Hot Rods Pulling a trailer or camper with a hot rod or custom

I recently acquired a small vintage camper and would like to use the '54 Ford "Ranch Wagon" for the towing duties and have a few questions for you guys that have been using your hot rod or custom for towing,whether it's a camper or a project on a trailer.

Most of you guys know the story behind the wagon and watched me rebuild it here on the hamb. HRP



Do you have trailer brakes or do I need them?

Are there mirrors that you can use that are not permanent and don't damage the paint?

Reece type hitch?

 

I've seen some mirrors that strap to the front fenders. Maybe those?

 

Good timing. I've been giving serious thought to finding a canned ham to pull behind the el camino.

 

The answers to your questions might depend on a few facts about the trailer that you didn't tell us...ie size, weight.

Usually brakes are needed over a certain weight, state laws apply here. And tongue weight is usually a proportion of trailer weight, and how the rear suspension is set up will determine how much tongue weight the car can handle. Might need air or overload shocks or air bags, might not need anything, might want a weight distributing hitch. I just put a hitch on my new old OT luxury car, and tried out my (empty) 2000 lb car trailer with it...a couple inches sag at the rear of the car, but when I put the spring bars on the weight distributing hitch, it popped up to where it's supposed to be, and handles pretty well.

I have done a bit of towing with my 57 Suburban, it's a truck, but modified (lowered) suspension...the WD hitch is necessary with it, too.

 

Also...mirrors...McKesh mirrors seem to work pretty well. They hook on to the door at the bottom of the window (where the fuzzies are) and at the bottom of the door, and press against the middle. Quite adjustable. They might look a bit modern for your car, but might also be the friendliest as far as not hurting the paint.

 

Your hitch will be very important. Do your best to have a 'real' one installed,, you don't need the big truck one and of course avoid the bumper clamp on one.
With your Shasta, I imagine it does not have trailer brakes because of its GVW is below most requirements.
Fender mirrors will be a requirement as if you cant see along and behind the trailer, you are in trouble, as I know about that.
We pulled a large teardrop with our Ute, and the roof was just below the rearview 'view' and it was narrow enough to not need trailer mirrors. With our Santa Fe and I tow with the panel truck, the trucker mirrors I have are just enough for safety.
What would be really good is one of the new backup cameras. If you put one on the license plate of the Shasta and run it up to the wagon that would be really good. It will give you a view of what is behind you on the road and what is there when you back up. You have been practicing backing up?
I am planning to pull our Santa Fe with our 54 County Squire, when it is running.
The most important thing is not overload the trailer with food and water and such, you can buy most of what you need at most campgrounds and local towns, it's no longer the 50's with empty roads.

I just looked and saw these
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ind...ash=item237a0c34a9:g:oyMAAOSw8gVX-G~4&vxp=mtr

 

Where I live , anything over 1600 lbs requires brakes, I have thought about pulling a trailer with my merc but the thought of dangling mirrors from my shiny black front fenders scares me. My brother did a trip across the US and he used a GPS with an app that kept him informed of the locations of a low dollar motel chain .

 

There seem to be several states that now require you to be able to see 200 ft behind the trailer, so mirrors that extend out a bit past the width of the trailer, are necessary.

 

Jim,I forgot to add the photo,it's a small '57 Shasta and I don't have a clue as to weight,but I did tow it home behind my OT Dodge truck. HRP

 

Trailer size, where you plan to travel and your comfort zone will help with the brakes question. I would think on a smaller canned ham and your upgrades you should be fine with safe driving. I've seen a couple pull a canned ham with a flathead powered wagon and wood canoe across our state several times without issue. As we go to more vintage camper shows there are a lot on the road again. I see repop Shasta owners are puling with vehicles undersize and no problems.

So the comfort zone: Both Flynbrian and I have Restored 1940's Spartan Manors, 26 ft at 3,700 lbs with single axles and brakes. He has a truck updated to tow and a nice early 50's wagon and have a tone of travel miles with no issues, no worries.
I was inspired me to pull mine with my "55 wagon, but... once I lowered again and welded a good hitch mount to the frame I started seeing the difficulty in mine for the long haul. I needed to rewire for a new brake controller, my wagon sat too low, my trailer was too low for some campgrounds, the leveling hitch was too long for my short trailer frame and hit the body. Also worrying about a 4-speed with a tall gear, kids safety with a full load, rebuilt but stock rear axle housing and cheap replacement wheel bearings, whew. Last fall a deer ran out on the highway as were doing 65, lucky we were pulling with the new truck and integrated braking system we stopped quickly and straight, If I was in the wagon there would have been no chance. So for now I just pull locally with the wagon and carefully.

 

HRP, as a shorthand method of determining whether trailer brakes are even an issue, count the wires on the wiring plug for your trailer. If it only has four wires, they are just for lights, and the trailer doesn't have any brakes installed, because it's light enough it doesn't need any. (And I'm guessing that's the case.)

This is a typical four-wire trailer light harness, with no wire to operate trailer brakes:



This a typical six-wire plug, which provides a wire to operate trailer brakes, and another to operate interior lights in the trailer:



If the trailer HAS brakes, you should install a brake controller in your car, and use them. They do make trailering a lot safer if the controller is adjusted properly. (as you begin to apply the brake pedal, you should feel the trailer brakes begin to drag you to a stop, even before the brakes grab on your car.)

As for mirrors, I have a set of towing mirrors that attach to your existing door mirrors using rubber straps. If you can use 'em, shoot me a message with your address and I'll send 'em to you. I rescued them from the dumpster when an airstream enthusiast died and his kids threw them out. I don't need them, so I'd be happy to put them into your hands, if your wagon HAS door mirrors.

(wasteful kids, those. I rescued all kinds of stuff from that dumpster.)

 

Mine has brakes and built an equalizer hitch

 

Here is my hitch set up. Generally trailers in excess of 1900 lbs require brakes.

 

Pulled a pop top camper behind my 57 Fairlane. It was a challenge building a hitch to work with a continental kit. No trailer brakes ,stopped fine.
My buddy pulls his vintage airstream behind his 64 merc convertible. He has trailer brakes.

 

I won't tow without trailer brakes. I don't care how heavy it is. The way that the ass-clowns drive where I live, not having brakes will get you in a serious accident.

 

I've pulled all sizes from a 12 footer to a 40 ft 5th wheel all had brakes. Some form of trailer brake is a necessity for your own safety. You can never have to much mirror. You have to cover your butt with all the nuts on the road these days.

 

My friend tows his Shasta behind his '54 Chevy with no problems.
He does have trailer brakes, and a receiver hitch with equalizer bars.
The '54 has a late model drivetrain like you have except Chevy of course!
He has been all over the Midwest with it.
Trailer brakes are a must he has said, along with the equalizer hitch.
Your Shasta is Killer looking!
KK please ignore my '32!

 

I think trailer brakes run around $250 per axle but worth it. And post some pictures of the inside of your trailers.

Is there a vintage trailer thread? Maybe I'll start one.

 

Try not to cover the nuts with your butt.
Trailer brakes are a real plus.
Another plus is don't lend it out.
My car trailer has new brakes because my friend (?) had a dual wire to lights and brakes.
I live on a dirt road and the trailer was empty. He didn't notice the cloud of my tires till he had gone 450 miles.

 

Oh, that's a sad, but familiar story. Too many people out there are driving vehicles with butchered trailer wiring. If you lend your trailer to them, it will come back messed up, as they butcher the wiring on your trailer to match their butchered wire harness.

Czuch's advice is sound: set up your trailer to function properly with your own vehicle, and then NEVER lend it to anybody. If you like them enough, lend them your trailer along with your own tow vehicle.

 

I put trailer brakes on everything, regardless of weight. My Avalair weighs in at 2,000 lbs and I have them. They are dirt cheap. You can buy a loaded backing plate from someplace like Etrailer.com for about the price of brake shoes. I don't even troubleshoot mine anymore. Just replace them. If you are in the mountains, you will appreciate them. The Avalair has been across the Continental Divide probably 6 times.

Here ya go Danny.
https://www.etrailer.com/s.aspx?qry=Electric+brake&furl=-pg-Trailer_Brakes

 

My wife has a 16" Aloha trailer. It does not have trailer brakes. Is it as easy as bolting the backing plates on and running the wires up to a new pigtail that incorporates the lights?

 

Pretty much. You have to have a larger pin connector, like a 7 pin vs the flat 4. You need the brake controller that goes inside the cab. You can spend as little or as much as you want on those. They range from $79 up.

https://www.etrailer.com/bc-1963_Chevrolet_C/K+Series+Pickup.htm

What I generally do is install a terminal block at the rear of the car/truck to tap off of. It's pretty standard. You can get most of the info you need from Etrailer.com

Go here and check this out.
https://www.etrailer.com/info.aspx?productgroup=Trailer Brakes

https://www.etrailer.com/faq-Adding-Electric-Drum-Brakes.aspx

 

if the axles are really old, then they might not fit newer brakes. My brother replaced the axle in his 40 year old pop up tent trailer, so he could use modern stuff on it.

My 16' dual axle utility trailer (that I use for hauling cars and stuff) did not come with brakes. I guess the laws in Oklahoma, where it was built in the 1980s, were lax?

 

My stuff just bolted on the 63. What I can't find is a replacement spring. Looks like I will have to have some made. 35" is an odd size.

Not sure about the car hauler Jim. They all come with one axle with brakes now. Yours was built in the height of the oil patch boom, so there is no telling.

 

I agree that brakes are necessary unless you're pulling a 500# tent trailer. For what little the set up costs, it is silly in my estimation to go without. Somehow, the trailer will get loaded heavier than you planned--you can count on it.

The added asset to replacing an old axle setup is that you are getting rid of the old axle set up. Newer torsion axles make for a really smooth ride and you will start out with new bearings

And, no, never lend your trailer to anyone especially your brother-in-law!

 

If your current axle cannot accept brakes, new replacement axles, in a wide variety of widths, are available, complete with electric or hydraulic brakes, or brake-ready, in all common bolt patterns.

 

I still lend out my trailer. With my Suburban. And me.
Buy gas, lunch, at a decent place, no issues.
I got nothing but, "My bad" with the return of my trailer.
There were 2 chains missing and a binder, along with the horrid smell of murdered brakes.
"Luck my car didn't fall off".
Somehow I still have my ramps. I didn't let him borrow the good ones though.

 

I learned a long time ago about borrowing a car trailer,the one I had was old but still very serviceable,until I got it back 2 years later. HRP