Hot Rods Pulling a trailer or camper with a hot rod or custom

I have a 12' 67 Cardinal trailer I pull with a 25 Model t pickup. The trailer has the old slider brakes and I can actually stop as fast with or without the trailer. The only issue that can get scary are strong winds since both the truck and trailer are not real aerodynamic.

 

Danny, I pulled my 1300 lb fiberglass Burro 13' trailer with my '32 Ford pickup, SBC 350/350 trans with Lincoln 12" brakes w/Buick drums and 10" drums on a Ford 9" rear end. I built a 1 1/2" receiver hitch and used a very small equalizer hitch for a tent camper and had no trailer brakes. I towed it a fair amount, as far as 700 miles roundtrip. No problems with stopping or handling. The equalizer hitch actually smoothed out the ride and it went down the road like a big truck. If you have pulled all types of trailers with all types of loads over the years and drive accordingly, try it and see, do some panic stops and you'll know. With the brakes you have on your wagon I don't think a 1300 lb trailer will be an issue.


The equalizer hitch wasn't installed yet in these pics.

Here's the equalizer hitch on the receiver. Two spring steel rods with 90 degree bends fit into the holes on either side of the hitch ball, hitch pins hold them in and the other ends fit in brackets on the trailer A-frame. Very simple design that's quite small and compact. I'm not sure if its still in production though. Here's something similar here:
http://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Dist...9QFIHVVtJbcNJrDe0hwRZ31gyzEEAfN0JIRoCI_bw_wcB

Here's the hitch I built for it.


Sorry for the dirty truck, I should have washed it before taking these pics!

 

In 1974 I trailered my freshly built C Cab to a custom show down to London Olympia with my 1954 Sedan





In 2008 my son Dave used his 300e pro street van to pull a small folding camper






In 2011 I pulled a much larger folding camper with my 37 Coupe ( how I miss that car)





Must be honest I now try to stay in a hotel or B&B, I suppose the next step will be like a lot of my Hot Rod friends and get a large camper van!!!

 

Folks that say that wagon is not big enough to pull that trailer are full of shit. We are so spoiled these days with 3/4 ton trucks that can out pull a kenworth that people think it is the only thing you can use. Listen to Root, squirrell and others. Brakes and an equalizer hitch are the key.

 

do not mean to hijack this. but will your classic car insurance cover pulling a trailer

 

Think you have seen this rig at Greer. Trailer brakes have saved my ass more than once. If the tongue weight is too light it can start wagging back and forth. Grab the trailer brake and it will stop - then go to the next exit and pull the car farther up on the trailer.

I have air bags in the back so I can get a lot of tongue weight - best to use a scale and then mark the trailer as to where the tires should be to get the right tongue weight.

Also I have disc brakes on the front. SBC 383 with a 700R4. Tows anywhere.

 

What was it like when you pulled it the 200 mi? Stable, brake well? With the trailer weight and tongue weight you posted I can't see where you would have a problem with it. If you haven't I would buy/build a receiver type hitch for ease of setting up tongue height. They make a lot of different length drop inserts. As far as needing brakes, the brakes you have on the wagon can easily stop the combined weight of the wagon and trailer. Would brakes be an asset? Of course. Needed? Weight distributing hitch? 150# tongue weight is less than an adult riding in the rear. If it doesn't sag the rear you should be fine. Having the trailer sitting level or a bit nose down is the way to run it. Don't overload the rear of the trailer or have it riding tail down as that will lead to sway

 

I used this truck to pull these trailers for 13 years. No trailer brakes needed across Texas. But the Ozarks are scary and now I have trailer brakes and love'em.

 

Good point. I recently purchased a "New" Canned Ham style trailer with the intent to pull it behind the 56 in the aviator. It's 16' long and loaded falls in at a little over 1800lbs. This trailer per the manufacture and safety guide lines states that 1850lbs does not require that the electric brakes be used even though the trailer is equipped with them. That being said. I have no problem doing this with my OT 2013 GMC pick-up. But when it comes time with the 56 I'll be installing a brake controller for peace of mind. I towed some stuff back in the day with 3200lbs cars with good brakes but it wasn't always fun if you now what I mean.

 

I know what you mean...I seem to be more safety conscious, as I get older. I've done a few stupid things with trailers over the decades.

 

That's called maturity, a rare thing for a man to admit to Jim!
Given the chance, our brains will revert to our teen years at a moments notice.
KK

 

I'll share....

I built a receiver hitch for my 50 to tow the teardrop I'm building.
I started off with a class 5 receiver from a late model expedition. Overkill, you bet!


Cut and massaged the ends so I could add tabs to match up with my bumper bolts.

 

This is of no help to Danny, but I had to show just how brave (?) we were when we were younger.

This is me towing my T to the Denver car show in February 1971 with my 69 Boss 302 Mustang.

Virginia Dale is an old Overland stage coach stop in Colorado at over 7,000 ft elevation.

Single axle trailer, no trailer brakes, but never gave it a second thought.

Mick

 

- good question for your insurance company

 

I agree. I've pulled trailers for years without brakes without any problems, but I use my head. Was I lucky? Maybe. Crazy? Some will say so. My two axle car trailer that I built has mobile home axles with no brakes, I've been all over AL,MS and GA with it with some heavy loads without any problems. Heaviest was either my 47 Lincoln or my 1955 IH 300 farm tractor with bushog, pulled both with a 4.6 F150. Stay around 55 mph, don't use overdrive, keep plenty of following distance between you and the vehicle ahead, and watch traffic ahead for any sudden stops. I've pulled it through Atlanta and Charlotte, both meccas for idiots! Also had a 16' canned ham for a while, it actually seemed to pull heavier than the loaded car trailer, I guess the wind resistance drug it down.

 

I hardly knew it was behind me and with the exception of Semi's blowing past me it was very stable.

As for brakes,I believe I will add them,Root posted some that should do the job.Thanks fr your reply.

Oh yeah,The interstate drivers in Atlanta and Charlotte always seem to have just completed the Mario Andretti driving school course. HRP

 

How did you put your hitch onto your Coupe? Which hitch did you use and how did you mount it?

 

That must have hurt to see that. My brother borrowed a car trailer from a friend of his and decided to show off with it. When all was said and done, the "friend's" tool box, at the front of the trailer, was smashed from my brother jack knifing the trailer as he was backing it from a 90 degree turn. Forrest said it best..."Stupid is as stupid does"

 

I don't mind lending my stuff out to friends, but when they give me a time line for return on their own, I make sure that they stick to it. That's my stuff and I want it back. I won't loan tools to anyone.

 

Did you notice the self adjusting brakes? They are a slick set up. I have them on both my car trailers
10" Nev-R-Adjust Electric Brake Assembly

 

I absolutely love the small caravans sold in Europe. If I ever get over there on a trip, I'd like to find a good used one and a dealer that can arrange shipment back to the US for me. Gary

 

They don't call it the I- 285/500 for nuthin!

 

I made the hitch, it bolts on at four locations on the frame. I added a extra cross member to the frame.The pop top was under 900 pounds

 

I did and I am going to order a set,they are reasonably priced and Root has actually used them on his camper.

With the light weight camper they probably are not necessary,but I decided the addition of a electric brake assembly just makes sense. HRP

 

Mick,,man that looks COLD! HRP

 

How about something a little bigger?

 

That is cool! I'd love to find enough of one to build something similar!


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

My trailer is light,Years ago I put Lincoln brakes front and back on the T.
Towed it everywhere, by a flat head of all things!

 

Good looking car & trailer, HRP