TV 1969 Buick Skylark Conv?

Here's a Question for everyone.. I have a 1969 Buick Skylark convertable as my TV. It is FULLY RESTORED, stock 350 4bb V8, 3 speed auto, full steel frame, custom built, and welded class 3 hitch ("that will handle anything I want to tow" per builder), electric brake controler, doubled the size of the "stock" radiator. I just got back from a week in Yosemitie. Towed our Starcraft 19' tent trailer fully loaded, (1800-2000 ibs) from the coast to Yosemitie, with no problems,--("60-65mph, passed some slowbies, Was it even back there? (It was fantastic driving into the valley with the top down! People are amazed to see a "Show quality car" towing a trailer!)

My question. We would like to upgrade to a TrailManor. Do you think I could tow a TrailManor, say a 2720, or even a 3120?

Being the car is a Classic, Info about GVW is real limited. The original owners manuel says to buy a class 3 hitch for towing trailers "over 2000 Ibs" but does not say What you can tow in weight! The glove box sticker says 1100 Ibs in "6 passengers and luggage".

Any one have any Ideas?

Thank You for any help, I know this is a tough question.

"I know this is a tough question"

You have a flair for the understatement. Lots of things come into play here. First, that was the era of the muscle car, but the Skylark was not known as one. Second, that is also the time period when smaller, lighter cars started being introduced. If you had said a '59 I would have said go for it, no problem. Your working with a transitional car. Mmmmm. It would be my guess that with the 350 you've more than enough hoursepower the question is breaking and weight. I'm thinking that is most likely ok also.

Get youself and enough buddies together to equal 500+ lbs. clime in the trunk and measure how far the rear end drops, make sure you can get rear springs replaced first.
If there is no more that 3" or so give I'd guess it would be ok. Now I'm sure you're wondering why this little test. That's about the time period when cars stopped being expected to work down on the farm as well as cart folks around so what I'm looking for is that "floaty" feel or a good solid feel. (also in that time period they built the softtops with heavier frames) In other words "Is the '69 model more of the modern style or older style frame and suspension?"

Having said all of that I know a guy that pulls with modern day Mercury. He did add air lifts to the rear springs. But it seams to do ok, but he never tried to take it into the mountains. He also is running a 2.73 rearend which I think is asking a lot, but it works.

Thank You for the reply, Windbreaker.
I allready have installed Gabriel Air shocks in the back, and use them (pump um up) when I tow the Tent Trailer. When I Restored the car I installed "heavy duty" rear springs. ( Stock Station wagon springs) So the back end IS comfortable for non towing use, but Will carry a load! The Shop that put the Hitch on sugjested a multi-rate compression spring instead of air shocks. As you add weight to the car, and the springs compress, they get progressively stiffer, and stiffer. I dident go for those due to the "light" weight of my current tent trailer. But maybe I could get some, if the TrailManor is a posibility, without a new TV.
Again, thank You for any help! :

[RockyMtnRay]

[quote author=mdutra link=board=20;threadid=1947;start=msg13752#msg1375 2 date=1085368759]
Here's a Question for everyone.. I have a 1969 Buick Skylark convertable as my TV. It is FULLY RESTORED, stock 350 4bb V8, 3 speed auto, full steel frame, custom built, and welded class 3 hitch ("that will handle anything I want to tow" per builder), electric brake controler, doubled the size of the "stock" radiator. I just got back from a week in Yosemitie. Towed our Starcraft 19' tent trailer fully loaded, (1800-2000 ibs) from the coast to Yosemitie, with no problems,--("60-65mph, passed some slowbies, Was it even back there? (It was fantastic driving into the valley with the top down! People are amazed to see a "Show quality car" towing a trailer!)

My question. We would like to upgrade to a TrailManor. Do you think I could tow a TrailManor, say a 2720, or even a 3120?

[/quote]

I suspect you've got enough frame strength (and power) for any of the TM models but with only a 112 inch wheelbase, you may very well have some controllability issues with the 3023 or longer TMs on mountain roads...particularly on tight, steeply descending corners (the trailer has a tendancy to induce a lot of oversteer in those situations, a short wheelbase tow vehicle can have trouble resisting that oversteer). The shorter TMs (2619 and any of the 2720s) should be fine though.

However, given the short wheelbase and soft stock suspension, you absolutely must use a weight distributing hitch to spread the high tongue weight of any TM over your Buick's front and rear suspension. Tent trailers typically have tongue weights in the 100 to 200 lb range...by comparison a TM 2619 will have a tongue weight around 400 lbs when loaded and the 2720s will have tongue weights over 500 lbs when loaded.

Finally, since your vehicle did not have a locking torque converter, there is constant heat generation in the torque converter. With the light (and somewhat lower and narrower tent trailer), the additional heat generated in the transmission when towing was probably readily absorbed by the stock water/oil transmission cooler inside the radiator. However, given that even the lightest TM runs around 3000 lbs loaded and the 2720s run around 3500 lbs loaded (and being wider and taller than nearly all tent trailers they have more aerodynamic drag), I seriously doubt that your stock transmission cooler will dissipate enough heat (especially on those long climbs into the Sierra). And heat absolutely kills transmssions...especially older ones with already somewhat hardened seals. Therefore you would be extremely wise to get a fairly large external transmission cooler installed in addtion to (in line with) the stock transmission cooler.

I know it runs contrary to the consenses and conventional wisdom of this board however for years, in the early 70's, I pulled a >4000 lbs 20' Sea Ray cuddy cabin boat and trailer with a 351 CID both in the boat and in the 1973 Merc Montego. We were in the plains and in the small mountains (hills) of the Ozarks. We had the whole family (5 of us) in there with nary a bobble. We ran the speed limits for the most part and a little slower in the Ozarks. We always used a WDH. I have also legally pulled 22,000 lbs gooseneck construction equipment rigs with half ton Chev pickups in and along the Eastern Slope of Colorado. Not ideal but that was what the equipment dealer had for his sales people to work with at the time.

jniles, I think you made the point that I was trying to make. The older cars/trucks were built to do just about anything we wanted them to do. Then Japan came over and introduced us to "smaller is better" most folks jumped on it. Now-a-days if you want to pull something you have to buy with that in mind. Other wise you'll get something smaller. I'm not saying this is bad, it is just different than the way my dad or granddad thought. Now I can get a mini Cooper to run around town and save gas but if I want to haul something other than myself and maybe one other person I have to plan on getting something a little bigger.

You remember that tv show where Ricky and Lucy take off from NYC to LA pulling a 30' trailer with a Mercury? Those cars could do it!