Range pulling 4000 lbs

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kubel

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 13, 2012
Messages
1,609
Location
Southeast Michigan
Without reminding me how incredibly stupid this idea is... :twisted:

0 lbs tongue weight
4000 lbs car being towed by straps
30MPH max
Using the rear tow hook on the LEAF, front grille guard chassis brace on the Crown Vic
Even terrain
Very few stops (rural and some suburban)
If it will guarantee success, I can lose a few teeth and play banjo music

How many miles would you think I would make it (assume no catastrophic failures)?
 
I think it totally depends on how much the redneck in the crown vic rides the brakes! I remember towing cars like that years ago with my brother. The lead car pretty much had the gas to the floor the whole time. Honestly, I wouldn't do it. Too much risk. Let nissan torture test their own cars.
 
kubel said:
If it will guarantee success, I can lose a few teeth and play banjo music
Click to expand...

Let me guess... no brakes on the lead weight you're pulling? I don't know if range matters, but why don't you tell us how far you need to go?

If you're pulling on level terrain, the center console power meter will tell you how many kW it takes. Look at the range chart from that power (range chart only goes to 25kW / 75mph).
 
When you (yes, we know you will !!!) do this tow, please have someone video it as a rebuttal to Exxon's commercial. Or at worst, a new "who killed the Electric Car" movie.
 
TonyWilliams said:
Let me guess... no brakes on the lead weight you're pulling? I don't know if range matters, but why don't you tell us how far you need to go?
Click to expand...

The Crown Vic is fully functional minus working gears, so power brakes and power steering work fine. I need to move it 25 miles. I just don't have the money to dump into a rebuilt transmission at the moment, nor money for a tow truck for that matter, hence the redneck approach. :)
 
When I was about 19, I towed a non-running Volvo P1800S with a Volvo Amazon (122S) that weighed about the same. So this sort of thing is possible, but I doubt I'd try it again now that I'm more aware of my mortality.
 
="kubel"
...The Crown Vic is fully functional minus working gears, so power brakes and power steering work fine. I need to move it 25 miles...
Click to expand...

Should be doable (though arguably, insane) as long as neither the Crown Vic or it's driver is malfunctioning, and adding a lot of rolling resistance.

BTW, once you tow with your LEAF, you will probably wish you could have the same precise torque control of a BEV in every vehicle you tow with.
 
Once you get going, the main drag on the Leaf (on level ground) will be the rolling resistance of the Crown Vic. Inflate the tires on it to the max allowed by the tires and you may have a better chance at success.
 
Cant you use a friends truck?

I think you could do it... but there isnt even a friend with a suburbon/suv that would help you out here?

There are plenty of people in MI who have brand new F-150's that never leave the concrete. One of them must be dying to actually tow something.
 
joewaters said:
When you (yes, we know you will !!!) do this tow, please have someone video it as a rebuttal to Exxon's commercial. Or at worst, a new "who killed the Electric Car" movie.
Click to expand...

Yes and please set it to the banjo music :p

Probably the biggest problem you'd encounter is the local constabulary. Because it's unsafe.

That being said, in my starving student days I learned to place an old tire in the towing line, to damp out the shock loading.

<||||-----O--------------------<||||
 
I tow a lot. My other car is a 3500 crew cab dually. I got that to replace the 1500 suburban which, which replaced a chevy station wagon, each which was setup for towing.

Please don't do it. But if you do, make sure you start the video with "Hey y'all watch this".

you typo'd the max speed. 10 MPH. "towed" car running and riding the brakes. In winter. I doubt you will get 25 miles on a charge. It will take 2+ hours at least.

Just go get a u-haul and a trailer for the day. Or borrow a Volt, so on the police report it looks like a stupid Volt owner instead of a stupid Leaf owner....
 
CMYK4Life said:
One of them must be dying to actually tow something.
Click to expand...
Last week I wished I had thought to pull my phone out and grab a pic/video of two snow cats extricating a Ram pickup truck that was hopelessly stuck. It was quite a show. File that under "pickup truck commercial videos we will never see", as most pickup owners likely fantasize about the scene being the other way around.
 
I'm quite certain that towing it in that manner on public streets is completely illegal. I've only seen this done when four wheeling, when it was the only way to get someone's rig back to camp. Try to get someone to lend you a more competent towing vehicle, and "splurge" to rent a proper tow bar. It will be cheaper than the ticket.
 
I bet you got a whole lot more "don't do it" comments than you wanted to hear. Including mine!

I got to thinking, the Leaf is a very heavy car. Probably just 20 percent less than the crown vic. And you only have to move the air one time. My guess is that you would have pretty close to half the range with the banjos playing vs once the music stops. I bet you would make it.

Maybe you could find a friend with a gas burner truck who might want to trade you for the day? They might just do it because they could save 30 bucks in gas driving your car.
 

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