Hey all! I'm excited to have finally joined a forum of other "Bubble" weirdos. I'm looking forward to getting (and possibly giving) lots of information and encouragement.

My first question involves towing capacity. I have the 350 engine but cannot find the towing capacity for the vehicle. I looked in the glove box but the sticker isn't there. Nor is it on the driver's side door sill. And the owners' manual was no help at all. Anyone have any ideas?

 

Page 13 of the owner's manual does discuss towing with the car, but it suggests writing to Oldsmobile for specifics as towing capacity depends on how the car is equipped.

I'm no expert, but I was told once that a towed load should not weigh more than 80% of the weight of the towing vehicle. The '72 Vista Cruiser weighs about 4300 lbs. 80% of this is 3440 lbs, so that would be the limit if going by this advice. Remember that this weight includes the weight of the trailer on which the towed object is sitting if, for example, you're towing a car on a car carrier, a boat, or something like this.

Others will undoubtedly chime in with their take on the matter.

 

Welcome to the site, nice to have a motorhead girl. The towing capacity is also based on which rearend gear ratio and cooling system you have. Another suggested addition would be an external transmission cooler.

 

Welcome, now let's see some pics.

 

If you can pull it from here to there and get there in one piece, then the towing capacity is just a bit higher than that.
If not, it was just a bit lower.

Welcome to ClassisOlds.

- Eric

 

Welcome to the forums

 

jaunty75: What a great piece of information! Thanks! Unfortunately for my car, it means it won't be hauling my horse, but whatdya want for nothin'? :-) I love the 80% rule of thumb. That's the best piece of information I've ever gotten, and the safest.

MDchanic: Are you my brother? That's exactly something he would say. LOL!! However, since I'm looking to be hauling a live animal that's worth about $75K, I think I'll ensure I've got plenty of extra towing power before I put him behind one of my vehicles.

Thanks, everyone for the information. I'm glad I finally found a place with the answers I'm looking for.

 

Here's my car, without the entire neighborhood hanging all over it.

 

Welcome, Nice ride.

Your concerns on towing are good. I only want to point out concerns on the trailer you might want to tow.

Trailer tires, not passenger car tires, braking system and the floor of said trailer.

I only bring this up, as I saw a gentlemen in tears on the side of the road one day pulling a prized bull. Beautiful creature but unfortunately the floor of the trailer was somehow compromised and its legs were....quite a mess. I won't go into detail .

Enjoy the ride.

 

Who cares about my take?

The 1972 SPECS Guide (page 11) says that a '72 Vista Cruiser with a Class III equalizer hitch and a 3.23 rear can tow up to 6,000 pounds with a 600 lb tongue weight.

A one-horse trailer (what? 2,000 or 2,500 pounds?) should be no problem, especially with a trailer brake.

- Eric

 

No one I know of.

 

The 1972 SPECS Guide (page 11) says that a '72 Vista Cruiser with a Class III equalizer hitch and a 3.23 rear can tow up to 6,000 pounds with a 6pp lb tongue weight.

A one-horse trailer (what? 2,000 or 2,500 pounds?) should be no problem, especially with a trailer brake.

- Eric[/QUOTE]

MDchanic/Eric: Thank you. My VC doesn't have the Class III equalizer hitch, it's just a straight bumper hitch, so I know I have to add a towing system. I do have the 3.23 rear end and an RV cam. My trailer is a 2-horse, weighs 3,100 lb. Still, with a modern towing system, I like the 6,000 lb rating. This is GREAT info! Maybe there IS hope to pull the horse with the VC and not have to add yet another vehicle to my stable. Thanks again!

 

If I were you, I would not tow a 3100 lb trailer and 2000 lbs of horses with a 43-year-old passenger car. You probably also have tack and other supplies as well that you want to bring with you whenever you take the horses anywhere, so your load is greater than just the two bare horses. Saddles, all the other supplies, camping equipment, etc. It all adds up. The specs may say that it's OK to tow 6000 lbs, but that doesn't mean it's the best and safest way to go.

Olds offered a towing package for this car back in 1972. It included, in addition to the correct rear axle ratio, a heavy-duty cooling system, heavy-duty transmission oil cooler, heavy duty water pump, larger-capacity alternator, larger capacity fan, heavy-duty front and rear springs, front stabilizer bar, and heavy-duty shock absorbers.

Does your car have any of these?

My sister owns two horses and has a two-horse trailer. She towed them around with a Ford F-150, and that vehicle was barely adequate to the task as the truck was always pretty much loaded to the max. She now owns an F-250 Super Duty, and it makes a world of difference and does not feel like it's struggling every time you encounter the slightest hill.

You don't want a tow vehicle that's always pulling it's maximum load. You don't want one that's not equipped for the task. You want one that's towing a load in the middle of its allowable weight range. That gives you, as noted, power to spare, braking to spare, and extra capacity for everything you want to take with you.

You want a properly-equipped tow vehicle equal to the task before you. You want to be safe.

 

I corrected a typo on the tongue weight: It's 600 pounds.

These cars used to tow 20 foot Airstream trailers all day. Your horse trailer should be fine.

You'll want to be sure your cooling system is in great shape, with a four-core radiator, and transmission and oil coolers would be a very good idea.

- Eric

edit: Jaunty, I believe she meant that the trailer was 3,500 pounds including the horses and tack, not bare.
I would agree that a 3,500 pound trailer plus two horses would be a bit heavy for a Vista to pull without stress.

Also, a standard F-150 probably weighs the same as or less than a Vista. I know that a 1990 GMC Sierra ¾ ton standard cab weighs in at 4,000 pounds.

 

Good information. My horse is a bitty-dude (Icelandic Horses are small but mighty). He only weighs 1,100, and I have minimal tack. But, now I'm scared... While I have a new engine, trans, etc. and am adding a modern towing system, I do have to consider how much that little horse would cost should he get injured. Sigh... More thought is required... maybe I stick with the VC as our camping vehicle (pop up trailer) and neighborhood fun mobile and I spring for the F-250. You're not the first to suggest that truck, either. Gads... can't ANY of my vehicles be multi-purpose? :-)

 

Well, since you're planning to tow one thing or another with the Vista, you could always do the experiment: Set it up with the proper rear springs and / or air shocks, hitch and brake, hitch up the trailer, toss in 30 bags of pool sand, and take it for a spin.
If it doesn't feel good, then start shopping for a truck.

- Eric

 

[QUOTE=MDchanic;779209]I corrected a typo on the tongue weight: It's 600 pounds.

These cars used to tow 20 foot Airstream trailers all day. Your horse trailer should be fine.

You'll want to be sure your cooling system is in great shape, with a four-core radiator, and transmission and oil coolers would be a very good idea.

- Eric

edit: Jaunty, I believe she meant that the trailer was 3,500 pounds including the horses and tack, not bare.
I would agree that a 3,500 pound trailer plus two horses would be a bit heavy for a Vista to pull without stress.



Yes, the trailer, tack and my one horse is 3,500 lb. I just rebuilt the engine, have a 4-row radiator, modern crate transmission geared for towing, RV cam and newly rebuilt rear end. My next project is the cooling system, then a modern towing package with braking system (it currently has the factory basic towing package). Even if I never pull the horse, we still have a pop-up trailer that I pulled just fine when the engine had 264K miles and an old clogged 3-row radiator. I'm just trying to upgrade/modernize and have a multi-purpose vehicle instead of adding a truck to my steadily filling driveway.

I very much appreciate all the input I'm getting. Wish I had joined this group years ago, instead of just now. I'm sure the engine rebuilt would have gone MUCH faster. Thanks, guys.

 

Could be. Very much depends on the trailer. One manufacturer I saw makes five 2-horse trailer models ranging in weight from 1800 to 3400 lbs. Depends on what she has. A single horse is typically 900 to 1000 lbs, and if hers is a small horse, then, yes, trailer and horse could be 3100 lbs, and the Vista Cruiser can probably handle it.

But ask yourself. Do you really want this? Isn't a '72 Vista Cruiser in as nice as shape as meanj9's appears to be a nice car for car shows, taking short trips, and so forth, and not really what you want to use for the nitty gritty of towing horses or anything else with any regularity? I think my answer to this would be yes.


This pretty much reinforces my point. If a modern, 4000 lb pickup truck is barely adequate to the task, why would a 40-year-old, 4000 lb passenger car be any better?

 

Mine would be No. Use it for what it was made for.


You said a half-ton didn't pull well but a ¾ ton did.
The ¾ ton weighs the same as the Vista, not the half-ton.

My point is that the two may be comparable (I am no expert in this).

- Eric

 

Information is trickling in here that possibly changes things. We didn't know this when you first started this thread. Your first simply said, "what's the towing capacity of a '72 Vista Cruiser with a 350 engine?"

A base model, off-the-shelf Vista Cruiser, which is what at least I thought you were working with from your original post, is not up to the task. But one that is equipped the way you are now starting to describe it is a different animal.


Like most anything else, there are Vista Cruisers and there are Vista Cruisers.

 

By the way, I looked it up, and 20-foot Airstream trailer weighs anywhere from 3000 to 3300 lbs.

 

According to Ford, a 2015 F-250 weighs anywhere from 5900 to 6900 lbs depending on how equipped and can tow up to 12,500 lbs. It barely notices my sister's 4500 lbs of horses and horse trailer.

A 2015 F-150 weighs anywhere from 4100 to 5000 lbs.

 

Ya gotta slow down and read, Evelyn Wood :

Post #12:


- Eric

 

Sounds right - add luggage, equipment, a wife, and the kids, and you're at least where Jean will be.


Wow. I thought there'd been "capacity creep" over the past decade or so - that confirms it.

- Eric

 

So, can she haul her pony or not?

As far as I can see, she'll haul azz either way.

 

Were talking about live stock here people.

 

She'd have no problem hauling *** in that rig: the average *** is about 11 hands and weighs only about 500-600 pounds.

- Eric

 

At 264K, I decided to rebuild the engine. The project, like all car projects, creeped. In addition to using the original block and rebuilding it, I added a modern carburetor, electronic ignition, 4 row radiator, RV cam, modern transmission. When the fit was different, I sent it out for a new drive train, exhaust system, and (while it was there...) rear end. I updated the brakes, and while I was there, changed to lighter but wider wheels and tires. Being a newbie to working on cars, I think the next step is the towing package so was hoping for a general idea of what to expect when I take it in. You know, just enough to be dangerous. :-)

I'm 3rd owner of a CA car, and while it's in pretty good condition, it has rust beginning in the usual places -- under the back cargo window and behind the wheels.

 

Structural rust is the danger here. If the chassis is sound you are good to go.
It seems you have sunk some money into the car, putting function ahead of form.
With what you have I think your car is well equipped to pull your horse trailer.
I have no doubt your driving will reflect your love for your horse. Unfortunately you have no control over the idiots we have to share the roads with, but your car will be at least as good as a truck if things get ugly.

Not forgetting the envious looks you will get when you pull up among the trucks at the horse meets.

Roger.

 

With the VC equipped as mentioned by the OP I would not hesitate to pull a 1 horse trailer with it. Jeez there are 6 cylinder Ford F150's setup to pull 11-12k lbs.

 

Rather than anecdotal information or speculation, here's what the factory had to say about towing and required equipment for the 1972 model year:

 

I already quoted that, Joe.
I just didn't paste an image because they're too darned small to read anyway, and then we'd have an argument over whether a certain character was a six or an eight.

- Eric

 

I know, but the part you failed to quote was the fact that the factory required a 455 and TH400 to tow a 6000 lb trailer. The OP has a 350/TH350 car.

 

True, but I said "up to," and her trailer was clearly well below that limit.

Also, unless I missed it, the '72 SPECS Guide doesn't explicitly say exactly what they think a 350/350 should be able to haul, so I couldn't quote that directly.

With a Class III equalizer hitch, heavy duty suspension (F41), and a 3.23 rear, the table says 3,500 to 6,000 pounds can be towed.
I can see that they insist on 455 and TH400, but neither of those will affect load handling, only speed, and if she's hauling her horses around locally, as an occasional thing, I wouldn't worry about the longevity or the motor or transmission.

I've safely towed some fairly heavy trailers with my '90 6.2 2500, and have accepted being in the slow lane when going uphill on the interstate, and I doubt that she would experience the same degree of power-hunger with her Vista towing 3,500 pounds as I did in my less-than-130hp pickup towing 7,500.

- Eric

 

As far as I know the Vistas all had T400's with SBO or BBO eng.

At least my Vista has a T400 w/ 350 Olds

Gene

 

Maybe the factory requires a 455/400 to tow 6000 lbs, but what will be required to tow the OP's trailer loaded with horse, tack, feed, etc.?.

Over here in the '70s I saw plenty of two horse trailers being towed by Volvos, a firm favorite of the horse and country set in England. I don't see a Vista Cruiser having any problems if it is in good shape. From the Op's posts I think it is.

Roger.

 

Heh

"you can only have one wife; might as well get a big one..."

 

What year VC? Prior to the introduction of the TH350, small block VCs (like my 68) came with the TH375, which was essentially a light-duty TH400. The case is the same as a TH400, but it is internally different. For example, it uses the smaller TH350/Jetaway-sized yoke.

People do lots of stupid things and get lucky. It only takes one time for that to turn into disaster. FYI, the table I posted above shows that the factory requires the 455/TH400 combo for any trailer over 2,000 lbs. There are also requirements on the rear axle ratio. This is a durability issue. I'm sure you can tow a heavier trailer one time with a 350/350 car and get away with it. Heck, I've towed my 66 442 convertible on a car dolly from San Jose to L.A. with a 1970 Cutlass Supreme running a 350/TH350 combo. I used the same car to tow a 1971 BBO Cutlass from L.A. to Las Vegas and back. I did much more towing with that car over long distances. Eventually, I cracked the frame over the rear axle.

In the O.P.'s case we're talking about a 42 year old car of unknown maintenance history.

 

"With a new engine, trans, etc". If the "etc" includes a new axle then with a suitable transmission cooler and good radiator, in a sound chassis it's all new wine in an old bottle.

Roger.

 

Is the Vista capable to tow 3500lb as-is? Almost certainly, maybe a class III hitch and trans cooler short.

Is a modern vehicle with the same towing capacity safer, more efficient and more comfortable? Certainly safer with airbags, ABS, stability control, etc. But we make that same risk/reward decision every time we drive these beasts even if not towing.

Is the horse trailer safe, balanced and have surge brakes? Probably, given how much the owner cares about the horse. Towed my share of trailers and would rather see a properly set up trailer behind a Vista than the overloaded flatbeds with no brakes I see all around being pulled well above the speed limit by a "safe" modern truck with a driver texting and chomping a burger.

Go for it, understanding the limitations of this or any vehicle/trailer combo.