Can I get it home?

[gringotrans]

I just registered today and am so glad I found your website. I am currently looking for a 24 to 28' airstream. I believe I have found the one for me. It is liveable as-is but has quite a few things that need restoring.

The one Ifound is listed as a 28' 1970 International Land Yacht. I am not sure that the seller is correct on the model, size, and year. I would have to pick it up 700 miles away. The weight is supposedly 4300lbs. I have a 2000 F-150, standard v-6, 4.2 liter engine. I have towed a taco trailer full of restaurant equipment with it no problem, but I am not sure about towing something this large. I was also seeing that there are several threads about the tow connection and the trailer brakes. Starting to wonder if I can tow it at all.

Can someone give a newbie some advice??

Stephanie

[azflycaster]

Stephanie,
Welcome to the forum! If you look at the weight chart at http://www.airstream.com/airstream/p.../weights-1.pdf
you will see that there is no 28 foot 70 International. It could be 27 or 29. International is a trim level and not a model name. Either way the weight is going to be at least 4500 pounds and that is before you add water, food and everything else you might travel with. Thats alot of tacos! I tow a slightly lighter trailer with a little bit more truck and at times (uphill) I wish I had more. Your 4.2 liter is only rated at 205 HP and 255 lbs of torque. You may be able to tow with it, but you will want more. Hills will kill you!

[CanoeStream]

Hello Stephanie -- A great BIG welcome to the Forums and your fascinating adventure! I've broken out your posts to a separate thread to get some attention to the question in the thread title above. Stephanie, where will you be going to pick up this trailer? (i.e., what sort of terrain?)

Azflycaster is pretty 'right on' with his comments on the engine. There aren't many Airstreams over 20' that you'd want to tow routinely with a V-6. You will definitely want to hold down speed (60mph tops) and not tow in the top overdrive gear at all. While your Airstream is a driveway queen you can think through when a more capable tow vehicle is possible.

Okay folks, anybody towed with this truck? How big?

[On edit: Stephanie, http://www.airstream.com/product_lin...e/faq.html#vin can help you decode model & length if you know the VIN. Ask if you have any further question on this.]

[Chaplain Kent]

Welcome to the forums. My first airstream was a '75 Tradewind 25' long. I pulled it with a 2000 Ford F150 4.6 V8 and it just made it. Fortunately for this set up of mine Wisconsin is fairly flat. We did make a couple trips to Florida though and we strained up and down the mountains. I would be happier seeing you with a beefier set up than the V6 unless you will be satisfied with West Texas for all of your camping.

[A-Merry-Can]

there's no replacement... for displacement!

[clancy_boy]

But, You must make sure the trailer brakes are in good working order. A trailer that size can easily over power your truck (MOMENTUM) if you have to stop suddenly.
Have you had your truck serviced lately - transmission, oil, cooling system, brakes?
Do you have a brake controller installed in your truck?
Does your truck have a receiver hitch that is rated for this size camper?

Answer some of these questions and then you must look at your route. I would go a little out of my way is there was an indirect route that was flat.

Good Luck. As with most things in life - BIGGER is better.

[Jim & Susan]

Steph, welcome to the forum. I have a '73, 27 foot Overlander, dry weight 4500 lbs. It is in the process of being restored, so I've only towed it a couple of times with a 1997 F150, V6, 5-speed manual tranny with towing package. I do NOT recommend you do this with the V6/Manual tranny combination. Susan and I only had to pull ours 200 miles to get it home. We were lucky in that all of the systems on truck/trailer were working correctly. It was a white knuckle trip all the home. The truck was really underpowered for the chore (35 MPH going uphill, etc). So much so that I bought another truck to do the pulling.

The 1997 truck only has a towing capacity of 3200#. Your owners manual should tell you what yours is. Please be careful, maybe somebody with a bigger truck can help you tow it home? Then you look at other options?

Good luck with it, whatever you decide.

Jim

[wahoonc]

Steph,
Welcome to the forums. FWIW I have/had the 1997 version of your truck. Mine had the factory towing package on it. I did tow my 31' 5700# Airstream about 20 miles with it...once. If you don't have the factory tow package you are limited to around 3500# towing capacity. If you have the factory tow package your are good to around 5400# In the case of my 97 the factory tow package included: Larger radiator, automatic transmission, tranny cooler, oil cooler, 3.55 limited slip rearend, frame mounted receiver and the complete wiring. The truck did fine, but I would not want to do it on a regular basis. FWIW we have also towed with my wife's '03 F150 which has the 4.6l V-8, again it did fine but I would not want to do it on a regular basis. If you do end up doing it make sure the trailer brakes work, you have a controller installed and you will need a weight distributing hitch. I wonder if the trailer you are looking at is a 31'? Many people just measure the body length, Airstream includes the tongue in the overal length and it is about 3'.

Good luck and let us know how you make out.

Aaron

[rwnash]

Stephanie,

Just another confirmation about the towing capability of your truck: It will work but not very well in the hills. I have towed lots of 5000 lbs trailers with half ton trucks and 1960's station wagons, they can get the job done but more is better. My previous vehicle was a half ton with less power than yours, but more torque. It worked with my 1975 25 foot trade wind but I like the more powerful 3/4 ton a whole lot more. (I'm assuming that you have an automatic transmission, the regular 5 speed manuals don't hve a good 1 st gear for towing.)

I agree with everyone else about equalizing hitch and brakes, especially brakes.

Final caution: Check it out. I did not do a very good job before I bought mine and am developing some new skills repairing it. I shift back oand forth between it was an OK decision to buy it or a big mistake. Today I'm tending toward the latter. But over the past 8 years the fun to $ ratio has been pretty high. I'm recently retired and learning how to weld (and other skills) is sort of fun. Besides, it is easy to justify an expensive tool to the management if it means saving $ 40 k on a new trailer!

Good luck

Whit Nash

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by rwnash

Besides, it is easy to justify an expensive tool to the management if it means saving $ 40 k on a new trailer!

Good luck

Whit Nash

NOW! You know the real secret to Vintage Airstream Ownership

Aaron

[gringotrans]

your input was so great. thank you everyone. i ended up buying a 1964 sovereign 30'. i have not logged on for a month. it was a big haul home but i love it.


i have it in storage for right now and am working through testing all the systems. electrical system first. the original manual is supposed to be the one i have right now but it is sketchy.

anyway,
doing lots of research. any electrical help or otherwise is appreciated.

Steph
happy streamin'

[Neophyte]

So how did you get it home and are your knuckles back to regular flesh color?