Brandon the Traveler wrote:

When I read threads like this it makes me wonder how dad hauled 5 kids, mom, 3 packed coolers and a ton of other gear, out to Yellowstone then the Grand Canyon @ 1974. He was pulling a 25' Holiday Rambler TT with a 1963 Falcon 6 cylinder wagon. I think those things had about 75 HP lol.

hohenwald48 wrote:



Probably by working on it twice a day and once at night. While you and your siblings were out playing around in the campground or sound asleep.

mkirsch wrote:



The population of the United States was only 213 million in 1974. Every 16 year old did not get a brand new car for their birthday. One-car families were still very common.

Translation: Lots less traffic on the road.

Yes there were Interstates but not nearly as many, so definitely more surface road travel.

Translation: Slower speeds, less power needed to maintain them.

Further, folks were more tolerant of someone poking along pulling a heavy trailer. Now you'd be lucky to make it without some idiot plowing into your rear because they "didn't see it." If they don't plow into you, you get the lovely hand gestures of irate drivers, and a good possibility of finding one of those irate drivers waiting for you at the next rest stop, ready to give you a piece of their mind, feed you a knuckle sandwich, or give you lead poisoning.

falconbrother wrote:

I'm pulling a 5800 dry weight TT with a 2000, 5.3 Suburban. The chassis does fine for my weight. The 5.3 is just OK. Nothing to brag about. For pulling hills remember to pull the transmission down a gear and get the RPMs up.

Grit dog wrote:



Solid advice. In fact, I'd never let it hit OD and downshifts to 2nd would happen pretty quick on any grades.

One of the biggest factors for the OP is not the weight of the camper or the rating of the truck, but the condition of a 20 year old vehicle. 150k miles, could mean trans fluid looks like gear oil and the rear brake rotors have rust holes in them, or it could mean a very nice, well maintained capable truck.