I own a 1995 850 GLT wagon, automatic.

Will it tow my 1966 21' 2820 lb. Holiday Rambler?

I towed it home and the volvo and trailer sag in the middle. Can I tow her with a weight distribution system?

Any ideas?

An 1960s Holiday Rambler in restored condition would be a wonderful trailer.

The tongue weight is probably about 350 lbs, maybe more. To tow that trailer successfully (and I believe that it's quite possible, just not simple), you need the following:

1. Custom class 3 receiver to accommodate a weight distributing hitch (probably the hardest thing to find, since you will need to find a shop with the expertise to fabricate one);
2. A weight distributing hitch (a 550 lb version should be quite suitable) that is carefully set up, with plenty of tension on the spring bars;
3. A friction sway control;
4. Brake controller for electric brakes;
5. Charge line for trailer battery;
6. Auxiliary automatic transmission fluid cooler.

A possible solution for no. 1: while the Volvo-supplied receiver is only a Class 2 equivalent, and is not designed to take the torsional forces of a weight distributing hitch (WDH), it could be modified by lengthening the centre receiver tube forwarding and attaching it to the structure of the car in the vicinity of the rear axle.

With a WDH and a brake controller, the weight will not be an issue. Hill climbing should be fine. In my experience, Volvos are also very stable tow cars. However, a lack of aerodynamic efficiency with that trailer is likely to be a challenge that limits your highway cruising speed, particularly into a headwind. The only way to know is to try it, to see if it meets your needs and wants. Holiday Ramblers have slightly rounded profiles that may be sufficient to make towing relatively easy.

I have a custom receiver on my S60, and tow a travel trailer with a WDH. No problems yet, after more than 6,000 miles of towing.

She is in original condition and has been wonderfully maintained. All original inside and no water damage. She is very sound and has not leaked.

I have no idea where to find someone to make a 2" receiver class 3 hitch.

Yes she has brakes and yes I have a Prodigy brake controller and yes they work.

thanks, I wish I could get my pics to work on this site to show everyone.

heidi

Rather than spending a lot of money on heavey duty springs and shocks, aux tranny cooler, driving in 3rd gear, trying to rearange the furniture in the Rambler, and looking for a better hitch, why not just find a used F150 with a small V8 or 6 cylinder? Save a lot of tear and wear on the Volvo :)

Klaus
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Please answer your responses. We need to know if the advice is good or bad. The 164 has a new home, all I am left with are 2 turbos :)

That's what I think BUT my better half does not see things the same way.

Ken has given you a lot of good information. Overload rear springs too. All in all afraid you are asking for trouble with a rig that large. Does the trailer have electric brakes? The tail may end up waging the dog--

dick

Yes I have brakes on the trailer and they work. I use a Prodigy system.

First, about the sag in the middle, you undoubtedly have too much tongue weight on your trailer. This spec is just as important as total trailer weight because it determines not only the stability* of your car but also stresses on the frame.

* When the trailer tongue presses down the rear of your car, it also lifts the front, unloading the tires that drive and (more importantly) steer your FWD car and trailer; this can lead to less front tire traction and thus, less steering control (understeer) in a curve or sudden, accident-avoidance maneuver.
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Example: When the VW Toureg SUV first came out, they advertised a 7,700 lb tow capacity. But soon there were reports that new owners (who assumed a traditional ~800 lb tongue weight capacity) towing big trailers were loosing control of their rigs! VW quickly found that, in this country, tongue weight of trailers is traditionally a higher percentage (>10%) of the trailer's weight, more than in the traditionally lighter european "caravans". The heavier tongue weights were jacking up (lifting) the SUV's front end and letting the front (steering) tires slip too much. VW quickly withdraw their advertising, adding a proviso that tongue weight is limited to only 600 lbs for their SUV, and they had to buy back a number of SUVs from owners who bought them to tow their big camper-trailers and boats.
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Although you might be able to modify your trailer's tongue weight a bit by moving things inside, remember that you always want some tongue weight bias in the front of the trailer to provide necessary stability -- i.e., to avoid trailer sway!
And yes, you could fabricate a load-equalizing hitch, although I don't know if your frame and receiver can take the additional loads of an equalizing hitch.

It's best to consult your car's Owners Manual for Tongue Weight limits, even if you're within the 3,300 lbs limit of the trailer's total weight.

You should also use synthetic fluid for your transmission, and get a auxiliary transmission fluid cooler (there's on inside your radiator, but this would add to that cooling capacity) -- check your Volvo dealer for one! I use Volvo's auxiliary transmission cooler (and AmsOil synthetic ATF) in all my cars. Here's a picture of the one in my 240 (as an example) -- the cooler is partly seen on the far left of the photo (i.e., on the passenger side in front of the radiator):



And make sure your tires are inflated up to capacity, too!

Good luck.

Yes if I can tow her I will get the cooler.

How come back in the 60's and 70's my dad could just use our car and pull TT?????????

thanks,
heidi

Hi, again.
Very sorry I never got back to you -- perhaps this will explain:
http://www.brickboard.com/OPINIONS/?id=1202847
I didn't know that you responded until now (and I believe that KlausC was in the same predicament that I was).

Anyway, I'm glad you're going to get the auxiliary cooler -- it will go a long way to making your transmission last, because it's life (and the life of it's fluid) is a function of the maximum temperatures it encounters.

And yes, the cars of the 1960's and early '70's could pull a lot, even though even they usually needed some helper springs or air shocks to cope with tongue weight -- they were just behemouths with stout frames (our Volvos really don't have a frame for torsional rigidity), big rear axles, massive weight, and big engines with transmissions to match -- even my old '57 and '60's Chevies had a mere six that was 235 ci, almost twice the displacement of our 4 and 5-cylinder Volvos. They just "muscled" the trailer, like the proverbial "600 lb gorilla".

Best regards,