Conference vicki::boats

    	These hauling topics always get interesting, so I might as well
    jump right in with my viewpoint. For a vehicle to be a good towing
    machine it needs to have certain properties relative to the size
    and weight of the total load. These are described below.
    
    	1) Power - The power of the engine may be overrated by some in
    this regard, i.e. a smaller engine with relatively low gears will do
    as well as a larger engine with high gearing.
    	   
    	2) Traction - Getting the power into use obviously requires
    adequate traction. 4WD is best (this also gives you low range ...
    a real plus), rear wheel drive is the next best and front wheel drive
    is the worst.
    
    	3) Road keeping ability - The first two items were directed
    at getting the rig in motion, this is directed at controlling the
    rig once in motion. You see, a contest develops on the highway between 
    the towing vehicle and the towee to determine who is in control. In
    order for the tower to win it must be heavy enough to keep the towee 
    under control. (A long wheel base also helps.) There are recommended 
    weight ratios which I'm sure were discussed in previous notes. I'll
    look them up and post them if no one else does.
                                                      
    	Having given my analysis of what a good towing vehicle is, I'll
    now attempt to answer your question in a rather indirect way. I
    preffer not make judgements on vehicles that I don't have intimate 
    knowledge of so I'll confine my comments to my own experiences.
    	My boat is 22' long and I estimate the total towed load weighs
    between 3500 and 4000 lb. The first year I had the boat I had a
    7 year old, tired (100,000+ miles), 300CID, 6 cyl, short bed Ford
    pickup. When I bought the vehicle it was as a commuting/utility
    vehicle so I got the 4 spd overdrive transmission and geared it
    high. 
    	Towing with this vehicle was possible but not practical. I
    think the engine had enough power but it was geared to high. Getting
    the rig to move was a gut wrenching, all out effort on the part
    of the truck. It was also usually accompanied by squeeling tires.
    On the highway the boat tried to take control, particuarly going
    down hill (even with surge brakes) and uphill climbs had to be
    anticipated to be negotiated at a reasonable speed. All this was 
    minimized as best I could by increasing tongue weight, adding extra 
    weight to the truck etc. but the performance was not adequate. After
    rejecting the idea of installing a lower geared rear end and wider 
    tires, I decided to moor the boat.
    	The following year I bought my towing vehicle; a 3/4 ton, 4WD,
    350 CID, V8, extended cab pickup. I also had a lower gear ratio
    rear/front end installed. Even with this rig, I use 4WD, low range
    to pull the load out of the water. I attempted it once in 2WD but
    quickly switched to 4/low because of the strain on the vehicle and
    the lack of traction. 
    	On the highway it performs great, the long wheelbase plus the
    weight of the truck quickly establishes who is in control and who
    is to follow. Also the engine isn't straining and hills can be
    negotiated without forethought. 
    	The moral of this lengthy story is that most vehicles can be
    made to tow a heavy load but to do it repeatedly without damage to the 
    towing vehicle or increasing safety concerns a fairly large, powerful 
    vehicle is needed. 
     	The aerostar may be able to do it. It certainly would be better
    than some of the other small vans but I'd look into optional power
    and gearing. Also transfer as much weight from the boat to the vehicle
    to improve traction and road keeping qualities.        
    	I'm sure you'll be hearing from others. As I stated this usually
    is a hot discussion and there is no shortage of opinions, or a
    willingness to air them.    
    
    Hope this helped
    Paul

    Actually it's looking more like the Astro after this weekend we
    have found that it has all the options that we want plus a bigger
    engine.  Any feedback on that automobile?
    

    I have an '88 Aerostar XLT with the 3 liter V-6 and towing package.
    I pull a 2400 lb boat plus 500lb trailer plus gear. That should
    be near 3400 lbs. It does a good job but, not an outstanding one!!
    On reasonable level roads, the cruise will hold very well at 60 mph
    but, on hills I have to use the pedal. The trailer-to-vehicle weight
    ratio is no problem. The vehicle is rated for 5500 lbs towing capacity
    but, I wouldn't want to try it for any distance at that weight.
    
    The last vehicle I had was a '78 Chevy 3/4 ton full size van with
    a 350 cu in V-8. My next tow vehicle will be heavier with a V-8!!!
    Thats not saying the Aerostar is not good---simply I'd rather have
    more weight and power. I suspect the Astro is no different than
    the Aerostar for performance. 
    
    Bottom line---the Aerostar will do the job but, a larger van with
    a V-8 will do it better!!!
    
    Good Luck!
    
    Don

    
    
    	I have an '87 Astro equiped with HD suspension, transmission
    cooler, HD cooling, oil cooler and larger capacity electrical system.
     All of these options were factory installed so any real discussion
    about details may be more myth than fact, but anyway, it has the
    4.3 litre V6 and pulls 2k lbs without even letting you know it's
    back there.  I have towed a daysailer 1200 miles round trip with
    a drop in mileage from 23ish to 20ish.
    	The only complaint that I have is with the peformance on ramps.
    Because it's a van, your visibility is somewhat limited (compared
    to a pickup). and without 4WD wet, slippery or steep ramps is
    entertaining.  
    	Quality is on par with GM these days.  Small annoying little
    problems with trim pieces.  But when this one hits 60k in about
    two years, I'll definetly look at Astro's again first.
    
    Good luck,  Call if you want more info.
    
    Steve DeLisle
    DTN 289-1153
    

    Correction to note 346.0- the weight of the upgraded boat will be
    4600 lbs.
    

Since I don't know the capabilities of the vehicle you propose to buy, I'd 
strongly recommend that you find the (usually there's only one) knowledgable
salesperson at your favorite dealership, and discuss the manufacturer's 
stated limitations for the vehicle suspension and axles. All the dealerships
have books that clearly define the limits and specifications. The cigar-chomping
backslapper who says "Worry about nothing, this thing will pull your house over"
usually doesn't know how to use the books to get the actual answer.

You mentioned 4600#. I'll assume that's the boat and engine. You can add 
another 1000# easily just by filling the gas tank and loading up your 
electronics and fishing tackle. As a rough estimate, I'm figuring this is a 
21 to 25 foot boat, power (not sail), which means it will have a 100 to 
140 gallon fuel tank. Say it's 120 gallons. That's about 850# of fuel 
(and oil) right there.

My boat rides on a COX CST4000G trailer. That's a 24-foot, 4000# load capacity
trailer. The trailer itself weighs 1560 pounds. I pull it with a full-size
Bronco with a 351 V8; engine oil and transmission coolers are a must. Whether
you get air conditioning or not, get the AC-sized cooling system for the van.

I "got along" before, with my old Bronco with a 302 V8. It strained a lot on 
the hills on 93 heading toward the big lakes in NH. The hills leading toward
Wolfeboro were killers. My cousin has one of the Dodge (maybe Plymouth) mini-
vans. I DON'T BELIEVE HE COULD PULL MY BOAT ON ANYTHING OTHER THAN LEVEL GROUND.

I've been wrong before...

Art

    I went down to my local ford dealer to buy a tow vehicle after buying a
    new boat (weight with trailer and junk 5000 lbs) because my 7 foot bed
    , v-6 powered, 4 wheel drive, less than 2 tear old Ranger would not
    pull the boat. It pulled my 2000 pound package OK. It managed by a
    smalll margin to get a 3700 pound package up the ramp ( got stuck once
    a board in the ramp broke)and did a decent job pulling it around town.
    Braking was the biggest problem. But the bigger boat was just too much
    for the Ranger. I think the ranger is on par or a little stronger than
    the aerostar, so maybe you can use this info as a measurement point. It
    has alot to do with how good the ramps are .
     
     Bill
      

    In reference to an earlier reply, the boat and trailer weigh about
    4600 lbs.  I imagine that that does not include gas, cooler, ski
    gear, etc (I'm sure).  But, if the van can't handle much more -
    I guess we'll have to buy our gas up on the lake (which isn't badly 
    priced- by Long Island Bridge anyway).  We would be keeping the 24' 
    boat up there (on Winnipesaukee) most if not all of the time.  I'm
    praying that this van will be able to haul our current and future
    boat as my husband has made up his mind on the Astro unless I can
    come up with a good reason not to buy it.  Chevy says that this
    van can haul up to 6000 lbs.
    
    We're looking at an 88 leftover right now.
    

    re .8
    
    I does not sound like you are accepting the advice you asked for.
    
    Several people have suggested that for hauling a 5000 lb boating rig
    you need a 4wd vehicle with about a 350 cubic inch engine.  They are
    experienced people and correct with their advice.  You should believe 
    them.
    
    The engine size for cruising on the highway, and the 4wd for the
    boat ramp.  I assume your trailer has brakes, so the additional
    braking power of such a tow vehicle is not an issue.
    
    Just last night we used my 4wd Cherokee to pull Rick's 2WD pickup
    up the ramp pulling his Nautique, about a 3000 lb combined boat
    and trailer weight.  Bet it is not long before he gets a 350 ci
    4wd puller.  He had plenty of power to spin the tires.  2wd really
    limits the ramps that you can use.
    
    Don Wilson
                                      

>    Just last night we used my 4wd Cherokee to pull Rick's 2WD pickup
>    up the ramp pulling his Nautique, about a 3000 lb combined boat
>    and trailer weight.  Bet it is not long before he gets a 350 ci
>    4wd puller.  He had plenty of power to spin the tires.  2wd really
>    limits the ramps that you can use.
 
    
    	How did I know it wouldn't take long for this to be posted?
    :-)
    
    	Actually, the Nautique with the trailer is 3400 lbs, so with
    gas, junk and being wet we were probably nearing 4000 lbs.
    
    	Yeah, it's going to be back to 4WD real soon for me!
    
    Rick

Note 346.10        

>>  How did I know it wouldn't take long for this to be posted?  :-)
    

Like I said last night Rick, I snapped a picture of Don pulling
your Ford out with his Jeep, and it's already scheduled for
publication in next month's Jeep Magazine!    8^)

Seriously, I'm sure most full size trucks or vans could pull a
5000 lb. boat down the highway.  The problem is, boat launches
are not highways.  Most of 'em are either dirt or wet pavement.
I've seen people put the equivalent of about 20,000 miles worth
of abuse on their 2WD vehicle, smoking the tires, clutch, or
automatic transmission while trying to make it up a ramp. 

4600 lbs. is full size 4WD territory if you plan to do your own 
launches.  At that weight you're already at the upper limits of
the Astro's towing capability, and I think you'll find that
the passengers and cargo are also included in that limit.  Throw
in some fuel, coolers etc. and you're over the limit, to say
nothing of the launching/retrieval problems.

I managed to get my old Ford F150 2WD stuck on the same ramp
that Rick Suter had a problem with last night.  Except I was
pulling only about 1500 lbs.  Now I have a heavier boat with a
smaller truck, but the 4WD allows me to haul out without spinning
a wheel.

            
    	A little more about 2WD vs. 4WD (gee, should I change the 
    title of this note?)
    
    	I always knew that pulling the boat up the ramp is the
    toughest job for a truck. But  when I was attempting to 
    pull out of a sidestreet with only a little sand on it and
    the tires started to spin was a good indication that even
    a paved ramp when fairly steep might be tough to get out of.
    BTW, I was towing the boat.
    
        Sonia, you mentioned the boat staying at Winni. Is this
    a case of only towing a couple times a year? If so I would
    say the Astro may be adequate, but don't forget to bring the
    chain with you. If you are towing more than a couple times
    a year, then a full-size 4WD truck is the only answer. BTW:
    those new Chevy pickups are nice looking rigs!
    
    	Rick

    re .12
    
    re the Chevy trucks.  I am waiting until they build the  big Blazer on
    that chassis.  Hope it is next year.  I can usually eat about
    two sandwichs between 0 and 60 mph with my 2.8 l Cherokee, and cruise
    with the throttle on the floorboard alot when towing a 2000 lb rig.
    
    I bet when Rick goes back to a 4wd, he will have a bigger engine
    than his previous Jeep Comanche.
    
    Don

	I looked at Aerostars a couple of years ago.  They seemed to 
be way overpriced  (but so was everything else, I guess thats what 
sticker shock is:-^))  for  "mini-vans".   I do all my own 
maintenance, so was negatively impressed with the poor engine 
compartment access.

	re  4WD, FWD and RWD;  I think that FWD can be adequate.  If 
there is a traction problem at your (least) favorite ramp that can be 
solved with a front bumper hitch - (see my other ravings about those 
elsewhere).  4WD Low is THE nice and gentle easy way to bring a boat 
out, no snatching, clutch or torque converter burning, just PULLLLLlll ! 
whether its a sandy beach or a slimy ramp.  I regard a front hitch as a 
requirement, from which it follows that an adequate place to attach it 
is also a requirement.  I think this limits my choice to full sized 
vans, trucks and their derivatives, i.e. plastic trim strip type 
bumpers are out unless I'm willing to get busy with a torch and change 
the vehicle's cosmetics considerably.

	Reg

{Oh, 4WD Suburban; mit klattermotor}

    Ref note 346.9  - I do appreciate any advise you can give me.  I
    was just trying to list off some of the considerations again, not
    meaning to imply that I didn't appreciate their advise.  Sorry!
    
    Well, it's getting close to decision making time.  We saw in the
    Sunday News yesterday a Dodge Ram conversion van for a great price.
    Better than the Astro that we have been looking at.  In earlier
    notes I had read that 4wd was not needed to haul, but they must
    have been referring to hauling smaller boats.  We had ruled
    out 4wd, but it definitly sounds like we need that now!  Whole new
    outlook on the market now.
    
    I really do appreciate any advise that anyone can give me!
          
    Thanks,
    Sonia

You have to be aware of personal biases. I'd say the decision of FORD, CHEV,
GMC, DODGE... is not that far from "what color". But the input you've received
here concerning the more factual things like length of wheelbase, weight of
towing vehicle versus the towed rig, condition of the launch ramp, frequency
of launching and retrieving, towing capacity and axle capacity of the truck -
these are the valuable inputs you're getting from people who have been towing
boats and trailers for some time.

Some more basics I've learned:

1. If your truck has a long wheelbase, it will be more stable on the road while
towing. But that will reduce your maneuverability on the ramp.

2. If your truck is lighter than your trailer rig, the trailer will try to
control the truck when you want to change direction or speed. Sometimes the
trailer wins. Tandem axle trailers are the worst offenders, because they have
their own directional stability; they want to go straight.

3. If your trailer does not have brakes, it's going to put a LOT of strain on
the truck brakes (and the driver) in tight situations.

4. If you trail a lot (two-three times per month) you should put towing
considerations ahead of commuting economy when selecting your truck. 

5. If you trail once in the Spring and once in the Fall, AND the ramp you are
going to use is an "improved" (paved, reasonable grade, ample water depth)
ramp, you can do all right with a full-sized van or full-sized pickup with 
two wheel drive and adequate power and cooling equipment. (My opinion, based
on your stated boat configuration -- but you know what opinions are worth.)

Good luck, and good boating!

Art

    Well guys, you're going to hate me for saying this but we are picking
    up our 88 (leftover) Astro conversion van tonight.  My husband is
    really convinced with that decision being the best.  Some of the
    reasons would be; towing capacity, MPG, desirability of comfort,
    and price.  We will be towing our 20' boat this year with it- which
    I currently tow with my 87 Cougar (v6) without a problem.  We will
    later (next year) be towing the 24' boat with the Astro only a few
    times as we will be looking into keeping it at Winni when the time
    comes.
    
    Thanks Again for all the input!
    I really did listen and pass the info on!
    Sonia

    
    OK, so you didn't follow the advice to go with 4WD.  I guess
    you could have done a lot worse than the Astro - Trailer Boats
    Magazine rated it as the best overall towing vehicle a year or
    two ago.  If you'd like a copy of the article let me know and
    I'll see if I can find it.
                                                   
    Good luck with it!
    
    Rick W.

    Thanks for the offer.  I did resently get a copy of some magazine
    article from 1988 with the top 6 best towing vehicles.  Is that
    the same one you have?  If not I'd love a copy if you find it. 
    
    By the way, we got the van last night- and it looks real nice!
    We'll see how it tows in a couple weeks.  I'll let you know.
    
    Thanks again.
    Sonia

    
    re: Everyone...
    
    	Well, it didn't take long! I pick up my 4X4 Dakota on Sunday!
    
    	Yeah!!!!!!
    
    	Rick

    
    	I thought I'd file a report on how the Dakota tows. The truck
    has a 3.9 V6 with a 5 speed manual transmission.
    
    	The boat follows the truck extremely well, although I've only
    had it up to about 67 mph. The rig gets up to highway speed with
    much less effort than the 2.8 Comanche (read I can only eat 1
    sandwich while waiting) and maintains 60-67 mph in 5th gear even
    on fairly significant inclines.
    
    	Of course best of all is that 4 low will pull a house and
    takes no effort at all to pull the Nautique out of Mattawannkee.
                                                                    
    	All in all I'm very pleased with the Dodge's performance and
    hope to put many happy towing miles on it.
    
    Rick

    As the discussion on towing dies down,maybe someone can give some
    tips on a problem I encountered while towing.To make a looooonnng
    story short,we bought a boat last August.It is a 16'Starcraft aluminum
    bowrider with a 60 horse Johnson outboard.We had two Ford Escorts
    as our vehicles.We used the new one to tow out the end of last season,
    only bringing it the seven miles from our house to Wyman's Pond
    in Westminster where we left it at the club.Suffice to say,an Escort
    is not the towing vehicle of choice but we got it there and with
    some experimentation got the boat in and out of the lake.
        A few weeks ago we bought a GMC Sierra S15 with the 4.3L V6,
    heavy duty suspension,heavy cooling system with tranny cooler,3.42
    rear axle and auto trans.Since the boat package weighs under 2000
    pounds and I went deeply enough into hock,the dealer and I decided
    four wheel drive wasn't critical and the truck has a towing capacity
    of 5500 lbs. the way it is set up.SOOOOO,I put the boat in last
    Sunday for the first time this year,boat started right up,ran great,I
    got sunburned but we had a terrific time.Time to retrieve the boat
    from the water,big thunderstorm moving in.Backed up the trailer,loaded
    the boat and couldn't get it out of the drink!Plenty of power to
    spin the wheels,but no traction.Granted,we use a corner of the beach
    for boats,and yes it is sand,but we're talking about a 15-20 degree
    incline.
      Tried this and that,and after the WRECKER towed me out of the
    holes I dug myself into up to the rear axle,we had to try again
    while the previously mentioned Tstorm was on us.Went about it dif-
    ferently and didn't get stuck again,but also only got the boat part
    way out.Storm was too big,left trailer and boat where it was and
    went home.
      After the storm blew through,I went back down alone with the Escort
    that we kept,y'know,the one with the trailer hitch that we wouldn't
    need anymore now that we had a TRUCK? Pulled it right up the beach,
    across the grass and up back where we park it.No problem at all.
      Now that you veterans have had a good chuckle,what the hell do
    I do to help next time? I am going to put a cap on the truck which
    will add a few pounds to the vehicle and may help in a minor way,but
    this probably won't be enough.I suppose we could just fill the bed
    with cement to make it heavier but that would probably void the
    warranty.Is it mainly a question of weighing down the bed to give
    the driven wheels traction,or what? I have a few ideas to try,but
    before putting the time and effort into these thoughts,maybe some
    of you folks have found cures to similar problems.
       We bought the truck so we could bring the boat to more of the
    many lakes and rivers around New England,and it pains me to have
    sunk my tail into the hole (along with the truck!) and this too
    expensive vehicle can't do the job presently.
    
    Ideas?
    
    
    
    Thanx,
    Keith G.
    

    RE: .22                
    
    If your S15 is like most, it probably came with a set
    of "all season" passenger car tires.  If so, take 'em
    off and put 'em on a passenger car where they belong.
    
    Get yourself a set of all terrain truck tires, like
    Goodyear Wranglers or Sears AT's.  After years of getting
    stuck with my Ford F150 2WD, the Sears tires made a
    huge difference.
           
    Rick W.

    I THINK what might work is to install a front hitch. I mean just
    a 'ball' to get you out of the ramp. Once on level ground, turn
    the truck around. 
    I assume you knew - but for the rest who didn't catch it. the Ford
    Escort was FWD.
    Before you run out and buy one, can anyone confirm? And let us know
    how it worked.
    These things are fairly cheap - guess around $20 bucks - and attached
    usually to the front bumper/plate. Bass pro sells them for one.

	re .22	   It depends what/where your trouble was.  If getting
the driving wheels 6ft further up the ramp means they get out of the
hole that everyone else digs then FWD  _OR_  a front hitch will do the
trick. I've raved elsewhere about front hitches, yes they're about $20
at Vans Unlimited in Marlborough - and probably lots of other places. 
The biggest advantages are that the turning wheels of the vehicle are
so much closer to the trailer ball, giving better control and you can
see the boat and trailer as it drops off at the start of the steep
part of the ramp.  Cement ? I wouldn't.  A possibility might be some
water filled plastic 55 gallon plastic drums, but be sure to build a
suitable frame to hold them.  I've thought about the worst case and if 
it ever came to it I  *_MIGHT_*  try blocking the trailer, taking the 
tow vehicle 20-25ft up the ramp and winching the trailer to it with 
the trailer's boat loading winch.  Just use the safety chain to hold 
the boat and pull the line out the front, repeat as necessary.  I have
a trailer tongue jack with a wheel, so this might be possible, though
difficult in deep soft sand, since its a small diameter hard wheel. 

	I think your dealer might have been a bit unethical, should
have at least ensured that the truck had limited slip - Oh well,
that's another topic for another conference. 

	Reg	{always hanging around the ramp with a 4WD and 40ft of 
3/8 chain looking to make a quick $20 :-) }

    I feel the dealer should take some responsibility here, sounds like
    he sold you the vehicle under faults pretenses...Jim
    
    
    
    P.S. Did he at least fill in the holes at the beach?

    Re .22>
    	I wouldn't get too concerned yet. A 16' Aluminum boat certainly
    can be done with 2WD. I'd suggest the following.           
    
    	1.) Check the tongue weight of the boat/trailer and adjust if
    necessary. I seem to remember a rule of thumb of 10% of the load
    for this. This will help some if you don't have enough now.
    	
    	2.) As previously stated, make sure you have decent tires on
    the truck. I once got stuck in a few inches of snow in a 4WD (not
    mine) that had stock (useless) tires that looked more like racing 
    slicks than "all season" tires. This was without anything being
    towed. 
    	If you are planning a lot of sand launches, you may want tires 
    with a fair amount of floatation; wide with relatively soft sidewalls. 
    I also got stuck once on Plumb Island with a 4WD with snow tires; too 
    narrow and stiff. Again, I wasn't towing anything.
    
    	3.) If 1 & 2 don't work by themselves, add weight to the truck.
    I don't think you need tons; a couple hundred pounds of anything
    will probably be more than enough. I've successfully used crew members.
                                                               
    	4.) The front hitch will also work. I don't think you'll need 
    it but if you like the idea go for it.
                                       
   	I hope this helped.
    Paul 

    
    Thanks for the ideas so far.As has been suggested,better tires are
    one of the things I thought would help,as the truck did come with
    Uniroyal Tiger Paws.I know these aren't sand monsters,but didn't
    want to sink two hundred bucks in tires right off the bat if they
    weren't going to make much difference.Will start price shopping.
      The part about the cement was a joke.I wasn't really going to
    turn the bed into a patio,but the idea of getting weight back there
    was real.The stern of the boat is in line with the back end of the
    trailer so it doesn't seem I can push it up too far to get more
    tongue weight on the truck's rear.I can also understand the idea
    of a front hitch for a 4x4,but it doesn't seem it would be all
    that beneficial on a rear driver.The driven wheels would be hanging
    out there all alone,and the place I put the boat in isn't pre-grooved
    from previous vehicles.
       I'm thinking also about buying a come along or winch for the
    tough parts if the easy things don't work.After the cap is on and
    better tires are in place maybe I can find another reasonable way
    to add ballast to the truck's tail.If the weather permits over this
    long weekend,we will be going through this routine again.I bought
    a tow cable Monday,and we will keep the Escort close by!
    
    
    
    Keep 'em coming,
    Keith G.
    

      I found that extra weight helped in the snow and would certainly
    help in your situation. You can buy solid concrete blocks 4"x8"x16"
    at building supply centers (more weight in less space). A frame
    of 2x4's to contain them and plywood to protect the bed keeps them
    from moving around. I put mine over the rear axle but they can be
    located behind the axle. They can be removed easily and don't
    interfere very much in using the truck.
    
      The weight on the tongue can be changed by moving the axle
    back to increase tongue weight. Most trailer have extra holes
    to allow different set ups based on size and center of gravity
    of boat. 
    
    Wayne

    Don't think  this  has  been suggested yet but it works quite
    well.  After you find you are having a problem but before you
    are  dug in up to your axle, deflate the tires to about 10-15
    lbs.   This  will  give the extra traction you need.  Bring a
    guage  and  a  12  volt  inflator  and you're all set.  Extra
    weight  over  the  axle  helps of course but I wouldn't carry
    anything extra like concrete - human beings work fairly well,
    are easy to locate over the axle, and seem to be in abundance
    whenever your creating a spectacle.