"RacinBob" (racinbob)
08/26/2018 at 15:03 • Filed to: None
1
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"RacinBob" (racinbob)
08/26/2018 at 15:03 • Filed to: None | 1
| 19 |
A drama at 105 feet per second ; We were towing to a race last S aturday. Doing 70 MPH, Southbound I-94 Wisconsin in my Chevy Uplander van with my racecar trailer behind . (sorry, no dashcam video)
10 Seconds b efore; See brake light in traffic ahead and notice dark car sitting in crossover seen on the left . Assume it is state patrol.
8 Seconds before; See that it is a small Hyundai who is starting to pull out. I am looking with great interest hoping he is staying in the left lane. U nfortunately in the next three seconds he casually merges to the right lane and shows little interest in accelerating.
5 seconds before; I hit the brakes hard. However it has little effect as this is a 8000+ pound rig doing 70 mph.
1 1/2 seconds before; I adopt P lan B and change lanes to shoulder.
0 seconds; Pass him on the right horn blar ing, 25 mph faster than him.
+1 1/2 seconds after ; I have cleared him and merge back onto right lane, I guess no harm no foul.
The Hyundai gets off at the second W isconsin Dells exit . The driver had a handicapped sign off his front mirror so I could assume he/she was elderly. This may not be true though as I don’t know how many elderly people drive small Elantra s.....
I considered getting off, following him and calling the cops. But we were on a schedule and also sometimes stupid people carry guns so I kept on rolling. Besides, both of us were kind of stunned and we didn’t need any more drama that day.
I am glad the pass on the right worked as I do not want to contemplate the consequences of hitting a car at 25 mph closing speed with a van having a full load of tools , a full tank of gas, and a 4000 pound pusher behind me.
My takaways are;
always be mentally prepared
always ask yourself what is the other guy doing
i f you can make the move, do it
We will let karma take care of the other guy.
DipodomysDeserti
> RacinBob
08/26/2018 at 16:15 |
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I think every small Elantra is driven by an old.
Nom De Plume
> RacinBob
08/26/2018 at 18:05 |
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Nice drivin’, Slick. That could have gone very wrong.
Also I’m commenting because this video needs more attention. Not getting WI cops involved is always a good idea.
Tristan
> RacinBob
08/26/2018 at 18:18 |
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My wife's parents own a house in the Dells. It's a wonderful place, but I'm really glad you didn't die there. Also, an Uplander can tow a race car?!
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RacinBob
> Nom De Plume
08/26/2018 at 18:24 |
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Thanks. The thing that was in my favor was that Interstate 90/ 94 has had a bunch of construction sites over the last 5 years where they have used the shoulder as the right lane. This included 2 in the previous 30 miles. As such I have spent a lot of time towing at speed on the shoulder and I knew I could do it.
But, it needed to be done quickly as we both agreed it was only about 5 seconds from braking to the shoulder . As such. I must have gotten pretty close to him .
I f I am ever in such a decision again and I have to go left or hit the guy, next time I won’t hesitate going left while wondering who is back there. In other words, I figure its better to do a blind left lane change and avoid a sure accident while hoping the guy back there can take his own evasive maneuver .
By the way, had I no choice and was going to hit him , I absolutely would have center punched him as straight as possible and taken my chances . Anything is better than a glancing blow and risk a roll over.
I own dead car brands only
> RacinBob
08/26/2018 at 18:32 |
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Glad you’re alive but my only takeaway?
An Uplander can tow 4,000 pounds? At speed?
Well, I’ve never...
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Nom De Plume
> RacinBob
08/26/2018 at 18:43 |
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I’ve habitually done 5 under the speed limit through there and expect stupidity from all quarters.
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RacinBob
> I own dead car brands only
08/26/2018 at 19:10 |
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Easily with airbags in the back springs and surge brakes on the trailer. It’s not great on steep hills like West Virginia or Western PA but otherwise it has been great.
I’ve been towing since 1990 with stuff that was undersized for the job. First a Chevy Citation X-11, then a Pontiac Transport, now an Uplander. My t railer easily has 100,000 miles on it since it was built in 1990.
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RacinBob
> Tristan
08/26/2018 at 19:13 |
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Thanks, me too. As long as you keep the trailer and car light and it is an excellent package. The gear goes in the van and the rest goes into the car. On this last trip I got 18 MPG doing between 70 and 75 mph.
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I own dead car brands only
> RacinBob
08/26/2018 at 19:42 |
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I love it! I tried to deep-search your posts but couldn’t find your current tow rig and race car setup. Got any?
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RacinBob
> I own dead car brands only
08/26/2018 at 20:43 |
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I don’t have any with the car on the trailer but this give’s you the idea...
wafflesnfalafel
> DipodomysDeserti
08/26/2018 at 21:13 |
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or some kid without a license or insurance...
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wafflesnfalafel
> RacinBob
08/26/2018 at 21:14 |
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Y ou officially get a gold star for saving you and your family from a dumba$$ . Second gold star for not injuring said dumba$$.
Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks
> RacinBob
08/26/2018 at 22:19 |
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And because people do not realize: the Integra is a really lightweight car. 2700lbs for the GS-R from the factory. You can easily get the tow weight below 5k.
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Tristan
> RacinBob
08/26/2018 at 22:19 |
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Impressive!
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RacinBob
> Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks
08/27/2018 at 00:00 |
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Yep, the teg is 2650 with me in it at race end. I figure 2450 + 70 pounds of fuel when full + 11oo pounds for the trailer and 450 pounds for the 10 tires + other spares in the hatch gets in the neighborhood of 4000 pounds.
The van is easily 4000 pounds so it’s 8000+ in weight so it is easily North of 8000 pounds. BTW, It tows really well in flatland country and the trailer fits under the pine tree while the van is on the slab next to it.
PS a big kudos to AirLift air bags as they
tie the back end down well at 40 psi.
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RacinBob
> wafflesnfalafel
08/27/2018 at 00:01 |
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Bravo, thanks. It happens, lucky to win this time.....
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Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks
> RacinBob
08/27/2018 at 00:23 |
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Fuel is 6.8lbs/gal, so, probably about that . But holy shit man, 10 sets of tires? Ten sets ? Who the hell did your suspension setup, the Michelin sales rep?! Do you only race on a surface of broken glass!?
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RacinBob
> Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks
08/27/2018 at 00:29 |
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n o “10 tires” + uprights, axles and spare rotors. My 10 tires are 4 ancient “intermediate” rains, 2 spares, and 4 good rains meaning less than 10 years old.
gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee
> RacinBob
08/29/2018 at 23:25 |
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You really should consider upgrading from the surge brakes to a proper electric setup with controller.
Surge brakes rely on the towed vehicle to do most of the stopping. B y nature the harder they apply themselves, the more they reduce the braking force they put out. Yeah they’re alright in normal driving, but I’ve never found them hugely confidence-inspiring, to the point where I wouldn’t want to have to rely on them in a panic situation like yours.
In contrast, I’ve found myself with 15,000lbs behind a 3/4-ton coming around a blind corner rolling into a double-digit grade to find a rental RV reversing back up the hill towards me, in my lane. With a several- hundred-foot drop-off on the other side of the guardrail, aiming for the shoulder is out of the question. When I stood on the brakes and it didn’t quite feel like I was getting enough out of the trailer, I squeezed the trigger on the controller, and got so much out of the trailer I almost expected it to start dragging me back up the hill once I’d come to a stop, about 30 feet short of the RV. I’m not sure what the tourist noticed first, the tire squeal, the horn, the elk he was trying to take a picture of freaking out because of me throwing out the anchor, or the cloud of tire/brake smoke that wafted past him. He pulled off and gave me a polite “sorry” wave when I rolled by him, which really was the icing on the cake.
TL/dr people be dumb, electric trailer brakes be good. Plus they’re not fighting you every time you have to reverse.
We recently had a six-fatality collision on that chunk of highway, and it’s easy to see why when you observe the traffic. I’ve had too many close calls not pulling trailers to trust in surge brakes. The trailer should never be pushing the tow vehicle, and if it is, it doesn’t have enough stopping power. Surge brakes require the trailer to push the tow vehicle to stop.