Coast Resorts Open Roads Forum: Our first TV, we've come a long way..

Print | Close

Topic: Our first TV, we've come a long way..

Posted By: falconbrother on 02/16/17 12:48pm

We were kids (is what I'm telling) when we started pulling a travel trailer. Our first TV was a 1977 F-150. We towed without fear where ever we wanted to go, coast or mountains. I added an extra leaf to the rear springs and a new AM/FM/Cassette player. That thing had 5 lugs nuts on each wheel and three on the tree. Humanity has come a long way since then. This one isn't ours but it looked exactly like that, add a camper shell. That was about 1991 I guess. That old truck did a really good job of pulling that old Prowler with the steel frame and the metal roof (heavy for it's size).

What was your first TV?

[image]

Posted By: JnJnKatiebug on 02/16/17 12:54pm

It was not a tow vehicle but my first camper was a 1953 Chevrolet panel truck. Paid $75 for it. It had a 6 volt battery and a foot starter in the floor. Looked like this one.

[image]

2016 Chevy Tahoe
2017 Flagstaff 26FKWS
(Picture in profile)

"The best things in life are the people you love, the places you've seen,
and the memories you've made along the way".

Posted By: BB_TX on 02/16/17 01:06pm

First was a 1978 Chevy LUV, 4 banger, 4 on the floor, pulling a PUP.

Posted By: Old-Biscuit on 02/16/17 01:17pm

1976 Ford F250 'Camper Special' with 460 CID and auto trans
Got 5 mpg [emoticon]

1st year CA required 3/4 ton emissions so 460 was 'detuned' to meet standards.
I changed timing gear set (cam/crank) to 1974 model, added dual exhaust and Carter AFB 4 bbl carb....woke motor up and got 10 mpg loaded/unloaded

GF and I went all over CA, UT, WY and MT....ended up getting married in Billings MT during one of our excursions

One of the BEST trucks I have owned!

[image]

Goggle pic of same year/model. Mine was Blue/White

Is it time for your medication or mine?

2007 DODGE 3500 QC SRW 5.9L CTD In-Bed 'quiet gen'
2007 HitchHiker II 32.5 UKTG 2000W Xantex Inverter
US NAVY------USS Decatur DDG31

Posted By: BenK on 02/16/17 01:33pm

myblazer myk5 k5

Picture was before: the 33" dia commercial tires (load range G), modified tire carrier to hold 4 Jerry Cans, 54 gallon main tank, etc

Was in my 20's when ordered a 1973 Chevy K5 Blazer. Sold the 1970 FJ40 for this. Towed with the FJ40, but too short a wheelbase and just not a good TV

Knew better 'cuz uncle Bill taught me so, but had to learn the hard way...thinking am a design engineer...

Dana 60 front, new front leaf spring pack (positive arched), GM 14 bolt full floater rear and new leaf pack, left the 350 stock internally (but an dual plane high raise intake, worked GM Q-Jet, headers (tried over 3 sets and ended up with long tube), roll cage, rear tire carrier also held four 5 gallon Jerry cans, replaced the OEM main tank with a 54 gallon after market (installed it myself), built auto tranny (ingaged and she didn't like the JF40 nor its manual), full time (took it out with a kit), Audi S5000 leather seats, and a bunch of stuff long forgotten...

Never wanted to own a trailer, so borrowed many. The K5's wheelbase was not good for towing heavy (learned that the hard way too), but with the beefed up 5.7L and 1 ton suspension...thought it could and it could, but not well...nor safely

-Ben Picture of my rig
1996 GMC SLT Suburban 3/4 ton K3500/7.4L/4:1/+150Kmiles orig owner...
1980 Chevy Silverado C10/long bed/"BUILT" 5.7L/3:73/1 ton helper springs/+329Kmiles, bought it from dad...
1998 Mazda B2500 (1/2 ton) pickup, 2nd owner...
Praise Dyno Brake equiped and all have "nose bleed" braking!
Previous trucks/offroaders: 40's Jeep restored in mid 60's / 69 DuneBuggy (approx +1K lb: VW pan/200hpCorvair: eng, cam, dual carb'w velocity stacks'n 18" runners, 4spd transaxle) made myself from ground up / 1970 Toyota FJ40 / 1973 K5 Blazer (2dr Tahoe, 1 ton axles front/rear, +255K miles when sold it)...
Sold the boat (looking for another): Trophy with twin 150's...
51 cylinders in household, what's yours?...

Posted By: falconbrother on 02/16/17 01:36pm

BenK wrote:

I know what you mean.. I also towed with an FJ60 and didn't like it.

Posted By: 4x4ord on 02/16/17 01:49pm

I haven't come nearly so far:

[image]

2023 F350 SRW Platinum short box 4x4.
B&W Companion
2008 Citation Platinum XL 34.5

Posted By: patriotgrunt on 02/16/17 02:25pm

That last picture has two beautiful trucks in it. Very nice!

2015 Ford F-250, 6.7 PSD
2016 Ford Expedition, 3.5 Eco-Boost
2003 Ford F-150, 4.2 V6
Sandpiper 357 TRIP

Posted By: bikendan on 02/16/17 02:57pm

JnJnKatiebug wrote:

It was not a tow vehicle but my first camper was a 1953 Chevrolet panel truck. Paid $75 for it. It had a 6 volt battery and a foot starter in the floor. Looked like this one.

[image]

I learned how to drive a clutch, in our 1954.
The truck and I were born the same year.

3 on the Tree shifting. It was the delivery truck for our bakery.

Dan- Firefighter, Retired">, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur">, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever(RIP">), 2014 Ford F150 3.5 EcoboostMax Tow pkg, 2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255 w/4pt Equalizer and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes

Posted By: The_real_wild1 on 02/16/17 05:29pm

Technically my first vehicle I towed with was a 1993 jeep yj. Towed my dirt bike trailer around.

Posted By: Terryallan on 02/16/17 08:31pm

My first tow vehicle was a 1965 Mercury Monterey. 390 auto. Next was a 1972 Cougar, 351 Cleveland, auto. Next was a 1972 F100 Ranger with a 360 4V.

Terry & Shay
Coachman Apex 288BH.
2013 F150 XLT Off Road
5.0, 3.73
Lazy Campers

Posted By: rhagfo on 02/17/17 06:32am

Old-Biscuit wrote:

1976 Ford F250 'Camper Special' with 460 CID and auto trans
Got 5 mpg [emoticon]

Goggle pic of same year/model. Mine was Blue/White

Wow, that brings back memories of our 79 F250 CS with the 460 C6 combo, we got closer to 10 mpg put an 8' Caveman camper in it and had a great time with the family camping up and down the Oregon Coast. Ours was a Club Cab with the center facing jump seats in the back!!

Russ & Paula the Beagle Belle.
2016 Ram Laramie 3500 Aisin DRW 4X4 Long bed.
2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS, 32' GVWR 12,360#

"Visit and Enjoy Oregon State Parks"

Posted By: 1995brave on 02/17/17 06:37am

First was a 1973 Dodge Tradesman van, 127 inch wheelbase, 360ci, 727 auto, slightly modified (I was a young airman and looking for speed and fun). Modified interior with bed, icebox, and porta-pottie. Pulled my 1954 Willys CJ3B all over the country. When I went to Korea, my sister used it for camping and pulling a Coleman pop-up. They loved the van and ended up buying their own Dodge van, and still have one today.

Posted By: ACZL on 02/18/17 08:45am

Sadly, no pics of trucks to share, but here is my list from oldest (1st) to current):

'72 GMC 4x4, manual steering, 4 spd, 350 4bbl.
'86 GMC 4x4, 4 spd, 6.2 diesel
'88 F250 4x4, SC, auto, 7.3 NA diesel
'91 GMC 4x4, EC, 7.4 (454)
'97 GMC K1500, EC, 4x4, 5.7 (350), SB
'?? Dodge 1500 Reg cab, 4x4, was just a stepping stone
'03 F250SD, 4x4, CC, 6.0, SB
'15 F350SD, 4x4, CC, 6.7, SB

2017 F350 DRW XLT, CC, 4x4, 6.7
2018 Big Country 3560 SS
"The best part of RVing and Snowmobiling is spending time with family and friends"
"Catin' in the Winter"

Posted By: RPreeb on 02/18/17 11:08am

Not mine, but the first TV in the family was the year I graduated from High School, a '61 Chevy Bel Air 4 door that looked like this one, but without the rear roof overhang. 283 V8 and Power Glide tranny. Dad towed a 15 foot Cascade Coach around Montana, Wyoming, and Alberta (Banff and Jasper) throughout the summer of 1964.

[image]

The next year he'd had enough of fighting the Chevy and traded for a '65 Dodge Polara 383 2dr HT, and had air bags installed for towing. It wasn't a truck, but it was a lot more capable than the Bel Air.

My first real TV is the F-150 I have right now... I only restarted trailer camping last summer with a small popup and a Honda Ridgeline. Did quite a bit of tent camping and backpacking in the 70's and 80's.

Rick
2016 F-150 XLT 4x4 3.5 EB
2017 Jay Feather X213

Posted By: rjstractor on 02/18/17 01:35pm

I was a Weight Police scofflaw from the beginning. When I was 20 I had a new 1987 Mazda B2600 4x4 with 102 hp and a wrenching 130 ft.lbs of torque. Advertised towing capacity was 1500 lbs., but I cheated death and destruction by towing a 1970 16' Aljo travel trailer. I never weighed it but I estimate it weighed at least 2000 lbs. dry. Despite being a tiny, underpowered tow vehicle, once I got it set up with an ancient Kelsey-Hayes brake controller, a TorkLift receiver hitch and EZlift WD bars it handled surprisingly well, pulling northwest mountain passes at 40-45 mph. I would also load the bed with firewood while pulling an old trailer made from a Ford pickup, also filled with firewood. No idea what it weighed but I pulled it anyway.

Posted By: K-9 HANDLER on 02/18/17 04:19pm

66 F100 352, 3 spd on the column, Custom Cab , Rangoon Red

Camping near home at Assateague National Seashore with our wild four legged friends

Posted By: falconbrother on 02/18/17 05:05pm

1995brave wrote:

Our first "camper" was a 1977 Dodge Tradesman B200. It was a "Vantastic" van conversion that I added a 110 circuit (shore power), roof AC, microwave over, porta pottie. I came with an ice box type fridge, sink, cabinetry, closet, and a dinette that we left folded down for a bed. We really enjoyed camping in that van. In some ways that was the best "camper" we ever had. Maybe because we used it a lot.

Posted By: falconbrother on 02/18/17 05:14pm

RPreeb wrote:

My grandfather had a homebuilt popup camper. The tent was made of canvas. We would borrow it and my dad towed it with a late 1960s Dodge station wagon. Apparently that trailer was really heavy because my dad complained about it.

Posted By: Lwiddis on 02/18/17 05:22pm

"new AM/FM/Cassette player"

You added what? Oh those were the days!

Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad

Posted By: pasusan on 02/18/17 05:30pm

Ours was a 1965 Mustang Fastback with a 289. We dragged a 16' Shasta across the country and back in 1977.

[image]

"I'm out here to enjoy nature -- don't talk to me about the environment!" ~Denny Crane

Susan & Ben
2004 Roadtrek 170

Trip Pics

Posted By: GWolfe on 02/20/17 09:54am

I win for the lowest HP. My first "rig" was a 1985 Chevy Chevette pulling a 1988 Coleman Colorado pop up. That car had 63 hp!

2005 Sun-Lite Eagle
2011 Silverado

Posted By: MO_Trout_Bum on 02/20/17 07:48pm

My list as well:

65 F100 230 6 cyl 4sp 4.10
72 C10 350 3.73 Posi w/ coil springs
90 Explorer 4L 3.73
98 Explorer 4L SOHC 3.73
2004 Tahoe 4.8L 3.73
2006 Yukon 5.3L 4.10
2007 Suburban 6L 4.10
2004.5 2500HD 6.6 3.73

Still dreams about driving that old F100, for some reason.

2004 Silverado 2500HD Ext, Duramax LLY, 4WD, 3.73
2012 Keystone Cougar 327RES

Posted By: falconbrother on 02/21/17 09:28am

MO_Trout_Bum wrote:

I had a 1967 F-100. It was my grandfather's farm truck. That was an awesome truck. Basic, reliable, low maintenance, built to last, rubber floor mats, three on the column, no power steering, basic AM radio, long bed, truck. My grandfather bought it new and put the ignition key in it. That key stayed in the switch till he died in 1986. Those old basic trucks were great.

Posted By: Jebby14 on 02/21/17 10:27am

1990 Dakota club cab with the LA 3.9 pulled my boat got me to class and set me back 740 bucks. still miss that thing some days

Q: Whats brown and sticky???

A: A Stick....

Posted By: Lessmore on 02/21/17 11:24am

My family's first tow vehicle was our '76 Chevy Impala with the 350 V8. We started towing our trailer in 1994. Went through the Midwest...halfway across Canada/USA over the Rockies to Vancouver Island and back...many other trips. It was reliable as a fine Swiss watch.

My parents first tow vehicle was their new '59 Chevy Parkwood (Bel Air) station wagon....with the flame thrower six and slip and slide bananaglide. [emoticon]

It also was very reliable, no issues.

Our family traveled all over the Midwest and went half way across Canada to Vancouver BC and back.

Both my parents and my family didn't vary much in either our tow vehicles or travel plans. [emoticon]

Print | Close