could you see a '68-72 ElCamino being used
 

to travel pulling a short 5th wheel travel trailer? I know it would have to be pretty short for weight reasons. Put say a 6.2 Diesel in it with 2 smallish turbos.

A similar span of Ranchero's would all just be unibodied,right?

I just enjoy the looks of older vehicles, and this seemed like a nice way to travel
in class.

The mind is burning 'cause I know where a clean '68 Elkie with no rust is only
$1,600. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How short a trailer, or more of a vintage issue with newer trailers weighing less?

It may eventually work, but I'd rather get a full-size to tow with a 5th-wheel. As important as engine and gearbox is the integrity of brakes, suspension and the frame under that effort...

We towed a race car trailer with my brothers elcamino for years just had to get corrected length of 78 cadillac springs and bigger sway bars for the rear end. already had 12 bolt the drum brakes were worrisome but trailer brakes cleared up that probblem.
And that was bumper drawn not 5 wheel type. we hauled 2 axle trailer 68 chevelle extra set of heads fuel pump shocks tools tires well buncha stuff anyway.
that 396 never missed a beat going up mountains etc of course it was spare for the race car lol.
you can convert rear drums now to discs for cheap now. and 6.9 would be super heavy on that front suspension I dont believe that would work out.

We used to pull rather large trailers with full sized cars, just weld up an H-frame to mount ot the back.

My grandfather used a '86 caprice to haul a 26' camper for about a year before having to upgrade. Drivetrain hauled fine but the brakes and suspension took a beating. That and the fact that the front wheels left the ground on takeoffs. lol.

Suspension on ours was fine but it was a 69 chrysler, also my dad had helpers and the 28' trailer had its own brakes

If you are going to engine swap, a 1.9 TDI will get you better results. They can be chipped to 180hp / 300+ lb/ft and there are kits for north-south install with 6 speeds.

You know you want 60 MPG, you know you do...

6.2's can be had for the $100 area and they will typically bolt up to an el camino XMSN without anything special, though a 6.2 belongs with a 5sp MT nv3500, anything else is a waste of the motor.

A 6.2 will also bolt up to a Corvette 6sp double OD, gear the rearend way down and you have lots of power :)

As for Fuel economy a 1.9 won't touch 60mpg in an el camino except maybe at 25mph, the 6.2 will chug along in the 30's all day long in such a rig with an MT.
40's aren't impossible.

Cheers
Ryan

With a regular tow hook it's OK, but a 5th-wheel actually belongs in a bigger truck.

It all depends on weight and height. A pad, XMBR and mounts could be fabbed up to mount directly into the suspension, then just grab a 3/4 ton rear axle off some random GM pickup.

With a 6.2 up front an el camino would have almost the same weight as an older 3/4 ton pickup.

The main concern is that the trailer MUST have its own brakes, you can pull a trailer with a riding lawn tractor if the trailer has its own brakes (and I have)

As for wind and side loads the trailer is usually designed to handle those on its own, more tugger weight won't stop the trailer from tipping or being impossible to turn as that is apart of the design of the trailer.

Windy conditions require different driving habits, a 6.2 won't pull a 5th wheel over 55mph anyway so your half way there to a safe experience, the rest is up to the driver.

Cheers
Ryan

I wanted to thank you guys for the super responses! I'm only window dreaming at this point, but certainly enjoyed the dialog!

I agree but 6+ litres seems an awful waste of capacity when 1.9 with a turbo will make similar hp/torque or maybe at least usable hp/torque. As for the MPG there are loads of larger cars (Audi A6 upwards) with that engine that make 50+ MPG. There are also loads of them around so if it breaks you can get another one cheaply.

The weight of the trailer tongue has to be spread over both Steer and Drive axles. The only "real" difference is in the lash-up between 5'ers and conventionals.

An Elky is a mid-sized car, in short. Spring ratings are going to be limited. As is frame strength when thinking about a 5'er. 20-25% TW is a norm. So, if one could obtain a loaded and ready for camping of around 5k lbs, it might be do-able.

I wouldn't . . the path of higher fuel economy in pulling a travel trailer is well-trod over in Airstream-land. Mid 20's on the smaller rigs and around 20 with a well-matched pair in up to a 23'. I'm already at 16-mpg pulling a 35'.

KamperBob has the 5'er you want to investigate. He also has a fine blog to read. He is one of the deep thinkers around here (I didn't say "smarter" although I would). Have along look at the trailer brand but more importantly, think long and hard about the solo duties of the tow vehicle. That is where the real money lays in terms of economical operation.

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Sounds to me like a 5th wheel El Camino (or 67-79 Rancheros, Falcon based were unit/body...) with a well built anything and 5 speed would work better than a bumper pull. Upgrade the brakes (plenty of parts and sites for that!) and make sure the trailer has brakes as well. I see no reason it couldn't easily pull something sized for mini-trucks...

This is just me thinking, but....

Tub the rear wheelwells.

Fabricate a rear suspension subframe and roll bar that doubles as a headache rack and a pyramid to mount the hitch atop.

I'd like that. I always liked the 68s—black with 4" of chrome fascia between the front and rear wheels.