Towing capacity: 318

[drgilman]

Sent: 9/29/2003 4:52 PM


Does anybody know the maximum towing capacity of a 1975 D19 with a 318 ? Thanks, D&R

[Beatty1950]

Sent: 9/29/2003 6:17 PM


Hey ... You have the same 1975 D19 Classic Winnebago Brave (including 318 engine) as I am enjoying.  I will be very interested in any reply that you get on this towing question.  I do have a owners manual.  I will check the owners manual tonight for this info.

Dave Beatty

[drgilman]

Sent: 9/30/2003 3:44 PM


The load I will be towing looks to be about 4000 lbs. I have driven trucks on this route previously and am familiar with it and only have concerns on one long downgrade with corners. I don't have trailer brakes available and as long as the Brave can handle the weight I'll just take it slow and steady.    D&R

[discoverer]

Sent: 10/1/2003 4:19 PM


With a 318 engine...........NOT a whole lot of towing capacity - IMO.

[drgilman]

Sent: 10/8/2003 11:11 AM


Well the weight being towed ended up being about 4600 lbs. It was a Pick up truck loaded on a tandem axle trailer and the Brave did great. It didn't seem that heavy and I was very careful not to get to much speed going downhill. All in all the 318 had no trouble pulling this load and I was very impressed.    D&R

[AC-Craig]

Sent: 10/8/2003 5:54 PM


That's great. I was wondering the same thing because I want to pull a trailer and antique tractors to shows next year. My Winnebago is a 1969 D22 with a 318.
AC-Craig 

[drgilman]

Sent: 10/9/2003 10:31 AM


AC-Craig, I was really surprised at how well it pulled and the 318 really worked well, just shifted to second and up the hill it went. It doesn't seem to matter weather I'm on the flat, going uphill or downhill or pulling a trailer loaded down, my Winnebago gets 8 miles to the gallon. Hope yours works as well.   D&R

[keith]

Sent: 10/9/2003 9:57 PM


Guys, I have a 1981 Chieftain.  The book tells me NOT TO TOW ANYTHING! But, it has a hitch?  Keith

[Oz]

Sent: 10/9/2003 10:14 PM


Either it was a misprint and it was supposed to read,  "don't THR-ow anything" or... they put a 4 cylinder engine in that model.  I have a '74 Indian (440) and I towed 7 people, all the camping gear (including a 10' x 20' tent for the kids) 2 dogs, enough provisions for all of us for a week, an 18' bowrider boat (loaded with all kinds of waterstuff and more camping stuff) on an old, heavy, steel, dual-axle trailer to Raystown Lake and, the only problems I had were the ones I created for myself and a high tranny temp while climbing this really long, really steep hill going into the campground (I see some heads nodding in rememberance of that hill no one knew about!).  So, I think you can get some good direction on figuring out what you can tow here... ok you gearheads, explain the physics of it...
I'll go top off my tranny fluid...   

[denisondc]

Sent: 10/10/2003 6:45 AM


I think we have two extremes here: An 81 Chieftain book saying not to tow anything, -???- And the outfit in which SOB arrived at the campground at Raystown Lake!!
I may have the record for people though, having once carried 16 or 17 souls to a quincinera - though most of them were muchachas who probably didn't weigh 100 lbs each. denison

[Beatty1950]

Sent: 1/9/2005 2:28 AM


The potential Buyer of MissTank wants to pull a Mazda Miata (3000 lbs max).  I have never pulled anything with MissTank (75 D19 with 318 Dodge Engine).

Has anyone else had any experience towing with a similar Winneago ??

Thanks for the help.

Dave Beatty

[Derrek]

From: Derrek   
Sent: 1/9/2005 7:16 AM

The previous owner of my Winnebago (D20/318) told me that he towed a Cavalier without any problems. I never towed with it. As I said before, the potential buyer should seriously consider a toad braking system. I hope that doesn't help. (So the sale won't go through, of course!)

Derrek

[denisondc]

Sent: 1/9/2005 8:11 AM


I have not towed a car with the 318, but I have towed a 3000# load with my 413, and I would say --
It depends on where, how much and how far: If they only plan to tow the Mazda on summer vacations, or the occasional trip, and not often in the mountains west of the Mississippi ? I would say its workable. On level roads it would be no problem, but in the mountains of Tennessee/West Virginia/New England, they would need to get used to going up hills in 2nd gear a lot slower than the diesel pushers. And going down them in 2nd gear also, unless they add brakes to the towed vehicle. In most states you are required to have brakes on any thing you tow that is over 3000# total, though even a tow dolly with brakes fills that requirement in Virginia.

If they want to tow the car routinely through the Cascades, the Rockies, etc ? then they should figure on driving the Mazda up/down all of the steeper grades separately. Winnies with the 318 could be had with the optional 440, for good reason.

Furthermore, they should add an auxillary tranny fluid cooler ? I would add it ahead of and in addition to the one in the bottom of the radiator. And they should pay close attention to the health of their cooling system; a clean radiator, young hoses, proper thermostat, good fan clutch, that stuff. There would be greater need to lube the driveshaft u-joints, and to change the oil in the differential, if only to remove moisture and check for metal filings. I would advise replacing the handbrake cables too.
All of these things they should observe even if they buy a new RV with a 454 or 460 engine by the way.

[LJ-TJ]

Sent: 1/9/2005 8:27 AM


As usual Denison is bang on the money. On the flats it wouldn't be to bad but you'd really be working that little 318.If you where talking something like an alumimum fishing boat or something like that it wouldn't be a problem but it's just a little 318.  T.J.

[Oldbag373861]

Sent: 6/7/2005 11:06 PM


I have a D19 with a 318 (hey, sounds like a Beach boys tune!) which labors up hills all by itself. But it has a tow hitch, and evidently has towed before. My boat with motor, trailer, and associated gear probably weighs 1200-1500 lbs. I know there's this thing called tongue weight and all that stuff (which I don't really understand), but I'm wondering, is it a sensible idea to tow this boat?

[Slantsixness]

Sent: 6/8/2005 7:39 AM


watch the toungue weight on your trailer, but the 318 can do it with a D19... It surely wont be fast, and watch your engine temperature, but it can and will tow up to 1500 pounds as long as you:
a. don't overload the Winnie with stuff or people!
b. Keep the tongue weight around 600 pound max (boat trailers usually will be less than 450)
c. Keep in mind that what ever you load in the winnie would be better stored towards the front and low to the floor, as the load in the winnie reduces the tongue weight capacity, and storing too much weight in the upper cabinets can cause trailer sway (a bad thing)
d. Load smartly, load properly. Keep stuff off the roof or roof carriers.

With a little careful driving and planing you can tow anything with a 318 and a Winnie. It'll just be a little slower getting where you're going! The D19 is actually more suitable than some of the longer Winnies, because there is no frame extension behind the rear wheels!

Tom

[Oldbag373861]

Sent: 6/9/2005 10:41 AM


Thanks, Tom, for the in-put. I guess I'll be a little more confident about the idea now. Should be able to do this w/o a transmission cooler, huh?

[denisondc]

Sent: 6/9/2005 7:08 PM


A transmission cooler wouldnt be essential, but would still be a good thing unless you only tow the boat short distances and not in mountainous country. I added one because I expect to be towing a car trailer behind us on most trips - with one of my old cars on it. I put the new cooler in series with and ahead of the one that is already in the bottom of the radiator.
It lowered the peak temperature on hills in Tennessee and Virginia by about 40f degrees.

[Oz]

Sent: 3/14/2006 8:42 AM


"Tongue weight"... Sob's definition:

How much pressure is on your tongue as it hangs out of your mouth hoping you won't burn up your tranny while negotiating an extremely long, extrememly steep hill while pulling an 18' open bow with a heavy, 150hp outboard, loaded to the gills... both the MH and the boat, way beyond what the original Winnebago engineers probrobly ever tested them for.

Thank goodness for the tranny cooler!

- Sob

[tatkin]

Sent: 4/10/2006 7:19 PM


This is great info, because all I want to do is pull the bike out to Sturgis. 1000 lbs on the trailer.. Lets see, 900 miles both ways at probably 7 miles per gallon, yikes. Ok, no food for that week... Well, the KOA has pancake every morning ...

[1978Chieftain]

Sent: 4/10/2006 9:50 PM


Well, the owner's manual for my 1978 Winnebago Chieftain says that the total combined weight of the loaded motorhome including the weight of the people water and fuel, etc., and including anything being towed must not exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) rating of 12,500 lbs. It also says the tongue weight of the towed trailer must not exceed 200 lbs. Also, the individual weight rating of each axle must not be exceeded.