Remember when we used to haul trailers with cars?

[SteveSS]

I pulled a nice 16 foot ski boat with my '66 Mustang fastback. It had a 289 and an AT. When I bought the '71 Charger it had a trailer hitch. How about you? And why isn't it done anymore?

 

[Billccm]

I pulled a nice 16 foot ski boat with my '66 Mustang fastback. It had a 289 and an AT. When I bought the '71 Charger it had a trailer hitch. How about you? And why isn't it done anymore?

For one reason no company builds cars anymore with body on frame and RWD (and V8 motors). The other reason is trucks have basically replaced cars in most applications of daily drivers.

 

[SlingLow]

My dad pulled our 16' travel trailer with his 60's Chrylser New Yorker and an Olds 88. His brother, my uncle, pulled a tent trailer with his 65 Galaxie. Back then, most families had one car, maybe two if they were well off or the wife worked. It wasn't common in middle class America to have a pickup truck as well for work/tow duty, so the hitch went on the daily driver. Of course they typically were rear wheel drive with big V8 engines (at least my dad's were - he said he'd drive a tank if it was legal). Nowadays, pickups are luxury rigs so the people can use them as a daily as well as a work vehicle. I've always said there's nothing wrong with a half-ton truck - as long as it's your car.

 

[ckessel]

It's on the to do list for my wagon. I can do 90+% of the work I used the dually for with the 67. When I can swing it, suspension/brake redo/upgrades will happen on it with an eye towards pulling a trailer. I'll fab up a hitch for it plus outfit it with some airbags to juice up when pull time happens. Also of course, needed wiring.

 

[patrick66]

On one of the FB E-body forums, a guy has a hitch on his '71 'Cuda, It's been on his car for a very long time. You'd think he had killed a truckload of puppies, the way some were losing their minds over very that! And, he does tow a small trailer with it. You'd think no one ever towed with a car, with all the "you need a truck!" comments

I had a hitch on my '66 Coronet for a few years, because I had to pull a U-Haul from Tacoma to OKC back in 1982. I took that off in 1993. You can't tell their was ever a hitch

I think an old Airstream or Argosy travel trailer would be cool behind my '66 Imperial convertible!

 

[dart4forte]

Like this?

 

[ckessel]

Exactly! Saw that set up two years ago. Beyond cool.

 

[Coelacanth]

Like this?

View attachment 1738150

If that isn't a flex, I don't know what is!

 

[f569]

My '69 RT had a hitch that was removed just before I purchased it. Sort of wish they would have left it.

 

[Davefinan]

It’s true. You don’t see cars towing trailers much , then again , there are more and more pick ups and SUV’s on the road these days.

 

[Jeff Peterson]

 

[cr8crshr]

Never towed with one of my cars. Just trucks so I guess I'm one that hasn't any experience doing so...cr8crshr/Bill

 

[steve340]

Most modern cars if you towed anything the transmission would blow up.

 

[Dave6T4]

About a week ago, I met a Tesla towing an Airstream uphill on the highway. Brave or stupid?

 

[Runcharger]

Tesla is fairly wide and fairly heavy with the weight being low. I don't think it would be much worse than the longer C-body was for towing if properly set up. Dad towed a 20ft Airstream with his 71 Chrysler and later the 73 Charger SE. He liked the 71 Newport for size and weight but the 73 400 was a better engine than that doggy 71 383.

 

[khryslerkid]

I see quite a few newer cars towing small trailers. They're making hitches for them.

We always had pickups for pulling trailers. I used to tow bar my '64 Polara 500 to Monrovia (75/80) years ago with a '68 GMC 1/2 ton pickup. I had to make a sudden left turn and hit the brakes once doing this and that Dodge just about jack knifed me. I had to hit the gas to straighten it out before everything went off the road. Pulling a tank with a half ton!

 

[33 IMP]

View attachment 1738163

Yikes! SINGLE axle trailer with all that stuff on it? And springs that overloaded with tongue weight? Not today, thanks.

 

[33 IMP]

I used to tow my savoy or my friends 454 66 Impala 80 miles one way to LACR with my 428 CJ Ranchero (and then race it. It was too weak to hurt itself).
The CJ had plenty of towing power, but the chassis simply wasn't up to the effort, with 4000lb chevy. White knuckles over the whoop-de-dooes on 138.
The dually I bought to replace the Ranchero was a 1000% improvement.

 

[gtx6970]

Used to own a 1970 superbee
6pack 4spd.

It had a hitch on it.
I pulled a small trailer with it a couple times.
Drove it pulling an open car trailer from northern KY to NJ to pick up a 1970 roadrunner . Many years ago.

 

[64BEL]

My family's trip out west in 1961 (shortly before I came along). Later, we had wagons that pulled our campers. My dad never had a truck. And yes, those are bears in the color photo.