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bamaflyfisher
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2008
Posts: 9
Location: Alabama
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 Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 8:23 pm Post subject: Towing with a Bus? |
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I am brand new to the Bus world and I am currently looking at a couple.
My question is:
Can I pull:
1. A lightweight fishing boat (talking 60's model alumicraft)
2. Lightweight Scamp or Casita camper or even a popup camper?
Thanks,
Bama |
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Westy Steve
Samba Member
Joined: February 25, 2006
Posts: 1095
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| Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 8:48 pm Post subject: Re: Towing with a Bus? |
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| bamaflyfisher wrote: |
I am brand new to the Bus world and I am currently looking at a couple.
My question is:
Can I pull:
1. A lightweight fishing boat (talking 60's model alumicraft)
2. Lightweight Scamp or Casita camper or even a popup camper?
Thanks,
Bama |
The Scamp or Casita might be too heavy. A small popup is do-able. Also, there are some hardshell campers lighter than Scamps and Casitas. Google "Puck travel trailer". You can probably pull a very lightweight fishing boat.
Here's a suggestion for you. Around 1972 (not sure of exact date, but someone will chime in) they started putting in Type IV engines in buses, which were alot beefier than their forerunners. They put out 66 or more horsepower compared to about 50 or less for the earlier engines.
You might also want to look at Westys (Westfalias) buses or similar. There's a photo of my Westy, which is a real piece of crap, on my avatar (to the left). They have popup roofs with bunks, and miniature kitchens. From 1974 and later, the bed size up top changed from a single to a double, which is handy even if you're camping alone because you can use the bed for camping, and the lower area for living space. Regardless of whether your top pops up or not, if you sleep in your bus, you don't need to pull a travel trailer, so that allows you to pull a boat. Eventually, I plan to get a boat myself. I'm thinking it would be cool to get a small two-man sailboat that I can carry to the water (with help from the family). Another reason to look at Westy's is that most of them have trailer hitches.
Steve |
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bamaflyfisher
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2008
Posts: 9
Location: Alabama
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| Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks Steve,
Saw a westy today with a hitch!
I have my eye on a 72 model and I am currently waiting on an email from a guy....playing the waiting game.... |
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bamaflyfisher
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2008
Posts: 9
Location: Alabama
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| Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 8:43 pm Post subject: |
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| bump......anyone else with some info? |
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Malokin Martin
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2007
Posts: 3099
Location: E-burg
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orangesuper
Samba Member
Joined: January 06, 2007
Posts: 371
Location: Moretown, VT
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Chubber
Samba Member
Joined: November 12, 2003
Posts: 334
Location: Clermont, Central Florida
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| Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 9:30 pm Post subject: |
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We pulled a 1968 Aluminacraft 18' fishing boat for years and years with our 1971 Deluxe and 5 people riding inside the van. I wouldn't recommend pulling it up any mountains and it's quite the eye opener in a stiff cross breeze, but it wasn't too hard to drive. Just keep the RPMs up above 2500 and give yourself plenty of time to slow down.
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Chubber
'71 Deluxe 7 Passenger Bus (Resto thread)
'72 Fastback
'74 Super Beetle Convertible (Sold) |
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Traveling Writer
Samba Scribe
Joined: May 07, 2006
Posts: 1112
Location: Florence, Italy
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| Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 10:13 pm Post subject: |
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Do a search for jaime rivers and his 2" receiver hitch, or look at his site below. There have been a lot of satisfied customers here, not least of whom is me! The hitch is strong, very well made, bolts right up under the bumper to the frame, and cost something like 200 bucks all up.
Great deal, and if you get any bus, see if he has a hitch for you.
http://www.globalserve.net/~jrivers/latebayhitch.htm
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Cheers,
Davi
1977 2.0 FI Westy
2011 1200cc Yamaha Super Tenere
1976 Feet (they work surprisingly well) |
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ccpalmer
Samba Member
Joined: September 17, 2006
Posts: 3850
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
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| Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 3:53 am Post subject: |
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I'd be more concerned with stopping power than torque. You'll get there eventually with a '69 towing, but once you get there you might not be able to stop!
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'71 Westy |
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reasley
Samba Member
Joined: May 10, 2007
Posts: 170
Location: gone
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| Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 7:15 am Post subject: |
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| ccpalmer wrote: |
| I'd be more concerned with stopping power than torque. You'll get there eventually with a '69 towing, but once you get there you might not be able to stop! |
For around $300 you can put brakes on most any trailer. |
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RZAR
Samba Member
Joined: September 01, 2007
Posts: 725
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| Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 8:45 am Post subject: |
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| those eriba pucks are cool. do they sell them here in the states. I looked on their international website but there was no tab for the US. |
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Clatter
Samba Member
Joined: September 24, 2003
Posts: 7537
Location: Santa Cruz
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| Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 3:28 pm Post subject: |
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The later busses have power disk brakes.
And a bigger 2-liter motor...
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Bus Motor Build
What’s That Noise?!? |
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NASkeet
Samba Member
Joined: April 29, 2006
Posts: 2958
Location: South Benfleet, Essex, UK
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:14 am Post subject: Towing with a Bus? |
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| Clatter wrote: |
The later busses have power disk brakes.
And a bigger 2-liter motor... |
| reasley wrote: |
| ccpalmer wrote: |
| I'd be more concerned with stopping power than torque. You'll get there eventually with a '69 towing, but once you get there you might not be able to stop! |
For around $300 you can put brakes on most any trailer. |
It's not the brakes which stop the vehicle, but the friction between the tyres and the road surface, which is why for anything other than a very light trailer, the trailer needs to have its own over-run brakes.
In Great Britain and Europe, the maximum permitted gross weight (i.e. trailer's own weight + its maximum rated payload) of an unbraked trailer, must not exceed 750 kg or half the unladen weight of the towing vehicle, which ever is the smaller.
The maximum permitted gross weight (i.e. trailer's own weight + its maximum rated payload) of an braked trailer, should be no more than the unladen weight of the towing vehicle and preferably no more than about 85% of this.
_________________
Regards.
Nigel A. Skeet
Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.
Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper
Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)
http://www.vwt2oc.net |
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VDubTech
Samba Member
Joined: December 29, 2002
Posts: 9142
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:42 am Post subject: Re: Towing with a Bus? |
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| NASkeet wrote: |
In Great Britain and Europe....blah, blah, blah...useless information |
British towing laws mean little or nothing to this person since they are in Alabama where British law means absolutely zero. I don't understand why you constantly need to answer questions from a person in the US with laws applicable only to Britain. It makes no sense whatsoever, and most certainly isn't helpful to the person asking the question. UK towing laws are just as applicable here as the laws in Zimbabwe or China or Italy, that is, not at all. |
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nw
Samba Member
Joined: December 31, 2007
Posts: 88
Location: seminole fla
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:26 pm Post subject: |
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I'm going to attempt to pull a 15' Serro Scotty travel trailer with my 68 Bus. I attempted it with the stock single port eng.
It would only get up to about 35-40 mph. at best. The weight of the trailer is only about 1500 lbs.
The weight didn't seem to be the problem . The problem seemed to be wind resistance of the trailer. My eng is pretty worn out so I'm getting a new one . I'm going to try a 1915 cc with duel 1bb carbs and a mild cam.
It will be a few months as I am restoring the bus. I will make a post and let you know the out come. When I attempt it.
Norm[/size] |
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Oldfart
Samba Member
Joined: March 09, 2008
Posts: 187
Location: Strayliya
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:32 pm Post subject: Re: Towing with a Bus? |
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| VDubTech wrote: |
| NASkeet wrote: |
In Great Britain and Europe....blah, blah, blah...useless information |
British towing laws mean little or nothing to this person since they are in Alabama where British law means absolutely zero. I don't understand why you constantly need to answer questions from a person in the US with laws applicable only to Britain. It makes no sense whatsoever, and most certainly isn't helpful to the person asking the question. UK towing laws are just as applicable here as the laws in Zimbabwe or China or Italy, that is, not at all. |
WARNING, THIS ANSWER CONTAINS IRONIC SATIRE.
Maybe he was trying to help? A civilised country like England is that far in front of a backward/retarded place like Alabama with traffic laws and vehicle safety that your right, you shouldn't really compare both. Also almost all people round the would are worth a lot more than folks in the southern states of "Amerrycar" so if you wipe out half a dozen hilbilly's it would only equal a cat in England. Your right on you other point too, nobody should try and help you out with suggestions, it's not appreciated.[/b] |
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joe cool
Samba Member
Joined: August 20, 2006
Posts: 1259
Location: Yolo County CA
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:42 pm Post subject: |
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Yes you can.
Stopping, not pulling, is the weak part, but I don't have trailer brakes. |
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flateric
Samba Member
Joined: August 17, 2005
Posts: 101
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:52 pm Post subject: Pulling Trailer with 69 experience... |
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Hi,
I have a 1969 Bus and I am currently traveling across country for a about a month now and will continue until 20th of May approximately. I am pulling a 4x6 enclosed trailer. The trailer alone weight 400lb. I do not know exactly how much weight I have in there but I would guess another 300lb. The bus pools it pretty good (stock engine 1600dp, stock brake system 4 drums) and break good too. We had no problem so far pulling this trailer and I travel with it everyday for a month now. You can check pictures of the bus and the trailer on the following website:
http://www.vwtripusa2008.com/
We were pulling a 5x8 at the beginning but it is way too hard for the bus to pull that much. The 4x6 is perfect max fit for the bus.
As for the hitch I had made custom before leaving, it is very strong and removable and looks nice I think.
I hope it was informative enough...  |
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1FUNBUG
Samba Member
Joined: June 29, 2004
Posts: 599
Location: Waterville, OH
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 5:24 pm Post subject: Re: Towing with a Bus? |
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| Oldfart wrote: |
| so if you wipe out half a dozen hilbilly's it would only equal a cat in England. |
That's funny! I have no ill will against "hillbilly's". That's just plain funny.
Well played my friend! 
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1FUNBUG
71 Beetle, 1776, dual Kadrons
77 Westy, Camper Special 2.0 F.I. |
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Dufo's Pizza and Auto
Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2007
Posts: 195
Location: Pee Yay
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 5:53 pm Post subject: UK towing laws |
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| VDubTech wrote: |
British towing laws mean little or nothing to this person since they are in Alabama where British law means absolutely zero. I don't understand why you constantly need to answer questions from a person in the US with laws applicable only to Britain. It makes no sense whatsoever, and most certainly isn't helpful to the person asking the question. |
Just because the "law" part dosen't apply to readers in the U.S., dosen't mean the info isn't valid anyway. The information is a helpful guidline for anyone towing a trailer. It shows that the safety factor is increased when using trailer brakes, and give some ballpark weight limits a reader can use to help determine how heavey a trailer he/she can tow with a given vehicle. Not everyone reading the Samba is from Alabama either. 
I have never towed with my Splitty (or any VW for that matter), but from my experience w/ other vehicles and trailers, I think trailer brakes will help alot.
| Westy Steve wrote: |
| The Scamp or Casita might be too heavy. A small popup is do-able. |
I had a 13' Scamp that towed much easier than a 14' pop-up behind my Honda. It was really light and the axle placement seemed just about right for proper tounge weight and backing/turning purposes. A nice one will cost about 2x a nice pop-up though. Small light trailer seem to be difficult to come by these days. 
Will
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Dufo's Pizza & Auto Repair...."You do fo me and I do fo you"
...'cause it ain't easy bein' cheesy! |
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