41/53dodges Posted January 20, 2013 Report Share Posted January 20, 2013 hello all, While i was home for winter break, the 53' got a few upgrades. A buddy of mine from work gave me a class 5 hitch, so that got adapted on, as did some slightly tamed down 1 ton springs, so now I'm figuring what to do with it! a buddy of mine offered me a 22ft 50's Airstream he has laying around for $250, its beat to crap, but its an airstream! now the question is, how would the truck handle it? it has a stock engine and 3 speed, but upgraded to a jeep rear axle. specs say the trailer is around 2800 lbs, should have electric brakes. Heres a brochure for it: http://www.airstream.com/files/library/dd455670a7af275f.pdf Thanks guys, if this works out and anybody wants, I will post pics of the project! -Josh 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
41/53dodges Posted January 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2013 Hmmm... is there a reason nobody seems to see this? not sure if thingy broken or just nobody looked at it, so lets bring it up top again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Ed Posted January 20, 2013 Report Share Posted January 20, 2013 What makes you think no one saw it? I don't have any knowledge or at least not enough I'd want to answer your towing questions but I did read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
52b3b Joe Posted January 20, 2013 Report Share Posted January 20, 2013 (edited) As Ed said, I don't have experience on this either, but when thinking about it I'm sure the truck would be able to move it. But will it be safe? I don't know. Just thinking of pulling that with my 97' Dodge Dakota with a 318 in it, it would be a handful and it would probably take some effort to keep it moving at 55 mph. In a hilly region I don't think I'd even consider it. If you were going to a local campground within an hour from your house and could take back roads and stay around 35-40 mph then you would probably be fine on flat terrain. You would need to add a brake controller to the truck also. Is the trailer wired 6V or 12V? If its 12V and your running 6V on your truck, the wiring may not handle it. Also, the weight is the empty factory weight. It doesn't take much with gear and so on to rake up 500lbs additional when camping. In the end its your truck and trailer and you can do what your want with it, just be safe. You can also buy it and pull it with anything and still enjoy it. Those Airstreams are cool no matter whats pulling it! JMO Edited January 20, 2013 by 52b3b218 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
41/53dodges Posted January 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2013 What makes you think no one saw it? I don't have any knowledge or at least not enough I'd want to answer your towing questions but I did read it. The thingy on the forum page kinda left the whole thing gray and said 0 views 0 responses, so it looked like it wasnt online or something? anyways, it works now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Balazs Posted January 20, 2013 Report Share Posted January 20, 2013 It looks like way too much trailer for a relatively standard PH to me. I suggest you use a larger modern truck as beginning step to help you assess the real towing requirements of a trailer like this. Once you have a few trips under your belt you should have a pretty good idea of what is really needed. I am sure you will see that Safe Towing takes a lot more than just having a HD hitch on the back of your truck. Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruffy49 Posted January 20, 2013 Report Share Posted January 20, 2013 Electric brakes on a 50's model trailer? That's a new one on me. Even my 60's model trailer has a surge brake system, 60;s F100 single pot master cylinder on a sliding tongue mount... Can you pull an old Airstream with a Pilot House? Yes, they were pulling them when both were new. Should you? Depends, even a built 230 is a weak sister engine by today's standards, if you still run drums you're kinda underbraked (seriously underbraked), 3 spd feeding modern rear end gears you won't be setting any speed records from stop signs or stop lights, 4 speed isn't much better, you need a weigh transfer hitch that actually fits the tow vehicle correctly or your steering is going to suffer... It's a lot like towing a 4 head horse trailer with a 4 cylinder 5 spd Ranger. It will do it, but there are better options. That said, a vintage camper NEEDS a vintage tow rig. Period. My vintage horse trailer has a Sweptline to pull it, era matched rig and trailer looks right, late model tow rig and antique trailer looks like you cheaped out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Elder Posted January 21, 2013 Report Share Posted January 21, 2013 Shoot, i would buy the trailer if you can swing it......maybe replace the flat bed on one of the big trucks with it and have a pilot-house motorhome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg g Posted January 21, 2013 Report Share Posted January 21, 2013 Depends where you are going and how you are going to load it. With most marginally powered vehicles, most of the stress of towing will be punching a hole in the air especially at highway speeds. I have seen a lot of pictures on the net of 30's, 40's and 50's vehicles pulling 20 to 24 foot trailers. Not sure how they navigated on anything but flat land or rolling hills, but as with any towing set up it the braking thats the biggest deal. Your engine has the torque to get it moving and keep it going down the road, but in today's traffic, and todays speeds, it's the stopping that demands attention. I have also just read some threads on another forum concerning insurance coverage when towing with vehicles registered with antique or historical plates. Most Collector car insurance policies say your covereage is voided if you are towing anything other than those small dedicated luggas trailers. So check your state laws and your isurance policy to see what the deal is. I would say if the weight of the trailer is not greater than the weight of the truck and you have properly working trailer brakes you should be OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruffy49 Posted January 22, 2013 Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 (edited) You can't tow with vintage/antique/collector plates. That is using the vehicle as it was designed and voids the specialty tag. Here in west TN a pickup with collector type plates can be fined for violating the tag if there is so much as a cigarette butt in the bed. You'd have to run across just one wet behind the ears "boot camp" to incur a huge ticket. A friend and I got popped out in WA for violating the collector tag, his truck has a factory in-bed spare tire carrier, officer said it wasn't stock and that the truck was being used as a truck. Several hundred dollar ticket, it got thrown out courtesy of showing up in court with parts books, but it still cost him a day's pay by the time it was said and done. If you are going to tow anything with your antique, get a regular plate. Difference in insurance for me is all of $50/yr. And that is with full coverage and agreed upon replacement value. And my crappy driving record (CDL A, scales don't like me). Edited January 22, 2013 by Scruffy49 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Ed Posted January 22, 2013 Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 You can't tow with vintage/antique/collector plates. That is using the vehicle as it was designed and voids the specialty tag. Here in west TN a pickup with collector type plates can be fined for violating the tag if there is so much as a cigarette butt in the bed. You'd have to run across just one wet behind the ears "boot camp" to incur a huge ticket. A friend and I got popped out in WA for violating the collector tag, his truck has a factory in-bed spare tire carrier, officer said it wasn't stock and that the truck was being used as a truck. Several hundred dollar ticket, it got thrown out courtesy of showing up in court with parts books, but it still cost him a day's pay by the time it was said and done. If you are going to tow anything with your antique, get a regular plate. Difference in insurance for me is all of $50/yr. And that is with full coverage and agreed upon replacement value. And my crappy driving record (CDL A, scales don't like me). Anyone reading this should be aware that collector plate rules vary greatly from state to state. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austinsailor Posted January 22, 2013 Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 Most of the antique insurance companies do not cover towing of any sort, small or large. Hagerty and so on. I've talked to many of them. Hagety has the exclusion on your application, it asks if you are going to tow. If you say yes, you don't get insurance. If you say no, it's not mentioned in your policy, so if you decide 10 years later that you want to and read your policy, you won't see any mention of it. However, if you tow and have a problem, they consider the policy "Void from inception" (their words" as you lied on the application. Hagerty told me that if they saw a hitch in the pictures you submit they would not issue the coverage. There are at least 2 companies that will sell collector coverage that covers towing, but you must shop around. None of the big guys do, I've asked them all. I can tow with all of mine, but it took some searching to get there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
41/53dodges Posted January 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 Thanks for all the info guys, I never really thought about the insurance aspect of this! For now, it would be likely to get standard plates and insurance. Scruffy brings up a good point, they were pulling these trailers when they were new! Heck, the ads show a similar trailer being pulled by a guy on a bicycle! So, as far as everything goes, my biggest question is enough power to do it! Which, i think by the sound of it it would work so long as i stay off the freeway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
41/53dodges Posted March 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 alright guys, yet another good question to pick your brains about. my 53' is stock with a 3 on the tree, only drive train mod is the 3.55 rear and I installed for better brakes and ratios. Will the 3 speed be low enough to take off decently with the trailer, or will I want to look into getting a four or five speed stick to replace the old column shifter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
55 Fargo Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 have a read in this thread, might answer some ?s you have http://mopar.pairserver.com/p15d24ph_forum/index.php?/topic/32253-4-spd-truck-trans-differences/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P15-D24 Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 alright guys, yet another good question to pick your brains about. my 53' is stock with a 3 on the tree, only drive train mod is the 3.55 rear and I installed for better brakes and ratios. Will the 3 speed be low enough to take off decently with the trailer, or will I want to look into getting a four or five speed stick to replace the old column shifter? No it is too tall. You clutch will take a beating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
41/53dodges Posted March 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 well crap, I only want to swap transmissions if I can have an overdrive, so that means T5. only problem, the lowest 1st I can find is about 4:1, which isn't much better than the 3.5:1 that the 3 speed has... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruffy49 Posted March 3, 2013 Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 I've got a complete 4.78 half ton rear axle... I know, not what you wanted to hear.... You might want to step up to some 3.73s or similar in your modern rear axle. 3.55s are good with a small block V8, kind of anemic with a small 6 cylinder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
41/53dodges Posted March 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 yeah, good for just the truck but using it for any real work may require the lower 3.73 gears, but thats not the end of the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Ed Posted March 3, 2013 Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 well crap, I only want to swap transmissions if I can have an overdrive, so that means T5. only problem, the lowest 1st I can find is about 4:1, which isn't much better than the 3.5:1 that the 3 speed has... You've got it backwards. Either first gear will be ok if you don't change your rear end ratio. Then once your going with the T5 the OD will get your RPMs down same as swapping to a lower rear end and retaining the 3spd would. For my T5 swap I'm hoping to find a 3.9ish ratio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkAubuchon Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 It will pull it, not real fast and it wont stop real quick!!! But what the heck, go for it. Gearing will be the deal maker or breaker. 355 wont do it, 410 plus or put an older 4 speed with a granny gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
41/53dodges Posted March 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 So my owner's manual is a tad foggy here, did our trucks have a four speed column or am I just reading the manual wrong? if the 53' had a four speed, would it have a stick and a floor parking brake? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merle Coggins Posted March 11, 2013 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 Only 3 speeds were column shift. A 4 speed would be floor shift. The parking brake location wouldn't be any different than what you have now. Merle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
41/53dodges Posted March 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 alright, so if I need more gears it sounds like the column shifter goes bye-bye. darn, i kinda like that thing. oh well, sounds like a T18 may be the best option simply beacuse it is available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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