Re: Travel trailer ?

Posted by rustyj14 on August 30, 2009 at 08:08:44 from (173.75.31.48):

In Reply to: Travel trailer ? posted by TnT on August 30, 2009 at 07:40:21:

First off, you should NOT pull any kind of travel trailer with a bumper hitch!
that said, you should use a manufactured for travel trailer towing type of hitch, with load equalizer bars, and the anti-sway pieces that the mfgr. sells for their hitches.
You will need a full size pick-up for towing that type of trailer, or the fifth-wheel type.
I towed with several Ford 390 equipped Station wagons, and also with a 1976 Ford 3/4 ton pickup, and had the best hitches and anti-sway bars that were available at that time. Reese made a very good system, and we towed all over the country with that rig. Never had any sway problems. If you think you can tow without any of that stuff--well-be prepared for a nasty surprise some day when towing on a hi-speed hiway! I've seen pickups lying in the ditch with the back bumper still attached to the trailer, but not the truck, because those four bolts that hold on the typical rear bumper, suddenly pulled thru the holes! If that happens, you suddenly say to your companion---"Gee, there goes a trailer exactly like ours, but how do they drive it?"

As for fifth wheel trailer towing, i have several friends who use that system.
And, they have big pickups with thirsty engines to pull the load! With gasoline--expect 10 MPG! With diesel--ya might do a bit better, but not much!
A large draw-back to fifth wheel towing is if you use the truck in your everyday work, or for hauling anything in the bed.
The set-up for the fifth-wheel towing has a large piece that is bolted into the pickup bed, and it is more or less permanent, which gets in the way of hauling large flat pieces.
One other thing: If you have children you wish to take along--for fifth-wheel towing, the ideal tow vehicle would be the crew cab type. Reason being-you cannot haul people in the trailer in a lot of states, as they have laws against it, nor can kids ride in the cap on yer pickup, in most states. Back when i was towing my trailers, we used the large Ford 1967 Country Squire station Wagons, with the 390 C.I. engines, and the C-6 tranny. Never had any trouble with them, although the water pumps on the engines didn't like to travel, because i had to replace several on long trips!
HTH: Rusty Jones

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