Towing
#11
And to answer your last question; the guy I'm buying it from has a 10 ton forklift.
It's a 150 km drive, I'll take my time and everything should be fine.
#12
#13
#15
Towing concerns for heavy loads
IMO there would never be a question about the D1 towing (pulling) a heavy load.
My concern is stopping and trailer sway control.
I’m happy to hear that you had a successful trip, but I would add these thoughts for others who want to tow heavy loads.
1) U haul car trailers are excellent for towing with a good load on them. Uhaul I believe recommends the 80% rule -- 5500 pound trailer pull for a 4400 pound truck. The D1-SD is 4465 pounds. The D1 manual recommends 5500 lb high range and 7700 lb low range.
2) Towing more than these maximums may void your insurance. Check with your insurance company.
3) The D2’s have trailer sway control as an option --- D1 does not.
4) Ok you need to tow the heavy load – be careful and stay out of trouble.
5) Stopping distances are probably twice of what the other cars are – leave lots of room between you and the car ahead.
6) Brake in a straight line, not in the middle of a sharp corner like on an off ramp.
7) Make gentle lane changes and don’t swerve to miss things --- think ahead.
8) Watch your speed going done long steep hills – the extra weight leads you to increased speeds if not watched.
9) Take lots of breaks, and check the rig. I find that I’m much more intent on driving and watching that it is tiresome. You make mistakes when you are tired.
The D1 is a good truck, it does real stuff.
My concern is stopping and trailer sway control.
I’m happy to hear that you had a successful trip, but I would add these thoughts for others who want to tow heavy loads.
1) U haul car trailers are excellent for towing with a good load on them. Uhaul I believe recommends the 80% rule -- 5500 pound trailer pull for a 4400 pound truck. The D1-SD is 4465 pounds. The D1 manual recommends 5500 lb high range and 7700 lb low range.
2) Towing more than these maximums may void your insurance. Check with your insurance company.
3) The D2’s have trailer sway control as an option --- D1 does not.
4) Ok you need to tow the heavy load – be careful and stay out of trouble.
5) Stopping distances are probably twice of what the other cars are – leave lots of room between you and the car ahead.
6) Brake in a straight line, not in the middle of a sharp corner like on an off ramp.
7) Make gentle lane changes and don’t swerve to miss things --- think ahead.
8) Watch your speed going done long steep hills – the extra weight leads you to increased speeds if not watched.
9) Take lots of breaks, and check the rig. I find that I’m much more intent on driving and watching that it is tiresome. You make mistakes when you are tired.
The D1 is a good truck, it does real stuff.
#16
I was aware of those, and it was not my first use of a trailer. If I respected the U-Haul 80% rule I would have had to use a 3/4 ton truck to tow the trailer due to the heavy weight of the trailer which is 2100 pounds. The total weight of the trailer and the truck was 5500 - 6000 pounds. I knew stopping would take a lot longer, I was driving slowly, no more than 50mph. Plus the trailer I rented had hydraulic brakes, there was no way I would have attempted this with a trailer without brakes.
All of the trip was on secondary roads, with steep hills at some points. I took 3 breaks during the trip, to let the truck cool down a bit (even though the temp gauge didn't budge from it's usual reading) and to ensure the truck was still solid on the trailer.
But that being said, I won't do it again with my Disco. It's too underpowered, and that kind of trip is somewhat nerveracking.
I'm sorry I forgot my camera so no pictures until next week.
All of the trip was on secondary roads, with steep hills at some points. I took 3 breaks during the trip, to let the truck cool down a bit (even though the temp gauge didn't budge from it's usual reading) and to ensure the truck was still solid on the trailer.
But that being said, I won't do it again with my Disco. It's too underpowered, and that kind of trip is somewhat nerveracking.
I'm sorry I forgot my camera so no pictures until next week.
#17
#18