Yes and Ford and others have listed that as a consideration in their literature since at least 2011 - I've found references to the Ford formulas and numbers back at least that far - then I stopped looking as I wondered if it was more recent than the last decade. It's not, just that no company marketers or bean counters will let that be on the front page - they bury it in the book after you buy the truck.
Apparently the "highway gradeability test" is done on a 6% grade for 11 miles, 40 mph min at 100F. I don't recall ever being on stretches of highway much more demanding than that.
This is not necessarily the case. There is certainly subrogation potential here.
Yeah, but thanks for reminding me of the proper term. Ran into that subrogation stuff when my father was killed by a sleeping driver. But I forgot the term used.
As other posts have illustrated, reading the owners manual for anything is a lost cause for 95% of the owners. Said bean counters and markteers know this. Once you own it, you own it. Ignorance of the law is not a valid defense.
As a child, did you ever hold your hand out of the window, flat against the wind or edge wise like a wing? Just another reason for me to like an Airstream.
I think most people don't read them as half of it is "Don't drink contents of battery."
Surely a lot of that going on. I say let them drink acid. Stupid does not need to reproduce. BTW, 30 sq.ft. is the max frontal area allowed per manual, V1. Trailer at 8'x8' is over twice that limit. Ouch.
This area is rolling hills. We drive that highway weekly and i would say i see a car on fire at least once a month at scotsman hill which is decent grade and takes out a lot of vehicles. being i own a grand cherokee with the same engine and a trailer about half that size and more aerodynamic (not by much because they are all sails), my guess is this guy overloaded the engine. the grand cherokee tows the trailer, but i'm often at 5500rpm towing up the hills in the area.
An old American Pickers episode from years ago showed a predecessor to the Airstream. That travel trailer was almost bullet-shaped.
This is an important point tied to the aero drag discussion. These frontal area limits are without regard to the shape or length of the trailer. Certainly you can tolerate more frontal area with a trailer that is more streamlined (that's where Cd, drag coefficient makes a big difference.) The length doesn't change the drag equation, other than a slight change in Cd (i.e., if you were hauling a billboard perpendicular to the airflow, that would have a higher Cd.)
Some you guys remind me of why I chose to NOT go into aircraft or the aerospace industry like one of my teachers suggested. I'm too danged lazy, I guess? I chose the easier path.
All new meaning to the phrase "doing some acid"...........
That and that the aerospace industry is awfully volitile. My wife is also an aerospace engineer. Although she never quit nor was ever layed off in her 35+ years in aerospace, she worked for 4 different companies. I both changed jobs and was laid off before consulting in the end.
