Can I tow with a boxed S-10 frame?

A discussion here brought this up:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=188234&page=3

If I do a frame swap in a truck to an S-10 frame, AND box it, AND put a decently powerful motor in there, can I tow a 16' car hauler with a 5000 lb car on it? One would think that the towing specs, even boxed, would be the same as the donor vehicle...

Has anybody actually done this?

It's a truck, you know? I want to continue to use it as such.

~Jason

 

is the trailer and car going to weigh more then the tow vehicle? is there trailer brakes? how long will the wheel base of the tow vehicle be? would you tow this behind an s10 if it had more power?

 

The reason I ask is because of stuff like this:
http://www.4lo.com/yourides/s10/s10.html

Granted, it'll pull it, but it's the stopping I'm worried about, too - more than tweaking the frame under load.

~Jason

 

if you have trailer brakes it shouldnt be a problem, but i am not an expert by far.

 

Its not the frame, its the 10 bolt rear that is the weakest link. big disc brakes all around and trailer brakes, you'll be fine. get a high dollar hitch, too. the load levelling kind for towing bobcats.

 

I dunno, short wheelbase comes to mind, and of course the brakes. Rear suspension is going to be another. I use a Suburban, 3/4 ton 2 wd, and if I ever had dispensible time/money Id put a cool body on there. Would still tow and stop well, but look cool.

Put it this way, Im a big guy and it was still a pain in the butt sittinjg on the ground lifting the brake rotors on. I could throw S10 rotors.

 

With that wheel base you'll get pushed all over the place.

Then you'll need to worry about breaks and drive train.

 

Oh, HELL yeah it'll weigh more. It's a '41 International pickup with a 9' bed, probably running a 350 or old Dodge poly, or whatever I have around.

I'll be pulling that 16' car hauler (probably weighs 1500 lbs empty) with a '60 Cadillac on it that weighs likely 5,000 lbs.

In the S-10, I could probably do a midnight run across town, with 99% highway miles, in the dead of night with no one else out there so I could take a mile or two to stop as it sits.

It may just do it with a V8 and nicer brakes, and a boxed frame, but I figured I'd post this and ask before I set my sights too high. Who knows? Maybe someone else out there had their heart set on an S-10 frame, and ended up having to use a larger, full-size truck frame. If so, I'd LOVE to hear their story...

~Jason

 

Surge brake only, at the moment.

~Jason

 

Something tells me I'd have to wipe after it's maiden voyage, but I defer to your knowledge here, folks.

~Jason

 

I've known a bass boat to get pulled all over the country with a twd S10 blazer.

 

Well from what I saw in the link of the S-10 towing that Ford is slow going and was just a temporary thing maybe to get up the hill or to better traction.But getting out on the Freeway with an enclosed trailer with a 5,000 pound car in it is a totally different. I would not want to be anywhere near that truck if it had to make a panic type stop on the Freeway.likley the truck dosent have the braking capability,even with trailer brakes.it would likley jacknife the trailer and might even roll the truck over.

I have seen it happen many times when light weight truck pulling trailer that weigh more than the truck end up in a serious demise.

This is just my opinion and other will differ.

 

That rear isn't stout enough? Anything I can do to help it out?

~Jason

 

Comments like this are pretty much what I was expecting. I share your sentiments, but am really wanting folks to prove me wrong, here.

It's an open trailer, by the way - not enclosed. I'm not cool enough for one of those.

The stopping and jacknifing are what's freaking me out. Then again, I've never really towed anything but an empty trailer, or something with a bike on it, etc.

~Jason

 

I am not trying to piss you off.I just dont think its safe.If its just a local haul and you think it will be safe.Then go for it.

I just think that the combined weight of the car and trailer will overcome the truck.

 

IMO- You could theoretically do it with no harm to the frame, but you better be carefull, it will be a spinkter tightening experience. and it probally wouldn't be to safe over 45-50 mph, now as a one time thing, if you really needed to move it I would say yes, but be careful, but keep in mind, if you had to stop in an hury, you probally be SOL, But if your thinking bout doing this regulary with that weight, I wouldn't recomend it.
One

 

As I recall, I called U-Haul one time about renting a 16' car hauler and they said they would not rent it to me if using anything to tow that was less than a full size pickup. At the time I was thinking of using my son's S10 Blazer.

I have a 16' open car hauler now with electric brakes and pull it with a full size Tahoe. Even then a panic stop is not fun. I also have a 49 Chevy pickup on an S10 (no extra boxing) and I don't think I would want to pull the loaded car hauler due to not enough weight to help slow the trailer. I would be afraid of the jackknife scenario. Even with the Tahoe I have to make sure the tongue weight is OK or I have towing problems.

 

IMO- You could theoretically do it with no harm to the frame, but you better be carefull, it will be a spinkter tightening experience. and it probally wouldn't be to safe over 45-50 mph, now as a one time thing, if you really needed to move it I would say yes, but be careful, but keep in mind, if you had to stop in an hury, you probally be SOL, But if your thinking bout doing this regulary with that weight, I wouldn't recomend it.
One time I had to haul a 1 ton truck app. 6000 lbs. with a full size F-150, and that frame is boxed, it wasn't too safe over 45-50 mph, but, I've drove truck most of my life, but I have seen some really wacked out shit, I guess the biggest question is do you feel comfortable towing it, if you knew your truck could do it?

 

I think this is the real deal.

 

There are towing forums, try lurking for info.
My personal 2 cents is that you are asking for trouble. Can it be done? Sure. Has it been done? Of course. Would I do it if there was no other recourse? Um, yeah. Would I choose to do that (build the package for the purpose)? No way!
If you want a tow vehicle, go find a good full size 2500 Donor, minimum. Same work, better results. It may not be as low, it may not have the (6 lug) wheel selection, it may not look as cool unloaded, but don't carve out a wooden wrench just 'cause it will be lighter and you have the wood on hand.

 

Ya but I tried pulling my 22 ft, cuddy cabin with the same rig. I went out and bought a full sized Ford!

 

Rod, you need to make the part about the wooden wrench your signature, atleast until you get a better one. that was pretty good.

 

Here is some good info you might want to check out.

http://ntta.co.uk/law/index.htm Its for the uk.But it still has good info.

 

i watched an s-10 blazer on the freeway a couple years ago take out six cars because of this.the s-10 chassis doesent even have a half ton rating so already its too small.if you look at a stock s-10s actuall towing capacity i bet it doesnt even come to 5000 lbs.wich you will be over already with what you are planning to tow.its not just the rear end,its also the suspension wich has really short and lite springs to begin with.the blazer i saw was towing a small tent trailer and tried to stop suddenly for traffic that was slowing,the rear wheels came completely off the ground before it completly rolled into the back of slowing cars........please dont do it,think of the people who may get hurt besides you.and yes i tow a 10,000 pound trailer daily with 5,000 pound a compressor on it with a 1 ton truck and sometimes its a ride to pucker with!!!!

 

I have actually seen two seperate accidents involving S-10 trucks pulling too big of load. One rolled the truck right over. Too short of a wheelbase, and too narrow on the track width to SAFELY tow a large load. Nobody says you can't, but you surely shouldn't.

 

My concerns would be-

Narrow track width makes it more susceptible to the trailer pushing the truck side to side.

Brakes, those 10.5 front discs barely have any business stopping an unloaded S10. For a car trailer you want 12" fronts, minimum. S10 rear drums are tiny too.

Rear springs, S10 stuff isn't gonna work. You grossly improve a loaded trailer's manners with tongue weight. Even a half ton really needs helper springs on the back to pull car trailers consistently IMO.

If you do go ahead, it's time to replace those surge brakes with proper electrics controlled from inside the tow vehicle.

Good luck!

 

Well I'll add my $.02. Back in 91 when I bought my first car hauler, 16', 1960#, 10" brakes on one axle only, I pulled it with an 87 Ranger 3.8L w/ 5spd. I pulled that trailer all over including South Dakota. The trip back from there was carrying a complete 28 cpe. Was even up to Fargo and brought back a 52 HT. I brought my 41 home from s.w. Wis on it. Also had Cads, Buick's, Burbs, etc on it. A good weight distributing hitch and brake controller are a necessity. Place the load on the trailer right and it will do the job fine. The one thing that always bugged me when I got in a tight place was the fact that the truck was narrower than the trailer body. I hauled with that combo for 3 years until I bought a Burb to pull it. Now I haul a 24' open trailer, 3700#, 12" brakes on both axles, with an 02, 2500HD, 8.1/Allision

 

this subject comes up here all the time. though I have never heard anyone wondering about the frame being strong enough.

if S-10's were good enough to tow 5000 lbs then why would anyone buy a 3/4 ton truck? you can't rent a car trailer around here without a 3/4 ton truck.

people do unsafe things all the time and get away with it.. that doesn't mean it's a good idea to try it yourself

 

tow and stopping it not the problem when you go into a hard corner and the trailer pushes the truck into on coming traffic. you will need a changing of clothing.

 

I think your 16' trailer and heavy caddy is really going to out weigh the 1941 international. Even though your K-3 is rated as a 1ton its light compared to a 1/2ton-1ton truck of later years acutal weight wise. My 1936 C-30 1.5 ton towed like there was nothing on the trailer when i brang it home. Why don't you just drive the caddy, it would probley tow you trailer and truck better. I plan to tow some with my IH on S-10 chassis but not another car of truck thats what i have a 3/4 ton Dodge diesel for. I don't think the frame will give you any problems but the 10 bolt rear, short wheelbase and small brakes will.