Re: Trailer Safety Chains

[Niccolai Murphy <niccolai_m@yahoo.com>]

You will have to consider that there is a difference between stability
and control. I believe that a gooseneck has an improved feel over that
of the bumper pull because (as several folk have already pointed out)
the applied yaw load is more evenly ditributed over the four wheels
(hence reducing yawing moment which would tend to translate to driver
feel on the steering wheel). 

However, argue all you like, the applied load is higher above the
ground and the roll moment is directly proportional to that distance
(this would translate to how soon the auto would tip over sideways).
If the attachment point is twice as high above the ground on a
gooseneck as a bumper tow it will only take half the load to tip the
truck over, and it will feel quite safe up to that point.

I have no bias on this and would gladly tow either type of trailer but
I know that a goosneck (no matter how good it feels) will roll my
truck sooner than a bumper pull and drive accordingly. 




---CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com wrote:
>
> In a message dated 98-07-02 23:56:32 EDT, niccolai_m@yahoo.com writes:
> 
> << From a
>  physics point of view I can see that while going around a corner the
>  rolling moment applied by a gooseneck trailer is many times more than
>  a bumper tow, implying that roll over is more easily achieved with a
>  gooseneck. >>
> 
> Having towed both types a few hundred thousand miles apiece, I will
vouch for
> the stability of the gooseneck.
> 
> Heidi
> 

==
Nicco Murphy - Poway, San Diego, CA


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