Bruce L. Bergman wrote:

(...)

Please learn from my mistake.

--Winston


Picking on "Winston" section:

D'oH!

Enlighten us about your 'mistake', Winston - What kind of sedan,
what kind of trailer? Age, powertrain type and mileage on the car?

2000 Toyota Camry 4 cyl. 4' x 6' steel rental trailers.
3 speed automatic with overdrive. ca 120 K on the clock.

If it already had 150,000 miles on the typical automatic, the
transmission going out may well have been normal wear and tear, and
the trailer may not have had anything AT ALL to do with the failure.
Or you didn't know to TAKE IT EASY when towing at the ragged edge of
vehicle capacity, and killed it through abuse.

I now suspect that towing a trailer is abuse. Live and loin.

Clue: When it was my daily driver, I towed small trailers all the
time for years with a 61 Corvair - 102 HP air-cooled (fan forced) and
2-speed Powerglide. When done correctly size is not a consideration,
you just have to remember to leave plenty of room.

Did you have an auxiliary transmission cooler on the car? The one
in the radiator is not enough if you are towing.

Ah. Now he tells me.

(I had to change the transmission rear cover on the Corvair to a
Truck/Greenbrier rear cover to get the trans cooler fittings - Car
cases didn't have the fittings, just a bypass slot.)

Did the trailer you were using have brakes?

Never!

Same thing, it's a
given on large trailers towed with large cars (Legally Required on any
trailer over 2,000# - 3,500# - check your state laws) but should be
installed on small ones towed by small cars. It saves both the car's
brakes and the transmission if you were downshifting too much and too
hard.

Downshifting?

--Winston