If you wait at a campground until seeing a passenger car towing a trailer, you’ll be there for an awfully long time. Trucks and SUVs are assigned that task these days, and for obvious reasons – first, they’re more numerous than cars to begin with, and second they have higher towing capacities. But of course that wasn’t always the case. In the 1970s, for instance, campgrounds were full of sedans, coupes and wagons assigned to temporary towing duty. As a result, manufacturers occasionally published towing brochures for their full car lines, and examples like this one take us back to an earlier time – both in terms of cars and also camping.
Just about everything changes over the course of several decades – cars and trailers being among them. This Mercury towing guide doesn’t just provide information on the featured cars’ towing limits; it also provides a window into the world of camping that folks experienced when this brochure was published. We’ll take a glance here at the cars themselves, and also at the equipment (mostly travel trailers) that they’re hauling. So grab some s’mores and lawn darts, and let’s go on a camping trip with the Brougham family!
There’s no question about what kind of vehicle is preferred at modern campgrounds. Pickup trucks, and their SUV brethren, rule these places, and often serve the dual role of family car / occasional towing vehicle that the Lincolns and Mercurys in our featured brochure were expected to perform back in their day. Obviously, trucks were around in 1971 as well, but their generally utilitarian nature reduced their appeal to most families. For people with recreational towing needs, a passenger car equipped with towing features was considered a sensible choice.
We’ll start off our camping trip with this Monterey hardtop sedan matched to a Starcraft Wander-Star trailer. This would have been a common setup for a family of five on a camping excursion 48 years ago. Mercury’s bread-and-butter offering, Monterey was a full-size car that offered more allure than Ford’s LTD but was still competitively priced. That combination, however, wasn’t exactly successful, as the Monterey found itself overshadowed by the more glamorous Marquis. Within a few years, the Monterey’s nameplate would sail out of existence.
Regardless, full-size Mercurys like the Monterey and Marquis were capable of towing trailers up to 5,000 lbs. if equipped with the 429-cu. in. V-8 and optional Class III Trailer Towing Package (a $91 package consisting of a heavy-duty radiator, transmission cooler, suspension, a higher axle ratio, and of course the hitch frame and wiring). For around $4,000 a family could have a nice, full-size car, and a capable towing vehicle as well.
The Starcraft trailer shown with the Monterey is well-matched. Starcraft built mid-range travel trailers, as well as their mainstay product, boats. This particular model, the Wander-Star, was Starcraft’s largest offering (sold in various sizes, from 18’ to 28’) – similar to how Mercury’s full-size sedans found themselves as the full-size yet mid-range cars.
Though this is a Mercury brochure, a Lincoln sneaked in. Here a Continental is shown towing a 28’ Avion Travelcader (the same trailer shown on the cover photo being hauled by a Marquis). Like the Monterey, the Marquis and Continental were rated to tow up to 5,000 lbs. when appropriately equipped, and this 4,500-lb. aluminum-bodied trailer is right up against that maximum. Again, this was a good pairing of car and trailer – Avion was a high-end manufacturer whose products appeared right at home with the plush Lincoln.
And for anyone who thinks a ’71 Continental is the broughamiest thing on wheels, may I introduce you to an Avion? Shag carpeting, provincial-style wood cabinetry, floral-patterned couches… these trailers had it all! If I had the time, resources and knowledge, I would love to own one of these Avions along with a suitable 1970s luxury tow vehicle.
Of course, not everyone can be highfalutin with their camping apparatus. These sportsmen are making do with an intermediate-size Montego wagon and a compact Cree Teepee trailer. Montegos (coming with a 351-cu. in V-8 as opposed to the Monterey’s 400/429-cu. in. engines) couldn’t tow large trailers, so here it’s paired with one of Cree’s smaller models, falling well under the Montego’s 3,500-lb. limit.
Michigan-based Cree Coaches made relatively affordable campers in a variety of sizes. Certainly not luxurious like Avions, these travel trailers made camping accessible to folks on a budget. As seen in this ad, the Teepee models were among the smallest Crees; the Montego’s trailer appears to be about 18’ or 20’ in length.
A Montego’s still too big for you? No worries, you can hitch your Cougar up to a pop-up camper. Though the Cougar was rated only for Class I towing (up to 2,000 lbs.), a simple pop-up would fall under that limit. Pop-ups, in fact, have withstood the test of time – modern equivalents look remarkably similar to this Starcraft Galaxy.
What we now know as pop-up campers are almost as old as cars themselves, with the first combinations of tents and trailers having been sold in the early 1900s. With their low weight (many examples are still under 2,000 lbs.), modern pop-ups are the type of camper most likely to be encountered being towed by a passenger car, and the same was true in 1971 as well. Pop-ups were/are marketed to folks whose space or financial considerations direct them to smaller equipment.
Rounding out Mercury’s towing brochure was a Comet. It’s fitting that the brand’s smallest car is paired up with the lightest towing stock (though the Comet’s towing capacity was similar to the Cougar’s). In this case, our featured Comet is shown hauling not a camping trailer like the other cars, but a 900-lb. 15’ Starcraft TR-150 fiberglass boat.
Small boats are versatile and popular, like small cars, so it’s not surprising to see automotive allusions in boating ads. And this may be the world’s last advertising reference to a rumble seat – a concept unknown to many people nowadays.
While that completes our look at this towing guide, Mercury wasn’t alone in marketing such publications. Many brands used such guides periodically, and they provide a good dose of enjoyment for those of us interested in both cars and camping. And it’s a whole lot easier to leaf through one of these brochures than to wait for a genuine curbside classic to roll into your favorite campground!
Lower left corner of the Cree ad shows a true oddball. I’ve never seen one of those.
I’ve never seen something quite like that before, of course toy haulers are very popular now, but the toys now ride inside and once the toys are out there are usually fold down bunks hanging from the sides.
In Holland they also use a Merc to tow in style.
Argh, photo not posting in reply
Try reducing the photo’s size if possible – maybe to 1,200 pixels in the max direction… that usually works for me when I have trouble with pictures.
Thanks, Eric703. We’ll see if this works…
That was worth the wait! Somehow, an SEC wasn’t quite the Mercedes I was expecting…
No they use a Benz. A Merc is a Mercury! lol
CC effect, I wandered around a caravan yard today to see whats on offer, saw a couple of vans in the weight range my car can tow but not in the price range I’m prepared to pay, layout too is wrong for what I’m looking for so thats that idea put to bed easily, the towbar on my car says 1700kg max or 3700 0dd lbs braked, how well it will tow that I’m not sure.
For those that like towing fast:
Heh, just leaving this morning for a week of pop up camping at grundy lake.
No giant mercury to tow, sadly. The grand caravan is doing the job today.
Although those ads sure remind me of camping with my parents in the 1970s 😆
“No giant mercury to tow, sadly. The grand caravan is doing the job today.”
I would bet that your Grand Caravan weighs more than any of those big Mercuries in the 1971 brochure.
Quite the contrast to Jim Klein’s Ram 3500 impressions from yesterday. With the widespread ability of sedans equipped to pull very much (at least in this country) having evaporated, something had to fill the void.
Frankly I’m surprised a 429 powered big Merc was only rated for pulling 5,000 lbs – it seems that rating would be a wee bit higher. With brakes and drivetrains being similar to those on pickups it would seem that way, but the gap in towing abilities between these and pickups was rather narrow then, unlike today.
A dark colored Marquis or Monterey sedan of this vintage would be the most fun ticket to Airstream ownership today. About the only change I would make is giving it light truck tires in lieu of passenger car tires.
I don’t know how a vehicle manufacturer arrives at max towing weight, but does relative weights of the two pieces have anything to do with it? The curb weight of a 71 Marquis was only about 4500 pounds.
I once towed a 5000 pound car with a 4000 pound car. It was not a fun experience, but then a trailer would not involve the steering issues I had with the vehicle being towed.
Part of it seems to depend on the vehicle itself. I pulled 8000 with my pickup without issue. I pulled that much with the van (once) and the brakes were not up to the task despite being a better tug than the pickup. Both weigh about 5500 empty with 6000 to 6500 lb tow ratings.
I think engine has more to do with it than relative weight. Yesterday’s RAM could tow over 35,000 pounds if I am not mistaken. The truck, while exceedingly heavy, obviously weighs nowhere near that, i.e. it can tow a literal multiple of its own weight. Like an ant, this being the only time ever a RAM 3500 would be compared to an ant.
Our V6 Highlander is rated at 5000lbs which is pretty high/good for that size vehicle, most in the class are at 3500. The Highlander version with the 4cylinder though (yes that exists) is only rated at 1500lbs.
My old GL450 with the V8 that you drove was rated at 7500, and the TDI Touareg was at 7700 (same as the V6 incidentally) that is more Highlander sized than GL sized.
The two Germans (of these SUV’s) are the only two whose brakes I would feel comfortable with in any of the mountains around here. The Highlander’s feel woefully undersized just with a load of people and their stuff, never mind a trailer that almost outweighs the car.
“I don’t know how a vehicle manufacturer arrives at max towing weight, but does relative weights of the two pieces have anything to do with it? ”
Generally not. It is all about the powertrain’s ability to accelerate the Gross Combined Weight (GCW) from a dead stop, up a certain grade. That takes into consideration engine torque, transmission torque multiplication and final drive gearing, plus what the manufacturer is willing to risk in warranty claims.
A big passenger car, even with a big engine, especially with an automatic, typically had final drive gearing like 2.56:1, vs 3.55 or higher for a similarly equipped pickup or van.
People often bring brakes into the discussion. That is not a factor for any trailer over 1500lbs or so because trailers are legally required to have their own brakes above that weight in most US states.
I don’t think cars like this would have had an axle as tall as 2.56 except by special order, and it might well have been preempted by the towing package. If you look at the brochure pages above, you can see it says a 3.25 or 3.50 axle ratio is either included or mandatory with the towing package, and other manufacturers typically had similar requirements.
Some manufacturers had separate brochures specifically for people looking to tow, which would often include a guide to selecting an appropriate axle ratio based on engine and intended trailer weight.
Thank you. I was looking at the powertrain table, then went to the regular Mercury brochures for it and it was right there, next to the vinyl roof recommendation.
My Father special ordered several station wagons in the 1960’s, to his specifications and desires; always equipped with the “Trailer Towing Package”.
He insisted on final drive (rear axle) ratios around 3.42 or 3.55 for these long roofs.
Well a F-250 would have been rated for up to 10,000lbs of towing, when properly equipped and I can assure you its brakes, even though they were drums all around are much bigger and much more capable than those on the full size Merc.
FWIW, these 1971 tow ratings were improved by Ford later on. For 1972, the Ford Intermediates had a a tow package that allowed those cars to tow up to 6000 lbs. I know by 1974 the full size Fords had a rating of up to 7000 lbs. Even the big T-birds were rated up to 6000 lbs. By the 1980s the fullsize BOF cars pretty much defaulted to 5000 lb max ratings, which stuck around until 1996 (for Ford and GM). The one exception was Cadillac had a 7000 lb package available for the D-body Cadillacs.
I don’t think there was much science behind the tow ratings of the 1970s The packages did generally require bigger engines, and include HD parts, and extra cooling. It does not seem until relatively recently was power and performance a serious consideration in tow ratings. Even during the 1980’s the full size GM and Ford RWD BOF cars generally had a 5000 lb tow rating despite their approx weak 150 hp ratings (approx).
In the pickup world, it seemed like for some time the manufactures were playing a bit fast and loose with numbers to boost sales. Now that SAE devised the J2807 towing test, at least there is some standards to actual verify that vehicles can tow safely and with adequate performance.
That Avion on the cover picture reminds me of my 73 Travelux…
A few points:
– People didn’t routinely drive at 75-80 mph while towing anything, so overall performance was not as important. God forbid these days if you slow down by 10 mph on a hill. If you could get it moving and stop it, you were all good.
– Trailers in general have grown in size. I’m not talking length, but rather width and height. My 29′ Travelux will fit through my 10′ garage door without any issues. My modern 18′ Shasta will not. It’s a foot wider and 2 ft taller than the older one. We’ve had a few campers from the early 70’s, and it’s the same story.
– Lower trailer height and width means less wind resistance, offsetting some of the weight as well.
Great Travelux! And good point about the width, too. I think these vintage Avion trailers were 7′ wide… pretty narrow these days.
As a result of that narrowness, the Avion (and many other ‘large’ trailers of the day) had two single beds for the owners, instead of the now-customary giant queen-size bed. Does any manufacturer make a trailer/RV with only single beds these days?
Below is another Avion picture that I had considered using — highlighting the beds, and also the Very-’70s gold-veined mirrors:
Mine has a large table in front that converts to a King sized bed. Half way down the trailer are 4 single bunk beds. The upper bunks fold away when not needed.
Uhmm… Maybe it’s just me, but if I was all alone with an attractive lady in a camper, I wouldn’t be reading a pamphlet about the Colorado Rockies. Even if we stayed in our single beds, I think we could have done better.
I see Honda Civics pulling pop-up or teardrop trailers from time to time, invariably with Quebec or Ontario plates. Likewise the owners’ manual for my 2008 Toyota Yaris notes its’ towing capacity as 1500 lbs (or the nearest even metric number) in Canada and “Not Recommended For Towing” in the US. The anti-towing conspiracy doesn’t reach that far beyond America’s borders apparently.
The modern camping pic mirrors very closely what I’d see at the Ludington State Park up in Michigan: modern half ton crew cab towing a newer 20ft+ twin axle camper.
When you think about it, that high-trim Sierra with a color matched tonneau cover and the Tundra with its color matched cap really are the BOF sedans and wagons of today. They’re certainly not cheap and simple “work trucks.” Huge interiors, massive lockable storage, sturdy frame and solid rear axle backing up a torquey V8 and automatic. The crazy thing is, these substantially heavier and more powerful modern trucks get notably better MPG than the old land yachts!
Outstanding topic and article Eric. Thank you. Perfect for mid-summer (at least in the Northern Hemisphere). I was awfully young in the early to mid 70s, but I do remember seeing many cars towing large trailers. Most typically full-sized sedans and wagons. My parents lived close to the Trans-Canada highway, so I saw many varieties of packages. Given the Trans-Canada was commonly used by longer term campers/fishermen, a mix of pickups and cars towing the largest trailers was common. Along with pickups with bed campers towing aluminum boats. I do remember many wagons especially, with their rear suspension appearing dangerously bottomed-out. Many seeming without load levelling shocks. Don’t recall police stopping many.
One YT channel I am subscribed to, is an outdoorsman based in the Northwest Territories (in Canada). He posted a clip recently of a clever potential solution to making small pickup bed campers towable by cars. Of course it would have to be legalized, with suitably safe tie downs and lighting ensuring their safety. Plus the packaging/aesthetics of the trailer would need to be improved. But this idea might make bed campers usable by both cars and pickups. He’s also very personable in his videos.
Thanks… I love that concept of the towable truck camper! Though for me, I’d want it secured by something sturdier than ratchet straps.
When I’ve been at US campgrounds and notice a unique and compact trailer or camping van, 80% of the time it turns out to be Canadian. I often look up the manufacturer and am usually very impressed. Next year we’re planning to go to the Maritimes for a summer vacation, so I’m expecting to see some very good camping equipment.
In general, I like these truck campers, since they seem like a good compromise between cost, flexibility and space, but for a family of 4, they’re a tight fit. Maybe if my wife and I are still physically able to camp once the kids grow up… well, I wouldn’t hold my breath.
Yes, the tie downs are not reassuring at all. I think he can get away with this (so far), because it’s the Northwest Territories. But the versatility and affordability, make it a concept I am surprised has not been pursued by more camper/trailer makers.
I think given the handiness of renting campers or RVs, it probably makes the most sense for people planning a vacation, with limited budgets or space. Or who are not heavily into this lifestyle.
As a Maritimer, I can tell you it’s a great area to camp in. You’ll see a fair number of Bolers and other fibreglass campers here. Of course the parks are still littered with 35′ Fifth-wheel “Taj Mahals”, just like anywhere else.
Keep your eyes open for Cygnets. They were a British design converted to North American standards and built here during the 70’s. Quite a few are still around. I’ve owned two. I still regret selling them.
My family had a pop-up for a while in the mid 60s. It got towed by a 64 Cutlass hardtop and then a 66 Country Squire.
And Starcraft – a name I used to see everywhere. Built in Goshen, Indiana (Elkhart County), in what is still the heart of RV manufacturing. My family had a lake place in northeast Indiana and Starcraft boats were all over the place.
I recall reading once long ago that until they were downsized in the late 70s Cadillac had been the tow-vehicle of choice among wealthy Airstream owners. The Chevy Suburban took over when Cadillacs could no longer tow trailers of that size.
Back in 1965 our next door neighbor bought a quite large Airstream. Their 327 Rambler Ambassador 990 was not quite up to the task as a tow vehicle and was replaced by a new Chrysler Town and Country with the 440 TNT. The neighbor said you barely realized you were towing anything with this rig. Still recall the sweet rumble of that Chrysler as it was backing the Airstream up the inclined driveway when they returned from a trip.
Our family’s first camper was an early ’80s Starcraft pop-up, towed by the F-250 SuperCab. With the 460, I don’t think we ever worried about having to slow down on grades.
A great post Eric, especially in Melbourne, Australia, where right now it’s 47F with a wind of chill of minus a lot. (Alright, alright, I know, but it’s cold for here, and stays about this for a few months). Lots of skinny, half-naked ’70’s sun-baked nostalgia. Y’know, those days when the 3 week summer beach camp holiday somehow lasted at least 4 months? They made the calendar metric shortly after.
They used to sell LWB broughammy versions of the local Falcons and Holdens (Fairlane/LTD and Statesman respectively), about 116-122 inch wheelbase, big V8’s, and these are what you bought if a bit monied and wanting to tow. Everyone else wheezed about in 6cyl SWB of the two models, or lesser cars again, all towing usually way too much. They then introduced trailer-to-car weight ratios, and it was a big factor in the later demise of the luxo LWB models, (let alone such couplings for the rest of us 2nd hand). It essentially dictated the use of a heavier 4wd to tow anything caravan sized. It is part of the story of the rise and rise of the SUV here, not to mention yet another factor in the demise of the local industry.
As an illustration of things before the regulations, my 6 cuzzies had a T2 VW Microbus with which they towed a huge fold-out camper that easily weighed 3000 lbs – and a little boat upside down on the roof. And 60-odd bhp!
Despite which, as one sat boiled-arsed on VW’s finest vinyls inside it, in the absence of anything of comfort beyond those seats, it was manifest that a brougham it was not.
I would have killed for a Linc towing an Avion!
Wow, the stuff of years past, very cool! I think I like the wagons best, something about towing with a sedan just seems wrong somehow (I know it’s not).
In Europe it’s obviously still done with regular cars all the time, but generally subject to lower speed limits along with better education in regard to what is workable and what isn’t really. Trailers scare me a little bit, or at least the speeds at which some regular people seem to tow them.
That Brougham trailer looks somewhat warm and inviting and likely was when new, I shudder to think how it would age and look currently. I don’t enter the junkyard RV’s and trailers either when I see them…
Regarding the ageing qualities of the Brougham interior, I will quote a local movie and suggest there’d now be a smell in there that will outlive religion (and wish I’d invented the line!)
As I’m sure everyone already knows, it’s leaky, cheap construction that allows moisture/condensation to rot/mold the wood framing in campers. Aluminum framing, while more expensive, also lasts much longer.
Also Europe has different requirements for weight distribution which reduces tongue weight but requires lower speeds. That works for them, while the American method allows for the faster speeds we are accustomed to.
https://oppositelock.kinja.com/tow-me-down-1609112611
Check out the lower left corner of of the Cree ad. Is that thing odd, or what? “A camper for those who’d rather sleep outside”.
Looks like a pickup truck camper mounted backwards on a trailer. A snowmobile is parked on the “sport deck”.
Oh, I thought that’s where the bed was ( to sleep on ).
That would be kind of cool.
Interesting how times have changed. I recently sold my 1976 canned ham trailer (10 foot) to a buddy. He has an early 2000’s grand marquis with a 4.6 litre v8. It tows the trailer much better than my previa ever did. We were looking at his owners manual the hitch is rated for 3500 lbs but the manual suggests 2000 lbs is the max. Luckily for him that is the trailers max weight. I would have thought that with all the advancements in 30 years it would be able to at least tow 3500 lbs. He took it out to a fancy private campground and commented that he was the only guy towing with a car. That and most of the rigs there were worth more than his house and he was surprised they let him in the front gate.
In 1992 you could order your Crown Victoria or Grand Marquis with the towing package that was rated up to 5,000lbs. That quickly went away because even back then using a car for towing big loads was already quickly going away.
The only mechanical part that was unique to the tow package were the front springs. They were stiffer than the standard springs, but taller than the Handling and Performance Package front springs. The other difference was the programing in the Variable Assist Power Steering module that gave more assist at low speeds than the standard car programing.
Back in the mid 90’s when I had my first aero Panther the neighbor’s uncle also had a 92 Crown Vic that he had ordered with that 5k tow package. I do have to admit that I used my 92 HPP car for towing ~5,000lbs more than once. Those 2 packages shared the same larger tire size, the same 3.23 gears, the same heavier rear air springs(with different height sensor adjustment, and similar rate front springs that made for a slightly lower ride height on the HPP car.
The 5000 lb tow package was offered to 1996, coincidentally the last year the GM B-bodies were made, also with a 5000 lb tow package. I know the later Vic’s were rated only at 2000 lbs, then down to 1500 lbs.
The 1975 Ford Torino Elite I bought for $500 back in 1982 (400, C6) was (well) used from the day it left the dealer pulling a 2 horse trailer around the country as she was a semi-pro barrel racer. There was still hay in the trunk when I got it. And I got several good years out of it, sending it out to pasture in 86 or 87
I might add said Elite had a kabillion miles on it when I got it; only reason she sold it was because it started using a quart of oil every 600-800 miles. I didn’t care; when the lifters started making noise I just dumped oil in it. Had my friends save their used oil from their oil changes for my car, the 400 didn’t care one bit. Car never left her or her horses stranded. Not once.
From the big Merc brochure:
“Here on some suggestions to make your trailering more satisfying and more fun…
• Vinyl Roof”
We towed both a 2-horse trailer and a 19′ Starcraft Islander boat with a ’73 Sport Suburban wagon (400), then later a ’77 Gran Fury Brougham (360). Both did a great job. The addition of air shocks in the rear that could be pumped up for big loads made a huge difference. The Fury even typically got 15-16 mpg hauling the boat and 2 adults + 3 kids and all the vacation stuff from MD to VT; it was the non-Lean Burn version of the 360 and was one of the best engines we’ve ever had… it lasted to 200k when the poor car finally rusted out.
CC Ad effect: the advertisement that appeared in the middle of this post was “Vanlife Motorhome Rental, from 15,000 yen per night.
“A room you will love that you can take with you.”
“dreamdrive.life”
Whoever hasn’t should see “The Long, Long Trailer”, a 1953 Lucille Ball/Desi Arnaz film. It’s not difficult to find online if you know where to look (»KOFF«ThePirateBay»KOFF«). There are numerous little clips on YouTube, but the whole thing’s worth the time.
According to Wikipedia, that trailer was also towed by a Mercury…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Long,_Long_Trailer#Production
…albeit an older Monterey than the one pictured here in Eric’s post.
Edit: Apparently a more powerful, but similar looking Lincoln was used when more power was needed in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Darn it… now I want to go back an watch that again! Thanks Daniel!
You can see the Lincoln in Mercury disguise in this clip:
https://youtu.be/Z57zQNujPyY
It first appears at 0:15, and you can really see it at 2:45, where you can make out L-I-N-C-O-L-N on the hood.
Don’t ever remember a Comet/Maverick pulling a trailer!! 😮😮
Here in the Deep South, it was either a pickup truck or station wagon pulling a boat or house trailer.
My father’s 76 Mercury Monarch Ghia came equipped with the trailer towing package. I was a teenager at the time and didn’t care at all about the rated towing weight. I just remember the grunt of the 351 and the racket from the brake light relays that went clicka clicka clicka incessantly.
I remember that sound…my Dad bought a ’73 Country Sedan to replace the ’69 Country Squire we had originally when he bought our pop-top camper in 1972…I think mostly because he wanted air conditioning (we moved to the south and did take trips to Florida)…but while he was at it, he went ahead and ordered the trailer towing package with the heavy duty relays for the lights, and transmission cooler. The ’73 had many more options than the ’69 despite it being a lower trim model, he also had power locks and AM/FM stereo.
I’m sure the ’69 would have been fine for towing a pop-top, but my Dad wanted to make sure it wouldn’t be marginal…the ’69 had the 351 2 bbl, whereas the ’73 had the 400 2 bbl. I think the most useful part of the towing package ended up being the transmission cooler, as we did a lot of backing up and going forward trying to nurse the trailer into position, especially on hills. On the negative side, the ’73 came with Firestone 500 radials that almost delaminated on us (the first 1000 miles)…found by a mechanic who put it on the lift.
We didn’t have the camper all that long…by 1982 it was gone, the ’73 Country Sedan was traded for a ’78 Chevy Wagon with a 305…I graduated from college and my younger sisters weren’t into camping…by ’84 even the Chevy was gone, replaced by a Pontiac Sunbird (the biggest downsizing in my family, and to the worst car my father ever owned). My Dad never owned a truck
Our camper was a ’72 Viking…they were really never very common, but was a comfortable setup for us…my Dad and I were like a drill team getting it set up even in the rain.
“If you wait at a campground until seeing a passenger car towing a trailer, you’ll be there for an awfully long time. ”
Well, how many RWD, solid rear axle, body-on-frame passenger cars are there today?
Why BOF? The best towing passenger car I remember from my youth was a neighbor’s mid-1960’s Fury wagon. A coworker towed nicely with a 440ci ’69 Imperial, after it went unibody.
Today’s powerful RWD or AWD Chrysler 300 or Dodge Charger sedans, a dismal 1000lb maximum trailer!? 3600lb allowed for a FWD mini van. I can’t explain it, but it may be partly a final drive gearing issue.
Great article Eric. Towing with cars seems to be fairly uncommon today, but it seems few North American market cars have much of an official tow rating. We towed with a variety of our cars over the years, but they were pretty much all BOF RWD cars with V8 engines. All of them towed relatively well, but I have to admit when I started towing with a truck, they do a much better job. With pickups now offering accommodations for entire families, it’s no wonder most people use them for large travel trailers.
I found a lot the old American cars although large had considerably shorter wheelbases than most trucks as well as much longer rear overhang. These two factor definitely made the trailer on the back more noticeable as the trailer had more leverage to allow for the “tail to wag the dog.” The other thing I noticed was the rear suspensions were typically 4 link coil spring setups that allowed for more lateral movement than a pickups stiff rear leaf springs.
Just back from the Yukon and here’s my campground classic dwarfed by more. Modern campers It would have been easily towed by a car back in 1976 when it was new! 1976 Okanagan 13 foot ultralight
I treat manufacturer tow ratings as a marketing whim. The more important numbers are tongue weight rating, GVWR and GAWR. Which is why my LWB Expedition, with a published “tow rating” of 8900 lbs is right at it’s limit towing a 4600 lb trailer with my family of 4 + dog aboard.
But these big 70s cars possessed the one thing more important than power to safe, stable towing: wheelbase. The longer the wheelbase, the less the trailer is able to steer the tow vehicle from the rear, making the the whole setup more resistant to crosswinds and the dreaded sway. Compared to the tow vehicles of today, a mid 70s Mercury has a longer wheelbase than any SUV save a Suburban or Expedition Max.
A modern crew cab truck has an even longer wheelbase yet–and a lot less overhang than a big Merc. The last of the huge Mercury landyachts in 1978 were only 3″ shorter than a new F-150, but had a wheelbase over 20″ shorter.
Indeed. And an F-150 can be optioned with a tow package to tow a much heavier trailer. Notwithstanding my rant about tow ratings, there are many SUVs on the market today (and in the campground I’m sitting in right now) “rated” to tow 5000 lbs., but with wheelbases significantly shorter than the Meteor.
I’m vehemently anti-camping, so I can’t imagine ever routinely towing a trailer, but I’ve always thought that towing packages like the one in the brochure would have been a pretty good value anyway. Heavy-duty cooling, heavy-duty alternator and battery; firmer suspension; and stiffer frame, all for less than $100? Yes, please.
The 4K quoted price for the ’71 Mercury Monterrey trailer towing package car would equal about $25,300 in today’s money.
Lotsa Luck to you for finding a brand new, trailer towing equipped pick up truck or SUV for that price today!
https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/
Granted, not at the top of everyone’s shopping list, but a new 2019 Nissan Frontier 4×2 V-6 crew cab pickup is rated to tow 6640 lbs and lists for $25,050.
I’ve fitted my ’69 Skylark with a trailer hitch ( tow bar to Aussies) and plan to tow this with it. Designed to be sleep one, lined and insulated, LED lights, double glazed windows and a hatch. It’s perfect for me for the 11 nights at our Bathurst 1000
A V8 ANYTHING with a sturdy & well-built frame from then or now should be able to handle this job…just be sure you have GOOD brakes! 🙂
Does a Kia Soul count? According to the EPA, the Soul is a compact wagon, which is a designation that sits well with me. Our Aliner Scout weighs less than 1200lbs empty and maybe 1400lbs loaded up. The Soul tows it just fine. And yes, I have added brakes to the trailer.
I’d wager trailers are as shoddily built today as they were back then.
As a 28 year veteran of the industry, generally yes.
An important thing most people neglect when considering towing is the payload of their vehicle and the rating of their hitch receiver. For instance a 7000 pound ball hitch trailer should have at least 10% tongue weight for stability, 12-15% IME is better yet. Add 100 pounds for the weight of a weight distribution hitch and you’ve eaten up 800 pounds of payload. That’s before passengers and cargo. It’s not uncommon for tow vehicles to run out of “carry” long before they run out of “pull”. Most RVers I talk too are totally clueless about this and are often overloaded, especially people pulling heavy fifth wheel trailers (which generally carry 20-25% of their weight on the pin) with low payload 3/4 ton diesels. Yeah, 3/4 ton diesels often have pretty low payload, sometimes well under 2500 pounds. They can pull but they can’t carry. They’re fine around the farm pulling self supporting 4 wheel carts and wagons.
Anyone else notice the absence of trailer towing mirrors on the Mercury/Avion combo in the first picture?
Back then people towing with cars bought large aftermarket towing mirrors which were used only when towing. I reckon Mercury didn’t want to show those kludgy devices in their guide.