Using a flatbed as a car hauler?

The truck-based car haulers I've seen (a friend has one) have angled decks to get around the tall tire issue. The main downside I see about this is the truck becomes a one-trick pony: it's a car hauler and nothing else.

If you browse through various toy-hauler trailers, they have similar issues and deck height is the main difference between a car hauler and RV trailers that need a higher deck to make room for all the RV utilities. Toy haulers often get around it by angling the rear 4' or so of the cargo area.

Burrito Enthusiast wrote: I'll just leave this here.

Honestly, if this is well built, its not a bad idea. These type of car haulers are not uncommon in Europe. I've posted pics here before of SAABs, Volvo's and Citroens converted to this type of tow vehicle. I'm pretty sure that some were being used by legit tow companies.

How does the transmission not die?

How does it not die in the three 8-second, 150-180mph drag cars it's been in?

The 3 speed you can upgrade to the hilt if you care to. That's the trans i'd look for for that type of application. The 4spd Is pretty reliable off the bat if you keep the heat down but it has a mechanically weak 4th gear that cant really be fixed. The 5spd manuals are pretty dang reliable but you'd have to swap it yourself on the v6.

A rebuild with the upgraded parts, shift kit and a huge trans cooler have made mine pretty good. I managed to kill 7 C4's in a six-cylinder mustang so I'm hard on transmissions. The trans doesn't have any really bad design flaws, most of the failures come from either wrong fluid, or excess heat. I'd still probably put a trans temp gauge on one of those though.

Which vehicle are you talking about?

How does the transmission not die?

One additional observation...

I am not convinced the load on the transmission is significantly more than stock.

They cut off the back, the rear end, and a lot of glass. Weight reduction.

Then they added an aluminum frame, and rear trailer axles. Weigh gain, but probably very close to the weight lost in step 1.

Then they added a car. But it is a race car. It's pretty stripped. 2000# ??

But the original van had cargo capacity sufficient for 7 passengers and their luggage. It now has 2 seats, and minimal cargo area. 5 passengers @ 160 lbs ea = 800 lbs of people, plus their cargo.

It's in the same ballpark.

And the stripped out Mini racer on a trailer doesn't exceed the original towing capacity either.

So, it may have gained 500#, but not much more.

And now it is going to be driven differently. It has no need to do 0-60 in anything less than an hour and a half.

So, I'm thinking there is minimal additional transmission load.

Vigo wrote:

How does the transmission not die?

How does it not die in the three 8-second, 150-180mph drag cars it's been in? The 3 speed you can upgrade to the hilt if you care to. That's the trans i'd look for for that type of application. The 4spd Is pretty reliable off the bat if you keep the heat down but it has a mechanically weak 4th gear that cant really be fixed. The 5spd manuals are pretty dang reliable but you'd have to swap it yourself on the v6.

A rebuild with the upgraded parts, shift kit and a huge trans cooler have made mine pretty good. I managed to kill 7 C4's in a six-cylinder mustang so I'm hard on transmissions. The trans doesn't have any really bad design flaws, most of the failures come from either wrong fluid, or excess heat. I'd still probably put a trans temp gauge on one of those though.

Which vehicle are you talking about?

The A604 in my 1992 minivan is the one without major design flaws. Most failures result from using Dex fluid in them or running them hot (usually due to low fluid levels). I rebuilt mine with kevlar clutches, shift kit, diff pin keepers and some other goodies several years ago and it still shifts great. Most people think automatic minivans shouldn't chirp the tires upshifting into second but they're wrong.

And now it is going to be driven differently. It has no need to do 0-60 in anything less than an hour and a half.

Absolutely. This is why i think most people whining about transmissions and HP in towing apps are a menace to society.

I can tie a shoestring to a small car and get it rolling if im not trying to win a drag race. That's an extreme example, but the main point is that trans durability and driver patience/competence when towing are connected at the hip and most trans failures when towing are the result of drivers driving as if they WERENT towing.

This^^

In my experience there is a lot of overlap between the guys who think they need a Duramax to tow a pop-up camper trailer and the guys that drive automatics like they're TRYING to break them.