Camping

[Hickory]

Me and the wife enjoy camping, how well do you think a 49 royal would tow a canned ham classic style r.v.  I think it would look so cool going down the road

[55 Fargo]

Well this is a topic that can get pros and cons 4 sure.

The car will pull it, but making sure you can stop well is huge.

Trailer brakes, CAR BRAKES must be in great shape and disc with a dual MC even better or a prerequisite.

Pulling a light trailer on smaller highways sure, high speed Interstates I dunno, when and where traffic is light.

California is 1 state where it might have a speed limit of 55 at night for a trailer and tow vehicles of certain weights and length. Your state may or may not be the same.

I know a Gent up here who pulled a 16 ft camper across this country with a 32 Chrysler 251 T5 trans and 3.90 gears.

But had stock brakes and tall skinny bias ply WW tires.

Know what you are getting into beforehand.

 

Edited March 25, 2018 by 55 Fargo Spitfire

[tom'sB2B]

Sounds like an adventure 

[55 Fargo]

5 minutes ago, tom'sB2B said:

Sounds like an adventure 

Beautiful set-up.

While it's an adventure it would be wise to know all the limitations of doing so.

Safety, reliability first.

Edited March 25, 2018 by 55 Fargo Spitfire

[Hickory]

Well I'm rebuilding my 251 engine and M6 tranny now, and am installing 11 inch front rotors with dual master and power booster while the drive train is out. I don't have a camper yet but I'm thinking slightly bigger than Toms but very similar. How well to the tranny and rears hold up

[tom'sB2B]

Ha! I wish that was mine (googled it) How about this set-up 

[Don Coatney]

If I recall correctly this Desoto pulled this trailer from California to Indiana and beyond. Spotted this at the 2014 Desoto Convention in Fort Wayne.

 

[tom'sB2B]

I saw that same car at the local woodies on the warf in Santa Cruz 

[55 Fargo]

25 minutes ago, Hickory said:

Well I'm rebuilding my 251 engine and M6 tranny now, and am installing 11 inch front rotors with dual master and power booster while the drive train is out. I don't have a camper yet but I'm thinking slightly bigger than Toms but very similar. How well to the tranny and rears hold up

Diff and trans no problem.

Is yours a 3.54?

[Tim Van Pelt]

Back in the day just about every trailer was pulled by a car. We now think that you have to have a diesel pickup to do the job. Americans have gone soft.

[pflaming]

I pulled an 8' U-Haul from Weatern Nebraska to Fresno, CA with a 1963 Chevy II station wagon and pulled it over Toiga Pass when it had a lot of one way stretches. Most of trailer pulling has to do with driver skill. 

[55 Fargo]

1 hour ago, Tim Van Pelt said:

Back in the day just about every trailer was pulled by a car. We now think that you have to have a diesel pickup to do the job. Americans have gone soft.

I dont know how well that 48 T&C would pull a big Airstream at 70 mph plus on the freeway these days.

I agree but with today's roadways and traffic there are several considerations and regulations too.

Hauling a big long heavy loaded modern day camper would be an experience with a 40s Mopar..

[55 Fargo]

2 minutes ago, pflaming said:

I pulled an 8' U-Haul from Weatern Nebraska to Fresno, CA with a 1963 Chevy II station wagon and pulled it over Toiga Pass when it had a lot of one way stretches. Most of trailer pulling has to do with driver skill. 

Paul a small utility trailer is not a good sized camper trailer or a big long heavy boat.

The smaller lighter teardrop trailers yes more like a big utility trailer.

[pflaming]

Fargo, Rule #1, the horse must match the cart, Rule #2, read rule #1. Then Driver skill still is the final issue for pulling safety. When pulling long trailers or long boats, tractor needs to have a long wheel base or a lot of weight. That all assumes one understands hitches. Lots to know. 

[55 Fargo]

20 minutes ago, pflaming said:

Fargo, Rule #1, the horse must match the cart, Rule #2, read rule #1. Then Driver skill still is the final issue for pulling safety. When pulling long trailers or long boats, tractor needs to have a long wheel base or a lot of weight. That all assumes one understands hitches. Lots to know. 

Yup along with knowing is the big weight differences.

Ive pulled big heavy trailers I know what its like.

Pulling a small utility trailer is easy comparatively speaking and so is the lower level of skill as compared to big, heavy  and long loads.

With respect to the OPs question and intent.

He needs to be aware of the limitations of his intended choice in Campers.

Where he intends to travel with it, the rules regulations that will.need to be addressed in order to facilitate this idea.

Driving these old cars and trucks can be a challenge alone on certain roadways, conditions and terrain, without adding a trailer.

This is not 1950, heck its nothing like 1980 on these highways in so many locales.

Its not just a simple matter of getting a hitch and trailer and off you cruise into DesiLucyland...

Edited March 25, 2018 by 55 Fargo Spitfire

[normanpitkin]

I tow this with my 1948 17,000 mile New Yorker with standard brakes and tyres.Its not been difficult.

[55 Fargo]

4 hours ago, normanpitkin said:

I tow this with my 1948 17,000 mile New Yorker with standard brakes and tyres.Its not been difficult.

Looks good.

BTW what types of roadways and what speeds and traffic volumes?

Slower 2 lane highways and busy mean multilane expressways are a different animal.

[Hickory]

As the opportunity I am restating a canned ham, or tear drop. I am a diesel mechanic so towing is a knack for me with lots of experiance. I know the engines are bullet proof I needed to check for other week nessus of the drive train. I like the wooden tear drop campers and plan on building my own @ around  1000-1500lbs

[normanpitkin]

3 hours ago, 55 Fargo Spitfire said:

Looks good.

BTW what types of roadways and what speeds and traffic volumes?

Slower 2 lane highways and busy mean multilane expressways are a different animal.

 A little bit of everything ,trips of up to 120 miles on a combination of motorways ,b roads and country lanes.The weight of the Chrysler is such that I don't really notice the caravan!

 

 

[Adam H P15 D30]

14 hours ago, 55 Fargo Spitfire said:

I dont know how well that 48 T&C would pull a big Airstream at 70 mph plus on the freeway these days.

I agree but with today's roadways and traffic there are several considerations and regulations too.

Hauling a big long heavy loaded modern day camper would be an experience with a 40s Mopar..

I wouldn’t pull an Airstream 70mph with my Excursion and I’be had a lot of campers. Besides most ST trailer tires have a limit of 65. 

[55 Fargo]

39 minutes ago, Adam H P15 D30 said:

I wouldn’t pull an Airstream 70mph with my Excursion and I’be had a lot of campers. Besides most ST trailer tires have a limit of 65. 

Yes your bang on.

Its all the Loogans, road traffic volume and such that can be an issue hauling trailers with vintage cars and trucks.

Think the OP should be fine with his plan.

Got a buddy with 56 Coupe Deville and has an old Air Stream. But car has 400 sbc turbo 400 trans out of a motor home. The car is super heavy too. 

I may be on the over cautious side on trailer pulling with these vehicles in stock form.

 

Edited March 25, 2018 by 55 Fargo Spitfire

[Tim Van Pelt]

22 hours ago, 55 Fargo Spitfire said:

I dont know how well that 48 T&C would pull a big Airstream at 70 mph plus on the freeway these days.

I agree but with today's roadways and traffic there are several considerations and regulations too.

Hauling a big long heavy loaded modern day camper would be an experience with a 40s Mopar..

The o.p said he wanted to pull a canned ham style trailer, not a big airstream. Canned ham trailers are usually 10' to 12' long and light weight.

[55 Fargo]

36 minutes ago, Tim Van Pelt said:

The o.p said he wanted to pull a canned ham style trailer, not a big airstream. Canned ham trailers are usually 10' to 12' long and light weight.

Yah I get that . Im adding more insight into the prospect of " trailer pulling".

The OP is planning on pulling a fairly light camper, Teardrop or Canned Ham type.

Bolers are neat too, compact and fairly light.

Just wouldn't want to see anyone get into a jackpot pulling a big heavy trailer.

[Ranger]

Just returned from a trip around Arizonia through California from Oregon. It would look cool but on the freeways no one would notice. Most were posted 55 when pulling a trailer. I ran about 60 with a pickup camper. Big rigs ( and lots of them) were running and least 65, cars 75. Things slowed down on secondary roads. Route 66 was great in Arizona. Your car can handle it but avoid the freeways if possible. There are more cars than there were in the 50's and folks sre in a hurry. Rural America is great if you can take your time.

[pflaming]

5 hours ago, Ranger said:

Rural America is great if you can take your time.

 

On our 2016 9000 mile, non trailer, coast to coast, what we recall most vividly is RURAL America: the small towns across northern NY, the fantastic Farms in Wisconsin, Minnesota, the northern woods of Michigan, etc., so much to see!!