Pulling a small trailer with a V-8 Z?

[kamikaZeS30]

I know this may seem somewhat counter-intuitive to why most of us chose to do V8 swaps. However, by my calculations, I should, in theory, have more than enough torque to pull a small camping trailer (about 400 ft.lbs. of torque).

 

I guess the question becomes the logistics of actually pulling one. I do not have a lot of experience with pulling trailers. I love camping, but my parents never had much money when I was growing up so we'd either A) ride along with someone in my family that had an RV or B ) (which was most often the case) load up the back of the car with a tent, sleeping bags and gear. I have been perusing craigslist for light-weight tear-drop or pop-up tent trailers, I don't imagine these weigh more than 800~1000 pounds (I found one that I really liked but it said it was 1700 lbs.).

 

Some concerns I have are: If I did mount a hitch, I would want a removable type rig, so that I'm not driving around like a red-neck with a hitch sticking out the rear. Body stress, I have the Bad-Dog rails and a few other minor frame-tweaks which make the car nice'n'stiff, however, while I don't plan on breaking any speed-limits while towing, do you think this is acceptable or would further reinforcement be necessary? Wiring is another issue, how does one wire-up a trailer properly, would this put undue load on the Zs electrical (I do have the new-style MSA fuse-block, and all the relay upgrades). Also gearing, I'm using an R200 with 3.54, mated via the shaft to a T-5 from a Camaro (.82 OD).

 

I'm looking for friendly advice from people who probably have owned trailers or know enough about camping with RVs to answer some of these questions. I know, you probably think trying to tow a trailer with it is stupid, but, I work with what I have. I don't particularly feel like spending $15,000 for a pick-up so I can pull a $1500 trailer. Or, for that matter spend $15,000 for a used motor home, which I can't park anywhere.

Edited May 19, 2010 by kamikaZeS30

[lowdown]

Should be fine as long as yoru hitch is supported by enough of the vehicle to not rip out. I have some hot wheels from teh 80s that were of Z cars pulling trailers.

[kamikaZeS30]

I was thinking of doing something to beef up the rear sub-frame a bit more; like, possibly, swapping for a thicker mustache bar, making some steel angle to ad more material to the existing sub-frame. If I can figure out a way to mount the hitch to the sub-frame, that would probably be ideal. Unfortunately, the stock gas-tank looks like it's going to make things difficult.

[johnc]

I've built a couple trailer hitches for 240Zs. You basically need to do the following:

 

1. Build a square tube or angle iron bar that mounts across the back of the car behind the rear bumper. It needs to tie into the bumper mounts.

2. Re-inforce (box) the lateral rear transverse link brace.

3. Bend up a 3" wide x 3/8" thick piece of flat steel to go from the lateral transverse link brace (weld a tab onto the brace and use a rear LCA bolt to attach the flat steel piece to the tab), back and up (following the contours of the fuel tank) to the bar that you added behind the rear bumper.

4. Continue this piece of flat steel out the back as the mount for the hitch ball with correct size hole drilled.

 

This hitch can handle a tongue weight of about 150 lbs. and a trailer weight of about 1,000 lbs.

 

One thing you have not mentioned is the brakes on your car. That is far more important them how much power the engine makes.

[hoov100]

i had a hitch on my last two z31's and would pull small sub thousand pound trailers occasionally, one was welded to the rear frame rails and the other was bolted to the floor using big washers and 6, 3/4 inch bolts. having a small receiver protrude that rear just below the bumper wouldn't look that bad.

[SHO-Z]

I pulled a Hobie behind my 280. If I remember I used the tie down locations for the hitch. It has been over 20 years so I could be wrong. Only problem was on time it vapor locked going over the rockies on my wife. It would have been ok if I hand told her to crack the hood to get the heat out.

[19762802+2]

The PO of one of my 2+2's had the dealer option tow bar hooked up, I wish I had kept it and sold it to someone on here, I may have pictures of it but idk. Anyways he pulled stuff with the stock engine and Auto trans, I checked the fluid in it at one point and it was just fine. I'm not sure what he pulled but it held up well. The dealer option tow bar bolted in near the bumper brackets and also into the rear bumper I believe. I will search for some pictures.

[kamikaZeS30]

johnc yeah, I thought about the brakes right after I finished the post. I'm using the Toyota four-pistons in the front, with the larger ZX master-cylinder and I have the ZX rotors with Maxima calipers in the back. I'm looking at upgrading to the Wilwood kit in the future.

 

Thanks for the info, it doesn't sound like it'd cost that much to do. It should work for something like a pop-up. I'm not looking for something like a 26' airstream. I'm just looking for a small camper to fit two adults for weekend trips and such.

 

Dealer option hitch? That might be another way to go. I'm wondering which S30 bodies that would fit. I forgot to mention the car is a series one, '71 s30. It doesn't have some of the neat things like reinforced bumper mounts that the 74+ had.

[19762802+2]

[quote name='kamikaZeS30' date='19 May 2010 - 05:25 PM' timestamp='1274311541' post='869576'

Dealer option hitch? That might be another way to go. I'm wondering which S30 bodies that would fit. I forgot to mention the car is a series one, '71 s30. It doesn't have some of the neat things like reinforced bumper mounts that the 74+ had.

 

Yeah it was either a Dealer option or some aftermarket thing because it definitely didn't look home made. It was on my 280z, There are two bolt holes next to each rear bumper bracket and one two almost 90 degree bends bolted on to that. A long flat bar was bolted to those two 90 degree bends and then bolted to the bottom of the Rear bumper.

 

This picture is the only one I ever took of the hitch on the rear bumper when I first bought the car. You can't really see it because it was all tucked underneath pretty nicely.

 

Edited May 19, 2010 by 19752802+2

[(goldfish)]

Camp-Inn trailers are stated as 850 with 130 on the tongue. I would think that was really bare. Don't forget the weight of your food and gear. I could see an easy 300 more. But here is their spec sheet.

http://tinycamper.com/spec.htm

[Tony D]

Consider differential cooling if you plan on towing full speed during the summer. My R180 got hot enough towing across arizona in June to melt the plastic breather off and cook the hypoind additive straight out of hte differential. Synthetic oil in the differential (plus a cooler) would be highly recommended. I towed an 800# trailer about 15K miles behind a Z in about a month of driving at highway speeds. I would not recommend it with an R180. With an R200, I'd add a cooler like the European Cars have.

 

As for a big hitch...well I guess I'm a redneck then. But I can plug in any Class 3 2" square accessory into the back of my car and use it. That includes bike racks, tailgators, and those funky swinging seats that hold two corpulosas and their swill...

 

I did it because I could, and it works great! It also helps that I can pull the pintile hook or ball out and not have that knee-breaking pesky tab out there at shin height, either!

 

STIFF springs and Tokikos out back help with a heavy tongue weight. As mentioned by JC, brakes which you would only consider for a track environment start looking like a good idea on a towing car. I ran Porterfield R4S on all four corners, with Motul RBF600 and it seemed to haul the car down pretty well. The front end DOES seem lighter even if only using stock springs and slightly stiffer shocks...but what can you do? Not like someone is going to put Class 4 Equalizers to pull weight from the trailer onto the front wheels through levers and chains, right...

 

Hmmmmmmm, that gives me an idea....

Edited May 25, 2010 by Tony D

[johnc]

 

Hmmmmmmm, that gives me an idea....

 

Not all ideas are good ones Tony...

[kamikaZeS30]

I found someone with a 260z they were parting out on Craigslist, it had the factory (dealer?) option hitch and he was giving it away. SCORE!!

 

It looks like it just bolts on.

 

Good call on the diff cooler, didn't think about that, either. I didn't mean red-neck as an insult. It's just not the social norm around here. Now, if I could just figure out a way to haul my long-board to the beach without scratching the paint on the roof, I'll be set...

[hoov100]

I found someone with a 260z they were parting out on Craigslist, it had the factory (dealer?) option hitch and he was giving it away. SCORE!!

 

It looks like it just bolts on.

 

Good call on the diff cooler, didn't think about that, either. I didn't mean red-neck as an insult. It's just not the social norm around here. Now, if I could just figure out a way to haul my long-board to the beach without scratching the paint on the roof, I'll be set...

 

Moving blankets and ratchet straps?

[Shaddow]

I've got to say I'm quite surprised one would bother with a diff cooler for a sub 1000 pound trailer or strengthening the back. The stock 260z factory towbars are more than capable of pulling that sort of weight, as are its mounting points in supporting that weight and until I pulled my zed down I had done a fair amount of towing with it, with no adverse problems in Australian summers. Anything to much heavier around the 1500-1600 (750kg) mark I'd be worried about stressing the mounting points and braking effectiveness.

[19762802+2]

You should take pictures of the factory or dealer option tow bar for everyone to see. I wish I had when I had one, I just didn't know they weren't very common.

[kamikaZeS30]

I'll see what I can do, I don't even have any good pictures of my car right for lack of a digital camera.

 

The best way to explain it is that it's one long bar like a spine and then it's got two bars welded to it which are arranged perpendicularly. These bars appear to be used for mounting, the long, "spinal" bar looks like it is inclined so as to stick up, but clear the rear bumper. And it looks like I'm supposed to just screw in a two-inch ball at the end of that bar. It's a super simple design, I'm still perplexed as to WHERE it mounts, exactly, but I won't even have my 240 back for another month to find out, anyway.

[19762802+2]

I'll see what I can do, I don't even have any good pictures of my car right for lack of a digital camera.

 

The best way to explain it is that it's one long bar like a spine and then it's got two bars welded to it which are arranged perpendicularly. These bars appear to be used for mounting, the long, "spinal" bar looks like it is inclined so as to stick up, but clear the rear bumper. And it looks like I'm supposed to just screw in a two-inch ball at the end of that bar. It's a super simple design, I'm still perplexed as to WHERE it mounts, exactly, but I won't even have my 240 back for another month to find out, anyway.

 

Oh I know what it looks like, on the 280z i'm not sure about the 240z, near the bumper brackets are two indentions in the rear panel that have two openings for bolts. These are attached directly to the "frame". In that picture its the two bolts directly under the tail panels.

 

[kamikaZeS30]

Ah, yeah, should be the same, I recognize those holes.

[bens1088]

I saw a stock trailer hitch for a 240z on craigslist a while back. You might want to look around online.

Edited May 30, 2010 by bens1088