No Load Hitch

[George Miklas]

http://www.fold-n-roll.com/front.htm

I don't know if this product has been examined before, but it seems interesting enough and probably would help many situations. http://www.fold-n-roll.com/front.htm This set up would eliminate the need for a weight distribution hitch. Also smaller, fwd, TVs with soft rear suspensions would benefit by this product in keeping the tow vehicle level for better handling. What opinions are there? And does anybody know if this product is presently in production?

George

[George Miklas]

http://www.fold-n-roll.com/front.htm

I don't know if this product has been examined before, but it seems interesting enough and probably would help many situations. http://www.fold-n-roll.com/front.htm This set up would eliminate the need for a weight distribution hitch. Also smaller, fwd, TVs with soft rear suspensions would benefit by this product in keeping the tow vehicle level for better handling. What opinions are there? And does anybody know if this product is presently in production?

George

[Ken Lenger]

On the Lucy movie "The Long Trailer" they had a similar device. I can see people overloading thier tow vehicle with something like this as the TV still needs to accellerate, stop, and control the trailer.

[CyberVet65]

Wow!
Talk about a better mousetrap!
Folks do tend to forget about mass and inertia.
Yah gotta get it rollin' and yah gotta get it stopped!

I can see a 35 foot tandem axel with 3 slides being towed by a mini van!
And asking questions like: Can I tow this safely?

Chet

[Gary RVRoamer]

I wonder how much vertical travel the nose wheel has? I can readily conceive of situations where the trailer tongue has to rise or dip to follow road surfaces. e.g. exiting a gas station or driveway onto a highway. Trailers with front and rear axles (e.g. farm wagons) have a hinged tongue to accomodate this movement. This sort of nose wheel would need a movable strut with at least as much vertical travel as a car-type McPherson strut or the TV rear axle could sometimes be lifted right off the pavement.

Anynody know anyone with a Fold & Roll trailer? I've seen brochures but never came across a Fold & Roll owner on the road.

[George Miklas]

Guys, I appreciate your input and value your opinions too. But here is yet another such hitch that in its very design, answers many of the issues and questions you've raised in the replies above. Check this one http://www.hitch-buddy.com/

George

[George Miklas]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by RV Roamer:
...situations where the trailer tongue has to rise or dip to follow road surfaces...Trailers with front and rear axles (e.g. farm wagons) have a hinged tongue to accomodate this movement... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Gary, I see your point. One difference to note is that they are focusing on front wheel drive vehicles, whereas farm wagons are pulled by rear wheel drive tractors and such. But for the sake of improved handling of the TV, you're right in your assessment concerning needed vertical travel.

George

[George Miklas]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by CyberVet65:
Folks do tend to forget about mass and inertia...
I can see a 35 foot tandem axel with 3 slides being towed by a mini van!... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Chet,

Check this one.... http://www.hitch-buddy.com/
You site quite a large and heavy travel trailer behind that minivan. But have you ever in your life viewed the Hensley promotional video? It features a very, very, long Airstream trailer, pulled by a Lincoln Towncar. Industry wide marketing is trying to get customers who can't afford a work car and a TV too. This marketing within the RV industry is telling soccer moms that her Mercury Villager will pull a 30' travel trailer too! The implication without qualification is that the whole family can ride safely in the TV, and they can carry the whole house in the travel trailer and GoRVing.

So maybe http://www.hitch-buddy.com/ with their optional electrically actuated, hydrualic disk brakes IS the better mousetrap? I don't know, and I'm not affiliated with either of these products. I'm just a curious onlooker at this point.

George

[Paul Heuvelhorst]

George,
We looked at the Fold-n-Roll trailer about 7-8 years ago when we lived in San Jose. Mr. Perch was manufacturing this trailer in Gilroy, about 3/4 hour drive south. We met him and found him to be a very interesting person. He gave us a tour of the factory.

The trailer is well designed, but very limited in space, not much larger than a 12' slide-in camper. It would have been great for towing with small vehicles, like front wheel drive vans, mini-pickups, etc, because the overall weight was low, and no load on the tow vehicle. It had electric brakes, and all the other amenities of any travel trailer.

Because of the limited space, we decided to buy a TrailManor, which gave us all the space we needed... until we started living in our trailer, after retirement, about 4-5 months on the road... then we decided it didn't have enough room either. So, now we tavel and live in a 28' travel trailer.

Irv Perch still has, as he did all his life, an impact on the RV industry with his inventive, novel, and practical ideas that he puts into quality products.