Towing a Ben Hur
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Towing a Ben Hur
I'm thinking of towing my Ben Hur to a show a few hundred miles away. Any tips on this? (i.e. how it tows at 60 mph and how it handles when breaking). I've never towed that far with a pintle hookup before.
Thanks
Tim
Thanks
Tim
Tim
1945 WC-57 81674456
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1943 Ford GPW133609
1943 Ben Hur 0347395 (Gertstenlager)
1945 WC-57 81674456
1944 WC-52 81750129
1945 MB 430629
1943 Ford GPW133609
1943 Ben Hur 0347395 (Gertstenlager)
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Re: Towing a Ben Hur
What are you using for a tow vehicle? Jeep? An empty Ben Hur is too much for a Jeep (brakes). 60MPH? How's your canvas?
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- W. Winget
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Re: Towing a Ben Hur
When I set out across country with a M416 Jeep trailer set up with pintle hitch on my F150, I made it about 10 miles before I stopped, grabbed a 1" nylon strap (rather thick type, not thin) and wrapped the lunnette opening around and around, shrinking the space between the metal pintle and the lunnette hole. This totally eliminated the oscillation I was getting at 70MPH behind the pickup truck for the remainder of the trip, but left the lunnette free to turn and wiggle as it needed.
No brakes on the trailer means your vehicle has to stop the whole mass of what you have on/in your vehicle and the trailer pushing you along.
A loaded jeep trailer fit well behind my F150 load wise, a Ben Hur would be the max I'd tow with an F150, opting to tow a loaded M100 series pushes the limit on an F150, having to move up to an F350 perhaps for braking safety, or put the load on a trailer with brakes.
Check your bearings for lube and lights, the rest is physics involving mass and rate.
V/R W Winget
No brakes on the trailer means your vehicle has to stop the whole mass of what you have on/in your vehicle and the trailer pushing you along.
A loaded jeep trailer fit well behind my F150 load wise, a Ben Hur would be the max I'd tow with an F150, opting to tow a loaded M100 series pushes the limit on an F150, having to move up to an F350 perhaps for braking safety, or put the load on a trailer with brakes.
Check your bearings for lube and lights, the rest is physics involving mass and rate.
V/R W Winget
Looking for 1918 Standard B 'Liberty' truck parts
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Re: Towing a Ben Hur
I agree it depends on the tow rig. If it's a full size pickup, I wouldn't think twice about it. The Ben Hur has a pretty good tongue weight as compared to a 1/4 ton, and I doubt you'll notice any clunking on the pintle. If it's loaded, make sure it's tongue heavy. Pack those wheel bearings and go for it.
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Re: Towing a Ben Hur
Have towed many GI trailers, and towed equipment behind 1/4 Ton thru 10 ton 6X6 and not once have been annoyed by clunking lunettes. Never heard of any GI being declared "4 F" due to being bugged by Lunette clunking.
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Re: Towing a Ben Hur
Thanks for the information and opinions. I would be towing it with a Ram 1500. If I do it I'll need new tires, tubes and flaps as the ones on it are probably at least 50 years old and pack the bearing as mentioned. They'll probably be a couple of hundred pounds in the trailer. Just wish it wasn't such a long haul on the first trip and I had some local drive time. Putting it on my trailer is not an option at the moment.
Thanks again....
Tim
Thanks again....
Tim
Tim
1945 WC-57 81674456
1944 WC-52 81750129
1945 MB 430629
1943 Ford GPW133609
1943 Ben Hur 0347395 (Gertstenlager)
1945 WC-57 81674456
1944 WC-52 81750129
1945 MB 430629
1943 Ford GPW133609
1943 Ben Hur 0347395 (Gertstenlager)
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Re: Towing a Ben Hur
Full size Half Ton trucks should be OK with near empty Ben Hur. The Ben Hur weighs around 1300#. Towing one at 60MPH takes a bit of planning should there be a panic. 45-50 MPH is a bit wiser.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO
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Re: Towing a Ben Hur
Thanks Ben
Tim
1945 WC-57 81674456
1944 WC-52 81750129
1945 MB 430629
1943 Ford GPW133609
1943 Ben Hur 0347395 (Gertstenlager)
1945 WC-57 81674456
1944 WC-52 81750129
1945 MB 430629
1943 Ford GPW133609
1943 Ben Hur 0347395 (Gertstenlager)
- Farrell Fox
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Re: Towing a Ben Hur
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Last edited by Farrell Fox on Fri Oct 25, 2019 8:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Towing a Ben Hur
Thanks Farrell...
Tim
1945 WC-57 81674456
1944 WC-52 81750129
1945 MB 430629
1943 Ford GPW133609
1943 Ben Hur 0347395 (Gertstenlager)
1945 WC-57 81674456
1944 WC-52 81750129
1945 MB 430629
1943 Ford GPW133609
1943 Ben Hur 0347395 (Gertstenlager)
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Re: Towing a Ben Hur
If you plan to have a substantial load in your Ben Hur and your pintle height is too low, heavy braking will lift some of the load from the front wheels of the tow vehicle.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
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- lt.luke
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Re: Towing a Ben Hur
I have no idea what year your truck is. So the lowest row capacity listed on a 16 F150 v6 is 7600#. 7600-1300 = 6300 pounds. Live the bearings and tow the trailer. Leave some distance to stop if it's loaded & quit worrying.Ben Dover wrote:Full size Half Ton trucks should be OK with near empty Ben Hur. The Ben Hur weighs around 1300#. Towing one at 60MPH takes a bit of planning should there be a panic. 45-50 MPH is a bit wiser.
Tongue weight aside, you could put a jeep in a Ben hut & tow it with s 1/2 ton.
My car hauler is 1300 pounds. I have towed it loaded (another car) with a Ford Ranger. I had trailer brakes on one axle. No issues.
Luke Sparks
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Re: Towing a Ben Hur
I have a few "told you so's" in my long list of those hauling trailers, hindsight is 20/20.
I only wish I could have taken before and after pics.
It might not apply here, but I have witnessed front wheels of little Jeeps hauling a cargo trailer come of the ground when brakes were applied. This was on the Interstate and the driver had to constantly apply the brakes to overcome the crown of the road.
And Luke, you gotta sometimes think out of the box when it comes to what people do.
I only wish I could have taken before and after pics.
It might not apply here, but I have witnessed front wheels of little Jeeps hauling a cargo trailer come of the ground when brakes were applied. This was on the Interstate and the driver had to constantly apply the brakes to overcome the crown of the road.
And Luke, you gotta sometimes think out of the box when it comes to what people do.
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HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO
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LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
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- lt.luke
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Re: Towing a Ben Hur
I've had one wag me for a 1,000 mile trip too. But nothing about the advertised haul leads me to believe it's anything except a guy with a trailer, asking if he can tow it with a truck that has ample capacity, as advertised by the manufacturer, to do so. If he said he was hauling something stupidly heavy in a 70+ year old trailer, then maybe there would be cause for concern. An F150 should tow and stop 2000# comfortably with or without trailer brakes.Ben Dover wrote:I have a few "told you so's" in my long list of those hauling trailers, hindsight is 20/20.
I only wish I could have taken before and after pics.
It might not apply here, but I have witnessed front wheels of little Jeeps hauling a cargo trailer come of the ground when brakes were applied. This was on the Interstate and the driver had to constantly apply the brakes to overcome the crown of the road.
And Luke, you gotta sometimes think out of the box when it comes to what people do.
Luke Sparks
MAJ (R), USA
GPW 12078 http://g503.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=95&t=102532
https://www.homesteadersfinest.com/
MAJ (R), USA
GPW 12078 http://g503.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=95&t=102532
https://www.homesteadersfinest.com/
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Re: Towing a Ben Hur
Pulled empty Ben Hur trailers with a Ford Escape for hundreds of miles w/o problems. I turn off the od on hills b/c I fear breaking 5th gear.
And yes, a stripped wood Ben Hur trailer and generator trailer w/o the generator do go air borne on bumps. Also, tires with flat spots make for bumpy ride until they go round.
And yes, a stripped wood Ben Hur trailer and generator trailer w/o the generator do go air borne on bumps. Also, tires with flat spots make for bumpy ride until they go round.
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