[TR] TR3 trailer towing/design

[Skip Gurnee]

I gotta share experience from my misspent youth; with a moral at the end....
I used a Lotus Cortina to tow a TVR on a trailer around Texas for several
years, learning more than once about trailerflags.  Then I took off for
California with my daughter and a calico cat named Fido.  Outside of San
Antonio, we started down a long hill at about 55 and it started to wave at
me (the trailer, not the cat).  Knowing that trailers flag because they're
trying to lead, I kept the Cortina pointed downrange and gently accelerated,
so to keep pulling rather than being pushed.  At the bottom of the hill we
were doing 80, but the waving hadn't increased. As soon as we headed back
uphill, calm and compliance magically returned as usual.  At the end of the
trip, we successfully navigated the foggy 15 mile 6-percent downhill into
San Diego at about 30mph without incident.  After I bought the Cherokee for
use as a tow SUV, that kind of excitement never came up again.
Moral: recognize and allow for the possibility; modify speed appropriately
BEFORE creating an incident.
bonus Moral; make sure the tow-er significantly outweighs the tow-ee.

Skip Gurnee
64 TR4
66 TR4A
plus all the mechanical characters in the above tale
no cats. daughter married off.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <MMoore8425 at aol.com>
To: <tr3driver at ca.rr.com>; <triumphs at autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2008 6:55 PM
Subject: Re: [TR] TR3 trailer towing/design


> In a message dated 6/19/2008 5:02:08 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
> tr3driver at ca.rr.com writes:
>
> Then it  will
> start swaying violently ... I've cleared a 4-lane Interstate that way  !
>
> BTW, if it does start to sway, do NOT try to countersteer, or jam on  the
> brakes.  Hold the wheel steady, and brake gently.  Steering  towards the
> shoulder seems to help too, but only with slow, gentle changes  in
steering.
>
>
>
> Years ago I was behind an MGB on an interstate and he started swinging
> violently with greater amplitude each cycle. I braked and got way behind
before  he
> lost it. The whole darned thing spunout and jacknifed. Nothing tipped over
> but it sure was horrifyingto watch.
>
> Mike Moore