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Old 01-10-2011, 08:16 AM   #9
KTManiac
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
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Posts: 560
M.O.C. #8818

There is one downside that has kept me from ordering the Idaho Tote.

The tires can only turn just so far, due to the design of the system. They cannot turn far enough for the tires to track properly when doing a tight turn (where the truck is at or near 90* to the 5er) and the Tote tires have to scrub/skid on the pavement to make the turn.

Now, if you're not forced to make this kind of turn, there is no problem. So, planning ahead for your turns is a way to avoid the tire scrubbing issue.

One other thing is the on-board air compressor that is used to actuate the mechanism that allows for the wheels to turn the right way while backing up. I assume that it is wired to the back-up lights of the 5er so that it "knows" when to activate the reverse mode. What happens if it doesn't work properly?

....advantage to the conventional swivel wheel design as it is totally passive, the wheels just do what they're supposed to do. 360*, no matter how tight you turn, they won't scrub


The biggest advantage that the Idaho Tote has over the regular swivel wheel design is the tongue weight. If you look at the swivel wheel designs, the wheels are well to the rear of the unit. While this makes swivel wheels trail smoother and not wobble like a bad shopping cart, it also makes the tongue weight of the unit much heavier (I would guess up to 35-40% of the load)

The Idaho Tote axle is pretty much under the middle of the Tote (slightly aft of center), so the load is carried mostly by the axle on the Idaho Tote and not the tongue (your Montana bumper), depending on how you position the load on the deck.

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