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Old 02-03-2008, 07:31 AM   #11
Mr. Adventure
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Williamsburg, VA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rjackson View Post
...I'm seriously leaning toward going back to a tent trailer, or upgrading from the KIA to a larger vehicle...
The purpose of a trailmanor is to have a trailer than can work within that 3500 pound limit. If you live at 6000 feet you have a different problem than those of us who just visit there once in awhile.

You lose about 3.5% of horsepower per 1000 feet. At 6000 feet, that's a 21% power loss, and at 10000 feet that would be a 35% loss. These effects are worse in hot weather (about 8% worse than these numbers at 100 degrees vs 20 degrees F). Pilots tell stories about landing on a hot day at a high elevation airport, filling the gas tank, and then having to wait for cooler weather to be able to fly again. But then, pilots are always telling stories.

A 35% power loss will still get you over the pass. But if you live up there, you'll be spending your towing life at full throttle. Life will be slower for you, and there are durability issues for your tow vehicle if you do this all the time.

I used to tow a 3000lb Pop-up with a v6 150hp minivan in the 80's when we lived in the Washington DC area. We never had a problem getting where we needed to go, Out West or otherwise, though once in awhile I'm sure we had to reduce speed on a hill. Today's vehicles have much better engines, brakes, fuel economy, transmissions, and engine controls.

There is a lot of good TM experience in this forum with V6 3500lb rated tow vehicles. Don't load up the trailer with stuff you don't need (especially water in the tanks), and don't buy a tow vehicle based on something you might only do once in the next 5 years.
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