Car/Truck to pull glider trailer

On 3/24/2015 10:03 AM, wrote:
Hi All,

I am new to this group and last fall added a glider rating to my ASEL
certificate.

I am planning to replace my car this summer and in anticipation of
purchasing a glider someday, I would like to purchase a vehicle that would
do a good job towing a glider. I also want it to get the best gas mileage
that it can while still being a good tow vehicle. I don't want something
that is marginal and will make long distance towing a stressful affair, but
also don't want a vehicle that is overkill.

What is the typical range o gross weights of a single seat glider plus
trailer?

Recommendations on a good tow vehicles?

Thanks for your help

Bill


Hello Bill,

Good to read you're sufficiently into "the soaring thing" to be considering a
glider-encumbered future! :-) Everything about soaring is a blast,
*especially* the cross-country bits (both flying *and* driving). Have glider
will travel...

As for tow vehicles - working from The Most General toward the More Specific -
be aware there's two fundamental schools of thought in the U.S.: a) bigger is
better; and b) not necessarily...

A search of Google's RAS archives will reveal multiple/recent threads
discussing the topic. Having towed (mostly - not entirely - 15-meter glider
trailers; mostly brake-free) throughout the intermountain west for over 35
years with a (the same, superbly reliable) 2600lb vehicle with drum brakes all
around, that got over 20mpg pulling the trailer - no accidents, no incidents,
and only two (briefly) alarm-worthy "developing situations" - I fall into
school "b)". Not that I ever did it, but the V8-powered vehicle would've
easily smoked the tires had I done even a mild "clutch-drop" so it wasn't
underpowered, either.

I'm sure others will chime in with more specific current vehicles you might
consider.

Have fun!

Bob W.

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