Towing questions: 1967 Safari with 1994 Ford F150

Billm67 · 02-28-2006, 08:00 PM

I am about to move for the first time in more than 6 years my 1967 22' Safari. I am interested in knowing whether my 94 Ford F150 4X4, 5.0 litre (302) can successfully tow my trailer on light trips (less than 100 miles). Attached to the truck is a Draw-tite class III (about 5 years old) with a Reese 2" ball. If so, what prep or maintenance is recommended on the truck. The truck has less than 80K miles on it and has been well maintained over the years with little rust.

I need to also know, what adaptors there are to make the electrical connection between trailer and truck? The Safari connector/plug looks more like an old 5 slot female electrical outlet. My connector on the truck is about 2 years old and is a plug-in. Is there such a thing?

If anyone has any advice on what are the top ten safety things one should maintain or prepare on a trailer before departure, I would be interested to know. I will obviously replace the tires and brakes before setting out but wondering what else might be done.

Many thanks and it's good to join this forum.

Safari-Rick · 02-28-2006, 08:34 PM

Hi BillM:
Your tow vehicle (TV) is MORE then enough to tow a 22 Safari. Your truck with the 4x4 is probably in the 9000 lbs range for towing. The 22 Safari's are about 5800 lbs.
As for the electrical, if you have a CampingWorld near you they can fix you up. Your Ford dealer as well as any RV/UHAUL - PepBoys etc, outfit can also provide the hitch conversion kit for the trailer -TV. Price is not that much either.

What you do need to check is the braking system on your trailer to see if it has frozen up. Your tires and bearings will also have flat spots on them if they were not moved for a while.

I'm sure some of the other guys will also provide you their 2 cents worth of info.
I've listed two websites that will provide you resources on towing and AS trailers.

http://www.rvtowingtips.com/hitches.htm

http://www.airstreamtrailers.com/

Just remember, Safety First !!

Take care, and happy trails.

Safari-Rick

davidh · 02-28-2006, 08:44 PM

I agree with Safari-Rick on all that he said, I only have one ?. Is your ball hitch size on your trailer 2 5/16", if so make sure you change out your 2" ball to the proper size. Check this thread out on WD Hitch'es http://www.airforums.com/forum...ighlight=hitch

uwe · 02-28-2006, 08:59 PM

You will need a brake controller in the truck. Might as well get it installed, and wired to an RV style 7-pin truck connector.
then put the 7-pin trailer end on the umbilical cord on the trailer, and you should be good to go on that end, at least. A competent hitch/trailer shop should be able to get you going without "a hitch". Pun intended..

silverleeper · 02-28-2006, 09:50 PM

Hi Billm, Your truck will do fine. The trailer weight is about 3450lbs and should have a 2" ball. Things my have changed over the years but this is how it came from the factory. Hope this helps. LP

toddster · 02-28-2006, 10:12 PM

Bill,

I towed my '64 Safari from Portland Oregon to San Jose California with an '89 Toyota Landcruiser. My little 4 liter engine was struggling on the mountain passes but did fine on the flats. Your tried and true 302 should be fine. I strongly recommend some sort of brake controller - I used a prodigy and it worked GREAT. Additionally, I suggest that you have your hitch set up to level the trailer, rather than just to the factory specs. I set mine up to the factory 19.5" height and ended up with a trailer that leaned slightly towards the rear (due primarily to a worn out axle). Talk about the tail wagging the dog. If the trailer isn't level or leaning slightly more to the front, it will sway all over the place at speeds about 45 or more. I used a weight distributing hitch setup with a friction slider and it was adequate. Hope this helps... Happy trailering!!

-Toddster

Billm67 · 03-01-2006, 11:43 AM

Yes, I've always said the only thing a vehicle needs to do is to stop. Thanks for your advice. Someone informed me the GVW is more around 3400lbs but I'll do some research. Also do you have any recommendations on a brake controller set-up? Looking forward to touring around the area this summer with my AS!

62 Overlander · 03-01-2006, 12:15 PM

I like the Prodigy from Tekonsha, it's easy to setup. Concerning your tow vehicle, if it is an automatic, I'd recommend a transmission oil cooler and a temperature gauge. It's a good transmission if you keep it cool, and if you've got 3.55 gears, which were pretty standard, you'll more than likely want to tow with od off.

Gen Disarray · 03-01-2006, 12:29 PM

Bill,

I tow with a similar set up (1991 f150- 68 tradewind). I have towed from Michigan to Southern Illinois and in hill country some. It does ok. Having said that, we towed it to Yellowstone last fall using a 3/4 ton and the difference was night and day. The difference in power and in stoping was termendous. I dont know how well the f150 will do at altitude although I expect to be holding up alot of traffic. I will be moving to a F250 at the first oportunity. In any case, if you stay at lower elevations and dont rush you will be fine assuming your rig is as close to mine as I suspect
. You ABSOLUTELY need a WD hitch in my opinon.

Gen Disarray · 06-05-2006, 12:01 PM

So how did it all turn out?