1970 300 TOW RATING?

TX9

TX9

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Hello Fuselage Fans! I just purchased one of my dream Fusies: a '70 300 Convertible and early in the Month i also purchased a little Italian Sports Car both near Minneapolis MN my 300 has an old tow hitch but I want to upgrade to a UHaul 5,000 ib. Hitch with light wiring to qualify for the Auto Transport Trailer they rent. UHaul is very picky [rightly so] on the vehicle towing specs and the towed vehicle weight on trailer. Do any of you FCBO Fusie Owners use your rigs to tow boats or rv [My 300 was used as a Boat Hauler for decades] any tips on hauling experience would be super helpful as I plan on getting these two rides back to San Diego over Labor Day Week. Thank You in advance, Mark
 
I used a 70 SFGT and a 73 NYB to haul a race car on a Bock Drag Star trailer back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. The SFGT had a class III hitch welded on and the NYB had a bolt on class III. Race car and trailer weighed about 5k lbs total. Many thousands of miles towing on each..

So... Yea, it can be done. It beat the crap out of both cars though.

The things that will trip you up here are the condition of the rear frame rails and availability of a good class III hitch. I strongly suggest finding something that bolts on.

I always used the complete weight distributing hitch (spring bars etc.) and I don't know if that would work out with a U-Haul.

There's a few things here... Number one is if U-Haul is even going to rent you a trailer when you show up with a 300 vert. Another is if you are 1000% positive that the frame rails are in perfect shape. Yet another is this is a convertible... Not as structurally strong as a car with a top. (Keep in mind I own a '70 300 vert).

I've used the U-Haul trailers and some of them are real POS. The brakes are inertia type so you can't reach down and grab the brake controller if you start to wiggle a little.

What I'm really trying to do is talk you out of this.... You have an unknown, old car that towing is going to be really tough on. You have to find someone to put a hitch on correctly (if you find a hitch, that is). You are totally dependent on luck of the draw for a decent trailer... and having rented them myself... I had one once that pulled hard to the left under braking... It was OK with my truck, but with a car, that would not have been a good ride.

Pick one and drive it home... have the other shipped. Bet it costs less than renting the trailer, buying and installing a hitch etc.
 
You are a very pragmatic Man, John; appreciate your honesty- putting both my new rigs in jeopardy [let alone the general public i e drum brake 300] is nuts!!! FCBO is one fine resource with questions like mine . . Thank You, Sir!
 
Capabilities aside - I highly, HIGHLY doubt that UHaul will even allow you to tow with your 300. Depending if you go to a uhual corporate or dealer store will determine how strict they are. Most mom and pop dealers won’t give a hoot.

I’ve once been denied a trailer and sent out of a corporate store because my truck wasn’t up to par with their policy towing rate. It was a 2010 F150 XLT towing a 67 Caprice. I left. Drove down the road to a mom and pop dealer and I was on my way with a trailer in 10 minutes. I’ve also been sent away because they claim some wheelbases won’t fit on their trailers like my 70’ NYer. Regardless of if you can physically show them it does indeed fit. They just listen to what the computers says. And I know for a fact a computer isn’t going to approve a 1970 300 Convertible. If you can smooth talk them past what the computer says or find a place that doesn’t really care - you’re more than welcome.

I don’t know the condition of the 300 - but driving a car for the very first time halfway across the country is worriesome enough. Brakes. Steering. Etc. Adding a load and a trailer behind that mess is a disaster waiting to happen.
If you owned the car and you did all the work yourself and could certify it was fine I’d say just send it and go for it. But please do not put your safety at risk.
 
Your good buy on two cars is not worth much if something breaks and you put both of them down a ravine some place.

Dave
 
Because hge wants to tow with the 300! Unfortunately U Haul is usually the only game in town for trailer rentals.

At that point buy a used trailer off of CL and be happy you don't have to deal with their rules anymore.
 
Hey mark, what is the colour of the 300
Hopefully not sandpebble beige:poke:

Carsten
 
fc7_plumcrazy said:
Hey mark, what is the colour of the 300
Hopefully not sandpebble beige:poke:

Carsten
Click to expand...

B7
downloadfile-11.jpg
Good to hear from you Carsten!
 
Here is my old 68 Fury with a house trailer, towed really well with an equalizer hitch. The only downside was big hills that the 318 just barely handled. A 383 or a 440 would have solved all those problems. Don't remember the trailer weight, it wasn't light, especially after my wife loaded a months worth of supplies for the two day trips. Cross winds were interesting and being passed by an approaching 18 wheeler on a two lane road was down right scary.

68 Fury 708.jpg
 
Fury440 said:
Here is my old 68 Fury with a house trailer, towed really well with an equalizer hitch. The only downside was big hills that the 318 just barely handled. A 383 or a 440 would have solved all those problems. Don't remember the trailer weight, it wasn't light, especially after my wife loaded a months worth of supplies for the two day trips. Cross winds were interesting and being passed by an approaching 18 wheeler on a two lane road was down right scary.

View attachment 206045
Click to expand...
FWIW, an older 18' trailer was about 2500lbs. Much more than that and you need another axle. Probably loaded up, you could easily get to 3000lbs. They made great tow vehicles for campers and the like. Back then, a truck wasn't as comfortable for the trip and with the equalizer hitch, you could do 5000lbs like I used to. Cross winds weren't as big a problem with the car trailer, but occasionally an 18 wheeler could make the trip interesting. The electric brake controller was great when things got a little squirrely. Just a little touch on the brake lever to add some drag pulled everything straight.

The last car trailer I had was 1500lbs empty. I looked up the U-Haul car trailer weight and that surprised me... 2210lbs empty!
 
fc7_plumcrazy said:
nice colour combo.
Original paint?

Carsten
Click to expand...
Second Owner Family Since 1972!
Cannot tell on paint until I get 300
Great history as every one of 8 children got to drive car at year of high school graduation! Seller made me promise I would sell it back to them!
 
Yes, John great eye! Seller lost one these decades ago and made the unfortunate s
70300.jpg
witch- appreciate any leads on Road Wheels like your Avatar!
 
65MonacoND said:
I have the hubcap. I just need to get home long enough to get it for you!
Click to expand...
WOW THAT'S AWESOME!!!
Thank You for the follow up . . . There's a YouTube video of a White '70 300 coupe doing a 50 yard? Burnout with these killer wheel covers i love em! Appreciate your rare find- PM to complete deal. Thank You Again!
Mark
 
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