Autoblog

Tel Aviv woman's car painted into handicap spot and then towed

Zach Bowman — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Videos, Humor, Middle East

As a general rule, we try to follow a few simple principles throughout the day, and one of the most important is, "don't anger the road workers." Why? The guys and girls responsible for taking care of our nation's roadways wield the seldom-seen power to seriously put a kink your day. If you need proof, look no further than the clip in the video below. In it, workers in Tel Aviv, Israel carefully paint a handicap space around an otherwise legally parked vehicle. After they finish, it doesn't take long for a tow truck to come along and haul off the "offending" sedan.

The owner was then fined around $270 for being illegally parked, and took to Facebook to vent about her situation. Local authorities got wind of the situation and quickly apologized, saying, "This was a severe mistake and a case of incompetence that the city of Tel Aviv does not accept." The city is reportedly also working to make sure something similar does not happen again. Check out the scene in the video below.

Continue reading Tel Aviv woman's car painted into handicap spot and then towed

Tel Aviv woman's car painted into handicap spot and then towed originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Feb 2013 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Ram Heavy Duty seeks to obliterate rivals with claimed 30,000-pound max tow rating

Zach Bowman — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:01:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Work, Ram

No one can accuse Ram of backing away from the full-size truck arms race. Chrysler has officially dropped the payload details on its 2013 Ram Heavy Duty, and the 3500 now packs a maximum trailer weight of 30,000 pounds. Chew on that number for a moment. That's 15 tons, or the equivalent of a dozen Mazda MX-5 Miata convertibles stacked on a trailer, and it's also a whopping 6,900 pounds more than the closest competitor to the Ram 3500, the Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD. Ram engineers have cranked the truck's 6.7-liter Cummins turbo-diesel engine to a ludicrous 850 pound-feet of torque, up 50 lb-ft over the 2012 model. "Shock the world" figures, all.

Throw in a stiffer frame, stouter transfer case, beefed-up transmission and brawnier U-joints in the driveline, and you have what Ram is calling "the most capable trucks we've ever built." That includes the Ram 2500, which has seen its towing capacity swell to 18,350 lbs and its Gross Combined Weight Rating jump to 25,000 lbs. Look for the 2013 Ram 3500 HD to bow at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, and be sure to check out the full press release below for more information.

Continue reading 2013 Ram Heavy Duty seeks to obliterate rivals with claimed 30,000-pound max tow rating

2013 Ram Heavy Duty seeks to obliterate rivals with claimed 30,000-pound max tow rating originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Van, boat and RV combine to make water sports more awesome

George Kennedy — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Videos, Specialty

When one needs to transport a large powerboat great distances, it presents a rather wasteful problem. See, you have plenty of livable space on the boat, but said boat is up on a trailer, thus one must either tow one's craft with a large RV or stay in hotels. The owner of this... thing evidently thought that was too wasteful in the name of epic leisure. As such, you see the incredible contraption in front of you.

The vehicle(s) is/are a 1987 Watercraft Sports King Boater Home. The cab consists of a 1986 Ford E-Series, while the rear is a 28-foot power boat that contains living quarters for both land and water use.

There are several like this out on eBay Motors and elsewhere on the web. A quick search for "BoaterHome" will yield plenty of results, though none have been done up quite like this one. With a teardrop window on the cab section and a paint job that would make the Duke Boys blush, this thing is apparently set on celebrating the '70s. That would likely explain the "35" on the side, representing the 35th anniversary of, well...we're not quite sure.

Check out the video below to see how this incredible combo vehicle separates for aquatic use (the action starts at 1:27). The boat may look a little front heavy, but this seems like a best-of-boat both-worlds approach!

Continue reading Van, boat and RV combine to make water sports more awesome

Van, boat and RV combine to make water sports more awesome originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Dec 2012 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota Tundra can (and will) pull a Space Shuttle

Jeffrey N. Ross — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 16:02:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Etc., Toyota

The battle amongst full-size pickup trucks from Ford, Chevy and Ram is as close to a bloodsport as the auto industry has, but now it might be Toyota that gets the last laugh in the tonnage towing race. In what should prove to be the mother of all publicity stunts, a showroom-stock 2012 Toyota Tundra will tow the space shuttle Endeavour to its final resting place at the California Science Center.

How exactly does a bone-stock, half-ton pickup tow almost 300,000 pounds, you ask? A quarter mile at a time using a specially designed rig.

Endeavour will be towed 12 miles from Los Angeles International Airport to the museum on October 13, and the Tundra will hitch up to the shuttle for the last quarter mile of the trip. The towing rig was made specifically for this event, allowing the full-size Tundra to pull almost 30 times its regular towing capacity. Toyota says that the truck used to tow Endeavour will be a stock V8 Tundra with no enhancements or modifications.

The Endeavour exhibit opens at the California Science Center on October 30, joining other airplanes and spacecraft including the capsule from the Gemini 11 mission. The Tundra that tows the shuttle will remain on display at the museum as well.

You can read the press release from Toyota below.

Continue reading Toyota Tundra can (and will) pull a Space Shuttle

Toyota Tundra can (and will) pull a Space Shuttle originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 15 Sep 2012 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Would you be upset if Chicago moved your car without asking? [w/poll]

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 13:04:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal

Chicago Kafkaesque system for moving vehicles to clear space for municipal work or TV/movie production is not working as advertised. In theory, it's straightforward: the city tows someone's car to an out-of-the-way parking space to make room and enters the new location into a database within 20 minutes of the move. Drivers looking for their cars can call 311 or go online to find out if their car has been relocated. In practice, it's typical big-city municipal Hell.

The problem, says the Chicago Tribune, is that the relocation info doesn't always make it into the system in a timely manner. Not only can it take more than 20 minutes, but some residents didn't realize the city had moved their cars until the Tribune called them and told them, weeks later. The city of Chicago says that it posts notices giving residents at least 24 hours warning when possible, but sometimes an emergency means that there's no warning.

Some residents report instances of no notice being given even when there should have been. As a result, there are owners who have reported their cars stolen when, in fact, they were merely relocated and never properly recorded by city employees. After filing police reports, canceling insurance, etc., their cars are eventually "found" and the mix-ups are cleared up. Sure, the car owners are happy to get their rides back, but there has to be a better way to handle the matter of vehicle relocation, as the reporting process is, at best, inconsistent.

The Tribune says 17,000 cars were moved last year. How many of those were lost in the system is not known. Chicago officials say they plan to provide car owners with additional advance notice via posted signs and an early warning system that details when work is scheduled to occur in the city's neighborhoods. For the moment, however, know that if your car goes missing in The Windy City, it might not be because of bad guys.

What's your take on Chicago's policy? Keep reading to weigh in on the poll we've posted below.

Continue reading Would you be upset if Chicago moved your car without asking? [w/poll]

Would you be upset if Chicago moved your car without asking? [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 28 Jul 2012 13:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Boat passes car on highway in - where else - Russia

Zach Bowman — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Safety, Videos, Russia

We've had some close calls while towing, though we've been fortunate enought to never have to deal with a calamity like the one you see above. From what we can tell, the driver of the truck in the video below was calmly driving along when his boat and trailer decided to blaze their own trail. We don't know if the trailer or the hitch failed, or if the rig simply wasn't secured properly, but the result is properly dramatic.

Fortunately, it doesn't look as if anyone was hurt in the chaos, though we're guessing both boat and trailer will need some substantial work. Let the video below serve as a reminder to check your hardware before hitching up. Scroll down to check it out for yourself.

Continue reading Boat passes car on highway in - where else - Russia

Boat passes car on highway in - where else - Russia originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM, Ford continue to squabble over pickup towing standards

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Work, Ford, GM

We've seen this sort of thing before - a group agrees to adhere to a common standard at some determined date, then when the date arrives, one or more parties in the group figures out how to 'adhere' in a completely new way. When the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) laid out its J2807 tow-rating guidelines a few years ago with input from domestic and Japanese truck makers and tow suppliers, the standardized testing regime was applauded as a way to provide reliable comparisons between manufacturers. Even though it would mean lowering their tow ratings, all of the truck makers agreed to use the J2807 protocol as of 2013.

Toyota moved to the new ratings two years ago, resulting in tow ratings for its Tundra dropping anywhere from 400 to 1,000 pounds. When it came time for General Motors to announcing its 2013 trucks, it released towing specs based on the new standards, sending some ratings up and other down by hundreds of pounds. Ford, however, has decided that it will move to the J2807 standard when it's "all-new models come to market," which means The Blue Oval gets at least another year, probably more, to use its current figures. Predictably, GM not only cried foul, it took back the SAE numbers - even though they've been revealed - and has reverted to the pre-SAE ratings. A GM statement read, in part, "For example, key competitors are continuing to use their existing ratings for 2013 model year pickups. Retaining our existing rating system will reduce confusion for dealers and customers."

Ram hasn't disclosed its plans yet, but information on its 2013 models is expected at the end of this month and we'll know where it stands. Concerning GM, the truth is out there, you'll just have to go looking for it. Concerning the clarity everyone was hoping to find this year, well, that's still a ways off.

GM, Ford continue to squabble over pickup towing standards originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mazda driver fights crazy claw tow truck

Zach Bowman — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Etc., Videos, Mazda, Humor

There's the right way to protest your vehicle being towed, and there's a wrong way. The individual in the video after the jump is a clear believer in the latter method. We aren't entirely sure where this took place or what sort of circumstances led to this particular Mazda3 to find itself doing battle with a massive claw-equipped tow truck, but we do know that the four-door is doing its best to avoid incarceration. After somehow managing to get the vehicle back on the road, the driver proceeds to attempt to free the wheels and tires from an array of cumbersome straps. Despite a few valiant attempts, the driver doesn't seem to be able to break free from the claw's grasp.

Now, we have to say that this type of tow truck appears to be designed to limit potential damage to its cargo under normal circumstances, which makes it all the more unfortunate that the Mazda owner decided to go Rambo. Odds are the tow truck itself sustained plenty of damage, and while the grainy nighttime video work makes it hard to see exactly what's going on, we have to imagine that the rear suspension on the Mazda isn't in any better off. Hit the jump to see the ill-fated automotive acrobatics for yourself.

Continue reading Mazda driver fights crazy claw tow truck

Mazda driver fights crazy claw tow truck originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Nov 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch this R/C tank tow a real Toyota SUV

Jeff Sabatini — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Humor

It's no Ford F-150, but this toy tank earns our respect for its towing prowess nonetheless. That second-generation Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Model 90 weighs over two tons, but the not-so-little remote control tank seems to have no problem pulling it through a parking lot to the amusement of quite a few onlookers.

Like any YouTube video, we wonder what - if anything - we are not seeing. In the first shot, it does appear that the passenger door is open. Could someone be pushing to help the SUV overcome inertia?

Click through the jump to see the tank towing video, plus a little bonus footage of that late-90's Land Cruiser Prado.

Continue reading Watch this R/C tank tow a real Toyota SUV

Watch this R/C tank tow a real Toyota SUV originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Top Gear Australia tries towing a 600-ton truck

Zach Bowman — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Etc., Videos, Work, Australia, Humor

Top Gear Australia tows a mining truck - Click above to watch video after the jump

Everyone knows the danger of exceeding your vehicle's tow rating. Perils aplenty await those foolhardy enough to brush off manufacturer recommendations, including nuked transmissions, en fuego brakes and popped head gaskets, to name just a few. But what happens when you put a standard-duty pickup truck up against something truly monumental. You know, something like a 600-ton mining truck?

The crew from Top Gear Australia wanted to know just that, so they borrowed a run-of-the-mill General Motors pickup, strapped one serious tow rope to the aft of both rigs and got down to business.

Or at least they tried.

Judging from the short preview clip after the break, things didn't go quite the way the TG team imagined. It wasn't for lack of trying that the big mining truck failed to budge an inch as the driver of the pickup sent a pair of what were certainly minty-fresh rear tires to their blazing great beyond. Follow the jump to check out the quick teaser.

[Source: CarPix via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Top Gear Australia tries towing a 600-ton truck

Video: Top Gear Australia tries towing a 600-ton truck originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: How not to rescue your truck from a frozen lake

Zach Bowman — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Etc., Videos, GMC

How not to rescue your truck from a frozen lake - Click above to watch video after the jump

There's a reason tow truck drivers charge so much money for their talents. Extricating a vehicle from a sticky situation is an art that requires more skill than simply knowing where to hook the cables and what lever to pull. If you aren't extremely careful, you can easily turn a bad situation worse just by applying too much force in the wrong area at the wrong time. Need proof? Have a look at the video after the jump. The clip shows a poor GMC Sierra capsized on a frozen lake and the ensuing attempt to get it back on its feet.

Rather than enlist the assistance of a qualified tow truck operator, the helpful hands on scene apparently decided to take matters into their own hands with a little boost from a piece of heavy equipment. Unfortunately, the truck had other ideas. Hit the jump to see what happens for yourself. Just be warned, there's a lot of swearing on the video that's completely NSFW.

[Source: Streetfire]

Continue reading Video: How not to rescue your truck from a frozen lake

Video: How not to rescue your truck from a frozen lake originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Super Duty pickups to regain maximum towing title

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Work, Ford, Diesel

The never-ending battle of heavy-duty pickup truck one-upmanship continues with Ford's announcement that it will increase the maximum trailer tow rating on its 2011.5 F-350 and F-450 Super Duty models to 17,500 pounds. Not coincidentally, General Motors nabbed the maximum conventional trailer rating at the beginning of 2011 with the latest versions of its Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD with ratings of up to 17,000 pounds.

Of course, to pull such massive loads, any fullsize truck needs to be properly equipped, and in the case of the Ford, that means a 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel (400 horsepower and 800 pound-feet of torque), a Crew Cab, dual-rear-wheel chassis and a weight-distributing hitch. For those keeping track, GM says its trucks can pull their maximum loads with a standard weight-carrying hitch. Thanks to all for the tips!

At the start of 2011, the Ford Super Duty's maximum conventional tow rating stood at 16,000 pounds when properly equipped. What led to the increase? Speaking to PickupTrucks.com, Ford spokeswoman Anne Marie Gattari explained that a frame change made back in August of 2010 will work together with a new hitch design that will go into production on Monday, February 7th. So there you go.

Naturally, we expect a suitably quick response from General Motors, and possibly even Ram. Of course, there's always the Ferd F-Teenthousand...

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Ford Super Duty pickups to regain maximum towing title originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: How not to tow your modified Subaru

Jeff Glucker — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Subaru

A lesson in how NOT to tow - Click above to watch video after the jump

Sometimes you have to tow a car. It's generally not a big deal and most of us have been a tower or towee at some point. One rule of thumb when manning the car being towed - leave the keys in the ignition so you don't lock the steering wheel. If you fail to heed these words, as do the chaps you'll see after the break, you might ended up causing some serious damage to your ~~modified~~ ~~Subaru~~ non-operational vehicle

The two gents riding in the Subaru seen in this video were very lucky they only managed to hurt the car. This adventure in towing could have gone way worse... click past the jump and watch the clip to see what we mean, but be warned there is some NSFW language involved.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: How not to tow your modified Subaru

Video: How not to tow your modified Subaru originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Creative carpentry - tree branch used as spare tire

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Etc., Videos, Humor

A greener kind of spare tire - Click above to watch video after the jump

Man's indomitable spirit and ingenuity are wonderful things - they allow for man to persevere in the most trying of situations. Aron Ralston hacked off his own arm and survived after a boulder trapped him in Blue John Canyon, for example. In this case, one man was tasked with a problem and a need to solve it at any cost. His trailer was missing a wheel - or maybe a wheel and an axle - and a spare was apparently nowhere in sight.

Rather than succumb to the pressure and admit defeat, he did what anyone entering survival mode would do - improvise. Finding a sturdy tree branch, he fashioned it into a support device and set off down the road. Disaster averted.

Hop the jump to see the human spirit in action (or to watch a clever idiot put his and other vehicles at risk - we're really talking about one and the same here).

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Creative carpentry - tree branch used as spare tire

Video: Creative carpentry - tree branch used as spare tire originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Retriever lets you tow 5,000 pounds... with a Honda Goldwing

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:31:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Etc., Motorcycle

The Retriever - Click above for high-res image gallery

We don't know why you'd want to haul a car with a Honda Goldwing, but a Swedish company called Coming Through hasn't constrained themselves to our tiny imaginations. That's why they've created The Retriever, a stowable towing unit you can have installed on the back of a Goldwing 1800 that's good for pulling up to 5,500 pounds. If you want a little more help doing a dirty job, you can get a winch added to the package. The only drawback: maximum speed while towing is 20 miles per hour. That wouldn't stop us from wanting it, though, even though we never imagined... Hat tip to Alexis!

Gallery: The Retriever

[Source Coming Through]

The Retriever lets you tow 5,000 pounds... with a Honda Goldwing originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota lowers tow-rating of Tundra, but it's a good thing

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Toyota

Automakers have been on the honor system when stating the tow ratings of their pickups, and that has led to lofty numbers that could only be achieved under a very particular set of ideal conditions. Claiming the biggest number for any truck spec is a big deal, but maximum towing capacity is the crown spec. So it was only natural that these automakers - mainly Ford, General Motors, Dodge (Ram), Toyota, Honda and Nissan - would feel the pressure to keep coming up with better and better tow ratings.

Enter the Society of Automotive Engineers and détente: Five of the six truck manufacturers mentioned above have agreed to assess their trucks' tow rating based on SAE standard J2807. The new standard lays out several benchmark tests for pickups, so automakers won't be allowed to simply find the right conditions and produce the highest tow rating possible anymore. For the J2807 test, a standardized trailer is hooked up and the truck is put through acceleration tests on level ground and an incline, and its response to effects like understeer, trailer-sway and braking are measured. Only Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Honda and Chrysler will be employing J2807 now, but by 2013 all pickup truck makers will be obliged to adhere to it.

Someone had to go first, and today we learn that Toyota has adjusted its pickup's tow rating to the new standard, and so the Tundra can tow less on paper today despite not a single change being made to the vehicle. Its towing capacities were lowered anywhere from 400 pounds on the 2WD regular cab (10,800 to 10,400) all the way up to 1,100 pounds on the 4WD CrewMax (10,100 to 9,000).

This shouldn't be viewed as a knock against the Tundra, because we won't know where it really falls until we get revised ratings from each of the other five manufacturers, and we expect them all to shift downwards.

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Toyota lowers tow-rating of Tundra, but it's a good thing originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra Heavy Duty trucks set new HD standard

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Work, Chevrolet, GMC, First Drives

2011 GM HD Trucks - Click above for high-res image gallery

Usually whenever we head out to a new vehicle press launch, we have to sit through exhaustive technical and marketing presentations before we get a chance to climb behind the wheel. However, General Motors put us straight into a dual-rear wheel GMC Sierra 3500 crew-cab diesel upon our arrival in Baltimore. On the docket? A 130-mile trek from Baltimore airport to Rocky Gap Lodge in the Allegheny mountains of western Maryland with Vehicle Line Executive Rick Spina sitting shotgun.

We actually appreciated this 'backwards' approach, because it gave us the opportunity to develop some 'gut' impressions of these new trucks even before we got the attendant sales pitch. For a two-hour, mostly highway jaunt, the duallie SLT proved to be a surprisingly amiable companion, but it was just the first of seven different trucks we would drive over the next couple of days. Read on past the jump find out what GM's new heavy duty trucks are like when sampled in a range of real-world conditions.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 GM HD Trucks

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra Heavy Duty trucks set new HD standard

First Drive: 2011 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra Heavy Duty trucks set new HD standard originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Jun 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM announces best-in-class towing, payload figures for heavy-duty Silverado, Sierra

Zach Bowman — Tue, 18 May 2010 11:37:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Work, Chevrolet, GM, GMC

2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD - Click above for high-res image gallery

General Motors has just announced the hauling capacities for the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD pickups. The new trucks can now pull up to 21,700 pounds in fifth-wheel configuration and lug around 6,635 pounds worth of payload, thereby making them the new best-in class champions. The traditional tow rating sits at 17,000 pounds. What did GM change to give the trucks their new credentials? The company says that it extensively tested the trucks' systems, including the engine, transmission and brakes at the new gross combined vehicle weight and found that the thing could handle the abuse.

Both the Silverado HD and the Sierra HD now come with tougher bed rails, though. GM specified a new high-strength steel that can take more of a beating compared to last year's pieces. The new tow ratings best the next closest competitor, the 2011 Ford F-350, by 1,000 pounds on the conventional towing front and a more modest 100 pounds under fifth-wheel conditions.

How did we ever live in a world where pickup trucks couldn't tow three Bentley Continental GT coupes and a gooseneck car trailer? Hit the jump for the press release.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD at Chicago Auto Show

[Source: GM]

Continue reading GM announces best-in-class towing, payload figures for heavy-duty Silverado, Sierra

GM announces best-in-class towing, payload figures for heavy-duty Silverado, Sierra originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 May 2010 11:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What CDL? You don't need no stinkin' license to pull two trailers in Michigan!

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:10:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

Michigan is a state of contradictions. The authorities there are so worried about your focus on the road in front of you that it's illegal to hang anything on your rear-view mirror. Yet if you want to triple tow - that's pulling two trailers at one time, like an RV camper and a boat - you can do it after you pay $10 and take a 15-question test. And you just need to get 12 answers right.

The only caveat worth mentioning is that the total length of the tow vehicle and two trailers can't exceed 65 feet. That's about the length of a semi-trailer combo, the differences being that a semi-trailer has only one articulated point and the folks who drive them need expensive specialized training and commercial driver's licenses.

Incredibly, Michigan is not only not alone with this, it is not the most permissive: Wisconsin and other states allow 65-foot triple-towing combinations, South Dakota allows 75 feet, and Wyoming gives drivers a whopping 85-foot towable length. No wonder Wyoming is the state of The Bucking Horse and Rider...

[Source: Automobile]

What CDL? You don't need no stinkin' license to pull two trailers in Michigan! originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Track Trailer Tvan world's beefiest camper trailer

Michael Harley — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:27:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Etc., Lifestyle, Australia

Click above for more images of the Track Tvan

If you're one of those take-no-prisoners off-road types, then we've found the perfect camper trailer for you. It's called the Tvan, and it's made by Track Trailer. The company, Australian-based and located outside Melbourne, has been in business since 1982. Their Tvan model is specially engineered to eliminate the problems found with conventional flip-over type campers (which stow the tent on the bed). With the Tvan, the tent is stowed in the rear hatch allowing your bed to be kept clean and dry. Even better, a hard roof over your head ensures a better night sleep.

As Track is experienced building military trailers, much of their heavy-duty technology finds its way into the Tvan. Features such as an asymmetric link suspension with Koni shock absorbers, 10 inches of wheel travel, and a 30-degree departure angle allow the trailer to follow the tow vehicle over nearly every terrain. With a hot dip galvanized steel frame, it is also built to take abuse and last. Of course, the kitchen appointments are stainless steel with abundant power outlets, lights, and ventilation to take the edge off of roughing it. It even comes with a 70-liter "food grade" water tank as standard equipment. Now, we found you the camper, you just have to figure out how to get it here... unfortunately, the Australian company isn't shipping to the States.

Gallery: Track Trailer Tvan

[Source: Squob]

Track Trailer Tvan world's beefiest camper trailer originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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