Cadillac towing an Airstream

[Every Road Leads Home]

Maybe my view on a proper tow vehicle is too conservative or maybe this guy is just crazy!   Further proof money can't buy common sense. 

Not my pic, saw it cruising the internet.

 

[rvpopeye]

Must of been one hell of a salesman !

 

[ZoNiE]

Its a Chrysler 300. Rear Drive Hemi so should handle the trailer OK, but the tongue weight is probably a bit much. As for brakes, crank up the controller a bit and it probably tows fine...

...Not that I'd do that.

 

[highdesertranger]

it is a Chrysler 300. way to much tongue weight and that short wheelbase for such a long trailer, yikes, that thing is scary just to look at. it's not hard to imagine what would happen in a panic stop on a sharp curve at speed. short wheel base vehicles should never ever tow long trailers. highdesertranger

 

[Stephen]

Love to watch that go down a washboard dirt road!   :angel:

 

[mockturtle]

When was that picture taken?  Gas hasn't been that high for quite a while!

 

[highdesertranger]

what about one of those deep dips in the road, ouch. highdesertranger

 

[Canine]

When I was a kid in N.C.,we saw people from up north headed to Fl. for the winter.The Buick roadmaster seemed to be the tow vehicle of choice.The car and trailer made a V going down the road.I was having a discussion with a Floridian about all the Yankees moving to Fl.Yeah,he said,we call them frogs.I'll bite I said,"Why do you call them frogs?"Because they come down here to croak."he said.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

When was that picture taken?  Gas hasn't been that high for quite a while!

Not my picture but the website I stole it from said it was in Alaska.  I know their gas is higher, but not sure they are even that high at the momet.

 

[Patrick46]

it is a Chrysler 300.  way to much tongue weight and that short wheelbase for such a long trailer,  yikes,  that thing is scary just to look at.  it's not hard to imagine what would happen in a panic stop on a sharp curve at speed.  short wheel base vehicles should never ever tow long trailers.  highdesertranger

HDR, I thought you've been around the block a few more times than that.

Semi trucks have ALWAYS had trailers significantly longer than their tow rigs...

and I've never felt uncomfortable pulling big trailer with short semi tractors. (other than the crappy rides!!)


this car and TT combo has also always been around. Remember these?? This was a very common sight back in the early 60's...

...and this was long before they started using trailer brakes on cars towing TT's!!!! (I'm not saying that this was a good thing either!)

 

[highdesertranger]

those are king pin coupled not bumper tows. having the hitch above the rear axle makes a world of difference. in fact king pin coupled trailers are considered one vehicle, that's why you can tow another trailer behind the first. in some states Oregon included you can haul triples. anyhow I was talking light vehicles not tractors. highdesertranger

 

[IanC]

Maybe my view on a proper tow vehicle is too conservative or maybe this guy is just crazy!   Further proof money can't buy common sense. 

Not my pic, saw it cruising the internet.

'The Long Long Trailer' with Lucy and Ricky 1953 and another

 

[rvpopeye]

That first pic is a clip from "The Long Long Trailer" a movie starring Lucy and Desi made back in the 50's.
Way funny and I think it's on You Tube....

 

[GypsyDogs]

My first thought (on the Cady pulling the Airstream) was how convenient the bathroom would be if they had to do a panic stop... aka it would jack right into the driver's compartment. lol

 

[TrainChaser]

He has that huge trailer, and still needs a pod on the car roof.... I think he needs to pare his cargo down a bit.

p.s. on The Long, Long Trailer. And Lucy was filling it with souvenir rocks -- big ones.

 

[Milk Hauler]

Anyone notice those gas prices? [FACE SCREAMING IN FEAR]



REVELATIONS 8

 

[AltTransBikes]

Years ago, early "90's, we were making the run up 17 to Flag to get out of the heat. We got in late so we did a night at an RV park. The next day a guy came in next to us driving an old Lincoln Continental and towing a long ass, old school travel trailer. There was some serious sag
on the back of that Lincoln, I'd guess the TT was close to 40'.

I waved hello and he said "I'll give you $10 to help me set her up". He was an older dude, rail thin, wouldn't have gone more than 150 lbs. I laughed and said "keep your money, I'll give ya a hand". It was a hot spell, over 90 in Flag, and they had come up from Apache Jct, the Lincoln was doing a little hissing and his wife, a very big gal probably close to twice his weight, got into the TT with the AC on. He had already run the power cord and  we leveled the TT out on scissor jacks and ran the hoses. I did notice the TT was a bit heavy on one corner, lol.  

They were quite the couple, driving that old Lincoln and long TT. I had an E150 and fiberglass egg TT at the time and frankly that was all I wanted pulling grades out west......or going down them. Later over coffee I asked him how he liked his rig and he laughed and said "oh just fine, she runs a little hot at times but we travel all over. It's what we got so we make do".

 

[eDJ_]

I remember Dad's old travel magazines back when I was a kid.   Dad had an older friend who in the 1950's  went on these Airstream Trailer caravan tours.   Back then each trailer had numbers over the front and rear windows.   Many were towed by big Cadillac's.   In time they would begin to use those large International Station Wagons.

Dad's friend had been a Pharmacist near retiring and Full Timing then was more like a group travel thing.
But the older friend had given Dad his magazines when he retired and Dad would read them until he fell asleep at night. LOL   I remember going to to their bed in the day time and looking at these old magazines on Dad's night stand. 

They didn't hold much intrigue for me then but I was just a little kid.  But once in the harness of the Job World working for the week ends,   I began to understand the value Dad put on being able to have a vehicle he could  escape in and leave that world behind if only for a little while.   Then dream of retiring to a time of travel and camping in the outdoors when he got to retire. 

So,  a look back to the 50's when a Cadillac was the work horse of RV travel.

International Travelall  engines had sodium exhaust valves. (I understand)

Cadillac Tow in Airstream Caravan.  The Caddy is between a 1950 & 1954.

 

[highdesertranger]

omg my buddy in AZ just bought one of those Travel Alls. has 40k original miles found it parked in a garage complete with magazines from the 60's. it's in great shape. has all the receipts from services from the time it was new until the time it was parked. it is truly a barn find. highdesertranger

 

[highdesertranger]

BTW does anybody remember John Wayne's travel all.



notice the raised roof. John was a big guy.
highdesertranger