Vintage Travel Trailer options?
I've been knocking around the idea lately of setting up a classic looking trailer with both the ability to haul swap meet items and antiques as well as provide me with a place to sleep and shower on t...
Forum Discussion
rebelopie wrote:
This sounds like an interesting prospect. What year is your Lincoln? Your tow ratings are lower than our '96 Town Car, which was rated to tow at 5000lbs. We used the Town Car to tow our T@B, which had a loaded weight of 2000lbs, I believe. We traded the Town Car in for an '05 Dodge Dakota. In my opinion, the Town Car towed the trailer better (and was more comfortable). We had to "flip" the hitch/ball upside down so the tongue of the trailer was higher and the trailer rode level.
If you are going to use your Town Car for towing, upgrade the brakes to hearse/limo brakes. They are expensive but worth it for considerably more braking power. Also, if you have the rear air suspension, make sure your "air bags" are in good shape. The weight of the tongue is tough on the suspension. I replaced both at the same time we did the brakes to make sure we were ready for towing. The biggest challenge for me towing with the Town Car was a lack of tachometer. Also, backing a single axle trailer shorter than the tow vehicle made for some interesting maneuvering.
The Lincoln is a 2007, with a factory hitch/tow package. I actually didn't buy it for towing but after using it to bring a boat back from Florida I realized how well it tows. It pulls and handles a trailer far better than my Explorer or F150. The Lincoln also gets great mileage compared to either of my trucks. I'd be lucky to see 14 mpg out of either truck, yet the Town Car gets over 24 mpg towing if I'm careful.
There are no airbags, they dropped those years ago. My 95 TC had them and I swapped them out for a set of steel springs from a Grand Marquis, but I never towed with that car.
The tow limit of 2,000 lbs is what's listed in the 2007 tow rating book from Reese, since the engine, trans and rear are basically the same as what is in an F150 that year, I have little doubt it'll pull a lot more than a ton. I pulled a 3500lb boat back from Vermont over the summer and it towed that without any effort at all.
It could handle tongue weight a bit better but I suppose it'll be fine with the right hitch. I have little doubt it would pull 5,000lbs safely with the right hitch and brake controller.
