horse power

[edward]

I have 232 v8 in my 54 wagon.what size weight trailer could i pull

[BRUCESTUDE]

Depends on what transmission and rear end you have, maybe post those specs and members who have pulled trailers will chime in!

[Guido]

I doubt pulling it will be an issue, stopping it might be however.

[Hallabutt]

It's not that it hasn't been done before. Ever watch the film "Long Long Trailer?" I assume that trailer brakes would be in the mix, but regardless a smaller trailer is doable. Remember Studebaker, Commander, brakes were considered to be among the best in the industry 1954>.

[StudeRich]

As Bruce said in Post # 2 there are a Lot of factors that we don't know yet, Plus:
What about the Height?
How Much Weight?

A Utility Trailer, an Auto Transport Trailer with or without a Vehicle or a Pop-up Camping Trailer is a Lot different than a walk-in Travel Trailer fully loaded with Liquid and supplies.

Obviously, 120 rated HP is not going to move it very quickly.

[Mike Van Veghten]

Yeah, power is one thing, the brakes are a whole other matter !!

You could pull a "small" utility trailer, ok !! Not much larger.

Engine wise, stay on (basically) flat ground with a "Teardrop" style trailer. BUT...the brakes...!

"Hot Rods and Brakes" makes a nice, affordable kit. I have one on one of my...54 Conestogas.

Mike

[6hk71400]

It's not that it hasn't been done before. Ever watch the film "Long Long Trailer?" I assume that trailer brakes would be in the mix, but regardless a smaller trailer is doable. Remember Studebaker, Commander, brakes were considered to be among the best in the industry 1954>.

In the movie, when they started up the mountain, the 53 Mercury convertible suddenly morphed into a 1953 Lincoln Convertible and back again into a 53 Mercury!

Bob Miles
I'm just breezing along

[6hk71400]

There are so many variables in this situation. Brakes, yes, towing, yes, having to pay attention every minute you drive, yes. The thing that I would be most concerned would be with all the stress and strain on the chassis that the frame would crack rendering the car useless. My first car when we pulled the engine there were visible cracks. This was in 1968 when the car was 13 years old. Your car your choice
Bob Miles
127 bhp in 1954 up from120 bhp from 1953

[bezhawk]

Any trailer over 2000lbs is supposed to be equipped with brakes. You don't want or need your vehicle brakes to do all the stopping.

[64LarkLover]

And if I remember correctly you'd need to add an electric harness supplying power to the trailer's brakes and rear brake and turn signal lights.

[Big Dan]

And something people don't think about when applying that weight is not just the weight of the trailer, but what you load IN IT!

[Dwight FitzSimons]

Yeah, power is one thing, the brakes are a whole other matter !!

You could pull a "small" utility trailer, ok !! Not much larger.

Engine wise, stay on (basically) flat ground with a "Teardrop" style trailer. BUT...the brakes...!

"Hot Rods and Brakes" makes a nice, affordable kit. I have one on one of my...54 Conestogas.

Mike

Mike,
Are the Hot Rods & Brakes rotors & calipers the same as the Turner kit? Thanks,
--Dwight

[Guido]

Any trailer over 2000lbs is supposed to be equipped with brakes. You don't want or need your vehicle brakes to do all the stopping.

Actually it is 3000 pounds, that is why trailers are rated at 2990 pounds. In Virginia they also do not have to be inspected if they have no brakes.

I sell trailers, we offer one with two 3500 pound axles and no brakes! I can’t imagine why people buy them but I sold one a couple of weeks ago.

[Rafe Hollister]

The previous owner of my '56 259 3sp manual OD said he used it to tow his Dodge drag race car and trailer to the drag strip and back. I do not know how far that was. But I would never try such a thing without trailer brakes and Turner disc kit.
Rafe

[bensherb]

In the movie, when they started up the mountain, the 53 Mercury convertible suddenly morphed into a 1953 Lincoln Convertible and back again into a 53 Mercury!
Bob Miles

Cool! I want one of those!

Back to towing: The few times I rented a trailer (long ago) the first question they asked was "what will you be towing it with" ; not because they were concerned with pulling power but with stopping. When I told them it was a Toyota pickup (a 1981 Hilux) they rejected renting a trailer to me... that was until they saw it. As with every vehicle I've owned, It was highly modified; with flat bed , a big Ford rear end , tandem dual wheels ,custom springs and big Chrysler front discs and wheels. They never had any issue with renting me a trailer after that. And it still only had the 2200CC engine. It wasn't fast when loaded, but it was built to routinely haul a couple tons.

That one is long gone now and I have my own trailer (3300lbs empty) with brakes. My '01 Tundra, '73 F100 and '54 Chevy wagon are set up to pull it. Loaded with 7000lbs they're not fast rigs, but with the trailer brakes and the big brakes on the tow vehicles it's a piece of cake if you drive sensibly. All three have good size engines, but horsepower is of little consequence. It's the ability to stop that matters. Wiring them with trailer brake controllers was super easy too. It's really just a matter of running power to the controller from the battery and wires from the controller to the trailer.

I've also found it to be a rather Zen like experience to drive a rig like this down the freeway. I just set the cruise at 55, stay in the right lane and go. All the crazies just go around me with no pressure or grief. I guess they just expect me to be going slow and cut me some slack. It makes for a rather peaceful journey. Just the opposite of driving my VW bug , where they, can't have a "Bug" going faster than them, regardless of speed, so they try to "blow me off the road"... Crazies! Maybe it's just California drivers?

[Dick Steinkamp]

Actually it is 3000 pounds, that is why trailers are rated at 2990 pounds. In Virginia they also do not have to be inspected if they have no brakes.

I sell trailers, we offer one with two 3500 pound axles and no brakes! I can’t imagine why people buy them but I sold one a couple of weeks ago.

Actually, like most laws relating to vehicles, there are lots of differences in the laws concerning trailer brakes by state....

https://www.rvia.org/system/files/media/file/Trailer%20Brake%20Requirements.pdf

Be careful if you are towing through multiple states. Just because you have to be over 5,000 GVW in Alaska to require brakes, doesn't mean you will be legal with the same trailer and load in Nevada where brakes are required over 1,499 GVW.

[Big Dan]

When I restored my Current Ford F-1 Truck, I did so with the intent of hauling not only loads in the bed, but also an auxiliary trailer with loads in the bed. I learned that the critical pieces of hardware on your vehicle that you need to concern yourself with when towing, are also, mostly, the items of concern in your "Gross Vehicle Weight Rating."

Those will include tire size and "ply rating" (do you have skinny little stock tires on your vehicle) brake capacity, suspension (spring load capacity) your clutch size, available horsepower (and transmission/rear end gearing ratios), the hitch tongue weight and towing weight capacity, and don't forget the towing vehicle's ability to generate electricity - with those extra lights and possibly electric activated brakes on the trailer. If you are running the 6-volt electrical system with the stock generator, that may present you with some battery charge problems on long, night or bad weather drives.

As a general rule, on a stock vehicle with a welded-on (not bolted) hitch, it's safe to tow any trailer you can pick up by the tongue with your hand and walk with to move it and hook up.