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"but driving from N.H. thru Ma. then Hartford Ct. and New York city to get to a tour in N.J. should count double".

That trip should qualify you for a AAA White Knuckle Ride of the Highway Award.

Jim… That sounds oddly appealing!

Does anyone have any experience towing with 2010+ Ford 4.6L V8? Do they have enough power and torque for towing a '51 on an open trailer? There's a dealer in town with two trucks… one is a 5.4L, and the other lower miles but smaller engine.

For what it's worth I towed my 51 on an open trailer with a 99 Dodge 2 wheel drive short bed with the 318 engine.It did have the locking diff. and auto trans. It was a little slower in the hills than my present 2009 Silverado ext.cab 4x4 but fuel mileage was about the same-13.5 mpg . Check the specs to see if it was built for towing or simply had a hitch installed.

Brewster,

Had an 03 F-150 with 5.4 and it had plenty of oomph for whatever I pulled. 16 ft. car trailer with VAC Case on it which weighs about same as your Chevy.

Now own 09 F-150 with 4.6 in it and it sure doesn't have the guts of the 5.4 when pulling my welding trailer of about 3500 lbs. Up to you, but if I had my druthers, it would be definitely the 5.4. Just my opinion here and best to ya.

Jim.


Jim.

Thanks Jim, that's the sort of info I'm looking for. Is the under umph going to be a huge detractor for the 2-3 times a year I tow with it? Is the 4.6 a better engine for daily driving? Steve… you're right, I plan on going with the full tow package.

Brewster,

I doubt you will notice much, if any, difference other than when climbing grades. The longer and steeper is revealing. Relatively flat roads will not make much difference. You could pull with a six if not for grades and then the only difference is the amount of time to get to the top which will be small.

I have not pulled with a Ford but have GM products. For many years I used my dad's 68 6 cylinder 1/2 ton to pull heavy loads (far heavier than the trailer and the 51) to Hershey and Carlisle. Not a problem except for two hills in western MD on I-70 where I joined the eighteen wheelers a-grinding along. Make sure the trailer has good 4-wheel brakes. What goes up must come down.

Generally HP = grade pulling power (unless you want to pass everything on the road when wind resistance becomes a larger factor), not much of anything else in advantage.

Charlie

I won't be looking to drive hammer down to any of these events. In fact, I'll likely be in the slow lane plodding along behind a green '53 and a blue '35! I just want to get there in a safe manner that my whole family can enjoy the trip. Slow lane with the big trucks on the grades is fine with me, as long as I'm not slowing them down…

Maybe go and talk to the dealer and see if you can hook a load to each pickup and drive it? You will see first hand how each acts. I've towed with truck that have a small engine and it can be done, but for me things go better when I have enough power to keep up with traffic. Good Luck, Don

I don't think there is much difference between daily use on those 2 engines. The only reason I got the 4.6 in my last truck was that I did not want the 6 speed auto. The 5.4 only came with 6 speed, but the 4.6 came with 5 speed auto. Had the 5.4 came with 5 speed, would have bought it. Not much difference in fuel mileage between the 2, but the torque and power is really missed. I only put about 4 thousand miles a year on my trucks. Try not to use them as daily transportation because of gas prices. I think you would be extremely disappointed with the 4.6 pulling car trailer and car on the trailer, even if only a couple of times a year. Just my opinion here Brewster. Good luck.

Jim.

Bruce,

Just for the sake of "what works", in the world of towing.

Back in 2000, I bought my '51 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was 750 miles from my home, then, in Madison, Ohio.

I had a 1997 Chevy S10, extended cab, 4.3 V6, automatic.

To get the car home, I ordered and installed a Draw Tite hitch and trailer wiring on the S10, also installed air shocks.

I rented a U Haul 4 wheel car carrier trailer, with surge brakes. Trailer weight 1,600 lbs or so.

Loaded the '51, another 3,200 lbs or so, for a total of 4,800 lbs, to be towed. Adjusted the air shocks to level the trailer/truck, then hit the road.

Admittedly, the Interstate from Cedar Rapids to Madison, Ohio is more flat than not, but the S10 did a fine job, was very pleased with the performance.

I'm not suggesting a S10, as your tow vehicle, but the 4.3 did a very good job, as small as that truck and engine is.

No matter what you use as a tow vehicle, drive the right lane, whenever possible. Let the traffic pass you .... then you'll find you have a lane to yourself, where you will not have the need to pass anyone.

Assuming you're buying auto trans., master the upshift and downshifting, in a manual fashion, to get higher RPM's between shifts on the acceleration side ... and to use the downshifting to allow brakes AND transmission to slow you down.

Towing requires "planning ahead moves", whenever possible.

Sorry for the long post.

It may also be a good idea to do some reading about towing damage to overdrive transmissions, especially in underpowered units.

Yes, good point. In my explanation above, I did NOT use o.d.

Yes… I'm fine with the "how to tow" rules, and I have a great coach in my Dad, who's been towing a 5000lbs+ travel trailer all over Canada and the USA for the last 25 years, with four different rigs now. I think my concern is that he tows a lot more weight a lot further, as they have been known to go across country for several weeks at a time. If I'm pulling to one or two shows a year, I don't think I'll be too worried about leading the traffic… but don't want to hold it up. I need something that's also good as a daily driver, so wondered if that much motor is worth having around and paying for,(gas insurance, etc) or If I'm better to get the smaller V8 with a good cooling and braking set up, and tool along like I'm on vacation. I've pretty much decided I'm going with a full-size extended cab with short bed.

Get the bigger engine. The difference it will cost to have and operate it is minimal, you will be happy you did.

It will also in my opinion be more valuable at trade in time when you get a NEW CHEVY.

Amen to the Chevy.

Well... I've gone and put the cart before the horse! Dad helped pick up my new trailer today. I drove a few extra miles to get it, but saved myself about $2000 vs the quote I got in my hometown here. I got a 20ft flat deck, with wood floors, a two foot dovetail and side stow ramps. It's a good quality Texas built trailer. Not sure if it made a difference in price, but my local guy has a lot full of horse, utility, and enclosed trailers, and he seemed to want to talk me into a closed trailer. The place I bought from is right across the road from Varney Speedway, and they had a lot full of open car trailers. They seem to know more about hauling with them as well.

Now my question is this... What are the best methods for strapping the car down? Chains vs.straps? Strapping/chaining the axle vs. the "tire webbing" type of hold down, and "D- rings" vs using the side stake holes? The trailer doesn't have D-rings, so I'd have to add them. Is it worth it?

Another reason I need a pickup... went to the Garden Centre today. I'm sure this tree will survive a hurricane after it's ride home!

I have heard many stories about cars rescued with trees growing up thru them. Never realized how that could happen, but now have a better understanding of how that could happen.

To hold my trucks on the trailer, I use two chains over the front axle (where the springs connect) and hooks to close the loop. I found the optimum vehicle position on the trailer and shortened the chains accordingly so that the front wheels were in the correct place.

Then, I use 5000# straps over the rear axle to pull the vehicle tight against the chains. This setup seems to work well and positions the trailered vehicle in the same place each time.

Cheers, Dean

If you're concerned about marking up the chassis with chains, you can use straps. Mac's tie downs has strap sets you can buy which hold the car securely vs chains. Make sure you inspect the strap webbing periodically to make sure their integrity is unchanged. Quality strap sets will include holders which secure the ends of the straps to prevent flapping against the body and chassis. It's a matter of personal choice. Chains vs. straps.

When enroute, make sure you check the tension on your straps and chains periodically when travelling.

Thanks to all that offered hints and suggestions for my new towing setup… decisions are all made! I'm picking this up Tuesday night!

Nice truck.

Nice truck.. Now that you have the truck, the trailer, the baby ..... what is happening with the '51 ????