YOU NEED TO SEE THIS PIC

DutchmenSport wrote:

4X4Dodger wrote:

PAThwacker wrote:

jaycocreek wrote:
4X4Dodger has it spot on!

Maybe it's just internet forums or just the new breed of Rver who over thinks everything he does or just plain lack of experience with actual hands on the subject in which he is posting,speaking third party not from boots on the ground.

I guess the funny thing to me is,all the wrecks lately with an RV involved around here were 8 lug rigs showing lack of experience or driver error "not" with ratings involved at all.

Never in 50 years of towing have I seen an RV wreck based solely on tow ratings or especially payload numbers..Not 1 but I have seen a lot of them based on road/weather conditions or operator error!

End the comments about towing 50 plus years ago!

Ever think there are more cars, trucks, rvs, and idiots on the roads today? Which is worse smartphone users all day and night, or the drunk fool leaving happy hour?

Highways in PA were made in the 60's and are not rated for modern day traffic/trucks etc. Need to replace every overpass statewide, and constant construction.

Why end the comments about towing 50 years ago...do the Physics change? Since When? And what is the harm in looking back to add perspective to this constant numbers debate?

The fact is people did it back then without all this fuss, navel gazing and jawboning, endless numbers debates and hand-wringing. And for the most part they did it safely and had fun.

And pray tell...what do the drunks, smartphones and more cars have to do with this weight debate? Driving safely is driving safely in 2014 or 1946...yes conditions are a bit different but my guess is they are much better overall now than in 1946. We have bigger roads, wider lanes, less steep grades, more shoulder...well I could go on and on...

And I would remind you that the PA Turnpike was this nations first multi-lane, controlled access divided hwy. And I am sure those folks back then with their trailer behind their '53 Mercury loved it.

Why does history intimidate you so?

Probably should take this over to the vintage forums, but here goes anyway. .... How about 53 years ago! ... 1962 .... My dad bought this car and this trailer. I wish I could remember and knew more about this car, it took us all over the U.S.A. This photo Southern Florida along the Gulf somewhere, the year was 1963. The second was Johnson City, Texas in 1968. I remember riding in the back of that station wagon ... oh lord help me ... in the back stretched out laying across the back .... with no seat belts anywhere in the car! I think the engine was a 440. No clue what type of transmission it had. It had an aftermarket trailer brake controller that was somehow linked to the brake pedal. When the brake was pushed, the handle on the controller moved. I remember laying on the front (full) seat between Mom and Dad with my head on Dad's lap as he was driving watching that knob move up and down when he applied the brakes.

OK, I drive a new 2014 Chevy 3500 diesel duly that cost more than my entire college education! But if I had opportunity to tow with that car, I'd do it in a heart beat!

By the way, that car was a Pontiac!... yea ... GM!

Very cool old rigs!
The '63 Catalina Safari wagon was powered by a V-8 389. There were a few variations of the 389, primarily different by the amount of carbeuration. Just like the GTO of the same years, an owner could get standard 2 barrel, a 4 barrel or three deuces making the 389 put out a large amount of HP to the tires. I would imagine it was a great tow rig and didn't have any problems pulling sub 20' trailers and all the family gear. FWIW, I owned a later model Oldsmobile wagon, the Vista cruiser. The Olds had the longest wheelbase of any production model car built to that date (maybe to present, also). It rode like a boat with seats that rival my present day entertainment center couches, lol. It really was a great time to have one of these wagons.