airjetmech
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Post by airjetmech on Jun 12, 2015 10:45:03 GMT -8
New here and not having much luck with the search function. My tow vehicle is ancient and not a lot of ponies. What would have been the lightest earliest shasta made?
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on Jun 12, 2015 10:53:21 GMT -8
Shasta Compact: around 1100-1200 pounds. Ten feet long. We have 1962 and it's very easy to tow. I think the Airflyte ran more like 1500-1800 pounds. Around 12 feet long. The weight of a 12 foot camper can vary dramatically depending on the manufacturer. Our 13 foot 1962 Forester weighs 2500 pounds. Much more solid than our Shasta.
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airjetmech
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Post by airjetmech on Jun 12, 2015 17:19:19 GMT -8
Thanks. Not sure at this point what my proposed tow vehicle will handle.
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on Jun 12, 2015 18:09:45 GMT -8
As a rule for newer cars, I take what the car maker says and divide it in half. Vintage cars are anyone's guess.
I towed the Compact with a 3 liter V6 and was not thrilled. It did the job but not very well.
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Post by vikx on Jun 12, 2015 22:51:57 GMT -8
I'm V8 all the way... used to be a 454 but nowadays, a 350 is WAY big. LOL....
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on Jun 13, 2015 5:19:26 GMT -8
When I bought our new truck the dealer said, "4.7 liter was plenty for a small camper!" He may be right but I bought a 5.7 anyway. Now I can honestly say that I don't know our 2500 pound camper is behind me. I can tow with cruise control on and the engine doesn't struggle at all. A V6? I always knew the camper was there. Always.
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airjetmech
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Post by airjetmech on Jun 13, 2015 12:01:26 GMT -8
Thanks for the replies. As shown in my avatar, pickup is a 1932 Ford, basically stock so maybe tops 65 hp when I finish my mods. after thinking about it, brakes although switching to hydraulics from mechanicals, are 1940`s technology and may not be sufficient either.
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Ten
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70 Shasta 16SC + 1964 Airflyte
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Post by Ten on Jun 13, 2015 13:08:47 GMT -8
"It only takes one horsepower to pull a Shasta...."
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on Jun 13, 2015 15:32:07 GMT -8
We know this sounds like heresy, and there have been many posts (especially on the old VSTF site) about towing capacity. If you are never going to be hauling it up mountains and are comfortable at 55 mph, you can certainly get by with a lot less than a 5.7. Make sure your transmission can handle it, the brakes can handle it, and even with a Compact, it'd be wise to do trailer brakes.
We tow our Compact with a BMW X3 (6 cylinder). It tows like a dream, and our fuel economy is pretty good, except when we have a constant 30 mph head/cross wind, which happened in CA Central Valley a couple months ago. We were down to 13 mpg for a few hours. The drive into Palm Springs made up for it, though, we got 30 mpg on that trek.
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airjetmech
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Post by airjetmech on Jun 13, 2015 17:11:36 GMT -8
Also have a 2014 Kia Soul but they are not listing a towing capacity, at least in Canada, plus can not find a receiver that will bolt on.
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airjetmech
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Post by airjetmech on Jun 13, 2015 17:12:14 GMT -8
"It only takes one horsepower to pull a Shasta...." Now thats funny !!
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Post by vintagebruce on Jun 14, 2015 6:18:42 GMT -8
(wlcm)to VTT. I believe that your vehicle in your avatar would not be a good choice for anything larger than a vintage teardrop if it is basically stock. In the old days when the smallest Shasta was made, 1952 I believe, campers were being towed at speeds between 45 to maybe 55 mph max...on country roads, not interstates with 18-wheelers blowing by with all their turbulence. Unless you have a beefed up tranny and proper engine, you would be restricted to pretty "local" camping even with a Shasta canned ham Compact 1100 - 1200 pounds, especially if you are in a mountainous section of Canada. There are some smaller very collectible campers that are as light as 900 pounds, but they are scarce, like the smallest Beemer, Hiawatha, Field and Stream and Aristocrat Little Loafer. I think some of the vintage fiberglass "eggs" are around 900# too, Boler or Scamp for example. Do a search for Tiny Vintage Campers and view some threads that introduce both teardrops as well as the mini campers to get a "feel" for what is a possibility. BTW I really like your truck! Good Luck.
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airjetmech
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Post by airjetmech on Jun 15, 2015 15:08:50 GMT -8
Thanks for the reply Bruce. There was a 61 Scotty for sale west of Seattle but seems to have been sold.
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Post by vikx on Jun 15, 2015 21:09:32 GMT -8
From what I've read, the Soul IN EUROPE is limited to 2000 pounds and 300 lbs tongue weight. Personally, I would be concerned about safety towing with a small vehicle.
The Soul might be great with a tear drop. There are some pretty cool build plans available; you could make it YOURS all the way!
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airjetmech
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Post by airjetmech on Jun 22, 2015 15:44:41 GMT -8
From what I've read, the Soul IN EUROPE is limited to 2000 pounds and 300 lbs tongue weight. Personally, I would be concerned about safety towing with a small vehicle. The Soul might be great with a tear drop. There are some pretty cool build plans available; you could make it YOURS all the way! I also read that regarding the European specs. Been there done that with a teardrop. Wife called it the " popcorn maker " as it was aluminum skinned, close quarters and in the heat of Osoyoos British Columbia one summer, not a great place to sleep.
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