VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions Tow Vehicle Thoughts

My Reality Check -

early May- 1925 Chevy, in a meet in NC, from Ohio. (800 miles round trip)

the following weekend - 1908 Buick, in a Tour in Georgia. (1,000 miles round trip) (yes, I came home in between and switched cars!)

2 weekends later - 1908 Buick, southern Ohio (350 miles round trip)

mid-July - 1925 Chevy, Buffalo NY Meet (500 miles, round trip)

last weekend - 1933 Chevy, Central Meet in Michigan (600 miles, round trip)

October - 1908 Buick, Hershey (350 miles, one way)

following Hershey - 1908 Buick, Tour in Cape Cod (400 more miles, then 750 miles home)

OK, that's just this summer.

Now, in between the above, I have driven the '33 probably 1,500 miles locally.

I would not have been able to have nearly as much fun this summer without trailering. I'd probably still be on my way home from that first Meet in NC in the '25, and it wouldn't be near as pretty any more!

Reality Check Number 2
I use the trailer to take our car to where we are going to play. When we get there we play hard. I drive my car about 3000 miles a year. I live on Long Island, so every time we leave it we have to travel through New York City, which can be a difficult task in any vehicle, at any time of day useing a trailer just makes this task a little easier. Also what do you do when something breaks and renders your car inoperable, and you need to be back for work the next day? I bought the trailer two years ago because I was getting more beat up than the car. Also living on an Island I pretty much have driven on every road here, several times so we look forward to drive on some different soil, and the trailer makes it just easier to get there and back.

Our Summer, so far.....
June VCCA Area 10 Meet in Baltimore 220 miles each way it took 7 hours to travel home with traffic did the trip in one day

June AACA Meet Haggerstown MD 310 miles each way, on the way home we waited 2 hours to cross the George Washington Bridge

July VCCA Area 11 Meet Hartford CT 160 miles each way, car fire on the entrance to the Throggs Neck Bridge, another 2 hours to travel 4 miles

July VCCA Area 11 Tour on Nova Scotia trailered to Portland Maine about 250 miles each way to Portland, left the trailer behind took the ferry to NS and drove about 1000 miles in rough weather (rain/fog)

August VCCA Area 8 Randolph NJ, only about 80 miles each way, but it was a Sunday so traffic was most likely beyond anything you have ever seen in Nebraska, and hopefully never will. The trip took us through the worst 6 miles of highway on the east coast the Cross Bronx Expressway, or what is known as "Death Valley"

While you are correct to assume there are many people who trailer and would cringe at the thought of driving their car enough to move the temperature gauge, but in both the Guru's case and mine this not the reason, as it is with most of the members I know in the VCCA. Bumper to bumper traffic and a big block is far from fun, and trust me my cars temperature gauge moves in that.
John

Yes and there is something to be said when you are at a meet motel for the night and a severe thunderstorm warning is forecast with large hail and you can just run the Chevy up into the covered trailer for the night, or you are trailering through a road repair area with a warning about flying gravel damage.

...and the nice thing about the covered trailer is when you sleep at night you can!

No one is stealing the parts off your prize since its tucked inside the enclosed trailer.

YES, that is just another of MANY advantages of the covered trailer...I won't leave home without mine (at least when I am taking one of our old Chevys), also I don't like driving very far without A/C, it does get hot in our part of the country about 8 of the 12 months.

Mack,
We have the Cross Bronx Expressway, or The Brooklyn Queens Expressway and you have hail,(only saw hail once in my life and that was in Ohio) sort of pick your poison. Like I said earlier I did it for me not the car, my trailer is open. As for the Guru, well it is pretty hard to drive 700 miles with a Brass Car just to tour. It would be pretty neat if you could, but I think time would come into play.
John

If you sleep in the trailer with the car like we do then it is double protected. Takes a little bit bigger trailer but well worth it. We have spent 50+ nights sleeping with our old Chevys. If you only have a couple of gallons of gas in the tank they don't smell too bad. They don't snore either.

Sounds like some pretty good reasons to trailer!I've never had a chance to tour or even drive my 38 coupe very far before I started a restoration. Hope you guys take it easy with those big trailers and keep the wheel side down. I enjoyed the reality check reports on your touring adventures.

Lets get it back on track, do you need the posi additive in these 2001 and newer GM rears?
John

Probably would be best to check the owners amnual.....For type of gear oil,change interval and aditivies......I'll see what the GM techs have to say on Wednesday.

Living in rural Southern Ontario, Canada, I feel relaxed enough to drive my '29 Chevrolet just about anywhere. The last two weekends we drove 75 miles and the next weekend about 40 each way to events. The trailer stays home safe and sound, don't want to wear it out.
You wouldn't believe what I pull it with. A '69 Buick Skylark convertible with the following mods. Four row radiator, larger seven blade fan, auxilliary transmission cooler, heavier rear springs, one size larger radial tires. Open trailer weighs about 4200 lbs loaded with my '29 Chevrolet or '13 Buick. Pulls easily, trailer has its own hydraulic or surge brakes.

"You wouldn't believe what I pull with it", or run over with it!. Rumor has it that the Skylark convertible just loves to run over wooden pallets that happen to stray into the roadway.

Its seems to me that I saw a Skylark and trailer like that is Michigan a few weeks ago.

Would have been more common to see the Buick on a trailer.

That surprises me not too much about the 69 Buick Our first tow vehicle was our new 1965 Pontic Catalina two door hard top with a new Shasta 18' Travel trailer. One more child for a total of four called for a new 1970 Catalina Station wagon with a 400 engine and a new 24' Starcraft travel trailer, then we went up to a 1973 Cadilliac 4 door hardtop, it was a very good tow vehicle with the 472 engine. after the unleaded gas thing we went to a 1976 4 x 4 Surburban. We used an equalizer hitch setup from Reese and I still have and use the same hitch setup with the 20' 2002 Pace American Pursuit trailer.

Oldie; Yes, that was a thrill. Should have been driving a Dodge, I couldn't decide whether to dodge it or ram it. Left lane was blocked with traffic and the shoulder looked uninviting. I aimed for the center and it cleared except for the exhaust pipes, the trailer chains must have bounced over it as well. This week the car is at the shop replacing the exhaust system.
To quote the pilots, "any landing you can walk away from is a good landing."

Gene,
The owners manual just says to use synthetic, but no mention of posi additive????
John

I would love to drive w/o a trailer, however packing a wife, grown children, grandkids and all of the stuff that goes with them would be a major problem with just the one car. Also if you only have the one car you can't leave your show car at the show because you will need it to drive back to the motel, etc.

I could never attend a show with just my '57 and trying to do it in just a vette would be impossible...

Gator, never say never. We drove our 60 out to Springfield and then rented a car.
John

John-Talked to the techs today.All later trucks use synthetic and no posi additive.I forgot to ask but they may use a locking Diff. and do not have clutch plates as the original posi. had.They also they haven't seen a great deal of trouble the last few years but do recommend changing the fluid as per book - oftener with trailer pulling.All felt the diff. in the S10 and Astro van is to light for trailer pulling and still see some problems there.

While I was in one of the shops the tech was in the process of doing a diff. change.The present GM syn gear oil has a grape smell added to cover-up the terrible smell it has.I have "installed" Mobil 1 in my '50 and had no bad oder.

At one time GM sold diff. oil with the posi additive already added to it.They also sold the additive seperately.Would prevent chatter when hot and turning corners.

This problem was "discovered" back in 1957 with the first posi units.Then the additive was discovered.The original stuff was made from sperm whale oil.After it was "not nice" to kill the whales a new formula was found.We also used it (with GM's blessings) to cure the squeaky rocker arm probles in the 265-283 engine-it worked for that too.Prior to that many rocker ball and nut packages were replaced under warranty due to that problem.

John, be good to your (truck's) rear end and try some Lucas 75/90W synthetic that already has blended synthesized additives. Cost a couple of bucks more, but is very slippery and holds up excellently under extreme loads and heat.

It's amazing to me how "desensitized" the public is today about routine maintenance. They expect to do nothing but put gas in and go 100,000 stop and go miles trouble free. A coworkers wife recently had the tranny go out on her 98 Ferd product with 110,000 miles on it. "I'll never buy a piece of junk American made car again." "Did you ever change the fluid and filter or even check the level?" No.

I've really enjoyed this thread and have come to the conclusion that when I finish the resto on my 51, I'll probably be looking at a 3/4 ton. In the meantime I love my 2003 1500 Silverado. It's by far the nicest vehicle I've ever owned.

Just my opinion but I would stay with either the GM synthetic gear oil or Mobil !.....From what I have read about Lucas products its just like the "snake oil" that Slick 50 etc. was about-and the Government made them stop their wild advertising claims.

I am MrMack and I approve this message.

Save the environment! sell your big old Diesel 1 ton Dually and buy a Chevy v/8 Half ton truck!


(IMHO)
Unless your 51 is truly a lead-sled Your 1500 Silverado will make you a very decent tow vehicle, with the right hitch and trailer. I have a 3/4 ton GMC Serria extended cab (5 speed manual overdrive and 350 TBI) and a Chevy 1500 extended cab Silverado 350 TBI with overdrive automatic and The engines and drivelines are rated almost the same, the 3/4 ton has heavy springs and wheels and a gooseneck hitch, the 1500 has a 2" receiver hitch. I prefer the 1500 with a Reese equalizer hitch and a tag-a-long tongue trailer for any vehicle less than 5000#.

But the one we like the best for performance and comfort is the 01 Tahoe with the factory heavy duty Towing package chassis and 2" receiver hitch which is also used with the Reese hitch. I consider the short wheelbase actually a plus, for maneuvering and comfort while towing the 20" (inside measurement) Pace covered Pursuit trailer. It has a 5300 and auto.

I have only been towing trailers, large and small, behind cars and trucks since I was 17 years old, that adds up to 50 years since I am 67. No, I have never lost a trailer or a load,knock on wood ..... I have had a close call now and then ....

I think maybe it is time to change the differential oil in the Silverado it has 105000 miles on it and is serviced regularly. and the Tahoe with 78,000 Miles and also serviced regularly by "Mr Goodwrench" here at Bayer Motors in Comanche where both were bought new. I will ask one of the service managers about changeing the differential oil in both of them, right after I get back from the HICO SWAP MEET this weekend!.

Actually my 51 is a 3100 pickup and even though I did get my Silverado with the towing package and HD everything, I'm still kind of concerned since the weight of an enclosed trailer and the truck will be real close to its rated towing capacity. Would probably be alright here in the midwest but if I get it done in time for the annual meet in Colo. what will it be like going over the Con. Divide outside Denver?

Which company has the 'best' deal on trailers?

Are there any big price breaks at certain shows or events?