Towing a 1970 Airstream

[Pilgrimsoul]

Dear All,

We just took delivery of our 1970 AS without a tow vehicle. I simply want a vehicle that can pull the weight (4200 pounds dry weight). The wife wants a van, and I don't care. So long as they/it can safely tow the weight of the trailer and our stuff. We estimate a fully loaded trailer would be 5500 pounds and a fully loaded tow vehicle would be at least 600 to 900 more pounds.I have been looking at a lot of Fords, and a lot of GMC's. I am leaning towards diesel power but that is still up in the air.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

A grateful,
David Sage

[overlander64]

Greetings David!

Welcome to the Forums and the world of Vintage Airstream ownership!

Based on the 4,200 pound dry weight, I am guessing that your coach is a 25' Tradewind. I suspect that your ready-to-travel weight will be closer to 6,000 pounds when you consider that the dry weight does not include:

• The weight of fresh water carried . . . a full 50 gallon tank will add (8.33 * 50) . . . 416.5 pounds
• The weight of fresh water carried in 10 gallon water heater (8.33 * 10) . . . 83.3 pounds
• The weight of the propane in your LP tanks . . . (30 * 2) . . . 60 pounds
• The weight of the rooftop air conditioner . . . 100 pounds (+/- depending upon model)
• Patio Awning . . . 125 pounds (+/- depending upon model)
• Spare tire and wheel and carrier . . . 100 pounds (+/- depending upon specific wheel/tire combination)
• The weight of every accessory and option installed on coach that was not part of standard equipment . . . (?)
• The weight of food, clothing, bedding, dishes, cutlery, and other personal possessions carried in coach.

My suggestions would be to take 6,000 pounds as a "generous" allowance for your ready to travel weight. Many on the Forum including myself like to apply an 80% rule when evaluating tow vehicles . . . ideally the trailer should be 80% or less of the rated towing capacity of the tow vehicle . . . with this rule of thum, a vehicle with a trailer tow rating of 7,500 pounds or more would be a good candidate. Today, there are a number of vehicles with ratings in 7,500 pound range including SUVs, vans, and pickup trucks.

Good luck with your tow vehicle selection!

Kevin

[slowmover]

What search of the forums have you done to the present, and what range of vehicles appears favorable to you at this point?

[Melody Ranch]

Think about all the items attendant to your trips.....Blue Boy, hoses, BBQ, dogs,spare tire, floor jack, etc., etc. Do you want to share your tow vehicle with all that "stuff?" Personally I think a pick up with a camper shell is the best. Put in a plywood shelf on the upper part of the bed of the truck (thats what those indents on the sides are for) and you have twice the space to separate types of that "stuff." I keep the dogs up top and camping gear below. I have even used it for a sleeping platform when without the Airstream.

[Aage]

Hello and welcome to Airforums.com, Dave! You probably already know that you have picked the best source on the planet for Airstream information.

I'm guessing you haven't taken the time yet to do a search on TVs (Tow Vehicles) and how to match them to your TT (Travel Trailer). Trust me, it is a very popular subject, so even the simplest search done from the Search menu on the top horizontal dark blue horizontal line will show you MANY discussion threads about it.

There is a wide variety of possibilities to choose from these days. People are towing far larger TTs than yours with the new V-6 gas engine from Ford called EcoBoost, for example.

My own choice is along the lines of your wife's preference. We tow our 2004 31' Sovereign with a 2007 Ford Freestar that has a 4.2-litre V-6. This is not everyone's choice though; you will find most folks here use pickups as TVs.

So take your time, keep an open mind, and have fun making your decision.

[Pilgrimsoul]

Dear Rednax,
eBay, Google. I've been tired kicking for two reasons. I popped my wad when I bought this thing and we want to see what is out there, since we have no experience in this sort of thing.
Pilgrimsoul

[barts]

We pull our 71 Tradewind w/ our 1996 F250 4x4 crewcab (diesel). We get just over 14 mpg towing in the flats; this can drop to 10 to 12 in steep hills (Sierras), severe headwinds or towing in stop and go traffic. She climbs just fine, although since we have the 3.55 gears she does drop into second on the steepest hills.

- Bart

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by Pilgrimsoul

Dear Rednax,
eBay, Google. I've been tired kicking for two reasons. I popped my wad when I bought this thing and we want to see what is out there, since we have no experience in this sort of thing.
Pilgrimsoul

Sorry, meant the search around here at AIR. As above, there are MANY threads. Maybe a bit of analysis:

To start, you've done it in the "right" order: TT first, TV to be second. (TT = travel trailer; TV = tow vehicle). A mismatch is unlikely unless one soon changes to a larger, heavier TT. Yours is a nicely-sized TT both in length and overall weight.

From cars to HD pickups is the range for TV's, especially at this size. About all available, in short. This is a problem from the standpoint of the sheer number of models. It isn't simply pickup versus Suburban versus E350 van. Your trailer was designed to pull behind a car. A truck isn't necessary, per se. A modern sedan or a minivan, all can be good choices.

One way of looking at it is in what is necessary for the TV otherwise to be a good personal/family vehicle as that is it's primary role. Sort of like Mom trundling 'round town in a station wagon the majority of the year; so how important is fuel mileage and cost of operation otherwise? New or used? The trailer doesn't actually limit you as to TV's as much as you may think.

Will it be: the occasional trip out of town with a longer summer vacation, maybe 5k miles per year? Or the possibility of longer stretches of time enroute? Does one travel lightly (amount of gear), or does one carry enough to rebuild the TV engine roadside? The secondary role as TV can utilize the wide range of vehicles available to make a good match.

In other words, like BartS above, I can tell you that my TV is reliable and has excellent fuel mileage (for what it is). But I also have use of this vehicle for business purposes during the rest of the year. Our trailer was large enough on the one hand, and we full-timed on the other, to want the load capacity of a big ol' pickemup. Not everyone wants to make the grocery runs with a 160" wheelbase truck. It wasn't the only choice, but it fit well with two requirements: business, first, and full-timing, second. "Personal use" was the least important consideration, at third.

So, how would you rank the use of the TV best?

.