This should be interesting...

[daveb]

Originally Posted by carringb

... for extended driving without engine power, I think the electric hydro pump could draw down the batteries quick. you would probably have to run a 12-volt umbilical to the tow vehicle for any extended towing.

Anything to get me out of the backcountry. With the house batteries that might be enough.

[carringb]

Originally Posted by daveb

Anything to get me out of the backcountry. With the house batteries that might be enough.

I can think of a simpler solution:


Those mil-spec tow bars are rated for at least 20-tons, don't take a lot of space folded, and since it's a rigid connection you can tow dead vehicle without brakes.

I flat-towed a school bus from Utah to Portland with a home-built pintle-hitch tow bar, since I hadn't seen those military ones yet. Even though the bus was substantially heavier than the van, and I had no way to power the bus brakes (RV brake-buddy's won't work with HydroBoost!), it towed fine. Even when the iphone took us on a cross-dessert off-road jaunt when we were looking for a lake to jump in and freshen up. Pintle hitches take a lot more off-camber motion than a traditional ball-mount, and can't be overloaded during braking (ball couplers are strongest when weight is pushing down... for flat towing the pawl takes the full load, which I don't like). Most surprising was how well the van could engine brake in low gear with that much weight. It really did a lot better than I expected.

[daveb]

Yeah, that is a solution and if possible I would use the easiest and less expensive method to get me out but pulling a heavy rig with a tow bar might be trouble even with another SMB as the tow vehicle. Steering might also pose a problem but no brakes could lead to a disaster.