One doesn’t usually associate a Roadmaster woody wagon as an RV dinghy, so of course I had to shoot it. Then a goofy thought straight out of a 1952 Popular Mechanix occurred to me: an interface to to turn such a nice powerful car into a pusher locomotive for those really long steep mountain grades. Why not? Is there a patent out already?
This is the first time that a Roadmaster wagon has reminded me of an outhouse. Or maybe mother-in-law quarters.
Looks like a baby elephant hooked to his moma’s tail.
Looks like a nighmare of a vacation. The retired owner of that roadgoing hotel room, is gonna NEED his double-Scotch when he gets parked for the night at whatever Wal-Mart parking lot he chooses to hole up in.
I’ve driven everything from a Ruckus scooter to a tractor-trailer; yes, and even railway locomotives with trains in tow; and let me TELL you, that setup there ain’t no way to vacation. The white-knuckle feeling isn’t momentary; not if you’re sentient. It’s a recipe for acid-reflux, alcoholism and leaving the damn thing parked in the open-storage part of U-Store, while you FLY to your next outing.
I hope he got out of it what he wanted. He damn-sure did have the biggest RV and the biggest gofer rig anywhere within radar.
@JustPassinThru…..I couldn’t agree with you more. On a recent road trip I took my turn at the wheel, of a Ford F250 with a 36 ft Fifth wheeler.
My heart was in my throat,and you wouldn’t be able to drive a finishing nail up my butt.
To each his own. However, driving the over a $100,000 worth of stuff down the road,while feeling your bowels loosen,is not my idea of a vacation..
If towing feels scary you dont know what youre doing simple as that Either you have too much trailer weight or in the case of a F250 a toy truck instead of something suitable you have to be able to control the trailer with the tow vehicle and a 36ft trailer would require a class 3 licence here to prevent stupidity llike putting a pickup in front of it. I have a class5 multi trailer licence and used to tow trailers up to 50 tonnes for a living on twisty 2 lane roads not freeways if you know how towing is easy.
I’d agree with that; but “knowing what you’re doing” includes knowing the limits of the towing vehicle (which you allude to) and also the limits of design.
A heavy car like that Roadmaster really shouldn’t be towed with a simple ball-hitch to start with; much less with a large-but-light vehicle with a long rear overhang…the pivot point of the hitch is SO far behind the neutral point of the rear axle, the multiple forces involved in a lane-change or turn are Einsteinian.
That setup…should never be. A small, light dinghy-tow is questionable for a motor home; but THAT? No WAY.
I’m no motorhome guy either…I’ve driven actual trucks for a living, and even with power steering and all that there’s no way I will ever vacation as a truck driver. If you think hotel or motel rooms are expensive stop by your RV dealer someday.
The RV and car are upgraded….
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5289/5359386120_7d3ef25b09.jpg