Empty weight of a vintage Bambi is about 1600 lbs. At the low end of the scale
(11-15% of total weight), the tongue weight would be 176 lbs. Add 1000 lbs of stuff,
and the range becomes 286 - 390 lbs.
Weigh the trailer fully loaded for travel, and then distribute the load so that aout
12% is on the tongue, and see if you still get 400 lbs. (Of course, you could still
get that, and more, if the trailer is heavy enough).
I briefly towed a '65 Caravel with a Rodeo, and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
You're right about the Bambi myth. A lot of people with small SUVs are looking for
them. I think most folks who follow this list for a year wouldn't say that the Bambi
is perfect for towing with a Rodeo or Cherokee. I'd say borderline at best, unless
you keep both the trailer and the SUV very lightly loaded. Sherry says she does fine
with an Astro van, but that's a slightly different beast. A later model Explorer with
a V8 might be OK too, but I'd prefer a 1/2 ton pickup or a full size van, even with a
Bambi.
Don
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> I could never figure why my Bambi with a published
hitch weight of 180 lbs. flattened the rear leaf
springs on my Jeep Cherokee. I thought that the Jeep
must have soft springs for better off-road
performance. I was very careful not to add weight to
the vehicle when I restored it. It took me two years
to find a toilet lighter than the original. I finally
took the Jeep and the Bambi to a hitch shop. The
hitch weight of the Bambi was a staggering 400 lbs.,
and the water tank was not even totally full. I guess
this blows away the myth that Bambi's are the perfect
trailer for a small car.
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