WHY leave trailer hitch on !

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Originally Posted By: ls1mike
Originally Posted By: Traction
Originally Posted By: Black_Thunder
i use my hitch often enough that i don't take them off either, and also on my truck i have my own custom large mudflaps mounted right to the hitch receiver.


in the winter its easy enough to put a strap on it to pull stuff out etc.


what bothers me more is a vehicle that has truck plates on it and doesn't even have a hitch, not even a bumper hitch.

Not to start anything, but to me a pickup truck was designed mostly to haul stuff. Regular cab, 8 foot box, 2 wheel drive... perfect pickup truck. A car can pull a trailer.

Well you did....
Perfect unless your family's hobby is camping. Not everyone does the same thing...
In that case, this works best
smile.gif

img1888qs.jpg


So start searching and find me a car that will pull this. 7500 lbs loaded, 35 feet overall.

I will be waiting, but I won't be holding my breath.
Enjoy your weekend.

Ever see the movie "The Long Long Trailer" 1953 Mercury pulling a 35 footer.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1953-MERCURY-MON...=item484c3d0156
 
Originally Posted By: ls1mike
Originally Posted By: Traction
Originally Posted By: Black_Thunder
i use my hitch often enough that i don't take them off either, and also on my truck i have my own custom large mudflaps mounted right to the hitch receiver.


in the winter its easy enough to put a strap on it to pull stuff out etc.


what bothers me more is a vehicle that has truck plates on it and doesn't even have a hitch, not even a bumper hitch.

Not to start anything, but to me a pickup truck was designed mostly to haul stuff. Regular cab, 8 foot box, 2 wheel drive... perfect pickup truck. A car can pull a trailer.

Well you did....
Perfect unless your family's hobby is camping. Not everyone does the same thing...
In that case, this works best
smile.gif

img1888qs.jpg


So start searching and find me a car that will pull this. 7500 lbs loaded, 35 feet overall.

I will be waiting, but I won't be holding my breath.
Enjoy your weekend.


ls1mike;

When I was a kid we had a big travel camper like that. Not quite as big but very close. My Dad towed it with the family car. 72 Plymouth Sebring w/ 318. Now granted it wasn't towed often as it used to stay at the main campground we used but we towed it other places a few times. A truck would have done better but the car towed it ok.

Most modern cars couldn't tow that kind of weight but once upon a time they could. I had a 70 Polara w/ 383 that would have hauled your camper no sweat.
 
No one is going to go out and buy a car that old to tow a trailer, they won't last would require more maintenance and are inefficient.

Be realistic. Find me a Modern car that has the towing capacity required to tow my trailer. I am well aware that old full frame cars were used to tow travel trailers. Didn't make safe or enjoyable trip.

Those things also slowed down to 10 mph over large passes, and were no where near as common as RVs are today.

Even in Europe that don't have trailers that heavy and they are set up with a very low tongue weight, much different than are trailer's here so there are cars that can tow a trailer, but nothing the size of mine and most of them under 3500lbs loaded.

Keep reaching Traction. You are going to pick the best tool for the job. That would be a Truck.
 
Originally Posted By: ls1mike
No one is going to go out and buy a car that old to tow a trailer, they won't last would require more maintenance and are inefficient.

Be realistic. Find me a Modern car that has the towing capacity required to tow my trailer. I am well aware that old full frame cars were used to tow travel trailers. Didn't make safe or enjoyable trip.

Those things also slowed down to 10 mph over large passes, and were no where near as common as RVs are today.

Even in Europe that don't have trailers that heavy and they are set up with a very low tongue weight, much different than are trailer's here so there are cars that can tow a trailer, but nothing the size of mine and most of them under 3500lbs loaded.

Keep reaching Traction. You are going to pick the best tool for the job. That would be a Truck.



I was just pointing out that some cars can. I did say modern cars couldn't.
 
Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
Originally Posted By: ls1mike
No one is going to go out and buy a car that old to tow a trailer, they won't last would require more maintenance and are inefficient.

Be realistic. Find me a Modern car that has the towing capacity required to tow my trailer. I am well aware that old full frame cars were used to tow travel trailers. Didn't make safe or enjoyable trip.

Those things also slowed down to 10 mph over large passes, and were no where near as common as RVs are today.

Even in Europe that don't have trailers that heavy and they are set up with a very low tongue weight, much different than are trailer's here so there are cars that can tow a trailer, but nothing the size of mine and most of them under 3500lbs loaded.

Keep reaching Traction. You are going to pick the best tool for the job. That would be a Truck.



I was just pointing out that some cars can. I did say modern cars couldn't.


It wasn't so much that as towing with something like that today would be dangerous, over GCVW(illegal), slow and inconsiderate.
Huh, kind of like leaving your hitch installed. If you want to be considerate you buy something safe that doesn't hold up traffic and was designed with a larger GCVW.
 
Towing over the manufacturer's GCVWR is 100% legal and done DAILY. GVWR and GCVWR have ZERO standing to the DOT. (Yes, I was entirely legal when I loaded my 9200lb GVWR F-350 to 10,500lbs!)
 
Not in Washington, you need a different registration and labeling the truck. I don't know about your area, but it is the case here.
It is legal if you tell them.
 
This for all states if you are commercial, but Washington, goes further by ticketing you if you are stopped and over the rated weight of the vehicle even if your setup is private. Guess they need the money.
DOT

But we are way off topic now.
 
Originally Posted By: ls1mike
Not in Washington, you need a different registration and labeling the truck. I don't know about your area, but it is the case here.
It is legal if you tell them.


Yes, you have to tag the truck for the weight. (I had 11K plates.) But it's legal!
 
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: ls1mike
Not in Washington, you need a different registration and labeling the truck. I don't know about your area, but it is the case here.
It is legal if you tell them.


Yes, you have to tag the truck for the weight. (I had 11K plates.) But it's legal!

I totally agree, not legal if you don't pay for it. Which lots of people don't.
 
Originally Posted By: ls1mike
Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
Originally Posted By: ls1mike
No one is going to go out and buy a car that old to tow a trailer, they won't last would require more maintenance and are inefficient.

Be realistic. Find me a Modern car that has the towing capacity required to tow my trailer. I am well aware that old full frame cars were used to tow travel trailers. Didn't make safe or enjoyable trip.

Those things also slowed down to 10 mph over large passes, and were no where near as common as RVs are today.

Even in Europe that don't have trailers that heavy and they are set up with a very low tongue weight, much different than are trailer's here so there are cars that can tow a trailer, but nothing the size of mine and most of them under 3500lbs loaded.

Keep reaching Traction. You are going to pick the best tool for the job. That would be a Truck.



I was just pointing out that some cars can. I did say modern cars couldn't.


It wasn't so much that as towing with something like that today would be dangerous, over GCVW(illegal), slow and inconsiderate.
Huh, kind of like leaving your hitch installed. If you want to be considerate you buy something safe that doesn't hold up traffic and was designed with a larger GCVW.


The vehicles I mentioned towed just fine. My 70 Polara would tow circles around a 1/2 ton truck from the day with your camper on it.
 
Originally Posted By: Traction
Originally Posted By: Black_Thunder
i use my hitch often enough that i don't take them off either, and also on my truck i have my own custom large mudflaps mounted right to the hitch receiver.


in the winter its easy enough to put a strap on it to pull stuff out etc.


what bothers me more is a vehicle that has truck plates on it and doesn't even have a hitch, not even a bumper hitch.

Not to start anything, but to me a pickup truck was designed mostly to haul stuff. Regular cab, 8 foot box, 2 wheel drive... perfect pickup truck. A car can pull a trailer.



what i meant by this was a vehicle like an suv that has class B trucks plates on it and no hitch at all. so they are paying extra for truck plates when they can clearly get away with paying for only regular plates because its a passenger vehicle, I have no problem with hitches on cars etc.
 
Originally Posted By: Traction

Ever see the movie "The Long Long Trailer" 1953 Mercury pulling a 35 footer.


Yup. Lemme go buy a 61 year old car to tow a trailer. NOT.
 
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Off the top of my head, a Dodge Charger R/T or Chrysler 300C would pull that. (Rated for 3800lbs.) A Panther car with the towing package (5K) would pull it easily.

I think Mercedes still rates the V8 E-class to tow 4400lbs (2000kg).


Not about to buy a Benz, no thanks.

When I was shopping I didn't like Dodge. Apparently they are better than they used to be. I did contemplate a Caravan but did not like the notion of having to add airbags--most reviews seemed to indicate they were needed, which makes it seem not so capable.

I thought Panthers lost the towing ability in late 90's? Not sure I want a 10 year old car on a family vacation. Not sure what it'd cost to rebuild one so that it'd be reliable.

Good choices though. At some point I should think of downtrading on the truck. Not enamored with using a trailer to move trash to the dump, but if it's cheaper... I usually move three or four 32gallon Rubbermaid trashcans when I go, and I can just fit two into the Jetta wagon. Four if I remove everything from the car and drop the seats.
 
Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Off the top of my head, a Dodge Charger R/T or Chrysler 300C would pull that. (Rated for 3800lbs.) A Panther car with the towing package (5K) would pull it easily.

I think Mercedes still rates the V8 E-class to tow 4400lbs (2000kg).


Not about to buy a Benz, no thanks.

When I was shopping I didn't like Dodge. Apparently they are better than they used to be. I did contemplate a Caravan but did not like the notion of having to add airbags--most reviews seemed to indicate they were needed, which makes it seem not so capable.


Wait, what? I said not one word about a Caravan, I said a Charger. No add-on airbags needed...in fact, I recall the Road-Track model has factory rear air suspension.

Quote:
I thought Panthers lost the towing ability in late 90's? Not sure I want a 10 year old car on a family vacation. Not sure what it'd cost to rebuild one so that it'd be reliable.


Sort of. The towing package was dropped around 2001(?), probably because most Panthers were going to fleets and demand was minimal. However, it wasn't at all difficult to add to a car without it. (IIRC, it was no more than a trans cooler, hitch & wiring, and stiffer-P71-rear springs on base Crown Vics...the Town Car, Grand Marquis, and higher-trim Vics having rear air suspension.) Honestly...I'd trust a Panther with 200,000 (or even 300,000) miles completely.

Quote:
Good choices though. At some point I should think of downtrading on the truck. Not enamored with using a trailer to move trash to the dump, but if it's cheaper... I usually move three or four 32gallon Rubbermaid trashcans when I go, and I can just fit two into the Jetta wagon. Four if I remove everything from the car and drop the seats.


Rather than change vehicles...what about changing trash containers? Maybe go with something easier to fit in the Jetta...maybe some large but low Sterilite totes?
 
Sorry, I went off a bit there... I've read about how the Caravan has a 3,600lb rating, then I keep reading how people add airbags as they didn't like the squat. Perhaps they overloaded, perhaps not; what I object to is having to add helpers in order to do what the maker says it can do. Which was my obtuse way of wondering if the Charger is similar: would it need airbags in order to withstand 380lb+ of tongue weight? Last I knew it was some sort of sports car. Also, the tow package on the Caravan seems to only be available on the R/T model, not on the lower models, which seems... wrong. Is the Charger similar? I have no interest in fancy rims.

It might be possible to find better trashcans, at some point I'll have to think about it. I'm going to have to decide soon about dumping more money into my Jetta.
 
I don't recall any "tow package", beyond dealers offering a hitch & trailer wiring. Higher-trim Chargers already HAVE airbags: they have rear air suspension.
 
Just took a look, to see what a Charger looked like. Rated for 1,000lb--if properly equipped!--for anything but the 6.4L Hemi, which isn't recommended for towing at all. The Journey is rated for 2,500lb if equipped with a V6. Maybe you're thinking of the older models?
 
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