How do you feel about Slate's towing capacity?

[E90400K]

One small benefit the Slate will have is the weight distribution will be a bit better than a typical pickup. With the motor/axle in the rear and the battery under the floor it should offer a bit more grip. I've seen plenty of people launch boats with RWD sedans and pickups before, so I'm sure they have it figured out.

When I was a kid my dad had a 19' Grady White (i.e. read "heavy"). We'd tow it with his 1972 Mercury Marquis (429 CID). We mostly kept it docked all summer, but many times we'd take it to Lake Anna in Virginia and used to take it in and out every summer and fall. We launched it on slimy concrete boat ramps (how can you not?), with the exhaust tip burbling in the water. Bias-ply tires. Never had a problem.

 

[E90400K]

Just to validate.

 

[adele]

When I was a kid my dad had a 19' Grady White (i.e. read "heavy"). We'd tow it with his 1972 Mercury Marquis (429 CID). We mostly kept it docked all summer, but many times we'd take it to Lake Anna in Virginia and used to take it in and out every summer and fall. We launched it on slimy concrete boat ramps (how can you not?), with the exhaust tip burbling in the water. Bias-ply tires. Never had a problem.

That is impressive! Perhaps I have been advertised into believing 4WD is more necessary than it actually is. I stand corrected.

 

[E90400K]

That is impressive! Perhaps I have been advertised into believing 4WD is more necessary than it actually is. I stand corrected.

I still think a 4WD truck is best. You are not wrong by any stretch.

 

[rmay635703]

I am hoping slates official ratings are just liability jargon and not true limits (or even close)

Slate with all its structural strength and drivetrain directly on the rear axle is a suitable design for tractor trailer design,
Because of its design you need much less high strength raw material because the powertrain forces are all unitized in a small area, also reduces the weight and cost to make an extremely strong weight and trailing device as you can almost ignore the front end.

 

[danielt1263]

I don't think it's so much the frame or suspension that is at issue. Rather I think the 1000# limit is due to the motor cooling system, or the fact that the transmission only has one gear and the torque curve drops off too soon.

 

[JoeBlow-Kokomo]

So back in the day, I use to winter store my Valkyrie interstate at my house in Maryland (not where I live now). I built a 8 x 8 shed in the back yard that was on piers and the deck height of the shed was around 24 to 30 inches (knee high). I built a ramp from 2x6 and some scrap bead board. The ramp was 18" wide and about 8 feet long. In the fall, I'd ride the big Valk up the ramp and into the shed; my head just cleared the top of the door header. I had electric in the shed for the battery maintainer. But that was back in my Evel Knievel days - lol.

So its not like I've not ridden a big bike into a small space like a pickup bed. I started on dirt bikes at 13, so I have no balance issues. I'm just not going to risk damaging a $30K motorcycle when I can rent a UHaul trailer for $28 (local trip - last time I rented one a few years ago).

If the Slate can't be upgraded, then I'll borrow a trailer from a friend or buy my own light-weight ride-on trailer. Cheaper than repairing a Bagger.

Broken rear window is the most common reason to not ride up the bed. Seen more of those than tipping over, but have seen that too.

 

[JoeBlow-Kokomo]

I am hoping slates official ratings are just liability jargon and not true limits (or even close)

Slate with all its structural strength and drivetrain directly on the rear axle is a suitable design for tractor trailer design,
Because of its design you need much less high strength raw material because the powertrain forces are all unitized in a small area, also reduces the weight and cost to make an extremely strong weight and trailing device as you can almost ignore the front end.

Don't stop going to classes yet!

 

[E90400K]

Broken rear window is the most common reason to not ride up the bed. Seen more of those than tipping over, but have seen that too.

With the Slate, I still question the strength of the wall separating the pickup box from the cab. It's removable, so how strong is it?

 

[E90400K]

I am hoping slates official ratings are just liability jargon and not true limits (or even close)

Slate with all its structural strength and drivetrain directly on the rear axle is a suitable design for tractor trailer design,
Because of its design you need much less high strength raw material because the powertrain forces are all unitized in a small area, also reduces the weight and cost to make an extremely strong weight and trailing device as you can almost ignore the front end.

Love AI. "move from a heavy centrally driven mechanical system, to a compact electrically driven axle."

Since when is an electric motor, reduction gear transmission, battery, inverter, etc. not a mechanical system?

LOL.

 

[E90400K]

Dumass Googleheim's razor...

"Shall it not be validated by AI on the internet, then therefore it cannot be true".

 

[kvermeer]

The 1000 lbs towing capacity is really bad for a supposed "truck". It's not a dealbreaker for me because I live in a state (and a country) where inspections aren't mandatory. I intend to weld on a class 3 receiver hitch, beef up the rear frame rails, add a couple airbags, upgrade the radiator, run an electronic trailer brake controller, and (most importantly) take it slow when towing and keep an eye on battery/motor temperatures and have reasonable expectations on range.

I don't need to pass SAE J2807 testing standards. Those have suffered the same sort of regulatory capture as the CAFE "fuel economy" standards that have promoted the arms race of ever-larger, ever-heavier trucks. You shouldn't need to tow at full speed up a mountain in Arizona with the A/C blasting, you should be allowed to roll the windows down and run the cabin heater at full blast to help shed excess energy off the heater core as one would when an ICE vehicle is running hot.

I've towed a lot more than 1,000 lbs with my 1993 Ford Ranger. That didn't have a 150 kW motor, it probably made less than 60 kW after 240,000 miles, and even on the new clutch I installed at 180,000 miles you couldn't put all 60 kW on the road with the 5-speed manual. It had a curb weight of 2,600 lbs, so it's not a matter of relative trailer weights.

The test says "Go 5 meters from stop on 12% grade, 5 times in a row [in under 5 minutes]", and even the new clutch in the Ranger would have been cooked after 4 of those. It wouldn't have held 40 mph up the 6% grade section on interstate 68 on a 100 degree Arizona day, so I wouldn't have chosen to drive on that road with a 3500 lbs trailer.

But even a tiny, lightweight 6x10 aluminum utility trailer weighs 700 lbs. And that's before you load it up with firewood or deck boards or a motorcycle or a lawnmower.

1000 lbs is not a dealbreaker, but it's also not enough to do useful work. It would be really great if the solid rear axle (a good start), spring perches, and frame rails are strong enough for a 3500 lbs tow rating even if the truck can't pass all the ridiculous standardized tests.

 

[RedJoker]

I'm still going to tow my 5x8 utility trailer a few miles down the road to pick up 2, 21-bale bundles of straw. I'm pretty sure the total weight is 1000#.

My anemic 160HP transit connect can do it so I have faith.