Vintage Tow Vehicles

[cameront120]

I think your Coupe DeVille needs new axles.

[overlander64]

After years of trying, the 1975 Cadillac Eldorado/1978 Argosy Minuet combination is finally on its first long expedition. We arrived at the Bozeman KOA about 3:50 p.m. this afternoon. The trip has been an adventure, but well worth the few problems. The photo below was taken this morning while departing Yellowstone National Park.



Kevin

[74"Twinkie"]

Just one stop on our trip last fall.

[FreshAir]

WOW, you guys have some great rigs. The first time I attended "Hot August Night's" in Reno a few years ago I couldn't believe how many vintage cars there still were. I had thought that all those old cars were crushed years ago. Now it is the same with Airstreams. Isn't it a great time to be alive! Some of you have seen our set-up with the Buick convertible and the Trade Wind. Well on the home-front I have and need a couple of vintage TVs to move the TW around our hilly and gravel driveway. I need the help of 4WD with our '75 Jeep J20 and our son's (used to be mine) '78 CJ7. The truck is fitted with a Buick 455. I has very few miles on it. If I ever make the time to work on some 'bugs' in it, it can spell the convertible with towing the TW. But then again it is ve-e-ery difficult NOT to connect the convertible to the Trade Wind. Ah, decisions...
Neil.

OBTW...I 'hear that the Fall issue of Airstream Life will feature vintage tow vehicles and vintage Airstreams. Don't ask me how I know.... my secret...

[HowieE]

This goes back before my Airstream days. A 59 VW bug converted to a Dune Buggy and a 1966 Apache Chief hunters tent trailer.

We used to have to sit on the on ramp of the turnpike and wait for a UPS truck to come. Then follow it using the draft to get up to 55 mph then those 36 horses could do their thing.

When this circus showed up one campground tried to refuse us entry.

[72Blazerod]

My"vintage" tow vehicle isn't too vintage but it does qualify for 'Collector' insurance. It's a 1978 Ford F350 'Campering Special', with a big ol' 460. Here 's a picture of her on our first camping trip with it and the trailer - a 1986 Sovereign 29'fter with rear bedroom. It's not too fast, but it sure does pull!

[59tradewind]

Originally Posted by overlander64

After years of trying, the 1975 Cadillac Eldorado/1978 Argosy Minuet combination is finally on its first long expedition. We arrived at the Bozeman KOA about 3:50 p.m. this afternoon. The trip has been an adventure, but well worth the few problems. The photo below was taken this morning while departing Yellowstone National Park.



Kevin

LOVE IT
we had a red 74 eldorado convertible.
wish we could have kept it in our collection.
nothing beats towing with a convertible.

[safari57]

We recently completed a 10 day camping trip to the Olympic Peninsula, staying first at Sequim and then Fort Worden/Port Townsend, WA.

There was a ton of interest in the vintage TV towing vintage RV which was good. What surprised me was the number of folks who are looking at selling off their newer TV's on which they are making large payments and purchasing an older TV. One case was a fellow able to purchase a neighbors 73 Suburban for about six months worth of payments on his '07 truck and the 'burb is in very nice condition. Another fellow had already sold his '08 TV and was using his parents late seventies truck they were willing to give him. He'd thought it was just too old but once he saw us with our '57 and our friends with their '54 he was having a lot of second thoughts. One fellow had a '69 Ford wagon, 390 and optioned out, that was given to him, he said in really nice shape, and he was wondering what the heck he was going to do with it. His wife and kids love it but he was thinking he'd sell it and his early two thousands car and buy a newer truck but his wife was all over him to at least give the wagon a try at being the family TV next year. I suspect he will do so.

I have been watching a '70 Blazer, 2wd, decent shape, that is sitting in a car port for quite some time. I've ping panged on the door and at that time they let me take a good look at it and it is in really nice shape, no rust or dents, but it needs a transmission which is why it is sitting. Last time I checked it was not for sale but I think it is time to go back and ask again. I think Donna would enjoy using something like it from time to time and it would be good to have some down time for the wagon so I can go through it once again. I'd thought I might use the '70 Chevelle for that purpose but now I'm thinking it is worth far too much money to risk having something happen when towing. The paint alone to redo is worth over 10k so damaging that would be more than painful. The wagon is rare but it just seems different. After all, it is a wagon and it is doing what it was made for.

Anyway, I thought it was interesting that so many folks were clearly rethinking their TV's in the current economic climate and looking hard at moving back to older rigs so they can continue to camp. I suspect we may see more vintage TV's on the road this coming summer.

Barry

[Road Ruler]

We just got back from our 16 day, 2,000klm adventure up North which included nights at Killbear, Algonquin, Arrowhead, Grundy Lake, Kilarney, and Oasler Bay Provincial parks here in Ontario.

We saw two vintage TV's. An older Caprice all set up for towing. Big WDH, extension mirrors and twin sway control balls. Didn't see what he was towing but got the pic here of the vehicle...http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...g?t=1222122232

We also saw a 1972 Ford LTD station wagon towing an older 26'TT, SOB.

On the trip we did see 4 other Airstreams all fairly new and over 25'. Two were towed with V6's and the other 2 were being towed with V8's.

This year we also noticed very few RV's on the roads and few campers in the Provincial Parks. At Killarney the trailer park section of the park was empty but many pop ups and tents were in the other sites.

Also note at one gas station near Sudbury we payed over 1.50 a litre for premium fuel. That's about 6 bucks a gallon.

[safari57]

Thanks for the picture of the Caprice, RR. It looks ready to haul just about anything in that picture. Twin sway bars is intersting and something I wonder if it makes a difference. Might be worth considering if it actually works.

We also saw far fewer actual trailers and MoHo's on the road this trip than at any other time in the past. As you note a lot of tents, pop ups and the first HiLo of the new type that I've seen other than in advertisements. It looked heavy though, even when it was towing out, so I'm not sure the gain is worth the pain.

There was a couple near us with a very small at most 2 person tent and they had themselves (in their sixties I'd say) and neither one was by any means tiny, and a border collie about 2 years old judging by its size and playfulness. He said it was now the only way they could afford to camp. They used to have a full sized RV, then a pop up and now the tent but they were damned if they were going to let crazy fuel prices stop them from enjoying their camping. Whew, for me if I don't have the comforts I'm not going. Boondocking yes and I really enjoy that but not sleeping on an air mattress a couple of inches off the ground.

As I was typing this I noticed a mid seventies 4X4 truck in black primer towing a very old canned ham go past and park down the street. It has WA plates on the trailer. I'd better go take a look even if it is raining hard. It may not be there when it quits.
Barry

[autotronic]

Hello, just checking back here.

Recently, for one of my magazine clients, I shot a combination of a beautifully restored 1956 Chevy Nomad, towing an equally beautiful 1956 Shasta in an exact-match blue/white paint scheme. Not sure if its OK to post a photo of it here in an Airstream forum so if anyone would like me to post a photo or two here, just let me know.

This will be the cover car combination for one of my national automotive publications in January -- sorry I can't disclose which at this time, editors get pretty bent out of shape about things like that -- but I want to explore the opportunities to produce similar features in the future, of enthusiasts towing vintage trailers with period-correct vehicles.

If you have a few photos of your vintage tow vehicle and trailer combination, I invite you to send them to me. In the aftermath of the vinatge Nomad/Shasta shoot I've started planning a vintage tow vehicle/trailer blog for my own publication Automotive Traveler so I would love to hear from you. And if you live in Southern California, I'd love to hear from you as there's the opportunity that I could shoot your combination myself.

This is a great thread and I hope that in the future, that I will be able to make more regular contributions.

Richard Truesdell
Editorial Director, Automotive Traveler Magazine

[bredlo]

Originally Posted by autotronic

...if anyone would like me to post a photo or two here, just let me know.

Uhh... YEAH we wanna see it!

[Woody.303]

I have the utmost sympathy for those of you that travel with those old cars. I used to own an 1976 Malibu in perfect original condition. I was constantly working on that thing.

Then, I lived in a 100 year old Victorian mansion, and I was constantly working on that thing too.

After all that, I told myself I would never buy anything old again. And surprisingly enough, I find myself the proud owner of a 1971 Airstream. Sometimes, I think I should kick myself in the pants. lol

I was smart enough to buy a 2001 diesel powered Ford pickup though. I just set the cruise, and enjoy the ride. Great power, and great fuel mileage.

Woody

[Globie64]

At least the old things are easy to fix- I love my Dart and my Globetrotter for that reason. I have no idea how anything on my Honda Fit works. What is "electric power steering"?!

Peter

[Rodger with a D]

Hola There

This evening I was looking at epay and saw two ads wanting to sell 1979 Olds Towing Brochure's. Knowing that some of you tow your vintage AirStream with an vintage car with coil springs in the back, I thought, here's for you ... 1979 Oldsmobile Trailer Towing Information Brochure Ad - eBay (item 6562345019 end time Oct-31-08 11:49:15 PDT) .

Rodger & Gabby
COS

[Road Ruler]

I was just browsing through the classic car ads on Kijiji. Saw this 1969 425ci Hemi Dodge for sale. Couldn't help but notice the 2" receiver on the back. Hummm.

[richinny]

sweet!

but add one ci. to the 425, it's a 426ci :-)

dude, it's a HEMI! lol

[Road Ruler]

Originally Posted by richinny

sweet!

but add one ci. to the 425, it's a 426ci :-)

dude, it's a HEMI! lol

For sure Ricky, a 426ci it is. That will teach me for getting up in the middle of the night and posting..lol

Also note the asking price for the numbers matching car is $59,000. and the engine is not running.

[richinny]

that's pretty expensive for a car without air conditioning ;-)

[bill & phyl]

Howdy

we are doing a trans Canada tour in 2010 check coasters2010 site the tow vehical is a 1957 ford monarch 7.5 liter engine with overdrive xmission and 3.22:1 final drive pulling a 1976 safari should be an interesting trip so your not alone.

cheers
Bill