wrote:
Does anyone have any experience towing a single place glider trailer
with a Ford Ranger or Chevy S-10? I am considering purchasing one of
these trucks, but am concerned they may not have enough mass to be
stable while towing a trailer.


I towed a number of single-seat gliders (1-26, HP-14, Zuni, others) plus
a 2-32 (in the Colorado mountains) behind a 2600lb Ford Maverick,
3-speed manual, V8, from 1972 through 2008, all over the U.S. Never had
a trailer with brakes. No issues good driver awareness didn't always
easily handle. (It typically got over 20mpg, too, hauling a glider.)

When it came time to retire the Maverick, my preference was a Toyota
4-banger, 2WD P/U, but I was overruled by my wife who insisted on a V6
4WD for her two-horse trailer. The Mav-replacement weighs 3600 lbs, and
(other than a noticeable lack of torque going up hills, compared to the
Maverick's [lower numerically HP/torque values] V8) tows the horse
trailer rock solidly (as did, BTW, the Maverick). Better brakes, too!

IMHO, mass of the towing vehicle is WAY overrated. Much more important
are trailer balance, tongue weight, and stopping power (which the
Maverick never had). The only real incident I ever had w. the Maverick
while towing was yaw instability of a homebuilt HP-14 wooden-trailer
that weighed considerably over 2000 lbs w. HP inside, and came w.
insufficent (20 lbs?) tongue weight. (The previous owner had towed it
behind a school bus, and never noticed anything amiss, so to that extent
I suppose mass of the towing vehicle *does* matter, wry chuckle. Behind
the Maverick, that combo was dangerously unstable above 45 mph.) Moving
the axle aft to get ~70 lb tongue weight permanently cured that issue
with that (godawful) trailer.

Regards,
Bob W.