I pulled a 13ft 2500lb Scamp Deluxe with a V6 Dodge Caravan C/V (heavy duty cargo van) with heavy duty cooling (huge radiator, extra electric fan, manual cooling fan override switch, cold air intake, grille removed for less airflow restriction), giant transmission cooler, air shocks, heavy duty leaf springs...the works. It was a great van. It had a 5000lb tow rating. In reality, it couldn't muster HALF that tow capacity on anything besides flat land with no wind at sea-level.
But, towing stability was GREAT. With the trailer, it felt like one unit.
However, power against a head wind up ANY sort of tiny hill was ABYSMAL.
Add any sort of elevation (such as out west) and anything less than 93 octane and the van simply had NO power to pull that Scamp.
I'm talking foot-to-the-floor in 2nd gear going 37mph down the interstate in pure agonizing hell, watching the temps every second, heater on full blast in the summer, listening for things to explode, literally waiting to go full tits-up.
Not fun.
The engine blew trying to pull up the climb from Strawberry to Pine, Arizona.
After I had the engine completely rebuilt, the transmission blew up in Hurricane, Utah a week or so later.
It took three months to get back home. I had 3 tranny rebuild attempts done by Cottman Transmission in St. George, Utah and each time the tranny failed (AVOID Cottman). I finally bought a factory rebuilt unit from Freeway Transmission and had it installed in Panguitch, Utah by a great guy named Ed Mock (RIP).
I made it back home in time for Christmas.
I never towed with that van again.
And again...this was a tiny 13ft SCAMP. I'd hate to see it with a REAL trailer.
