First time towing with my own vehicle (83 Caprice)

[caprice_2nv]

I've been meaning to install the free trailer hitch I got with my $300 parts car for a while now. I finally got it cleaned up painted and installed and the wiring done. Needed a $12 adaptor to connect to my girlfriend's parents tent trailer and then the lights all worked.

The car pulled it okay since we don't have a lot of mountains but it squatted way more than I expected and dragged the hitch on the driveway pulling out (a really bad low spot at the curb) for about half a foot, had to just drive out of it. Pulled the trailer an hour to our campsite, no issues.

Full throttle and lots of 4 barrel sucking sound merging onto the highway to do 70mph. Coolant temperature stayed at a 1/3 or less on the gauge.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Might try either a hitch with more rise, or airbags in the springs.

 

[bullwinkle]

Needs air springs! I have a set to put in the MGM in my sig, it sits fairly low in the back even with NOTHING in it!

 

[Andrew1972]

Your car reminds me of first girlfriend in high school who had same in western Maine. Fun times and memories for me.

 

[caprice_2nv]

I will definitely have to do air springs or air shock's in the future. It does have 1 or 2 year old replacement cargo coils in it but it's not enough.

It will tow a lot better after I swap the 5.3 in hopefully next year.

 

[CBR.worm]

I assume you've got the weight distributed properly? If not, a heavy tongue tends to tow better than too light.

 

[caprice_2nv]

Well the trunk and back seat were packed with cooler and drinks and ice, plus firewood and all kinds of other stuff. The trailer also had as much stuff as they can fit inside it with the pop-up down. I'm not sure about the total or tongue weight.

They usually pull it with a 1 ton cargo van.

 

[mclasser]

Neat!

 

[caprice_2nv]

Originally Posted by madRiver
Your car reminds me of first girlfriend in high school who had same in western Maine. Fun times and memories for me.


I thought you were going to say it reminded you of your first girlfriend because she was ugly and high maintenance ...‚. But beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.

 

[xxch4osxx]

Those old Caprices were comfortable cars. Hardly see any around here anymore. Most suffered the frame rot in front of or behind the rear axle.

 

[caprice_2nv]

One quick shot of my rear frame rails right now. All original. Just oil sprayed regularly.

Actually out of the 3 i've had (plus 2 rust bucket parts cars) that weren't taken care of like this one the body and floor/body mounts always rusted out but the frame didn't. It's a pretty heavy duty frame rails compared to my g body Oldsmobile Cutlass which needed the rear frame rails replaced.

 

[pharden]

Nice to see the old B-bodies still being put to work. Great car!

 

[dishdude]

That's a really nice looking car. Still looks good today!

 

[Anduril]

Airbags (if they make them for that car) will be a huge help. It was a night and day difference when I put them on both my Tacoma and XTerra.

 

[caprice_2nv]

Originally Posted by Anduril
Airbags (if they make them for that car) will be a huge help. It was a night and day difference when I put them on both my Tacoma and XTerra.


I will check the price. I know they're available for these cars. I paid $1500 for it over 10 years ago, so it's been the best purchase I've ever made but I don't want to spend a ton of money on it if I don't have to.

 

[addyguy]

Oh man, your pics bring back memories, not for me directly, but...

When I was very young, we had neighbours across the street that had a 1974/1975 Chevrolet Impala Wagon, in the same dark brown as yours. They were a family of 6, and they used to spend a lot of time travelling and camping in the summer with a pop-up camper like yours. They would load their big brown wagon to the brim with kids and camping supplies, hook up the trailer, and head off, slowly chugging away in that big base Impala wagon with its pie-plate hubcaps. I assume it was a 350 4-barrel underhood.

I visited the family years and years later when I was in the area and we got talking about when I was younger, and I told him I remembered their big brown wagon and heading off camping, and he said 'yeah, that was a great wagon, we went everywhere with it'....

Big Chev's were great people-movers back in the day!

 

[P10crew]

Oh My moly! Wow said caprice classic..... very nice!

 

[4WD]

Yeah, years ago the big Pontiacs pulled RV's all the time

 

[Andrew1972]

Originally Posted by Jarlaxle
Might try either a hitch with more rise, or airbags in the springs.


Or was the weight too much forward in camper?

 

[caprice_2nv]

I do believe it was a bit too far forward. The first is a bit closer to the front than the back and most of the heavier pieces to put it up were right inside the door and toward the front.

Was likely never an issue pulling it with his cargo vans.