000#, and by the time you figure in fuel and occupants, we'll have a GCWR of right at 20,000#. In short, tomorrow I'll be driving that truck and responsible for TEN TONS going down the road. The BMW X3 would have to make four trips hauling two bales each: 2,400 kg = 5,290#; the trailer weighs 2,700#, two bales weigh 2,400#, leaving only 190# of excess capacity. Even then, there's no way I'd be comfortable driving an X3 with that much weigh, that distance - and that's not even considering that the trailer is a gooseneck. I think of the truck as ~1/4 of a semi tractor. We can haul most things ourselves, more cheaply and with less environmental impact than hiring a professional hauler.

Large trailers are town by large trucks in Europe too. It is not practical or safe to tow a trailer with an underpowered truck.

by ls15 4y ago

Large trailers are town by large trucks in Europe too. It is not practical or safe to tow a trailer with an underpowered truck.

nradov 4y ago

Europeans tow some surprisingly large trailers behind small, underpowered cars. I've seen an older BMW 3-series sedan towing a loaded double horse trailer in rural Germany. They manage this by keeping the tongue weight low to work within the limits of weak rear suspensions, which of course causes trailer sway and some really impressive crashes when things go wrong. And you'll be cursing if you get stuck behind one on a mountain road. So obviously the European approach to towing is not super smart, but when people can't obtain proper tow vehicles then they tend to make do with whatever is available.

ls15 4y ago
At least in Germany, cars are rated for a maximum towing capacity. BMW X3 is a small SUV and I think it is rated for 750 kg unbraked and 2,400 kg braked (up to 12% slope) total trailer weight. A loaded braked double horse trailer is probably within these limits, so it is not underpowered. Obviously underpowered towing vehicles may be pulled out by the police for safety reasons. F350 are rare in Europe, which does not mean that they (or similar vehicles) are not available, but they are also not as practical to use as in the US.
- Ancapistani 4y ago
  > BMW X3 is a small SUV and I think it is rated for 750 kg unbraked and 2,400 kg braked (up to 12% slope) total trailer weight Good context here! Our truck has a listed towing capacity of 12,500# - 5,670 kg. My dad and I are driving ~90mi tomorrow each way to pick up an inline bale trailer he just bought. We checked hay prices in that area, and they're cheaper than what we can buy locally - enough cheaper that we bought eight bales to bring back with us. Each bale is ~1,200# (+/- ~200#), for a combined load weight of 9,600#. The trailer weighs 2,700#, so we'll be towing ~12,300#. The truck itself is another ~7,000#, and by the time you figure in fuel and occupants, we'll have a GCWR of right at 20,000#. In short, tomorrow I'll be driving that truck and responsible for TEN TONS going down the road. The BMW X3 would have to make four trips hauling two bales each: 2,400 kg = 5,290#; the trailer weighs 2,700#, two bales weigh 2,400#, leaving only 190# of excess capacity. Even then, there's no way I'd be comfortable driving an X3 with that much weigh, that distance - and that's not even considering that the trailer is a gooseneck. I think of the truck as ~1/4 of a semi tractor. We can haul most things ourselves, more cheaply and with less environmental impact than hiring a professional hauler.