Towing with a older convertible car?

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Fascinating. Does that mean that you are only allowed to massively exceed your rated towing capacity if you either

1. have your rig set up by the magicians of Can Am RV, or
2. use a really cool car like a Corvette?

I can't imagine why this 'Vette rig would not receive the same heaps of warning and contempt as some members have received for their more reasonable over-the-rating rigs. No such criticism from me - I assume these people accept their responsibility to make this highly non-recommended configuration work.

I, for one, don't give anyone, including Can Am RV, a carte blanche okeydokey to exceed any mfgs. specifications. I don't know about liability laws north of the border, but a shop would have to be run by fools to do what they do here in the USofA.

And about the Corvette: I didn't see the owner here on the site to answer so I don't see that it is beneficial to comment on their choices. However, you can be sure that at least the Corvette will have enough brakes for a small FGRV.

And sorry, but just letting someone else accept responsibility for poor choices isn't good enough for me when they are on the road with me, my children and grandchildren. In many respects it's not really that different than DUI when something goes wrong. (But Ossifer, I only had one tiny drinkeypoo, I'm OK to drive")

Rants start here.......

[Frederick L. Simson]

I have good friends who towed a 25' stickie with their 1967 Mercury Monterrey Convertible. They are thinking of selling the car and I am really tempted to buy it to tow the Fiber Stream with.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

I, for one, don't give anyone, including Can Am RV, a carte blanche okeydokey to exceed any mfgs. specifications.

I'll apologize to everyone now, in advance of any sidetrack this thread might take into the famous/infamous Can Am. My point was just that the Corvette endorsement seemed out of place compared to other posts.

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

And about the Corvette: I didn't see the owner here on the site to answer so I don't see that it is beneficial to comment on their choices. However, you can be sure that at least the Corvette will have enough brakes for a small FGRV.

I wasn't commenting so much on their choice, as on the reaction (or lack of) in this discussion to it.

But since you brought it up, Bob... the problem with trailer braking is not so much the capacity of the brakes on the car, as it is the traction available to tires that are not carrying the trailer weight (weight = traction), and the problem of controlling something which is pushing you from behind. So, big brakes or not, still an obviously not recommended tow vehicle. The old convertible proposed by Arthur might be perfectly suitable... depending on the specific car, especially with trailer brakes, which I think a Trillium 4500 normally has (I could be mistaken on that).

[carlkeigley]

One of the Snoozy owners pulls with a SSR convertible.

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

I saw one of these pulling a fairly large boat between Las Vegas and Searchlight, NV just last Friday. Top was down, driver about 70, passenger MUST have been his grand-daughter (right!) Now that was cool. (The TV, not the couple)
Chevrolet SSR - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

One of the Snoozy owners pull with a SSR convertible.
Same color as the link.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

... My point was just that the Corvette endorsement seemed out of place compared to other posts.

It wasn't an endorsement Brian, just the fact someone DID pull a trailer with a convertible and the owner mentioned the big ole white box was all she could see behind her.

[MC1]

It was once explained that if you used physics to design and build the perfect tow vehicle the resulting vehicle would be a Corvette! The physics would be low centre of gravity, power, brakes, state of the art suspension, etc.

The only problem.......................no place to put the kids and firewood.

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by MC1

It was once explained that if you used physics to design and build the perfect tow vehicle the resulting vehicle would be a Corvette! The physics would be low centre of gravity, power, brakes, state of the art suspension, etc.

The only problem.......................no place to put the kids and firewood.

Most of North America is convinced that only pick up trucks can tow. That's OK, I made a good living selling trucks to people that mostly used them as commuter transportation.

[Bob Miller]

My Series III Corvette had the widest tires I have ever had to replace on a vehicle. (Almost $1200 for 4) While I am not suggesting them as a tow vehicle, I don't think that tires or brakes would be where they fall short.

In as much as the last two years of SSR production came with the Corvette engine, and has a trailer rating (2500 lbs) and an available factory trailer package, as well as someplace to stick the firewood etc. it might be a better bet.

It would be my guess that many Corvette and SSR owners are either to young or to Senior to be concerned about transporting children

And, as used SSR's are selling for about the same price as a new base 4 cylinder Toyota Tacoma, it could be enough to tempt 25 y.o. passengers (a grand-daughter of course!) to join in on the fun.

Jus Dreamin'

[gmw photos]

Some might argue that the short wheelbase of the Corvette and other such vehicles would make it less than ideal as a tow vehicle. I'll leave that to others to debate.

Regarding using a 1970 Impala as a TV, it's interesting that when we talk about those vehicles from that time frame, we often refer to them as "big old land barges, that were huge". Back in those days I drove a Buick Centurion with a 455 V8. If we look back at the facts however, those cars were typically only about a 120" wheelbase, and weighed around 4000 to 4300 pounds. Compare that to now, many would consider my Nissan Frontier to not even be a "full size" vehicle, yet it has a 127" WB, and weighs 4600 to 4700 pounds.
To the OP, if you go over and poke around on the Airstream forum, there is a guy there that tows with a gorgeous '71 Centurion convertible, and says it pulls the AS nicely. If you are going to use a car from that era to pull, plan on spending some dough on fuel though. Most of those cars were not really geared optimally for towing, and the engines were not very fuel efficient, so you're gonna be leaning on the pedal pretty hard to get on down the road. The whole project could be fun, but me personally, if I were going to do it, I would want to use a car that was fully and correctly restored for good reliability.

[MC1]

Yes GMW, that Buick is a popular TV on the Airforums. The owner has talked about it often and is close to what the original poster is considering.

[Bob Miller]

Back in the late 70's when we full-timed for a year with an Airstream, the Buick was the weapon of choice of many for Airstream pulling (We used a Chevy Blazer) Can't say that I saw than many Chev's, maybe they were too down scale for the more afflulent Airstream owners of the day. LOL
But I believe that Buick shared it's body shell with Cadillac, not Chevy.

[MC1]

Here is another cool Buick....

[Jon Vermilye]

I did a lot of boat & utility trailer towing with a 1969 Camero SS convertible (350 engine). Loved the car & never had a problem towing with it, but the northeast winters got to it - by the time I got rid of it you had to keep your feet up to avoid scraping them on the road...

[Otters]

I know my '73 corvette convertible (white with red interior) would look fab towing my '77 Scamp. But then I snap into reality when I think about the gas mileage--it got 12 mpg with its big block engine, on the road when I wasn't towing.Yeah, I'll just keep towing with my Tundra I guess.

[arlon]

I wouldn't think twice about towing a small TT with any FULL size V8 powered american car made since the 50's. I might make sure the brakes and cooling systems were in "as new" condition and add a trans cooler.

I had an 86 corvette, it would have towed a Casita like it wasn't there. I have an 85 LTD (HO 5.0) I'd tow with it before I towed with my X-Terra.

I had a 65 Dodge Dart convertible, I would not have towed a lawn mower with. I still don't know what held it togather. It has no frame and when the top was down and doors open, there is nothing in the middle but a floor pan. I think the doors are all that kept it from folding in half.

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Fascinating. Does that mean that you are only allowed to massively exceed your rated towing capacity if you either

1. have your rig set up by the magicians of Can Am RV, or

............

Some thoughts about Can AM RV. I don't think they are magicians nor do I think that they are charlatans.

In North America fuel is comparatively inexpensive so we tend to buy large vehicles and just horse around light trailers by more or less brute force.

In Europe, most people drive small vehicles yet still want to tow trailers. They understand that smaller cars can tow trailers safely if properly set up and driven at modest speeds. They aren't magicians nor charlatans, either. It is really a question of having the will to do so and applying sound engineering principles.

In my experience in the auto business, on cars and small SUVs, we spent more effort selecting the graining pattern on the instrument panel than on trailer tow considerations. Most people driving light duty vehicles really aren't interested in towing and beyond providing a nominal OK to do so, it was against our best interests to set a higher tow limit. First, a higher tow rating discourages them from buying a more profitable larger pickup or SUV, it increases the chances of warranty repairs and it opens up greater liability. So the tow ratings are set as low as possible without being uncompetitive nor making too many customers unhappy.

I'll note that in the large pick up segment, towing capability is vitally important as a competitive advantage and a great deal of work is done to maximize towing capability and achieve the advertising rights that go with it.

Does this mean that you should ignore the tow ratings of the manufacturer? No. Does this mean that a vehicle can be modified to tow more than its rating as manufactured? I think that the answer is yes, if down by a qualified modifier. Unfortunately, there is no standard for a qualified modifier, so they really have to be judged on the quality of their work, the satisfaction of their customers and their safety record. I've not seen any damning evidence against Can Am, but I'd be open to reading anything posted.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

I, for one, don't give anyone, including Can Am RV, a carte blanche okeydokey to exceed any mfgs. specifications. I don't know about liability laws north of the border, but a shop would have to be run by fools to do what they do here in the USofA.

I'd be surprised if liability laws are any more lenient north of the border, but even more surprised if there isn't a clause in warranty papers from CanAm requiring that legal disputes be brought in Canada, and specifically in Courts local to CanAm's headquarters.

Can you imagine trying to prosecute any such lawsuit from somewhere in the U.S.A.?

I think that the "Am" part of "CanAm" will never refer to a sticks-n-bricks location on this side of the border!

Francesca

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

I doubt that any 1970 convertible will prove equipped to tow more than 2,000 pounds

Umm, is that not a 1970 in the pictured ad? Not sure what the difference would be between towing with regular body or convertible if the hitch is attached to a continuous frame in either situation.

Then again, maybe I am missing something.

[Bob Miller]

CanAm may also have/need a disclaimer such as "This hitch installation is for Off-Hiway Use Only, Not for use on public hiways".

This is common terminology in almost all of the suspension parts and performance accessories sold for 4x4 peeps.

And I agree, at least in part, that some current tow ratings may be set low for sales rather than performance issues. But you would find that a very difficult defense in a U.S. court of law as you would be taking on the entirety of the U.S. auto industry.

Best bet, stick with the published values.

BTW: Did anyone else notice that the older Buick was is "Tail Dragging" and the tongue on the Airstream was nose down. Not a very good example of how to do it right.

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

.......... But you would find that a very difficult defense in a U.S. court of law as you would be taking on the entirety of the U.S. auto industry...........

I've heard this claims of litigation frequently here, but I'd be interested in any links documenting actual successful lawsuits involving, say, some one towing a 1500 pound trailer with a car rated for 1000 pounds.