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Towing in an emergency

Skigirl

Skigirl

1/2 ton status
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Apr 2, 2001
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Los Angeles, California
OK, let's say you live in the SoCal foothills, and there's this fire. You have your K5 and a DD 2WD truck. If you could tow the DD, you could get more stuff out. How would you tow if you couldn't have a trailer of any kind but could prepare somehow? Flat tow with one of those bars?

Note: I don't have to evac. Just posing the question in case I ever needed to... a typical concern if you live anywhere around here /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
A towbar would work, but. Is it a stick? Or an Auto tran's?

Stick put it in neutral, and go.
Auto, You would have to remove the driveshaft at the differential and tie it up, or risk smoking the tran's with the tow.
 
Also look into getting a set of magnetic towing lights. They are easy to put on and doesnt require messing with the vehicles wiring.

I have used towbars that clamp onto the bumper with great sucess. Even pulled 2 ton trucks home with a 1 ton truck but just had to go very slowly... Hopefully the rig up front will be the bigger of the 2 and you can at least go 40-50 mph safely in straight stretches. Be very careful when cornering with a towbar though. You have to go very slow and careful until you learn the limits and how much the vehicle in back wants to push the one in front around.
 
Good idea on the tow lights. The truck behind would be a 4 cyl. Toyota 2wd long bed. But they're pretty light even loaded with stuff. The K5 would be towing it.
 
Depending on how heavily it gets loaded you should have no trouble flat towing. Just take corners slower than normal and avoid sharp turns.
 
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Depending on how heavily it gets loaded you should have no trouble flat towing. Just take corners slower than normal and avoid sharp turns.

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No problem towing it but stopping it is another story. K5 with 33 or bigger tires is already pushig the limits of the 1/2 ton brakes. Add hills and you could get into a real problem with an extra 5-6k if your really loaded down with your stuff. Take the down hills slow. Down shift the transmission to help the brakes.
 
I towed 3200 lbs flat towing behind my k5, with no brakes. I realized something was wrong when I started smelling brake dust. Turns out my rear brakes were shot, and I was only braking with the front two wheels. Blued my rotors real good. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif But it wasnt too bad , over all, was quite impressed that the half ton rotors on 33's with an extra 3200 lbs stopped that well. NOT RECOMMENDED THOUGH!

ACutally, if there was an evacuation, Speed wont matter too much, traffic will be SLLOOOOW.
 
Dunno how much the Toy weighs but it's pretty light. My guess is that I'd be under 3500 # fully loaded with stuff. I put rear discs on the K5 a while back and new brakes on the front, so all in excellent shape but as you know, it's really heavy with all the stuff I have in it. So yea, those brakes would be at their limit before I added something behind the K5. Would downshift as much as I could.

If I ever had to evacuate, (unlikely, but it is L.A. after all) the roads would be slow going, and unless it was due to fire (unlikely where I live) it would be due to some other emergency and I'd probably go up into the mountains to evac, which start 1/2 mile from my house. So lots of twisty mountain roads.
 
Well I have been flat towing evrything I have for a couple of years (until I can afford a trailer) I have done 300 mile trips too, I towed a full size Jeep with my Blazer, I towed my blazer with the Jeep, a 3/4 ton loaded with junk with the jeep and then now I have a crew cab longbed to tow the blazer with and I can tell you, the speed is your main concern, between the braking ability and the pusing on your tail end when cornering just go slower than normal and as you get used to it you can start picking up speeds till you feel you are at the limits.
Now I am used to it and I have even recovered from an emergency maneuvre, so i am confident but I still keep it under 55MPH on straights and 30 something on twisties.
I want to save money not spend more so i can get a trailer so I don't need any accidents and I am in no hurry.
/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
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Auto, You would have to remove the driveshaft at the differential and tie it up, or risk smoking the tran's with the tow.

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If it was a serious threat and its gonna get burned anyways, I don't think it is gonna matter much /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Might as well get some stuff out with you.
 
Trcks, you're right. In an emergency, there'd be no time to unhook a driveshaft..,. but since my DD is a manual, that's not a prob anyway.
 
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