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?

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

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.

Thanks for the tips!! You just confirmed our thoughts on how to proceed. We really appreciate the insight from a veteran vanner,

Thanks for the links!!!