How fast with a canopy?

[Hematite]

I can assure you that no canopy is indestructible. That said, every canopy that I have seen IS adjustable as to angle, etc. There really is no reason to have a canopy angled upwards at the front. That's pretty much asking for a problem. With the front of my canopy slightly angled downward and of reasonably solid construction I don't see the problem.

I have trailered as fast as 70mph and with semis going past and over some not glass smooth surfaces and all with one very weak fiberglass canopy. The end result was that nothing broke and the leading edge did not peel back or even show signs of attempting to do so. And, yes, I did inspect the canopy thoroughly, afterwards. I have since gone to a much heavier canopy because I like this one better.

If you want to tow with the tractor backwards, please do so but be aware of the potential problems of weight distribution. I would rather remove the canopy, as skipmarcy did, than to risk the dangers of improper tongue weight.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Towing with it backwards all has to do with the tractor, tow vehicle, and trailer. So for you to say it will give too much tongue weight is a blanket statement. I always loaded my tractor forward. I drove a F-150, F-350, F-250, another F-350 and a 3500 GM. When we were taking the dog, child, cousin, and my tractor to my inlaws 240 miles it required us to take the wife's 2003 V8 4x4 Mountaineer. It had something like a 7,200# tow rating and was maxed out. When I loaded it forward it put too much weight on the Mountaineer so I flipped it around and she set level. On my trailer with my tractor equipped with my 7' Woods Blade and the FEL as equipped for this trip it moved the weight back on the trailer, not forward as you are stating it will. After that day I never put it on forwards again.

Chris

 

[Hematite]

Towing with it backwards all has to do with the tractor, tow vehicle, and trailer. So for you to say it will give too much tongue weight is a blanket statement. I always loaded my tractor forward. I drove a F-150, F-350, F-250, another F-350 and a 3500 GM. When we were taking the dog, child, cousin, and my tractor to my inlaws 240 miles it required us to take the wife's 2003 V8 4x4 Mountaineer. It had something like a 7,200# tow rating and was maxed out. When I loaded it forward it put too much weight on the Mountaineer so I flipped it around and she set level. On my trailer with my tractor equipped with my 7' Woods Blade and the FEL as equipped for this trip it moved the weight back on the trailer, not forward as you are stating it will. After that day I never put it on forwards again.

Chris

Well, if you re-read my statements I didn't say it would increase the tongue weight to reverse the position of the tractor, I said it would change the tongue weight. Invariably, it decreases tongue weight to do so. Decreasing tongue weight much below 10% of the weight of the trailer/ load is dangerous. It significantly reduces the stability of the truck/trailer, particularly in an emergency situation. If you "leveled" out a Mountaineer by changing the load you had very little tongue weight. My friend has a Mountaineer and it would take very little weight to drop the rear of the SUV which is why he uses Weight Distribution. If you want to live with that situation (low tongue weight), that's your decision but I certainly don't, which is why I bought a Sherline scale. I have 800 lbs tongue weight with a 8000# load and Reese Dual cam high performance Weight distribution hitch and my combo is rail solid.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I tow every other day so towing is second nature. The Mountaineer handled the weight fine and drove nice at highway speed. It had right at 10% tongue weight I would guess but no more. The load weight was right at the max for the Mountaineer which it pulled with out complaints.

Chris

 

[Jerry/MT]

The NH I'll be picking up is about 650 miles away and on the ROPS it has a fiberglass canopy. Will that hold up OK on the trailer at highway speeds or will it break, or act like a sail, or?

If I put it down will "down" be far enough to get it out of the wind or will it be acting like a big speed brake?

Do I just need to take it all the way off and figure out a way to put it on the trailer safely, or is it collapsible enough to fit into my Suburban (NH TC40D)?

If your canopy is mounted to the ROPS and the front is cantilevered from the ROPS, then loading it on the trailer backwards will provide a more stable and structurally sound way to tow it on a trailer exposed to ambient air flow.

 

[Diamondpilot]

If your canopy is mounted to the ROPS and the front is cantilevered from the ROPS, then loading it on the trailer backwards will provide a more stable and structurally sound way to tow it on a trailer exposed to ambient air flow.

Ding, Ding, Ding.... We have a winner. You said what I have been trying to say.

Chris

 

[Builder]

Well, if you re-read my statements I didn't say it would increase the tongue weight to reverse the position of the tractor, I said it would change the tongue weight. Invariably, it decreases tongue weight to do so. Decreasing tongue weight much below 10% of the weight of the trailer/ load is dangerous. It significantly reduces the stability of the truck/trailer, particularly in an emergency situation. If you "leveled" out a Mountaineer by changing the load you had very little tongue weight. My friend has a Mountaineer and it would take very little weight to drop the rear of the SUV which is why he uses Weight Distribution. If you want to live with that situation (low tongue weight), that's your decision but I certainly don't, which is why I bought a Sherline scale. I have 800 lbs tongue weight with a 8000# load and Reese Dual cam high performance Weight distribution hitch and my combo is rail solid.

The Sherline scale is a very cool accessory that we all should have. Eliminates the guessing and makes the roads safer.

I couldn't imagine towing anything much more than a lawn tractor behind a mountainerd. The girl that does the commercials is pretty cute, though.

 

[roadhawk]

I've got a FEL, rotary cutter, landscape box, plow, forks, and if I can fit them some disks that I can move around as needed to help balance out the trailer. However, with that much "stuff" to fit on the trailer, I'm still not sure how the tractor must sit yet and will be willing to load it front or back as needed if it means getting the rest on there too, and since my speed at that weight will be relatively low I think it will all work out ok either way I load it.

The reason the dealer suggested loading it on backward was because the ROPS is mounted at the back of the canopy and so there is very little "lip" left for any wind to have any impact up or down vs. pointing forward there is much more room for wind to push up or down.
Think of a lever and how it works. This is just another example of what I've seen some others here post already.

For the record, my canopy is fiberglass so pretty sturdy, and has a slight downward slope going forward....

Another tip I got that has nothing to do with this thread, but since I'm new to this and others may be too I thought I'd pass it on. He told me that since it's such a long way, cover the exhaust with a towel or something so that wind won't blow in there and eventually cause the cylinder to dry out. If I had a turbo (I don't) it would also keep that from spinning and running dry for so long. Not a problem on short trips, but for a long 1 or more comfortable 2 day trip, was recommended to avoid any possible damage.

 

[Hematite]

The Sherline scale is a very cool accessory that we all should have. Eliminates the guessing and makes the roads safer.

I couldn't imagine towing anything much more than a lawn tractor behind a mountainerd. The girl that does the commercials is pretty cute, though.

Yes, she certainly is!

 

[Builder]

I've got a FEL, rotary cutter, landscape box, plow, forks, and if I can fit them some disks that I can move around as needed to help balance out the trailer. However, with that much "stuff" to fit on the trailer, I'm still not sure how the tractor must sit yet and will be willing to load it front or back as needed if it means getting the rest on there too, and since my speed at that weight will be relatively low I think it will all work out ok either way I load it.

The reason the dealer suggested loading it on backward was because the ROPS is mounted at the back of the canopy and so there is very little "lip" left for any wind to have any impact up or down vs. pointing forward there is much more room for wind to push up or down.
Think of a lever and how it works. This is just another example of what I've seen some others here post already.

For the record, my canopy is fiberglass so pretty sturdy, and has a slight downward slope going forward....

That's most likely part of the reason for the downward slope-so it can be transported without the canopy catching wind underneath.

Another tip I got that has nothing to do with this thread, but since I'm new to this and others may be too I thought I'd pass it on. He told me that since it's such a long way, cover the exhaust with a towel or something so that wind won't blow in there and eventually cause the cylinder to dry out. If I had a turbo (I don't) it would also keep that from spinning and running dry for so long. Not a problem on short trips, but for a long 1 or more comfortable 2 day trip, was recommended to avoid any possible damage.

Oil in a cylinder would not "evaporate" (like water would) from wind blowing on it, so I think that's much to do about nothing.

I've towed a lot of equipment a lot of miles and never did that or heard of anyone covering the exhaust to keep the turbo from spinning, but it might not be a bad idea for keeping heavy rain out of the exhaust.