Question about towing a Ghia
- Bonemaro
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Question about towing a Ghia
I'm about to head up to Ohio to get the Ghia and I have a question. I've never towed a VW. I know with most cars, you pull straight onto the trailer, so that the bulk of the weight is closest the tow vehicle to prevent whipping.
Is it safe to assume with a Ghia, one would pull the car up backwards, being the engine is in the back?
Is it safe to assume with a Ghia, one would pull the car up backwards, being the engine is in the back?
- FJCamper
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Re: Question about towing a Ghia
Hi Bonemaro,
Backing the Ghia onto the trailer is fine, but overall the Ghia is small and light enough so that either end forward on a two-axle trailer made to move a heavier car is okay.
If you have a very light, two-wheel trailer, I'd back onto the trailer.
FJC
Backing the Ghia onto the trailer is fine, but overall the Ghia is small and light enough so that either end forward on a two-axle trailer made to move a heavier car is okay.
If you have a very light, two-wheel trailer, I'd back onto the trailer.
FJC
- Bonemaro
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Re: Question about towing a Ghia
Awesome. Thanks!
- Marc
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Re: Question about towing a Ghia
If you can get the car on forwards far enough to have ~150 lbs of tongue weight without the fenders striking the tow rig when jack-knifed it should tow OK. If the trailer's axle is too far forward to allow that, backing on is likely to be better.
The theoretical ideal tongue weight is about 9 to 15% of the gross weight of the trailer with the car on it, so you might need even more if the trailer wig-wags at 150. Typically the sway is worst when you're slowing/descending a grade, and if it's severe you may need to accelerate to pull out of it...which is why you want to leave a generous following distance.
The theoretical ideal tongue weight is about 9 to 15% of the gross weight of the trailer with the car on it, so you might need even more if the trailer wig-wags at 150. Typically the sway is worst when you're slowing/descending a grade, and if it's severe you may need to accelerate to pull out of it...which is why you want to leave a generous following distance.
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Re: Question about towing a Ghia
Marc wrote: "... The theoretical ideal tongue weight is about 9 to 15% of the gross weight of the trailer with the car on it... "
That is the key, balance of load and not to exceed your hitch's load or the towing car and hitch's towing capability; the same for the trailer's specs too. On my two axle trailer I still load my buggy on backwards most of the time with the engine sitting just a bit ahead of the forward axle to balance out the load.
That is the key, balance of load and not to exceed your hitch's load or the towing car and hitch's towing capability; the same for the trailer's specs too. On my two axle trailer I still load my buggy on backwards most of the time with the engine sitting just a bit ahead of the forward axle to balance out the load.
- Bonemaro
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Re: Question about towing a Ghia
Hmm... Perhaps I can post a pic here once I find out what trailer I'm getting.
- Piledriver
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Re: Question about towing a Ghia
Consider flat towing a T1.
The towbars are inexpensive, well developed, and unless the car is not tow-worthy it makes life easy.
If the car has locked up brakes and rotten tires, disregard.
The towbars are inexpensive, well developed, and unless the car is not tow-worthy it makes life easy.
If the car has locked up brakes and rotten tires, disregard.
Addendum to Newtons first law:
zero vehicles on jackstands, square gets a fresh 090 and 1911, cabby gets a blower.
EZ3.6 Vanagon after that.(mounted, needs everything finished) then Creamsicle.
zero vehicles on jackstands, square gets a fresh 090 and 1911, cabby gets a blower.
EZ3.6 Vanagon after that.(mounted, needs everything finished) then Creamsicle.
- Bonemaro
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Re: Question about towing a Ghia
The car is currently not tow worthy sadly. Gonna need a full trailer.Piledriver wrote:Consider flat towing a T1.
The towbars are inexpensive, well developed, and unless the car is not tow-worthy it makes life easy.
If the car has locked up brakes and rotten tires, disregard.
- Marc
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Re: Question about towing a Ghia
'Ghias also need a lengthened towbar, the ubiquitous "Beetle" bar allows the 'Ghia front fenders to impact the tow vehicle on tight turns, and unless the ball is very low they tend to crush the front apron if you encounter a sharp upgrade.
Nice thing about IRS cars is that you can unbolt the outer CVs and tie the drive axles up and out of the way, so the transaxle just goes along for the ride when flat-towing. Swingaxle can be flat-towed too, but the ring gear and pinion shaft are thrashing the entire time.
Nice thing about IRS cars is that you can unbolt the outer CVs and tie the drive axles up and out of the way, so the transaxle just goes along for the ride when flat-towing. Swingaxle can be flat-towed too, but the ring gear and pinion shaft are thrashing the entire time.
- Bonemaro
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Re: Question about towing a Ghia
Eeek!Marc wrote:the ubiquitous "Beetle" bar allows the 'Ghia front fenders to impact the tow vehicle on tight turns, and unless the ball is very low they tend to crush the front apron if you encounter a sharp upgrade.
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Re: Question about towing a Ghia
Yep, taking a regular tow bar and adding 18" will keep you from smacking the headlight against the tow vehicle bbumper.
I was lucky, paying some attention, and corrected it defore it got too bad, only broke the plastic adjusters for the headlight, and bent the trim ring. Most are not that lucky.
I was lucky, paying some attention, and corrected it defore it got too bad, only broke the plastic adjusters for the headlight, and bent the trim ring. Most are not that lucky.
- ALYKAT III
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Re: Question about towing a Ghia
Simple trick for proper balance. Hook up your trailer and use a tape measure to find the height at front and back of deck, note the difference. Load your car and again measure, move forward or back until you have the same differential measurement. Not always exact, or even right, but most times pretty darn close. Depending on your tow vehicle (light truck or car) you may need to adjust a bit more to the rear. And yes, getting tongue weight right is best. Just pretty hard to measure.
- juki48
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Re: Question about towing a Ghia
I towed a beetle backwards on a dolly 400 miles. I backed it on and tied the steering wheel so it didn't want to wander. worked great and took 400 miles off the odometer
- Bonemaro
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Re: Question about towing a Ghia
...but isn't the odometer driven from the rear wheels?
- Marc
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Re: Question about towing a Ghia
On most cars. On ACVWs the speedo cable passes through a drilling in the LF spindle and indexes to a square hole in the wheel bearing dust cap. Much simpler than routing a cable all the way up from the transmission.