Trailer and tow vehicle to transport model AA?

[Stakebed]

This is for long off in the far distant future but i was wondering if any of you transport your AA's to shows and whatnot and what kind of tow vehicle do you use and what kind of trailer?

Obviously some full size something (tahoe, pickup, etc) as a tow vehicle but trailer type? Open? closed?

How bad is it to open trailer a 29 (has that canvas sun visor shade thing) that im afraid will get caught by the winds. Load it backwards? Do they make a closed trailer that an AA would fit in?

The way i see it an open trailer i would have more uses for than enclosed...

Do you think a mid 90's fullsize (silverado, k1500, F150, suburban, etc) with a manual trans and gas engine with the truck setup with a brake controller and suspension made for towing would suffice?

I hauled the carcass of my 29 AA about an hour one way borrowing the neighbors 20foot open flatbed trailer and dodge ram cummins with a 6 speed and i could tell it was there but not that bad. BUT in its defense the AA had no axles under it (frame on the wood deck) or engine or trans or dual high and no sunvisor to deal with. I didnt go faster than 50 as the cab was wigilin quite a bit (not much holding it down) and accelerated and engine braked/slowed carefully. Id imagine a finished AA with axles rims and tires under it sits rather high up on a trailer in the windy zone....

Anyone got any horror stories about thier towing adventures?

[spectria]

This is for long off in the far distant future but i was wondering if any of you transport your AA's to shows and whatnot and what kind of tow vehicle do you use and what kind of trailer?

Obviously some full size something (tahoe, pickup, etc) as a tow vehicle but trailer type? Open? closed?

How bad is it to open trailer a 29 (has that canvas sun visor shade thing) that im afraid will get caught by the winds. Load it backwards? Do they make a closed trailer that an AA would fit in?

The way i see it an open trailer i would have more uses for than enclosed...

Do you think a mid 90's fullsize (silverado, k1500, F150, suburban, etc) with a manual trans and gas engine with the truck setup with a brake controller and suspension made for towing would suffice?

I hauled the carcass of my 29 AA about an hour one way borrowing the neighbors 20foot open flatbed trailer and dodge ram cummins with a 6 speed and i could tell it was there but not that bad. BUT in its defense the AA had no axles under it (frame on the wood deck) or engine or trans or dual high and no sunvisor to deal with. I didnt go faster than 50 as the cab was wigilin quite a bit (not much holding it down) and accelerated and engine braked/slowed carefully. Id imagine a finished AA with axles rims and tires under it sits rather high up on a trailer in the windy zone....

Anyone got any horror stories about their towing adventures?

I saved 1500 pounds of trailer and towed my last acquisition 300 miles with this, but I don't want to get in trouble with show car folks.
Do note that it is a complete truck with all six wheels and tires, plus an extra engine trans and radiator mounted on a shortened frame on the truck platform. Plus a few hundred pounds of extra bits... Also very low center of gravity. Yea and no FENDERS! Took my chances passed by Several CHP, no problem...
Towed with a 4x4 blazer 4.3 liter v6, only had a tad of trouble on a grade going north east out of Oroville Ca. The Tow Dolly has surge brakes rated at 7500 lbs, the rear axle dolly has Drum hubs with no brakes so I could add brakes later. Front Dolly rated @4500lbs gross, rear @3500lbs gross.
I am looking for a Diesel Ford F250 for next trip.

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[spectria]

I would go with a super nice toy hauler Wells Cargo style trailer with Dodge Cummings powered 6 if I weren't a FORD GUY who owns a Chevy 4x4 w/214 K on it that gets me by and IF Money were no object.
I do prefer being able to see my load at all times with dual Back up cameras, So I might opt for an open trailer.
show vehicles should be enclosed to protect from road grime, rocks, theft and vandalism and the weather.
IMHO...

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[Stakebed]

yea mines not going to be a fine point vehicle that i can be certian of. Im just going for a mechanically sound good from 10 feet away driver haha. But at the same time i dont want to have the top ripped or sun visor fly off when im trailing it anywhere.

Yea if money were no object closed trailer with a dodge cummins would be hands down best but im more in the mid 90's 4x4 manual trans chevy/gmc fullsize realm of pricing haha and yea an open trailer is much much cheaper id imagine. or one of those specialty build car trailers is another idea.

[flatford39]

I towed a 31 dump truck once with a 72 Chevy 2500. That's a 3/4 ton. 350/350 and it was all it could handle. The dump truck had an operating hydraulic dump with a huge piston. This thing was heavy. I wouldn't try towing it with my 1/2 ton chevy. You really need a 1 ton pick up to do it safely.

[Erskine48]

I towed the AA six-wheeler home with a 66 Charger and a heavy towing dolly, it was on its own rear axle. It was 24 ft. long, brought it over the ridge route,350 miles, what a trip! Have towed a panel truck to shows on open and closed trailers, it requires every bit of a 7ft. opening and there are not many trailers that way, also never try to tow on an open trailer with a car cover. Bob E.

[Stakebed]

hmm so i should be lookin for the F250 equivalent of things? like is a 1500 or silverado with a 350 out of the question or is it doable? im not going to be attending every show but maybe one big one a year if that. i dont mind traveling slow and not expecting to keep up with traffic on the interstates (60mph crusing, if i bog down on hills so be it)

im just trying to get ideas as i know several of you take yours to shows. Mine will be a 29 stakebed single rear wheels worm drive with full running boards and rear fenders so i dont think it will be as heavy as a dump truck bed equivelent.

[spectria]

hmm so i should be lookin for the F250 equivalent of things? like is a 1500 or silverado with a 350 out of the question or is it doable? im not going to be attending every show but maybe one big one a year if that. i dont mind traveling slow and not expecting to keep up with traffic on the interstates (60mph crusing, if i bog down on hills so be it)

I'm just trying to get ideas as i know several of you take yours to shows. Mine will be a 29 stake-bed single rear wheels worm drive with full running boards and rear fenders so i don't think it will be as heavy as a dump truck bed equivalent.

1500 is a half ton, I would go with minimum 3/4 if you have tongue weight (Like a trailer) my setup has 100 pounds on the tongue.
Also, a 350 should be enough power, but at altitude and on grades you want more, plus a bigger engine will actually work less hard and give similar mileage.

[Stakebed]

hmm so i should be lookin for the F250 equivalent of things? like is a 1500 or silverado with a 350 out of the question or is it doable? im not going to be attending every show but maybe one big one a year if that. i dont mind traveling slow and not expecting to keep up with traffic on the interstates (60mph crusing, if i bog down on hills so be it)

I'm just trying to get ideas as i know several of you take yours to shows. Mine will be a 29 stake-bed single rear wheels worm drive with full running boards and rear fenders so i don't think it will be as heavy as a dump truck bed equivalent.

1500 is a half ton, I would go with minimum 3/4 if you have tongue weight (Like a trailer) my setup has 100 pounds on the tongue.
Also, a 350 should be enough power, but at altitude and on grades you want more, plus a bigger engine will actually work less hard and give similar mileage.

altitude wise im in IL a whopping 200 feet above sealevel and 3 hrs around me is flat corn fields. even surrounding states have mild grades.

yea i know the bigger engine but will yeild similar mileage with less work but the other 360 days a year i need to be able to afford to drive it too ive only ever owned 4 bangers and 4.3l in blazers. family has never owned a pickup truck (besides me) or towed anything more than a 14ft alum fishing boat.

[markt]

I towed a '29 AA home from Morris Manitoba, about 1,350 km (800 miles) with a 2010 F150 4.6 liter and a 16' flat bed tandem axle trailer. It worked fine, 60 mph plus all the way.

[spectria]

Well I did make it from near sea level South of San Jose To 3550ft here near Lake Almanor with my 200+k old 4.3l V6.
So in the flatland that should be good enough, just recommend A Truck vs short wheelbase SUV style. Let us know what you get.

[Drew Mashburn]

Back in the late 1960's, my Dad and I bought a '31 AA Stakebed on the other side of the mountain range from the valley in which we lived. Dad rented one of the heaviest looking car-trailers I think I've ever seen. If I recalll correctly, it had surge-brakes. Dad towed it with his 1961 Chevrolet Apache 10 1/2-ton pickup with 283 cu. in. engine and a three-speed on the column. It towed it right up the backside of the mountain range, but on the downhill side, we decided to pull over in a wide dirt turnout to stop at a spring for a drink of water. This turnout was located on a bend in the road that turned to the left. Dad slowed way down to barely moving and had to turn towards the left like the bend in the road. But........the heavy trailer with the heavy AA decided they wanted to keep going straight. The back end of the truck got pushed around in the loose, shaley dirt and jack-knifed. Dad managed to get the whole kaboodle stopped just in the nick of time. I don't think you could have slipped a sheet of paper between the side of the pickup and the corner of the trailer. It was rather thrilling!

I've owned quite a few pickups over the years and have towed a lot of heavy stuff. Hey, a 3/4-ton may do it, but I'd sure feel better with a one-ton and it's larger brakes.

Be safe, not sorry!
-- Drew

[spectria]

Wouldn't the lack of stopping power of the trailer be the reason for the jackknife? The trailer surge brakes don't function in coast, so if there was no real pressure, the trailer will just push the towing vehicle around like a toy.
Electric brakes are the way to go.

[JWHorton]

The Truck can never be to big or powerful within reason
I am currently using a Silverado 3500, dully, stake body with a DuraMax engine and a 6 speed manual transmission
This is the truck that I also use on my gentleman cattle farm for a number of usage and is not a single usage truck
I use a 10 ton open 20 foot car hauler trailer but am looking for a used 20 foot enclosed trailer that the truck will fit in but most used ones are 24 feet race car haulers
Which I feel is to long and the height isn't enough for a AA (roof clearance)
I don't need a maintenance shop like the race car people
But I must say it is a pleasure to tow anything when you have the right tow vehicle
For some reason this hasn't turned out to be an inexpensive hobby but I love it

[flatford39]

The Truck can never be to big or powerful within reason
I am currently using a Silverado 3500, dully, stake body with a DuraMax engine and a 6 speed manual transmission
This is the truck that I also use on my gentleman cattle farm for a number of usage and is not a single usage truck
I use a 10 ton open 20 foot car hauler trailer but am looking for a used 20 foot enclosed trailer that the truck will fit in but most used ones are 24 feet race car haulers
Which I feel is to long and the height isn't enough for a AA (roof clearance)
I don't need a maintenance shop like the race car people
But I must say it is a pleasure to tow anything when you have the right tow vehicle
For some reason this hasn't turned out to be an inexpensive hobby but I love it

Well said. Thank you. We all need to keep in mind that we aren't the only people on the road. Sure you can tow these things with a Dodge Charger like someone said up thread, but that doesn't make it right. We all experience a lot of bad drivers out there everyday. One needs to have the proper tow vehicle and trailer to be able to react to what is happening in front of you.

You owe it to yourself, your family and everyone else on the road.