How Times Have Changed.

[1stgenbird]

I am just shy of 60 and have been around boats just about my whole life so far, from tinnys on lakes to cabin cruisers on the ocean. Looking at the old boat ads from the 50s, 60s, 70s, and even the 80s most trailerable boats were pulled by the family sedan or station wagon with apparently no problems at all. Back then, there were virtually no SUVs and pickups were typically owned by men in the construction trades.

Today, the rule of thumb is that it's dangerous and reckless to haul with anything but some honkin' SUV or 1500/2500 pickup truck.

Heck, 20 years ago I towed a 19ft fiberglass I/O with a non brake tandem axle trailer from a town on the shores of Lake Michigan to NH with a '85 Chrysler 5th Ave equipped with a class I bumper mounted hitch over mountains on the NY State Thruway with not a single problem.

I never recall seeing or reading about boat trailers coming loose and causing mayhem on the roads and highways and other than seeing one on the side of the road with a flat trailer tire on occasion, the highways weren't littered with tipped over boats.

What over-cautious alarmists we have become.

 

[Levinz11]

Re: How Times Have Changed.

I like to tow without my transom straps just for the rush!

Those old cars weighed as much as newer SUV's and had body on frame layouts??

 

[tpenfield]

Re: How Times Have Changed.

lower center of mass on those older cars :thumb: . . . SUV's are 'tippy' . . . and that can make matters worse when towing.

 

[sublauxation]

Re: How Times Have Changed.

People weren't as sue happy over negligence (real or perceived) back in the day, that probably plays a role as well.

 

[lrak]

Re: How Times Have Changed.

What over-cautious alarmists we have become.

There weren't any Internet forums back then.

 

[lrak]

Re: How Times Have Changed.

What over-cautious alarmists we have become.

There weren't any Internet forums back then.

 

[Bill3434]

Re: How Times Have Changed.

Some of those cars had engines with over 400 cu in. I know our Grand Marquis had a 460 in it. It towed a large camper from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada one summer. There was nothing wrong with it when my dad sold it other than it was about 4yrs old.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: How Times Have Changed.

What over-cautious alarmists we have become.

No...we are just smarter now because we have more information.

You probably let your kids roam the back of the station wagon without seat belts or rode bicycles without helmets also.

Just because you got lucky doing something that wasn't too smart doesn't mean people are alarmists when there is more info to make an activity safer.

 

[matt167]

Re: How Times Have Changed.

All that happened and noone really got hurt. Times changed and people lawyered up and got sue happy. Things did change for the better in that respect tho.. As for towing 'requirements', cars just got smaller and their tow capacities dropped off.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: How Times Have Changed.

Those old cars weighed as much as newer SUV's and had body on frame layouts??

Some of those cars had engines with over 400 cu in.

After having spent a weekend driving some old cars, I'm amazed those things could tow ANYTHING! Actually I'm amazed they could stop their own weight, not even counting what was behind them. Disc brakes were rare, and if they had them, they were front only. Brake power assist was an option. The brake pads of the day were extremely poor quality organics, and would overheat sitting in a parking lot! ABS didn't exist, and the tires of the day weren't anywhere close to today's tech, especially in less-than-perfect conditions.

And as far as engines, they had big displacement engines, but their technology was ancient. My little 4 cylinder today has 300+ hp and 320+ ft/lb of torque. Depending on how the 460 was set up, it could have as low as 240hp at the crank. The common chevy 350 often came in variants as low as 145hp. (but still lots of torque) (although its not an apples to apples comparison, that 460 would happily crank out 240hp all day long, my 4 cylinder would probably last minutes if it needed to run at full output!)

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: How Times Have Changed.

Also boats have become larger, heavier and pontoon boats were relatively rare. Most boats sold back then were in the runabout or fishing categories with outboards. Now days we have heavy I/Os and sometimes a pair of them. And one more thing, how many front wheel drive cars were around in the 50s, 60s and 70s. By the end of the 80s most US car makers had phased out rear wheel drive cars and started down-sizing so tow capacities fell through the floor. Just some thoughts.

 

[ricohman]

Re: How Times Have Changed.

I'm amazed the op's Chrysler with less power than a civic could tow anything. Having no brakes is nothing to brag about.

 

[matt167]

Re: How Times Have Changed.

It's not the power itself, it's where the power occours and where the torque is, and gearing is a factor

Old logging/ heavy duty trucks from the 50's- back often had 85-100hp out of straight 6's and flathead v8's but hauled huge loads of wood that we now see hauled with 4-500hp Semi trucks. The old trucks just did it much slower, most had either 2 transmissions or a creeper gear and a 2spd rear end to keep the gearing right

 

[emilsr]

Re: How Times Have Changed.

My parents had a '72 Eldorado that was a GREAT tow vehicle. Self leveling suspension, 500cu in engine, 5k lbs or more on the scale; it was a beast....

....for a 17' runabout.

Back in "the day", a 20' runabout was a big boat. Today, not so much.

Back in "the day", nobody would dream of towing something 80mph down the interstate. Today, not so much.

Back in "the day" we thought it was normal to have brakes that would fade to nothing in a panic stop from 60mph. Today, not so much.

I didn't used to wear a helmet when snow skiing either. I do now....because I know better. Same with towing.

If you didn't see accidents "back in the day" you weren't paying attention.

 

[1stgenbird]

Re: How Times Have Changed.

No...we are just smarter now because we have more information.

You probably let your kids roam the back of the station wagon without seat belts or rode bicycles without helmets also.

Just because you got lucky doing something that wasn't too smart doesn't mean people are alarmists when there is more info to make an activity safer.

LOL! Your location is indicative of your reply! People's Republic indeed!

But I have worn seat belts since I began to drive and car seats were in when my kids were small.

 

[1stgenbird]

Re: How Times Have Changed.

I'm amazed the op's Chrysler with less power than a civic could tow anything. Having no brakes is nothing to brag about.

The 318 cid was 185 hp and sort of a slug, but the car did have brakes, just not the trailer, eh!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: How Times Have Changed.

But I have worn seat belts since I began to drive and car seats were in when my kids were small.

But having a safe towing setup wasn't a priority I guess!

My family has been towing boats since 1972. First boat was a single axle trailer for a boat between 19' and 20'. We always made sure our brakes were working before every season. Sorry if that seems alarmist to you.

Not sure of the purpose of your original post. Was it to say its ok to cut corners when it comes to the safety when we tow?

 

[emilsr]

Re: How Times Have Changed.

Look at it this way:

I got my drivers license in 1979. That year there were 3.34 highway deaths per 100 million miles traveled in the US.

Since you're not quite 60, I assume you got your license in 1970. That year there were 4.74 highway deaths per 100 million miles traveled.

In 2011 (the most recent full year of data I could find) there were 1.10 highway deaths per 100 million miles traveled. Total highway deaths that year were the lowest since 1949.

I know the MADD folks would like to take credit for some of this (and credit may be due), however automobiles have gotten MUCH safer over the years. I have absolutely no desire to go back to the "bad old days" of automobiles when you were 3 or 4 times more likely to die in an accident on the highway. Maybe you didn't see them, but they happened (and are well documented).

This "rule of thumb" you speak of.....I've never heard it....and I've been towing boats since before I was old enough for a license. The only rule of thumb I know of is that the tow vehicle should be appropriate for the size/weight of the item being towed. If you've got a small, light tinny then by all means tow it behind your minivan (or whatever). If however you're towing larger/heavier boats then you need a vehicle that's up to the task. Call that "alarmist", or whatever name calling that makes you feel good about yourself, but the laws of physics don't care that you once towed something you shouldn't have and got away with it. If you disregard them, eventually they'll sneak up on you and bite you in the ***.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: How Times Have Changed.

1984 Chevrolet Celebrity Eurosport & Monte Carlo vs Ford Thunderbird Training Promo | testdrivejunkie.com

an 80s T-Bird was rated for 3500 lbs, a FWD Chevy Celebrity 5400, and a Monte Carlo 6800...

I'very towed with my '74 LeSabre...factory front disc brakes and 12'' rear drums stop my Bayliner just fine (Buicks had some of the best brakes back then).

Funny how low rear diff ratios were back then...trucks have at least 3.73s if not 4.10+ while these big block BOF cars had ratios less than 3-1...maybe 3.27 if you got the performance/towing ratio

Driving 65-70 mph with the boat yields 7-8 mpg...my Hemi Durango can get almost 16 doing the same speed

 

[airshot]

Re: How Times Have Changed.

Now you have done it.......you woke up all the liberal thinkers out there, now none of us can do anything right and they will be right there to tell us about it..............