Healeyman
Carrollton, TX
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sjptak wrote:I've towed trailers (boats and things) many, many times and it was a snap. But this, this is a whole 'nuther animal. Gotta learn it by Tuesday......
Yep... Towing trailers is not like towing 4 down. Trailers only have 1-2 closely spaced axles and a car has an articulated front end.
First, make sure that your steering wheel is not locking up. Go through the routine that others have suggested. Then grab the s/wheel and FIRMLY turn it left and right.
If your wheel does not lock up, you won't have a problem as long as you are mindful of how you make your turns. Give your towed as much forward roll into a turn as possible.
Another trick to see what is going on is IF you have a back-up camera that works while driving forward and you can see the Tracker, tie a white rag or something bright to the top of the Tracker's steering wheel. Observe the movement of the steering wheel as you motor through a vareity of turns.
That should give you some insight as to how much lead you need to give the Tracker in order for it to follow you.
Once you get this minor learning curve flattened out, I think that you will be MUCH happier towing 4 down than on a dolly !
Tim
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rockhillmanor
On the Road
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Joined: 12/06/2003
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Stop the music!! I have an older Tracker with a MH that has a way longer overhang than the OP. I've been in situations with that Tracker that would make one pucker up and I have NEVER had the wheels turn the wrong way. The darn thing follows me correctly no matter what I do! 
To the OP, it might be important to know if your Tracker is a 4x4 and do you have manual or auto locking hubs? If you have auto you MUST replace them with manual for any of this to work.
The info given you for stopping and running thru the gears must be specific to that posters year toad. I have a 98 and you do NOT go thru the gears and the instructions are totally different for running the toad than my 98.
Who put the base plate on? What type of tow bar are you useing? Are both arms of the tow bar locked when you take off?
Regarding the stopping. I at first thought what a pain. But realistically you are stopping for gas and bathroom calls and guess what? They usually coincide with the 250 mi rule for this toad. Turn it on and go do your business and when you get back you've complied with the manuf suggestions for towing!
OP - The PM for the forum does not allow attachments. So please pm me with your email address and I can send you a personal email with an attachment with links for all the manufactureres info you need on your toad.
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sjptak
North in Summer, South in Winter
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Joined: 05/23/2004
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YEAH!!!
Thanks, guys. I pulled up making sure the wheels were straight, put on the parking brake (we used to call the emergency brakes), and hooked up. Back into the Tracker and took off the brake and put key in acc. Made sure I was rolling before I made a turn. All went well, in the parking lot at least. Now, I gotta get up the nerve to take it out on the road.
Off to See the Lizard
'99 Four Winds 30' Class C
'97 GEO Tracker
'63 Honda 305 Dream
1947 Wife
1949 Me
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sjptak
North in Summer, South in Winter
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rockhillmanor, the forum is acting funny right now, or maybe my computer is. I'll PM you later when it lets me. My Tracker is a 97 2dr ragtop 4WD 3spd auto with Manual Locking hubs that are running free. I installed the baseplate, the towbar is a Falcon 5250 that hooks up to my Blue Ox baseplate. I can hear the arms click when they lock.
I only plan on driving maybe 50 to 200 miles a day in a normal situation. I just retired and I'm in no hurry to go anywhere fast, so stopping won't bother me at all. Running through the gears is what someone else told me, I can't remember who, but it seems to make sense and I don't think it could hurt.
Stop towing every 200 miles (300 km) and start
the engine. Leave the transfer case shift lever in
NEUTRAL (N). Shift your automatic transmission
to DRIVE (D); leave a manual transmission in
SECOND (2) with the clutch engaged. Run the engine at
medium speed for one minute to circulate oil in the
transfer case. Turn the ignition key to ACC. Now you
can continue towing your Geo.
This came from the glove box owners manual, it only says to let it run in drive and even run the motor to medium speed. I'm thinking that if I let it idle, I can hit all the gears for a second or two.
I sure am glad things seem to be ok now. I put a lot of money, time and effort into this thing for it not to work.
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j-d
Sunny Florida USA
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Joined: 09/04/2003
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The paradoxical steering situation Healyman describes happened to us with our Tercel toad but not our Mighty Max pickup toad. Both with same coach same towbar and both toads manual transmission and no power steering. With the Tercel, it happened: In a soft sandy campground road; After a tight U-Turn; After a sharp right turn. After the right, I had to stop on the road and jump back to straighten the wheel. That's three incidents out of a hundred trips. I don't think every coach/toad setup will do it and I also don't any setup is immune.
God Bless, jd
2003 Jayco Escapade 31A on 2002 Ford E450 V10 4R100
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Healeyman
Carrollton, TX
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j-d wrote:The paradoxical steering situation Healyman describes happened to us with our Tercel toad but not our Mighty Max pickup toad.
j-d,
Many modern cars, especially front wheel drive and/or cars with Macpherson struts have little or no caster built into the front wheel and axle design. The caster is often designed in the suspension instead of into the steering.
Caster is what makes the front wheels of a grocery cart track through a turn. Caster is also what normally makes a car want return to tracking straight ahead after a sharp turn.
I suspect that your pick up is rear wheel drive and as such may just have more wheel straightening caster in the front end design and alignment.
That is likely why it happened to one and not the other.
Tim
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sjptak
North in Summer, South in Winter
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OK, now I'm happy. After quite a few practice hook ups and disconnects, I took the whole thing over to my Grandson's 6th grade graduation. Parked the motorhome in the nearby Middle School, disconnected and drove over to my son's with the Tracker. When it was all over, I hooked back up and drove home. It all went well. Maine, here I come!!!
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Healeyman
Carrollton, TX
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sjptak wrote:OK, now I'm happy...Maine, here I come!!!
CONGRATULATIONS ! ! !
You will find that the steep part of the learning curve that was so intimidating will now flatten out and in a week or so you will be an old pro at flat towing.
Just stay alert, be continually aware of your surroundings, and be leery about driving into any places that you can't drive out of.
Enjoy Maine. Don't miss Arcadia National Park, Bar Harbor and L.L.Bean in Freport, ME. It IS an experience.
Tim
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Healeyman
Carrollton, TX
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I eliminated the double post - Tun
* This post was
edited 06/27/10 02:44pm by Healeyman *
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Snowwing
WA
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Joined: 11/30/2004
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Excellent! I love a happy ending!
2005 Journey 36G
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