Lugnut
HalfDork
10/29/10 1:39 p.m.
I am without a tow vehicle at the moment. All of my prior tow vehicles have had factory big hitches installed (Trailblazer, F150, Grand Cherokee) and I want to use my Roadmaster to tow a car on a trailer.
What rating do I require? It is a class 3 hitch? Is that supposed to tie in to the frame (since, you know, I have one on this car)?
Do these tow hitches bolt or weld on?
Go to etrailer.com and see their help section.
I am not a shrimp, I am a KING PRAWN!!!!
pinchvalve wrote:
I am not a shrimp, I am a KING PRAWN!!!!
I have no idea what this is from or why you would post it in response to this thread.... but I laughed out loud. No, I haven't been drinking.
Lugnut
HalfDork
10/29/10 2:12 p.m.
Check Amazon.com too. I bought a class 3 hitch for my RN Truck from there cheap. Bolted right up to the frame.
the ex cop car 94 Caprice that i had came to me equipped with a class 3 receiver hitch under it.
i had a class 3 hitch on my 91 caprice sedan and pulled flatbed car trailer with car on it two times. it did ok, i did have 9c1 springs in the rear which i believe probably helped some over the softer base springs.
Somewhere along the same lines, how difficult would it be to flat tow or dolly tow a car with a class 2 hitch? I see a guy at track events flat towing his neon with another neon. But just wondered aside from power what would be a concern?
CanadianTercel wrote:
Somewhere along the same lines, how difficult would it be to flat tow or dolly tow a car with a class 2 hitch? I see a guy at track events flat towing his neon with another neon. But just wondered aside from power what would be a concern?
stopping power. the caprice/roadmaster have the same size brakes as similar year fullsize trucks. something like a caravan, on the other hand, has similar brakes to say, a neon.
Yeah, brakes are a big concern, and trailer brakes is a must, in my opinion, especially when towing with something that is not a 1 ton dually. I towed my car hauler with a 3K lb car (Esprit) on it with a bumper hitch on the RN Truck. That wasn't Class 3, but it was pretty stout for a bumper hitch. The trailer pulls a lot better with the new receiver hitch, but I'm not sure exactly why. Maybe because I added like 3-4 inches of lift on the hitch.
Yes to a class III. Drawtite makes one. E-trailer has them for about $200 with free shipping. I'm fixing to order one for my Roadmaster Wagon.
Nothing more fun that having the traffic cops write you a bunch of tickets and impound your trailer on the way to a race. Check your local DMV and do it legal, which probably means class 3 hitch and brakes on all axles.
Trailer inspection cops have absolutely NO sense of humor.
Vigo
HalfDork
10/31/10 12:04 p.m.
something like a caravan, on the other hand, has similar brakes to say, a neon.
Depends on the van. Dont lump them all into the same category.
Brakes ARE a big deal, though. And even the strongest brakes on a 3000 lb car can be borderline while towing another 3000 lb car.
If i had the choice (i.e. i only intended to tow the same car over and over) id definitely go for a dolly or a tow bar before a trailer. Although, the downside of those is they they pretty much cannot be backed up if you get yourself into a situation where you need reverse.
Problem with a dolly or towbar is the lack of brakes on the trailing vehicle
I tow a fair amount with my 96 Impala SS. The max I do is 3500 lbs and it doesn't have brakes. I might risk 5000-6000 with electric brakes on the trailer. Don't mistake surge brakes with service brakes. Surge brakes only work in emergency stops
Class 3 is the minimum for you and they make them. My buddy tows his 26' travel trailer with his Caprice wagon and aside from destroying the 4L60E and rear axle bearings in 60k it did very well.