The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk pulling trailers with a stovebolt ??????

I have a 38 GMC 1/2 ton with a 250, T5 (73od) 3.42 rear end, front disc brakes and power steering. The wife and I want to pull something like a teardrop trailer for camping, I understand some of these trailer weight around 600-700 lbs and I was wondering what kind of weight these old trucks could handle. I know if it was a newer 1/2 ton I would just hook and book and not worry about it. I just remembered my truck does have original overload springs and I am thinking about putting air bags on the rear too.

So do you think a 1000# (1/2 ton) would be doable ??

A 1000# trailer should have so little tongue weight I wouldn't worry about overload springs or airbags. I pulled around a loaded two horse trailer for years with a stock 1959 Chevy. I did have a brake controller for the trailer. It was only really scary going downhill. Having said that, and considering it was 40 years ago, I would not be comfortable doing that now. However, I wouldn't hesitate to tow a 1000# or less trailer with the setup you describe.

Chuck

My two concerns would be hills with your rear end gear and brakes. Stopping is more important than going fast.

I originality figure for economy not for speed or towing, the towing just came into play the past couple of days. The places we plan on going are not very hilly or in the mountains. The tear drop trailer I will be towing I have to build and it will be built on a old tandem axle horse trailer that has brakes on both axles so I am not to worried about braking or stopping. You are absolutely correct about stopping being more important then going fast.

I had full intentions of getting a small trailer for my '53 half ton. However, after having it on the road for the past year, there is no way it will ever tow a trailer. I still have the single master cylinder as well as 4 drum brakes and armstrong steering.

I regularly pull a 7000 lb trailer with my 3/4 ton GMC and know what happens on the roads.

To answer the question, good trailer brakes are a must, you should be able to haul a 1000 lb trailer.

What Tiny said in spades. good brakes!!!!!!!!!!!!! I pulled ton and half of rock and a 1000# trailer with a 79 ford courier but had too begin too stop a block and half before hand.

Pulling a trailer can be done.

My '48 with 5th-Wheel

Of course, backing the '48 under the 5th-wheel hitch, taking the pic and Photo Shopping the trailer jack stands away can also be done.

Sorry, I should have saved this for April 1.

my 52 is a one ton, and i pull a 8x16 box trailer frquently, with original but well maintained brakes. also i have a v8 w/ auto tranny. pull a 32 foot flatbed loaded with people in parades, just have to be attentive to traffic.
a 1000# trailer should not be a problem behind a well maintained vehicle with a competent driver.check your tires.
I'm on the road alot, and can't believe the stuff people will put behind a car or a ranger size truck. i stay clear. they sway in a lite breeze.

daren

I'd put a 4:11 rear gear in. Don

With the way your truck is set up and a trailer of 6-700 lbs. the only thing you'll need is a full frame mounted hitch. You see anemic little sub compacts pulling tear drop trailers IMO your GMC is way more suited for a small trailer. A 600lb trailer on the back of any of my old iron and I barely know it's there!

Just a thought.....Rent a U-haul trailer load it to the weight your trailer would be and spend a few hours driving around on the types of roads and situations you'll be encountering. That should tell you right there if any changes need to be made before you buy an RV.

-Mike-

towing a teardrop 4 or 5 times a year changing the gears in the rear end is not an option

If you found you were too high geared just run the T5 in 4th gear.

Chuck

I built a small camper like a teardrop only squared off. I've pulled it behind my Jeep wrangler, GMC envoy and yeah my 66 GMC. The GMC didn't even know it was there. It had the original 250 6 3 on the tree and drum brakes. Now that it's gone I plan to pull it with my 58 GMC, 235 3spd and drum brakes. Of course I was in no hurry to get anywhere either. Oh yeah, you don't need tandem axels, mine is built on an old single axel boat trailer. Larry

i just hooked a 1300 lb trailer with a 200 lbs of tongue wt. to my 40. took it out for a test drag last sat. with the 270 and 4:56 gears it pulled on the interstate well. on some back roads during the test it did ok with a slight warming of the engine higher than i wanted but it was 86 out and was part of the test. braking was good. a hydravac is a must.

When I was a kid in the 1970's Dad pulled a loaded 2 horse trailer all over MO with a 1958 Apache. A lot of the time we even hauled the horses in the back of the truck with wooden stock racks. Dad never had good brakes on the truck and never had trailer brakes. I would be scared to do that today but I would not hesitate to pull a 1000 lb. trailer behind my 1959 Apache with good brakes. You just have to drive like you are in an old truck and not in a new one.

Larry the only reason I will be using a tandem axle trailer is because, a customer gave me an old tandem axle horse trailer and since I don't have horses any more I have been trying to figure out what to do with it.

Here where I live, the Ministry of Transportation requires trailers to be certified annually if they are over a certain weight rating. Having a tandem trailer puts me over that weight, while a single axle exempts me. And yes, the tow vehicle needs to be certified annually as well. You may want to check your laws before you get a tandem.

Heck, I bet it stops better with the trailer than without ;-)

there are no requirements like that here in California

Hope them never implement them there.

Hey, free is free. I just like to use single axel trailers because that's what I like to build and they're light. But free is free, my kind of trailer.Larry

Can't see that you'd have a problem with towing a small teardrop trailer behind your truck. Here's what I tow behind my '50 1/2 ton; the trailer and load goes over 1200 pounds with the spare set of racecar wheels on board and the generator that's also pinned onto the trailer. I do have disc brakes fitted to the stock front axle on this truck.

[IMG]http://i953.photobucket.com/albums/ae18/newfisher/IMG_20120628_205252.jpg[/IMG]

This is what I am pulling (on flat ground) with my 50. 250/sm465/3:08 soon to be a deeper gear and a different trans or a gearvendors overdrive.

We had pulled a 45' KIT teardrop with no problems, wife wanted a bathroom.

Found a pic of the teardrop. I think you will be fine.
[IMG]http://i953.photobucket.com/albums/ae18/newfisher/IMG_20120606_191207.jpg[/IMG]

This probably won't answer your question about how much you can pull with your '38 GMC ...

But may give you some info about teardrop trailers. (One of the coolest things to see behind an old car or truck!)

Stovebolt member bowtiefan sells and repairs teardrops. His '48 is in some of the pics on his site.
< CLICK FOR BOWTIEFAN'S WEBSITE >

Here are some sites with teardrop trailer plans
> http://www.tnttt.com/
> http://53truck.ez15loan.com/howto/trailer.htm
> http://www.teardropplans.com/
> http://www.angib.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/teardrop/tear00.htm
> http://www.tinytearsteardroptrailers.com/scans.html

Nope - not affiliated with bowtiefan, nor do I have a teardrop trailer.