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GM Files Patent For Tow Assist System

GM has filed a patent application for a new tow assist system capable of providing a vehicle with greater towing capacity.

The GM patent filing has been assigned application number US 11,607,918 B2 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and was published on March 21st, 2023. The patent was originally filed on October 21st, 2019, and lists several Canadian-based engineers as the inventors, including Avesta Goodarzi, Ralph D. Schlottke, Grant L. Meade, and Norman J. Weigert.

A GM patent image describing a tow assist system.

The patent describes a tow assist system that is coupled between a lead vehicle and a trailer. The system incorporates a drive unit that will respond to a force between the trailer and tow assist unit, bearing a portion of the force required to tow the trailer.

As the patent points out, vehicles are typically purchased for a variety of different uses, with towing usually relegated to only occasional use. In addition, some users may own a variety of different trailers that offer a range of different weight capacities. Purchasing a vehicle with a high towing weight capacity may be undesirable due to both vehicle expense and operating expense.

As such, a flexible system whereby a vehicle with a relatively low towing capacity can be enhanced to offer a relatively how towing capacity could provide the perfect solution for some users. The patent describes a system that incorporates an inertial measurement unit and controller that is configured to actuate the drive unit in response to inputs, providing additional towing force as well as affecting overall trajectory to provide greater stability, the latter of which is particularly important for very heavy weights and towing in a series of three units (also known as triple towing).

Finally, this system also incorporates the means by which the tow assist unit can supply electrical power from the onboard battery pack to the trailer through an inverter, as well as provide braking as needed for added stability.

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Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

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Comments

  1. It’s sad that GM engineers expect their vehicles to be so pathetically powered that you need to buy an additional device to pull a simple trailer!

    Reply
    1. Sir, that is a whole camper trailer. What hatchback can tow something that big. That has nothing to do with being pathetically powered. You can’t expect to tow something that big with a small unibody car chassis regardless of power.

      Reply
      1. Vw bug and trailer combo. You can buy a gooseneck hitch for roof mount towing on some vehicles.

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    2. GM is nothing but a hack company now. I’m done with their underpowered junk.

      Reply
      1. But the bigger question is:
        Are you done with trashing GM here?

        If you are so opposed to their products, how about just no longer reading or posting here?

        Thus allowing others to more efficiently scroll through valid critiques instead of such negativity. No one is forcing anyone to read GM Authority news, much less comment on it.

        Reply
      2. Apparently Dave has never driven a C8 Corvette. Or many other current GM cars.

        Reply
        1. Or a Demon 170

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      3. And yet you’re still here trashing GM….If you’re really done, be 100% done…. #BYEBYE

        Reply
    3. You mean any electric vehicle, right? Some of the cars now need the add-on to drive without a trailer.
      I really like all the people taking this seriously instead of the tongue-in-cheek missive it is.

      Reply
  2. Why no brake control on the Traverse you say i can tow up to 5000 Lbs and to do so i must have a brake control are you at least going to have this as an option

    Reply
    1. They do. 2020+YM have a wireless system that links to a curt bluetooth controller that is in GM’s accessory catalog. They all feature 7 pins since 2018

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      1. As a professional commercial driver, this is a stupid and dangerous idea. Towing with one pivot point is a serious enough undertaking, but having two pivot points is going to increase the risk of loss of control and crashes due to the “crack the whip” effect and the standard physics that apply to towing and turning with a trailer.

        Most people today can’t properly drive a single vehicle, park in one space or stay in one lane because they are constantly playing with their phone or doing something else that takes their attention away from their driving.

        It’s dangerous enough to be around drivers towing a single pivot point, because most people don’t understand that a trailer does not follow the same track as the towing vehicle in turns, and almost every driver I see is taking turns across the opposite lane because they are too clueless to take a turn properly.

        Towing with one pivot point is challenging enough, but if these things start showing up and you see someone towing a trailer with this get-up, stay the hell away from them, because they are almost guaranteed to lose control or drag this get-up and their tow trailer across your front end.

        Assuming the transmission lasts ten miles trying to tow in the first place. This comment is probably already going to show up twice because GM is so half a**ed these days that even this website does not function properly.

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        1. I also am a Class A CDL driver who has doubles and triples on my License wouldn’t be a challenge for me I team drive 4,500- 5,500 mi in 5 days. Handling this wouldn’t be an issue for me. Turns like a choo choo train 🚂

          Reply
        2. Old time truckers might be respectful of others on the road. But I to drive alot of miles. I would say truck drivers as a whole are the biggest rule breaking jerks on the road. Constantly speeding and weaving in and out of traffic. Killing innocent drivers on a daily basis. I am not directly talking about you. But I’m sure this has been fully tested. This can’t be any worse than a self driving car.

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          1. Somehow, I get this feeling that not only are you one of the countless people I’ve seen with the cruise set at 75, steering with your knees, coffee in one hand, bran muffin or paperback in the other, shoulder cupping your phone to your ear, yelling at the kids to be quiet while you nearly trade paint with a 40-ton truck merging with 20 feet between bumpers to make an exit you’re about to miss, you’re also clueless that a study showed conventional vehicle drivers were at fault in 80% of crashes involving commercial and conventional vehicles.

            In my time out there, people constantly merge too close to these trucks, brake check us for no reason, ride alongside for miles, oblivious, and dart across our nose at the last moment to make an exit because they just can’t wait 5-10 seconds for us to pass the ramp. If you can picture it done in any room in your house, I’ve seen it done at 65 mph in a car (and yes, that includes the bedroom and bathroom).

            I agree that the newest generation of drivers are poorly trained and clueless, but you’re speaking of a handful of minnows in a sea of hundreds of thousands. The problem is that the carriers don’t want to pay experienced drivers what they’re worth, and they pull every dirty trick in the book to cheat us out of our due, especially when it comes to detention, layover and breakdown pay.

            So the driver pool is indeed slowly becoming less and less experienced and less and less skilled. But for every truck driver you complain about, there are 2,000 more that are saving people like you from your own ignorance every day.

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        3. It is interesting that you have assumed that none of that has occurred to them. Even assuming they plan to produce it is naïve. The majority of designs patented never get produced.

          But the most interesting thing here is that you haven’t considered that if it ever was made it would be part of a bigger system, including only working with a primary vehicle that has the brains to control it in ways you could only dream of in your rig. Think SuperCruise/UltraCruise Plus.

          I am not arguing that this is the best idea ever. Personally my concern is trying to stop a trailer as large as the one shown with a vehicle as small as the one shown. But I know that’s a major concern for GM on every vehicle with any towing capacity (the liability is MASSIVE), so if they ever did produce it they would be dealing with safety features that would result in a whole new batch of whining about manufacturers being nannies and making it harder to do things with vehicles.

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      2. Every vehicle that tows 5,000 lbs comes with a 7 pin connector.

        Reply
  3. I will admit that this is interesting. The camper we currently have will someday not fit my family of 6. Going to the one we want requires us to get a truck with the bench seat in the front but that would be uncomfortable for hours long trips. Especially when my youngest gets bigger. Our Suburban is perfect for hauling the family but not for pulling the camper we want too. So this could actually be something I’d look in to.

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  4. As the first guy says. They just want to make vehicles that can’t handle the power needs of people now and in the future. Seeing where things are heading in the future. we will be in some kind of vehicle that will take us from point A to point B. with a max speed of 35 MPH. All kinds of protection gismos to protect us, and not handle another things like trailers, campers or trailers to hall things, becuase they will only have enough power to care 2 people at a time.

    Reply
    1. Yep. GM is just a bunch of jerks who refuse to produce what you personally want. It has nothing to do with market demands for more fuel-efficient vehicles. They haven’t spent an entire century dealing with liability from a staggering number of people killed by their vehicles and the countless lawsuits as a result, they just think you’re a child who needs a helmet at all times. And they definitely aren’t still engaging in the same power rating supremacy dick-measuring contest with the trucks that they always have. You’re right. They’re only interested in producing underpowered vehicles with training wheels, just to piss you off.

      Reply
  5. GM needs to stop with wimpy engines like the 5.3 and stop having lowest tow rating of the big three and start topping Ford. GMC calls them selves professional grade yet GMC and Chevy have the lowest horsepower and torque Ram and Ford GM comes out on the bottom and they want the same money for their trucks and suvs as Ford and Ram. I’ve always been a GM guy but I have to say this is sad GM.

    Reply
    1. Lies. The 5.3 is actually the best engine in its class. The hemi and coyote are rated with premium gas. When you put regular in them the 5.3 has more torque than the ram and matches the torque of the Ford. It also is more reliable than both, and gets better FE when ram on 87 octane.

      GM also has the highest standard towing, as fords and rams standard towing is just over 7000lbs for fuel efficiency. GM’s is just under 10000.

      Reply
    2. Towing with a modern vehicle is very rarely power-limited, and when it is it isn’t by much. If you gave the 4 cyl or V6 Silverado all the various non-engine towing bits that the 5.3 and 6.2 have as well as good enough cooling for the engine and transmission, it would likely be able to tow just as much as the larger, more powerful engines. It wouldn’t accelerate as quickly, no, and it would probably have to work a lot harder maintaining 60mph up a mountain, but it would work just fine. Extra power for towing is at this point a luxury rather than an absolute necessity. You don’t need to accelerate to 60mph in 10 seconds or less while towing a 10,000lb load. It’s just nice to be able to.

      It should be patently obvious that a device like this would be meant for vehicles that have no towing equipment to speak of. Engines with insufficient cooling for it, transmissions that aren’t hearty enough, suspensions that aren’t strong enough, etc. This would be for something like towing a camper with a Trailblazer, not doing it with a Silverado or Colorado.

      The actual issue with this is that there’s unlikely to be a market for it. Someone who makes a habit of towing something that’s too much for their daily driver is unlikely to buy a doohickey to make their mini SUV tow-capable. They’re going to buy a 10 year-old Silverado, F150, or Tundra and tow with that since it’ll probably be cheaper than this tow-assist thing, it’ll have towing accessories built in, and it’ll be easier to maneuver. This is the same problem with vehicles like the Mitsubishi Mirage. At a certain point, you’ll start competing with used vehicles, and very often you’ll lose that competition.

      Reply
  6. This makes a lot of sense especially for battery powered vehicles. The tow assist can carry additional batteries.

    Reply
  7. Thier is already connecting Dollie’s you can purchase to help cover the weight of a heavier trailer. You still need a vehicle capable to handle the trailer and load in it. Start with you’re state reps. Electric is not the way to pull a camper long distance. Or family vacation

    Reply
  8. How do we reverse one of these, looks similar to a B double in its logic.

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    1. On the Trailer Toad they’re in only one trailer ball, on the rear, and it is classified as an auxiliary axle. Backs up fine, drop two reverse pins to lock axle straight to reduce tire drag.

      Reply
    2. The only way this would ever be produced (at least by the likes of GM) is as part of an intelligent vehicle. Think SuperCruise/UltraCruise on steroids. You won’t need to worry about steering it. You just tell it where you want the trailer to go and let the computer steer it there.

      Reply
  9. If I’m towing ill use my wonderful diesel powered monsters. No problem towing with them. I got a 2000 vw golf vr6 I tow my 5×6 round bales with it attached is my 5×8 trailer. Us Texans love our trucks. But good innovation for unibody vehicles. If trucks and Big rig can’t move it. I’ll move it with the tractor 130hp of pure bliss. I will give props even Elon has came up with his travel trailer with electric motors to keep said truck 25mpg at said 25 mpg. Another awesome innovative solution. The trailer is powered like the tesla big rigs motors.

    Reply
  10. Excuse me but is this somehow not just a safety hitch? Does it increase towing capacity of any and all vehicles? In addition I have a class A so towing a doubles/triples isnt a hinderance for me but for someone with just a Class C and no Doubles or Triples endorsement. This could land them in trouble in CA and some other states if Im not mistaken.

    Reply
  11. There is a legal protections component here and what is going to show up will morph into what is practical and cost effective for all the parties involved.

    Reply
  12. Great,now I can pull a 5th wheel with my motorcycle.

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  13. As long as you can rent it and not have to own it.

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    1. Bingo. It’s cheaper in 99% of cases to just get a vehicle that can do both. Gas is expensive, but not that much more expensive

      Reply
  14. Like it or not, you are looking at the beginnings of towing in the future. An electric automotive future. Like it or not, we are being pushed into it. (So far NOBODY has explained where all this car charging electricity is coming from!) It makes absolutely no sense to attempt to make daily driver electric cars big enough to tow as we are currently accustomed to. If you buy into the current electric car thinking this is just the inevitable next step . There are currently a couple of RV manufacturers working on systems pretty much like this incorporating batteries and motors into the framework of the trailer to provide the hauling power for the trailer.

    The problem here is GM or whomever did this got it wrong. In the vast majority of this country it is completely illegal for us mere mortal, non commercial drivers to tow double. And we could never back it up! This will never ever fly. This calls for a design along the lines of “Trailer Toad”. Look it up. Single, steerable axle, solid connection to towing vehicle allowing vertical movement but no horizontal swing. It currently classifies as a “wheeled trailer hitch”. And it works. It’s intended purpose is to take large amounts of tongue weight off of the hitch on a motorhome pulling an enormous “bumper hitch” trailer, reducing strain on the motorhome frame. Trailer Toad’s system would adapt much better to this application than what GM is patenting. And you could back it up!

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    1. You’re making assumptions laws can’t be changed. Also, this device could be built so that it acts like single towing. I assume this is a smart device coupling your vehicle to a trailor

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    2. APRIL FOOL ,old fire water pump

      Reply
  15. The Trailer Toad does not add to your vehicles power to pull but it removes the tongue weight that most new trucks simply don’t handle well. Check it out or call me. TrailerToad.com

    Reply
    1. What I think Sam L is saying is that you need to patent a powered version of the Trailer Toad.

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      1. Not worth the $100K it would take to be different enough and manufacturing setup would be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. My opinion, the market is so small it will never reach the market, if it does my guess is it will in excess of $25K if it has its own battery packs. Just get a truck that will pull your trailer, we can take the tongue weight off and make it much easier and less sway than any regular tag WD hitch. TrailerToad.com

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  16. The scale of the drawing is nonsense. A fifth wheel trailer is hitched up and it’s one high to the human standing next to it? It would need to be about chest high in order to even think about leveling out. And then I assume you would also need to be able to change it out to a gooseneck.

    But in the end, you ain’t towing a double in most states without a CDL. While ask this sounds good the practically didn’t seen to be there.

    Reply
    1. Why, in 2023, would you imagine that a design like this would involve the human being in charge of steering it? You’re thinking way too small. I doubt it will ever be produced, but if it is it will be a self-driving towing upgrade to a self-driving vehicle. The liability is WAY too high for them to even flirt with the idea otherwise. (Still plenty of liability exposure with the self-driving setup, but at least that’s down to the realm that they would consider worthwhile.)

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  17. I love GM.

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  18. As a professional commercial driver, this is a stupid and dangerous idea. Towing with one pivot point is a serious enough undertaking, but having two pivot points is going to increase the risk of loss of control and crashes due to the “crack the whip” effect and the standard physics that apply to towing and turning with a trailer.

    Most people today can’t properly drive a single vehicle, park in one space or stay in one lane because they are constantly playing with their phone or doing something else that takes their attention away from their driving.

    It’s dangerous enough to be around drivers towing a single pivot point, because most people don’t understand that a trailer does not follow the same track as the towing vehicle in turns, And almost every driver I see is taking turns across the opposite lane because they are too clueless to take a turn properly.

    Towing with one pivot point is challenging enough, but if these things start showing up and you see someone towing a trailer with this get-up, stay the hell away from them, because they are almost guaranteed to lose control.

    Reply
  19. Good luck backing that up. The whole set up is a hassle. It won’t sell

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    1. Honestly, it’s 2023. It should have already occurred to you that, if it’s ever actually produced (most patents aren’t), the owner won’t have to steer it. It would be calibrated to the trailer and communicate with the vehicle and execute maneuvers more perfectly than any human driver, regardless of skill level, ever could. This is just a glimpse of GM engineers thinking about what could be done with these new systems. It doesn’t mean they’re actually doing it, just that they saw an idea that was good enough to bother patenting it in case they decide to pursue it.

      Reply
  20. This looks like something that could be rented from U-Haul. What a cool idea!

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  21. Seems to me a hybrid pickup could accomplish the same thing with much less complexity. Electric motors on front wheels. A 4 or 6 cylinder turbo diesel to run the rear wheels; presto you did away with a heavy expensive transfer case. I broke 2 on 2 of my last GM pickups. I do like the idea of being able to unhook the tug from the tow vehicle, and being able to park my trailer or launch my boat.

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  22. I suppose it’s going to be another thing we’ll have to insure to put on the road. How much is it going to ad to the overall length of the vehicles combined? It’ll just end up being something else a person has to buy and ad to the cost of towing, you’ll have to stop more often for either gas or sit a a charging station longer.

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  23. Can it help push also,especially in cold climates.

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  24. The future of big car accidents…

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  25. I might be missing something but wouldn’t a better idea be to add electrically power driven wheels to the RV, trailer, etc. being towed? I agree that maybe something like this is required for existing RVs, trailers, etc., but if I was the manufacturer of those vehicles, that is what I would consider doing.

    Reply
  26. It’s a good idea for moving around in a parking lot , but when you hit the highway and decided you need to stop all that weight with a car that doesn’t weigh enough to handle a camper of that size …. you can pull weight with a small tractor but stopping it is all together a whole new nightmare . Looks like a jackknife crash waiting to happen .

    Reply
  27. Just my opinion but GM has been under rating there vehicles for safety reasons I have towed some ridiculously heavy things with my vehicles I don’t want to mention too much but here’s a thought 35000Lb trailer with a s-10 blazer or how about a steel overseas container that weight lists as 2 Tons on a trailer that is listed as about 4000Lbs all combined being pulled with a s-10 pickup 2wd 4cyl

    Reply
  28. Alot of good comments. Enjoyed reading them yet could not get through all of them. Nevertheless I interpreted this device to help with weight capacity not sure much to increase engine capability. Reduce tounge weight hence increase towing capacity. Like one person said most engines have the capacity to tow but the unibody just can’t handle the weight. Either a full frame or unibody with this device. Who knows maybe I am wrong.

    Reply
  29. This won’t be allowed in Canada as it won’t be dot approved as it will have two tow points on the ball and that’s illegal in Canada just like other CDL drivers even said when it starts going sideways look out

    Reply
  30. I have seem this idea before. This would solve so issues if you doing own a pick up truck. But you have a more then capable suv to tow with. Now you will only have to deal with how much weight your hitch can support.

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  31. I saw another device like this before , I don’t know if it was a prototype? Of this dolly or a different invention all together? Yes there are some issues with this today there are so many people that shouldn’t be towing anything my wife and I just retired we decided to buy a large Fifth wheel and go full-time for a few years. After Covid so many people purchased campers that have no experience towing anything! I’ve seen so many people doing so in very dangerous ways they buy the most powerful truck they can so they can Tow that big camper like they are not towing anything! 90mph passing cars and semis on the interstate. They don’t understand or care that Even the best trailer tires can’t handle this! If they are lucky they get a blowout worse case they jackknife and hurt or kill others! I have over one million miles under my belt driving heavy trucks and 10 years experience driving heavy duty wreckers. Ive seen how inexperienced drivers get in trouble buying into something they shouldn’t! It’s only gotten worse in our travels the last year I’ve seen way to many campers on there side or completely destroyed! I avoid the interstate in certain areas because of this. So this tow assistance device will only make the situation worse! I think it is actually illegal in some states to have a device like this between a tow vehicle and Camper. Like the Fifth wheel dolly someone invented to town a Fifth wheel with a bumper hitch. Yes it’s a thing but not safe at all.

    Reply
  32. Someone is already working on a Trailer with electric motors at the axels and a large battery Bank like a EV this will be much safer than this dolly. The camper will assist the vehicle to not only save fuel but add Regenerative braking . I’ve only seen a Travel Trailer being develop it could come to a Fifth wheel also . Way safer

    Reply
    1. I can’t speak to safety since this is just a patent application. But this would be a lot more useful. A trailer with a built-in battery and electric motor is limited. That increases the cost of the trailer and is only useful for that trailer. This could be used with any travel trailer including the one you already own. This could also potentially be used as a battery backup for your home when not in use.

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  33. I can agree to a point. But i would like to know if they are going to increase the brake systems on vehicles to accommodate all the extra weight, especially going down hills. I also travelled to the south west states for 8 winters before Covid. And i could feel the brakes going down hill with my 38ft MH and toad. yes even with auto brakes on the toad it was scary sometimes just because of the total weight your trying to slow down. so I can see an EV towing a large trailer, trying to slow it down going down some of the hills we were on even on the I-5. when the trailer starts pushing to towing vehicle. trouble in the making.

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  34. Most trailers over a certain weight will have brakes controlled by the tow vehicle. My. Current Fifth wheel/Truck combination is rated for 20K lbs I’m at about 19K if the water tank is full and the 3 LP tanks are full along with the Food and clothing. If the trailer brakes didn’t work not even the rams Exhaust Brake will be enough going down a mountain pass. Some people don’t think the trailer brakes are very important? This last camper I did a test tow I could tell they were not working the dealership tried to play it off as not serious? I had to fix it myself what has happened was they greased the wheel bearings the wrong way and got grease on the brakes themselves! If I didn’t know better or fix it I would never have made it from Sturgis to Quartzite AZ . So it doesn’t matter how large or small the towing vehicle is that trailer needs brakes usually if it has 2 or more Axels it has them

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  35. Properly working trailer brakes are a must! The Tow Vehicle I would think should have the ability to stop everything in tow in a emergency situation but not consistently. I’ve had trailer brakes go out on me it’s not fun but my truck was able to safely get off the highway to fix them before continuing. Without trailer brakes a jackknife is eventually going to happen in a panic stop. The trailer will keep pushing and could get the tow vehicle going sideways then it’s time to start praying even if your not religious. When this happens everyone sees who they think made them.

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  36. Personal towing is not an issue with my GMC 2500 turbo diesel. However, there were many times when I was younger, and less funded things were different. Not everyone can drop 80k on a tow pig, and many of the 1500’s max towing is 8k lbs… this is an interesting concept if safe. I do agree the “whip” effect will be dangerous for the average Joe. Can’t imagine backing up with this.

    Reply
    1. Since this has batteries and an electric motor I assume it can be designed in such a way that it basically cancels itself out when reversing (i.e. mirrors the trailer ).

      Reply
  37. I would like to see how the 2 load stabilizer bars fit in to the scenario as a no tip over helpers, Kinda see everything lying on its side in a ditch. I’ve felt that tip over feeling before,sorry not overly confident on this set up

    Reply
  38. Good luck backing this abomination up.
    A time or two I’ve seen RVs get a bit jammed up, usually pulling into a parking lot that’s a bit too small / crowded. They’re usually able to reverse out of the situation.
    Not with this joke – you can’t back something like this with an extremely short wheelbase and two articulation points.
    I guess it’s a good thing they include that image of Bubba holding a control lever and walking that huge camper around, ’cause whoever is dumb enough to buy this engineering fail will be doing that a lot.

    Reply
  39. On the flip side to all this. it looks like something made from the 50’s. Maybe Gm got word, someone else is looking to produce something like this so they want to get a Patent in, so if someone does, try to produce or patent it they have the upper hand. When they take them to Court. Not that they will ever produce something like this.

    Reply
  40. I am a Chevrolet guy, I have had Fords they suck. Not as bad as Dodge but damn near. I have a 2002 3500 Duramax crew cab dually and pull 12000 lb trailers all day long. So with this new dolly does that mean you can pull two trailers like you can and Nevada?

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  41. Lol ….. if you don’t know what your talking about, you look silly leaving comments.
    Look people ANY car can move the camper sure it may not want to but you can make it ,the issue is stopping it when towing something that weights more than the vehicle your operating you can’t hardly stop it I love me some gm but I kinda feel like this is gonna be dangerous letting your average person tow something that size is gonna be a disaster.

    Reply
    1. It’s more complicated than what you’re stating. EVs weigh a lot more than their ICE equivalents. The Lyriq weighs as much as a Silverado, so the brakes have to be able to stop that much weight. In addition, EVs have regenerative braking as well, so they are capable of stopping much more than their own weight. EV brake pads tend to last a long time because the regenerative brakes do most of the stopping.

      So a device like the one shown in the patent is really there to help with battery usage while towing. If you have an EV with a 300-mile range when it’s not towing it would be great to maintain that range while towing using a device like this.

      Reply
  42. Sounds great …..sign me up

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  43. It’s battery powered so how long do you think it will help you for? You’ll spend all your time getting it charged up. If you have an electric vehicle you’ll be all day charging it for what, a couple hundred miles at best. Not the way to go.

    Reply

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