There were an estimated 350,000 caravans on the roads in the 1970s and it was common to see Monaros, Falcons and Chargers pulling them. The big three manufacturers all promoted their high-performance cars as suitable for pulling vans. However, that was not necessarily so.
Towing could damage the transmission, brakes and suspension if the van was too heavy or out of balance. It was especially tough on automatics, while clutch slip was common for manuals. The risk of damage multiplied with the weight of the load.
Fact is, even a large V8 sedan needed to be specially set up to tow a caravan. A transmission oil cooler was recommended at the very least.
Gwen Hasler covered this subject in her 1974 book, Caravanning in Australia.
“A reliable rule of thumb is – no matter what the enthusiastic salesman (working on a commission) tells you – you should not tow a caravan whose laden weight exceeds the unladen weight of your tow car.”
In some states this was against the law but that didn’t stop dodgy van salesmen trying to flog you the largest possible unit and, according to Gwen Hasler, massively understating the unit’s weight.
Some states passed legislation that insisted that the extra weight of gas bottles, fridges and stove be included, others didn’t, which meant that many drivers ended up pulling a much heavier load than expected.
In 1976 Chrysler promoted their new series of Valiants as the first production cars in Australia to be available with all essential towing features.
The Chrysler tow package included an increased capacity radiator and seven blade fan, coolant recovery system, boosted rear springs and shockers, special pad material on the front discs, heavy-duty rear brake drums, heavy-duty battery and alternator, and increased dimension torsion bars and front anti-sway bar. Total cost of the package was $120.
Even with all these mods there were some vans that no conventional car should have ever attempted to pull. For example, check the photo of the HQ Monaro GTS connected to that monster Franklin 25 footer.
In her capacity as industry authority, Gwen was often approached by members of the public who had been assured by salesmen that a Holden V8 will easily pull a 30-foot, heavily-laden, self-contained caravan.
“The plain truth is that the only ideal tow car for a van of that size is an F100,” she writes.
Even a Ford prime mover would have been struggling to pull some of the largest units available, like the grandaddy of the era – a nine-metre long, six-wheeled Coronet mobile home, complete with a front porch.
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