Originally published at: I am mesmerized by this VW towing a 5th wheel trailer | Boing Boing
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The artist who fabricated the mammoths for the display at the La Brea Tar Pits did something equally impressive when he delivered them to site with his 1958 Bug:
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This video shows a restored one including the interior: VW Bug Gooseneck Trailer FOUND. PART 2. - YouTube
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(*‘fahrvergnügen’)
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“ The trailer was built by a company called International Travel Trailer and the model was the El Chico and was intended for use with a number of small cars of the era. This means that whichever Beetle trim you own you can tow a range of loads provided they are within its maximum load capacity. Numbers Matching VWs are getting harder to find. The camper weighs about 2500 lbs with 300 on the fifth wheel.”
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You can pull anything with wheels with any car, really. That’s not an issue. It’s a gimmick used in truck commercials all the time- they pull a railroad locomotive or whatever with their new SuperDuraPenis Model 600 ManlyDiesel. However, on flat ground, rolling resistance of anything is very low. Anything will pull anything, just about (once you get it rolling).
The issue is pulling said thing in a headwind at 65mph over a mountain pass. Or through the desert in a 40mph crosswind. Or on icy roads downhill with proper braking reserves. Or when you need to swerve to avoid a deer and it starts tank slapping and your tow vehicle doesn’t have the mass or wheelbase to settle it down.
Pulling things is easy. “Towing” is hard.
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Remembering my time on a bicycle pulling a Burley trailer between Alpine and El Cajon, California and feeling like I was going to be blown off the mountain by the crosswinds…
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That video tour of the trailer is excellent!
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More details:
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It looks like about the size of our Scamp 16’ trailer, which is around 2600 lbs. dry.
The little kitchenette – with the gas stove inches from a plywood wall, sitting on a thin plywood counter – made me a little nervous.
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