Frame / Springs: Champ 1/2 Ton Towing Capacity

[Commander Eddie]

My wife is talking me into either putting a hitch on my Champ truck and towing a trailer, or getting a camper to slide into the cargo box.
I need information on the towing capacity of a 1/2 ton Champ (GVW and tongue weight limit). Also, how heavy a camper could this truck carry. I am also concerned about braking. Would the 11" drum brakes be up to the challenge?
Does anyone have any experience doing this and have any data that would help me shop for the right rig?

[PackardV8]

Definitely go with the trailer.

1. A truck can always tow more weight than it can haul.

2. The trailer has its own brakes and thus doesn't add 100% of the additional load to the truck brakes.

3. At a campground the trailer can be jacked and left while the unloaded truck drives better and more economically for sightseeing.

jack vines

[53k]

My wife is talking me into either putting a hitch on my Champ truck and towing a trailer, or getting a camper to slide into the cargo box.
I need information on the towing capacity of a 1/2 ton Champ (GVW and tongue weight limit). Also, how heavy a camper could this truck carry. I am also concerned about braking. Would the 11" drum brakes be up to the challenge?
Does anyone have any experience doing this and have any data that would help me shop for the right rig?

Back in the '70s I had my 8E7 Champ equipped with a hitch (welded to the frame) and I pulled an 18-foot tandem axle travel trailer that weighed about 4,000 pounds loaded. With a load equalizing hitch the truck stays level and the trailer becomes almost a non factor in its effect on driving. When I moved from the SF Bay Area I was pulling the trailer with a fair load of stuff in both the bed of the truck and in the trailer. We went north to the Seattle area then east to Yellowstone and on east from there going through as much as 9,000 feet in elevation. Ultimate destination was the Boston area. The trip was a piece of cake- no driving problems at all. A few years later I pulled a 14-foot tandem axle U-Haul trailer filled with two dealer stock of parts 1300 miles with no problems. I don't know how heavy it was, but it had to be pretty heavy.
My Champ was a long bed powered by a R-1 running through a Powershift and a 3.73 Twin Traction. I also had AC.
I would never install a camper in a half-ton of any make (camper meaning one self-contained).

[Commander Eddie]

53k,
Thank you for that information. My truck has the 259 with 3-speed and OD. I am not sure what my rear end gear ratio is. It sounds like I could easily go 3000-3500 pounds loaded and I should look into the equalizing hitch. That sounds like a must. PackardV8 also advised against the bed mounted camper. I'm actually relieved since that was my least favorite option.

[jackb]

.....believe me, 3000 lbs is max/max for that little truck. I can speak from experience. Yes, the truck is small compared to todays offerings and their engineering.. be safe not sorry.....

[Matthew Wendt]

I use my truck to tow once in a while. It is the exact same set-up as yours. I did several round trips from Buffalo to Milwaukee (1300 miles round trip). Once with a dual axle 16' steel car trailer with a 75% complete Avanti, once with a tow dolly with a 64 GT Hawk, once with a utility trailer loaded with a frame and suspension.

Car trailer: no way, slow and I believe it is dangerous. The truck to trailer weight ratio is not safe even if you have a way to reduce the tong weight. This must have been over 5,500 lbs.
Tow dolly (with brakes): doable, but still slow. Probably closer to 4,250 pounds.
Utility trailer, no problem. Probably 2,000 pounds or less.

I just bought a 16' MFG (same company that built the Avanti body) boat from 1963 to match the truck. The truck is great with it. I figure that 3,000 pounds is about the limit as stated before to be comfortable. The brakes are pretty good, but over a couple thousand pounds you want trailer brakes. I think a modest camper will be fine. Just get surge brakes.

Matt

[DieselJim]

In the '70, I pulled 25 foot and 31 foot tri hull house boats [Yukon Delta] from Elkhart In. to Turlock Ca. with a '63 Champ, 289, T85-od and 4:27 axel. Equalizer hitch and anti sway control. Trailer had electric brakes. Also had a 19 foot self contained RV that we pulled canping.

[swvalcon]

In the early 90's I pulled a car trailer17' with a 2800 lbs race car on it all over Mn which is mostly flat with a 86 ford ranger with a v6 no problems. I would say about the same size weight and horse power as a champ.

[mmagic]

Two days after I got my drivers license, we left on vacation from North Ohio to Florida with '55 President pulling travel trailer... say 2,500 pounds w/brakes and equalizer. I did all the driving at then highway speeds and no interstates... slow by today's speeds. Yes I was aware it was there but power was adequate.

Recently needed to haul a bunch of pavers. Took my Champ and my Dakota. When Dakota had enough I put the rest in the Champ. Weighed one when I got home and the Champ took 2,200 pounds and could have taken more.... Dakota took 1,200 pounds. On the road the Champ didn't even know they were there. Yes, I want brakes on any trailer I pull with anything. I have more concern about stress/age failures on 50 year old iron and rubber than weight.

Champ 259 with OD