FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

G'day guys
Got a question from ratbox the other day about towing my caravan with the FC wagon.I know theres a number of guys on the forum into the vintage caravan scene. Was just wondering what everybody elses experiences are with towing things behind thier FCs (and FEs of course)

My story....
The wagon has a red 202 motor,I dont have any problems with power, always try and drive reasonably conservatively.(with a caravan attached) Will sit on 90kmh easy on the flat
 Trimatic auto, I'm just lazy, was told i should put it in 1 when starting, especially on hills, but i just stick it in D and drive
 dont know diff ratio (???)
 and 13'' rims.with Bridgestone Turanza tyres
Torana disc brakes on HR front end, drums on rear
 Also has a seperate trans cooler fitted under the V8 radiator (its never overheated...probably runs to cold most of the time, to be honest)
 and helper springs on the wagon.It sits dead level on the rear of the wagon
asked the guys at parkside towbars to fit a heavyduty towball thingy on the back of the wagon, to handle the 999kg at least. dont know what its rated at

The caravan is a 1966 (?) Baravan, steel framed, aluminium skin.
Tare 860kg, Agg 999kg acording to rego papers, but I've never had it on a weighbridge to find out correct weights, (its on that TO DO list)
Have fitted an electric braking system to the caravan. Can pull up the caravan seperately to the wagon if it ever starts swaying which should pull the outfit back  into a straight line. Its like insurance..nice to know its there but hope i never need it
The new brakes meant changing the 13''caravan rims to 14'' but it still sits nicely, and while we were at it we changed the original tow coupling to a legal 50mm unit.

When we hook them together I use the shepherd hook load leveller (? I think thats what they call them) to stop the bounce as we go over bumps and stuff. Some people call them anti sway bars...BUT they are NOT. they reduce vertical movement not horizontal.
and stick the towing mirrros across the bonnet.good rear vision and they stay on when the bonnet is opened

We dont do huge mileage (unlike Daggsey & Carrots, who are still tripping around the countryside in thiers after Mt Gambier, or Brad & Gemma, or Mark & Ditzy) mostly weekend trips within a couple of hours of Perth

To round up....The wagon tows well, it all runs straight and stops when we need it to

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/surferboyandcathy/4.jpg)

 8) 8) 8)


and then i have the 6x4 trailer i use on other weekends for manure and stuff. I learnt chucking bags of manure into the wagon isnt good for cleanliness

The shepherd crook devices are used for load leveling.  They transfer the extra weight placed on the tow ball by the caravan back to the front wheels of the tow vehicle.  A single pair of bars are suitable for 90kg ball weight.

Cannot comment on using the auto trans for towing as I use a manual trans in a 4WD to tow 2300kg.  Most people I know with auto's just put it into drive and go and keep it out of overdrive if fitted.  You may well find that with your caravan loaded it could well be around 1300 - 1400 kg.

Keith

G'day Surferboy, You have a nice set up there, This is our rig  :)

(http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x152/nebedag/FE%20Special%20Sedan/homecomingDSCF0229.jpg)

Our tow car for this van is the FE Special, we have period towing mirrors and uplift springs on it but thats it, still has the original grey motor, brakes, 3 on the tree etc, the whole catastrophe, we like it that way ::) This a pic of us at Coledale

(http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x152/nebedag/FE%20Special%20Sedan/DSCF0006.jpg)

I appreciate that you have a heavier van & may require the additional bits, our van is supposed to be 250kg but I reckon it's at least double that with the horse hair mattresses & all the kerosene alley gear.
There are no brakes on the van, the car has to do it all, so 1st gear is our best friend going down Bulli Pass (8 to 1 decent) to Coledale Caravan Park every year

(http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x152/nebedag/FE%20Special%20Sedan/DSCF0007.jpg)

We only get to go once a year now cause it takes us a year to get over it  :P but it is fun roughing it. One year we went to Munmorah NSW & had a powered site & got to plug it in, hot coffee,tea & toast ! 
It tows ok, bit slow on the hills but has only got hot on us once & if you are careful with gear & brake use it's all good

Cheers, Gary

i wonder if the trouble i have is due to the van being extremely flat and square at the front yor 2 vans seem to be flatish but have a rounded top

i might add i was doing between 95 and 110 kmh :o if i kept it down to around 85 wasn't so bad but i would have crashed after falling asleep at the wheel ::)

by the way i love yor vans, one day i'll find one although it's getting harder as with everything else that's old and kool everybody wants one ::) >:(

I can't find anything in any of my  stuff that says what the maximum weight is that can be towed by the FC.
 Does anybody know what it would be ?

 The people I spoke to before hooking up the towbar all said the same thing.....

"back in the good old days  (they always start their stories this way  ;D )
we used to just hook up the caravan and tow it across the Nullabor, thats when it was 50,000miles long and dirt all the way, and if it ripped the arse end off the car,..we knew it was too heavy."

 8) 8) 8)
PS I never trusted the drum brakes without any load so I wasn't towing anything until I'd fitted the discs

yes i could just imagine the things that got towed :o

speaking of witch the other weekend going back to sydney from bathurst swap, saw a newish one of those big dual cab hiluxs that'de flipped over towing a car trailer loaded with fence pailings, they suposedly have a large towing capacity so i'de guess he just had it loaded wrong