[CJDave]

Re: flat on a trailer

I was thinking about constructing the "ideal" Jeep trailer after I towed our CJ about 200 miles on a u-haul auto transporter that weighed a ton (literally, 1980 lbs). My thought is to use only one axle with good sized rubber and 11" brakes, have the Jeep crawl up and over the axle hump, and have as few pounds of steel in it as is humanly possible. If you really scheme on it, you can get down to the basics....light weight...low...single axle (rolls easier)...easy to store....people who don't have Jeeps won't ask to borrow it to move a small bulldozer. /wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

CJDave

 

[CJDave]

Re: flat on a trailer

/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif Ditto on the surge brakes, Tex. In all the time I have been towing; and I probably have more miles in front of trailers than some folks have empty; I have never really cared for surge brakes. EVERY NOW AND THEN they work. I have always used electric (or air of course) on my stuff. In the old days we had vacuum (non-brakes) which was a joke /wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gif. I thought about using a single axle to keep the weight down and get less loss from scuffing. I've had some tandems that pulled like a dream, but I was careful in lining up the axles. I was thinking of a no-ramp jump-on trailer that you just get next to a curb or a dip in the street (after all it's a Jeep) and hop on. The main frame IS the deck...two individual tracks only...and the triangle design (looking from the side) makes it strong and Jeep-specific. I could not BELIEVE how much the u-haul I rented weighed! Right at a ton! That, plus the CJ was a load for my 4.0 ZJ to crank up some of these steep grades./wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif

CJDave

 

[CJDave]

Re: flat towing & cooling?

/wwwthreads_images/icons/shocked.gif having been the owner of a string of 3/4 ton GM pickups and Suburbans, I am shocked at how tough it is for you guys to get cooling. What has happened??? I haven't had a new GM in years, but the older stuff with the desert pkg were totally able to cool anywhere I drove them here in the **** state. It gets 110-115 max. in Bakersfield and Fresno CA, and no problem, even with a hvy trailer. I believe that the radiators were four row jobbies....and they WORKED! I am really shocked /wwwthreads_images/icons/shocked.gif and dismayed/wwwthreads_images/icons/frown.gif at this GM slippage!

CJDave

 

[CJDave]

Re: flat towing & cooling?

/wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif BBKNS, One thing that may be revealing is to actually measure the temp of the coolant IN THE RADIATOR. Is the coolant going through the system too fast? Is air a problem? I can tell you that I never had a 350 that would not cool. SOMETHING is not right there. I didn't eve know that the top end of the temp gauge even worked since I never went there.
Lessee, water flow, speed, air flow, pump rotation, impeller condition, pump speed, thermostat throat (area), correct thermostat, radiator coating, fan clutch, fan shroud, number of fan blades. Those are the things that affect cooling/wwwthreads_images/icons/cool.gif

CJDave