Suburban tow vehicle / everyday driver

Thanks Jim! Excited to breathe a bit of new life into it... it's been under-appreciated for a while, and we intend to change that.

 

Once you get that wagon and trailer combo together they will want to put it on the cover
of the Airstream owners assc. magazine.
Looks great and have fun!

 

Just saw your thread, here's mine. Enjoy yours, it's fun to "step back in time" towing a classic with a classic. Just be prepared to let everyone look inside, have time to talk and forget about trying to make dinner at a campground as there are just too many people enjoying your set up.

 

Great looking wagon - subscribed for updates.

 

Yeah, anything new on this?


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Nothing new - saving up cash for the big merge. The original frame is shot to hell, and the flathead 6 runs great but is underpowered for towing our Airstream.

So a few months ago I sourced a "gently rolled" '05 Durango Limited to donate its entire chassis, giving us 8K or so towing package and all kinds of goodies right out of the box. We'll need to add a couple inches to the SUV's length, modify the hubs / suspension to get a close-to-factory stance, and likely do some very fancy magic with the factory wiring harness to retain conveniences like cruise control, tow/haul mode on the tranny, etc. I'll hide everything I can behind period knobs and panels.

Lot of guys will shake their heads 'no' I suspect, but we're still aiming for that magic modern daily driver in a classy old suit.

Heck, at least I got around to washing it before winter set in...

 

Looks like a decent start. Make sure the Durango frame is not tweaked, and study up on the interior wiring diagram. Lots of wires to run to new places.

 

I like your idea, as well as many of the suggestions here.
My only add on advise is that you need to consider what engine/trans/parts you use so you won't get stranded while traveling..
I have pulled "Stuff" all over this great country of ours, and as anyone who has traveled knows, it is not IF you will break down, it is just WHEN you will...
That is when it is nice to go to any parts place to get the easily available parts to fix your ride, and continue on...
It sure beats sitting for days not finding the odd parts, but looking cool as hell !
Keep us posted on your progress...I like what you are doing, and the old Airstream's Rock !!!
Chees.....

 

Thanks - trying to keep the concept as straightforward as possible and not bite off more than we can (afford to) chew.

Frame has been inspected: straight as new. You're right, wiring will probably be the big, time-consuming variable. I'll likely send out the original gauges to be rewired for 12v, figuring out details along the way like calibrating the speedo for new wheels, eliminating airbag sensors, and so on...

You bet. Ideally, other than the altered wiring, I would like to retain just about everything I can from the Durango, mechanically speaking. I know GM and Ford stuff is easier to obtain than Mopar, but I really wanted to keep it authentic to its maker.

Going with new stuff, i.e. EFI vs. carbs, mostly flies in the face of good H.A.M.B.'ers everywhere who enjoy simplicity in their mechanicals. I get that, and have all the respect in the world for it. But I'm realistic about my limits, and will enjoy our big, long trips far more if I'm confident that nothing under the hood - or floor, for that matter - is more than 10 years old.

Hopefully my assumption that parts for an '05 Durango will be available everywhere we go isn't naive. If we wind up with custom-drilled hubs or something unique to this ride - I'm hoping to keep a few extras when we're on the road, just in case.

Thanks, this 22-footer will be our 3rd Airstream (after a pair of 19's that we owned between 2003 and last summer). Believe it or not the Highlander Hybrid - that everyone was so complimentary about in earlier posts - did a fantastic job pulling the smaller trailers, even in the mountains. But with this one likely topping out at 3500 lbs. or more after adding appliances, big holding tanks, stainless bathroom, etc., I think we'll enjoy having that Hemi.

 

great looking wagon! it will be a great hauler when its done. recently bought a 63 suburban with a caddy in it to pull the 50s/60s era race car with. life is short go for it! thinking about an early camper myself!

 

An idea: see if the Durango dash gauges come apart - maybe get a spare dash from the junkyard to play with. I've put modern guts behind old gauge faces before, it's not hard as long as the needle sweep is correct and you have JB Weld helping out.


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Oooh, great idea - that'd potentially save hundreds.

Sounds like fun, link to your build thread if you have one. Oh, and I happen to have a spare '54 Airstream sitting in Ohio, if you're interested in one like mine. We're combining two and I'll have a complete one leftover in a few weeks time.

 

i will put some throught into that brad. pm me if you get a chance with description and an idea what you may want for it. thanks rich

 

Little update:
I began the final push to strip the Durango donor vehicle this past weekend with a great, crusty ole' mechanic I found through a mutual friend. The original wiring harness was so intertwined with the body panels that we quickly gave up and chopped away what we needed to.

I'm still hoping there'll be a way to keep the OEM computers, but they'll obviously need to be reprogrammed or chipped to ignore the missing sensors.

The plan is to begin the big swap in a few weeks, early May. I hope to unobtrusively watch and document some of the process with photos / video clips, if possible.

 

Frame swaps are a lot harder than they look. Measure carefully, you may find it better to transfer the engine, trans, rear axle etc to the original frame.

 

Those guys on TV do it in a week, whats taking so long? Just kidding, as mentioned measure carefully

 

Thanks Rusty, appreciate that. I read quite a bit before signing onto the idea, after initially planning on something like your suggestion. Having also read how many of these swaps seem to result in a complete mess reinforced how difficult doing a swap like this can be.

But after determining the wagon's floor isn't great - and the frame is beyond repair - I began to believe the Durango's stronger, newer frame with tow package already in place may still be the right solution for us.

The shop I'm using is confident they'll be able to accomplish an OEM appearance, other than stepping up wheel size to accommodate bigger brakes. It will require a custom floor, perhaps replacing parts of the suspension, and of course addressing the wheels.

The way I'm currently looking at this is: if it looks awful when we mock it up, I'll stop the whole project and likely come back here searching for "Plan B". I'll also keep the possibility of a new, replica frame onto which we could attach the Durango parts, as things progress. I'm determined not to cut corners that will result in a poor handling or ugly ride.

No matter what, I'll proceed with caution - it's quickly getting too expensive to risk a half-assed mess.

 

Kinda late to this party but want to add that the brakes on the trailer make a big difference when towing. The better the brakes and controller the easier it is for the tow rig. I installed a new torsion axle and disc brakes on a 66 Airstream and it was a big improvement. The other thing is getting a good brake controller and trailer anti sway.

http://www.trailerpartsdepot.com/it...Axles+Galvanized+With+Hubs&iTpStatus=0&Tp=&Bc=

http://www.trailerpartsdepot.com/it...+Disc+Brake+Kits+Complete+&iTpStatus=0&Tp=&Bc=

 

Thanks Dane, not late at all. Our '54 trailer has a new axle, though not torsion - we're sticking with the original leaf spring setup. Disc brakes for sure. I'll likely reuse our current Tekonsha controller. For anti-sway we bought a barely used Hensley hitch for a really good price. It's the smaller Cub model, designed for shorter trailers and less tongue weight.

When all is said and done, I'm hoping the Hemi, 125" wheelbase, low center of gravity, truck frame, disc brakes (car and trailer), and Hensley should add up to a smooth, effortless ride.

 

If I videotape the whole thing, maybe it'll go quicker?

 

I apologize to the few who've subscribed to this thread for all the back and forth this project has taken. It's been a long road but we've finally landed on a solid plan that won't require anything particularly extraordinary.

Here's the outline with a quick recap:
- The plan for the past year has been to mate the body of our 1953 Town & Country wagon with a stretched 2005 Durango chassis, because the '53 had a rotten frame and we wanted the benefits of using a whole car and its modern features.

- We began to realize the time and expense required to modify the Durango frame, and meanwhile discarded some of the original wiring harness in the process of cutting the body off.

- Because of this, I began looking for an exact replacement frame from a similar-era wagon to sit under the '53 body. In September I found / bought a dry, rust-free '54 New Yorker wagon to use as our new donor.

- Last week, at the restoration shop, we put the '53 on a lift and pulled out flashlights, magnets and screwdrivers. We found that our baby has lots of bondo, tons of rust, replaced rockers, and only two body mounts remaining. It's a beautiful car from outside... but a nightmare just beneath the skin.

- Further inspection of the 1954 "donor wagon" proved that surprisingly... it's the ideal candidate. It lacks paint, has cracked windshield and awful interior - but also has no rust.

That brings us to the New Plan:

- We'll leave the '54 intact, promoting it from Donor to Project status.

- We'll replace the rubber bushings in the body mounts and completely rust-proof the whole underside.

- Then we'll update all mechanicals: Hemi, 5-spd, 12v harness, IFS, rack & pinion, new rear end, discs all around, custom heavy duty hitch, and air bags to keep things level when towing the Airstream. I'll put in as much insulation as I can afford, to try and make this a very luxurious, quiet ride.

- Lastly, the '53 will now become the organ donor: offering up its perfect interior, headliner, dash, glass and trim. After paint, we should have a fun daily driver, and a long-distance tow vehicle that's easy to maintain when we're far from home on road trips.

Photos show the first impressions... and the pair's fender flanges, which tell the real story.

 

Interesting....and proof once again that it pays to do a thorough and careful inspection on any old car you buy, so you know what you have.

Since this thread was in limbo, I got my own Suburban tow vehicle/daily driver going. It's a 1957 Chevy suburban (carryall), which I've had for 15 years and finally finished a few months ago. I've since taken it on several trips, it has logged over 10,000 miles since the end of July. That includes one trip to Kentucky, towing my 55 Belair. I did modernize the front suspension and brakes a little bit, with an early 70s Camaro subframe, but most of the rest of the truck is quite old fashioned...57 Ford 9" rear, TH400 transmission (no overdrive), the interior is almost completely original, etc. The truck gets decent mileage (stock 350 engine with Qjet carb and HEI ignition, circa the late 1970s) and drives nice. I haven't had to fix much on it yet, either.

Don't get too carried away with improvement and modernization....just get the damn thing done! I sure wish I'd finished mine when the kids were still at home.

 

yep

 

Bredlo, Squirrel, and others, I also started an RV hauler over a dozen years ago. Mine's a 1948 Chevy 1/2 ton panel. I got carried away with body mods and building a cruise nite custom. Mechanically done except for running brake and fuel lines, fuel tank, and hooking up that dreaded MMII rack set up I shouldn't have used.
I wasted so much time making it look cool with electric do dads then got burned out. The bench seat idea so our son could ride along up front got dumped because he's been long gone. Age and ambition took a dump so there it sits taking up space.
Skip the fancy frills and get those things on the road while you can.

 

Sage advice from all three of you, thanks guys.

I've already wasted 18 months going back and forth on this -- thankfully, I believe we've landed on a simple, straightforward plan. I've abandoned the notion of ABS, AWD, etc. Found a proven company that makes simple, functional wiring harnesses for my exact setup (Street & Performance), and a hot rod shop with a bunch of guys who know exactly how to tackle these upgrades. I've found at least three or four examples of guys putting modern Hemis into this exact body style online... and am in touch with one fellow who's done this project successfully - and can warn me if I'm heading down the wrong path.

So hopefully we won't need to reinvent any wheels, here. Vintage Air, a nice hidden stereo and crank up windows are plenty of flash for now: the goal is to hit the road by next fall, head for the western national parks... and enjoy life.

 

If I'm thinking correctly, the 53 T&C came with the Tolex pebble-grain type upholstery, where the 54 was a smoother type, not sure if it was leather or imitation. I much prefer the Tolex over the smoother type. That sounds like a good plan you've got there.

The 53 also has a more appealing looking dashboard, though I guess that's subjective. You'll have a very distinctive ride when you're finished - you probably won't see very many (if any) of these at any car show you attend.

Good luck and hope you keep at it till it's completed.

 

I've had Suburban tow or daily driver rigs for a long time. Never owned a modern Suburban, and my present '69 is the newest Burb I've owned. I always avoided the long wheelbase Burbs, just because I liked the classic body styles of early two door Burbs.
My first was a '57 that I still regret selling! 389 Pontiac, with TH400 for power. Then I had a nice lowered '60 with late model 350/th350 and a '64 with 327/4 speed combo. The '64 was very quick, but the 4 speed didn't make for a good tow rig. The '69 I presently own is actually my favorite, even though I resisted buying it. I've grown to like the 3 door's longer wheelbase, roomier interior, and extra hauling space in back. It hauls my two gassers to the strip on a trailer with ease, and after replacing the seats with a fold down rear seat, I can haul a full sheet of plywood in back with the tailgate closed.

 

Thanks - I think you're correct that our '53's alligator-esque vinyl become a two-tone smooth version the following year. We prefer our tan gator hides... and we'll reupholster the apparently quite rare 3rd row rear facing bench that came with the '54 as well.

Oh, and I agree - these '50-'53 dashes are just beautifully designed. Worlds nicer than the Dodges, Plymouths and Desotos of the era too, IMHO. We'll definitely move ours over to the '54.

 

Sounds like a wonderful trio of Burbs you've had. Thanks for sharing the ups n' downs - they certainly are workhorses.

 

Very interesting - I helped a relative drag home a very ragged 54 NY wagon from the Atlanta area 20 years ago. The car was black with a white top. The original smooth two-tone upholstery was a sort of baby blue and off-white, which I thought was a very odd interior color for a black & white car. That wagon had power windows. And, it had the third passenger seat. The first time we had ever heard of such a thing.

The car was sold several years ago, but my relative still has the seat.