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Question about towing and trailer hitches
#731938 January 18th 2018 1:47 pm
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Annie Offline OP
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We have just purchased a 1966 Dodge A100 and we are wondering if anyone can shed some light on using the van as a tow vehicle. The drivetrain is not stock we have a Dodge 360 engine and a 727 torqueflite tranny. The plan is to do a brake conversion to disc all the way around. We have 291 rear end gear ratio and are thinking that may need to be beefed up to a 373 and/or adding a 3/4 ton rear suspension in as well. Our plan is to pull a @ 6,000 lb toy hauler and hit the road for a while. We have been unable to find a vehicle specific trailer hitch from the usual sources (the earliest we have found are for '70s vehicles). Does anyone have any suggestions?

Re: Question about towing and trailer hitches
Annie #731939 January 18th 2018 1:59 pm
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carpal tunnel
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carpal tunnel
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That sounds like a fun project!!
Annie try asking here also:
http://vintage-vans.forumotion.com/forum

http://www.dodgetalk.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=74

Some of these guys may be able to help.....

And can't hurt to check in here:
http://www.rockinvan.com/links.html


Re: Question about towing and trailer hitches
Annie #731946 January 18th 2018 2:36 pm
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The 360 and 727 will be able to pull that trailer no problem. I recommend going to 3.5 or 3.7-3.9 rear gears, depending on if you are going to be going up steep hills. If you are truly going to pull a 6000 pound trailer then you definitely need to add a trailer braking system to the van and only use a trailer that has on-board brakes.

The A series vans are unibody, so if you want to pull a trailer that heavy you will need to fabricate a pretty sturdy hitch and attach it directly to the frame rails in the rear. I recommend you also look into fabricating some frame stiffeners for the van because you will be stressing it quite a bit.

A series vans are also very light. Even the later B series vans that are heavier only weigh around 3500 pounds.

You should get a factory service manual for your van and read up on the sections about the brakes and frame and towing. See what the factory recommended for heavy duty use.


Windows- they're what make a van worth owning!
Re: Question about towing and trailer hitches
Reed #732317 January 25th 2018 4:43 pm
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Thanks for the tips!! You just confirmed our thoughts on how to proceed. We really appreciate the insight from a veteran vanner,

Re: Question about towing and trailer hitches
CatFish #732318 January 25th 2018 4:43 pm
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Thanks for the links!!!


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