[sudev]

Originally Posted by Ragul

....PS: Also waiting for the next thread - "Emergency Driving without Wheels..." <Koff!> <Koff!>

Seriously been there done that

Cochin Rally 1994 - Drive 90plus kms back from forest section to hotel after one rear wheel wandered off on its own!!

But that is food for another thread.

[Sutripta]

Hi,
If of the two drivers, one is experienced and the other, well, ordinary, who should drive the towing vehicle, and who the towed one?

Regards
Sutripta

[Chewbacca]

Originally Posted by Ragul

So handbrakes are the only option when being towed (besides engine braking)?

Also, braking efficiency of handbrake reduces with extended use. It is best to apply it and then release after few seconds.

Originally Posted by Ragul

PS: Also waiting for the next thread - "Emergency Driving without Wheels..." <Koff!> <Koff!>

You mean with a flat tyre or driving on rims without a tyre? or something like this ..

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Hi,
If of the two drivers, one is experienced and the other, well, ordinary, who should drive the towing vehicle, and who the towed one?

What if both are ordinary? Awaiting the next thread .....
"Emergency driving without DRIVER"

[sudev]

@chewbacc : No tyre. No rim. Only three wheels and stub of axle in place of fourth. AND now your suggestion for future topic got me thinking. Remember old novel "Flight in to danger"? The pilots pass out and a passenger lands a plane full of people guided by control tower. A movie or few been made using similar plots sub-plots. LOL

@sutripta : The experienced one should be getting towed. A driver with less experience can drive slowly and only has to over come the initial tugs. The driver of towed vehicle has to deal with heavy brakes and steering in case of failure of power assist. He has to deal with quick braking due to reduced distance from the towing car. And above all he has to anticipate what the towing vehicle is going to do and the traffic conditions.

[Tejas Ingle]

Originally Posted by sudev

Seriously been there done that

Cochin Rally 1994 - Drive 90plus kms back from forest section to hotel after one rear wheel wandered off on its own!!

But that is food for another thread.

Originally Posted by sudev

@chewbacc : No tyre. No rim. Only three wheels and stub of axle in place of fourth. AND now your suggestion for future topic got me thinking. Remember old novel "Flight in to danger"? The pilots pass out and a passenger lands a plane full of people guided by control tower. A movie or few been made using similar plots sub-plots. LOL

I have come accross a similar incident Which happened on a friends Santro on the expressway. You should start a new thread for this.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Read this thread on towing as well. Some good tips.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-te...own-4x4-8.html

[Ragul]

Originally Posted by sudev

@chewbacc : No tyre. No rim. Only three wheels and stub of axle in place of fourth. .

How did you manage that? Are you a magician? Why was a pick-up truck not an option?

--Ragul

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by sudev

@sutripta : The experienced one should be getting towed. A driver with less experience can drive slowly and only has to over come the initial tugs. The driver of towed vehicle has to deal with heavy brakes and steering in case of failure of power assist. He has to deal with quick braking due to reduced distance from the towing car. And above all he has to anticipate what the towing vehicle is going to do and the traffic conditions.

Hi,
Actually, I prefer it the other way round. Me in the towing vehicle. With the towing vehicle being in charge, I feel I can compensate for the inexperience of the other driver.

Regards
Sutripta

[sudev]

@Sutprita : That is the commonly held view.

When a vehicle is being towed it is the guy at the back who should be anticipating and doing the braking. This keeps the tow row taut and also "pulls" the lead vehicle to stop. Also ensuring minimised jerks to the tow rope and hence a smoother tow.

A taut tow rope ensure no snagging into/under the wheels leading to breakage of tow rope/strap. Minimised jerks and tugs ensure that no damage to bodily parts / tow hooks or bent tow shackles (which become a problem to remove at end of tow).

Not that the job up front is less important. Try it as an experiment some time.

[Sutripta]

^^^
Have done both!

I feel until the towing car driver is very very smooth, it is not possible to keep the rope taut, no matter how good the towed vehicle driver. It is like tailgating a car and maintaining the exact same distance all through.

Regards
Sutripta

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Hi,
... Me in the towing vehicle. ...

That would be the more experienced or less experienced one?.. Jus Kidding.

Jokes apart, I too feel that unless the driver in the towing vehicle has some expertise, its very difficult to tail gate him. Also, the major part of signalling while towing lies with the towing car driver, and he has to do it responsibly. and, No sudden brakes, No sudden acceleration etc..

[Tejas@perioimpl]

A few points from a military handbook that i have:

- One of the most important things to remember is towing another vehicle changes the handling characteristics of the towing vehicle.
- Safe towing requires increased concentration, alertness, and strict compliance with posted towing speeds.
- Before merging into traffic, remember there is added length and weight to the towing vehicle. Towing affects the amount of space required to safely merge into traffic.
- Always check the mirrors to ensure there is enough distance between the back of the disabled vehicle and oncoming vehicles to safely enter the flow of traffic.
- All vehicles have a blind spot. When towing a disabled vehicle the blind spot is extended to include the back of the disabled vehicle.
- Actively scan your mirrors and be aware of the traffic behind you.
- Mirrors can only be adjusted properly when the disabled vehicle and the towing vehicle are straight and should be checked often to ensure proper alignment.
- Tailgaters present another problem when towing a disabled vehicle.
- If a quick stop or sudden swerve is required to avoid obstacles, drivers following your vehicle do not have the advantage of seeing the obstacle prior to your actions.
- Try not to make too sudden of a stop or maneuver that could cause a tailgater to run into the back of the disabled vehicle that is being towed.
- Since it is more difficult for other drivers to see around our vehicle while towing, especially two-lane roadways, common courtesy should prevail.
- If you are holding up traffic of more 5-10 vehicles behind you, pull off the side of the road and let traffic pass by.
- A sudden movement with the steering wheel could cause a loss of control and cause the vehicle to roll over. Steer smoothly around corners and through curves to avoid problems.
- When turning corners, the towed vehicle tends to turn more sharply
than the towing vehicle. Therefore, your turning radius must be wider when towing in order to avoid running over obstacles such as curbs or medians. Sharp turn will also damage the tow bar or vehicles. Ensure and make a wide as possible turn.
- Always keep in the left lane when towing when on major roads or highways. This common courtesy allows other traffic to safely pass you on the left and prevents traffic from backing up behind you. The only time you should be in the right-hand lane is when you are making a right-hand turn or you are passing slower vehicle and you can get around the vehicle quickly and safely.
- Your speed may be slower than other vehicles on the road. When being overtaken by a large truck, the air displaced will tend to push your towed vehicle. Be aware of this possibility and be prepared to adjust your steering and help maintain control of the vehicle.

[sudev]

Excellent input tejas@perioimpi.
A nice pointer about towed vehicle taking shorter radius around turns - especially the ninety degree turns within colony's and such.

[vishwaschettri]

My 2 cents

1. Slip the clutch when getting off the mark to avoid jerk.
2. Keep the windows rolled down and scream, yell, abuse, hand gesture the idiots who will always try to clip in between the towed and tow'er. Explained below.
3. Tie the rope diagonally between the two vehicles.
4. Having a constant dialogue between the two drivers via mobile on hands free get excellent results.
5. Use a weak rope instead of steel rope, chain or tow strap. This will give the towed option of breaking off in emergency situation explained as experienced below.
6. If possible use similarly powered and weighed vehicles. Explained below again.
7. A dialogue between tow'er and towed before starting to establish ground rules, discuss path to take and signals if 4 is not possible goes a long way. While towing M800 with jeep I took a moderate right turn by going to left first a bit. The towed mistook my gesture and turned left. Any thoughts what happened next?

I have towed M800 with bike, jeep with M800, other way round, Indigo with Alto etc over long distances besides a lot other towing.

The Explanation : While towing from gurgaon to ghaziabad in peak traffic we were waiting at the signal with rope loose in between. An elderly fellow decided to cut across to my horror in a hurry just as my friend who was towing me took off. I yelled, honked at the old man but he just waved and gestured me to let him pass. Like hell I could!! I was strapped to another vehicle much bigger and powerful than mine. I slammed the brakes with all my might and prayed as my friend moved and the rope went taut. The old man tripped over the rope and fell in front of me with my friend still pulling as his high power vehicle dint feel the resistance from mine which was braked (Later he told me that he thought that since we were on the incline and starting from still we needed more pull and thus gave more gas). My small vehicle dragged a bit towards the old man and the rope broke off thankfully. Had I been using a steel rope / chain / tow strap my car could have been dragged along and I could have run over him.

Anyways got out, checked on the old man, who apologized as he had understood the situation by now and also explained the crowd which had gathered and was about the beat the living daylights out of me.

The whole while my friend 'tow'er' just stood there dazed, not able to comprehend what just happened

cheers
vishwas

[sudev]

Its a no win choice - longer versus shorter rope. You want longer rope to allow for emergency manoeuvres but this makes more for people cutting in (or walking in as per last post). Perhaps a tow rope with some flag / bright coloured indicators?