Towing with SWB: It's not the same!!! - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

iluvmy72 · 01-01-2007, 12:53 AM

I was trying to tow a 4,000 trailer with a short bed and let me tell you.....it's like night and day.....so for those of you who want to convert your truck into the short wheel base, you need to evaluate if you even plan on towing like you once were able to. I simply could not believe how terrible it really was. I had almost no stability while driving and I took every bump 3 or 4 times. I had once thought about going to a SWB. But not anymore!!! Shoot....and to think I almost decided to make a 3/4 ton out of a short bed...I'm gonna "86" that idea....LOL

**truckdude239** · 01-01-2007, 01:43 AM

yup i love towing with my 71 i pull a tailer once and it followed right behind and never felt it so far i find towing with a long bed is better

68GMC454 · 01-01-2007, 02:59 AM

the wheel base is what makes the difference...i wouldnt tow with a short bed if i could help it....the funny thing is the 60 i sold,,the guy shows up with a 80's full siza bronco,,the trailer is longer than the bronco..then he proceeds to load the truck on back wards..he was barely able to get the front wheels on the trailer..i warned him about it,,epsecially with his familyin the bronco..but he left i left a few mins later,,saw he made it about 4 miles from my house,,and he was in the process of reloading the truck...oh well some people aint to bright..

PanelDeland · 01-01-2007, 09:32 AM

About the only time a short wheelbase truck is better for towing is when you are backing.

bowtiehotrodder · 01-01-2007, 10:23 AM

i used to pull a two horse trailer with a 79 cj 5 now that was fun now i use a dually

gator2511 · 01-01-2007, 12:38 PM

Towing with a long bed is better but I tow with my 72 short bed with no problems. I have a 25' 6,000 lb. travel trailer with electric brakes, a good brake controller and a Reese weight distributing hitch with the good anti sway package. I don't go over 60 mph like some of the idiots I see going 80mph while towing.

SCOTI · 01-01-2007, 12:56 PM

I used my swb 68 to pull my 18ft car hauler. Is it optimum? No, but it gets the job done.

If I was going to be pulling a trailer daily, I would use a larger, LWB truck. But for the occasional work I use it for, I can't justify having another truck.

**PICKMUP** · 01-01-2007, 01:13 PM

The previous owner of this little SWB used it for years to tow his horse trailer. It had a huge step bumper and an in-bed gas tank clear across. You can see the gas filler hole in the side that we had to weld up.
I don't know how well or bad it worked, but it was pretty ugly!
Look how high it sits with stock springs & stock size tires.

BigSky71 · 01-01-2007, 04:00 PM

I am looking forward to the better agility [if I can call it that] of my truck when its done as a SWB.

I don't intend to pull any trailers bigger than a motorcycle trailer though...

poorboy · 01-01-2007, 04:34 PM

A motorcycle or horse trailer probably would not be bad. I think the real issue is with a real haevy load or a big boxy trailer. As Gator said with all the right stuff you can still tow a decent load. I chose to build a longbed this time because I will be towing a race trailer weekly. If I was just building a cruiser or knowiing I would just be towing small stuff I would have gone with a short bed.

72armyswbtruck · 01-01-2007, 04:47 PM

Wow, that was a factory ordered spare tank, in a SWB truck talk about a rare combination

RANDY COX · 01-01-2007, 05:08 PM

Yep I used my 90 burb 4x4 to haul back my 70 burb 4x4 and it towed very nicely sometimes I would be cruising about 65 on straight-aways.

redhead69 · 01-01-2007, 05:10 PM

just weld on one of these and it will tow like a long wheelbase LOL

LUV2XCLR8 · 01-01-2007, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redhead69

just weld on one of these and it will tow like a long wheelbase

49studebaker · 01-01-2007, 05:28 PM

The pickup I shortened won't even have a hitch installed on it, I have another truck for such things. I did think about leaving it a LWB to pull a trailer to haul the Studebaker, but then again the Stude is a driver and never gets hauled.

01-01-2007, 12:53 AM	#1
iluvmy72 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Springville, UT, USA Posts: 1,010	Towing with SWB: It's not the same!!! I was trying to tow a 4,000 trailer with a short bed and let me tell you.....it's like night and day.....so for those of you who want to convert your truck into the short wheel base, you need to evaluate if you even plan on towing like you once were able to. I simply could not believe how terrible it really was. I had almost no stability while driving and I took every bump 3 or 4 times. I had once thought about going to a SWB. But not anymore!!! Shoot....and to think I almost decided to make a 3/4 ton out of a short bed...I'm gonna "86" that idea....LOL

01-01-2007, 01:43 AM	#2
truckdude239 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Lewisville, Nc Posts: 10,237	Re: Towing with SWB: It's not the same!!! yup i love towing with my 71 i pull a tailer once and it followed right behind and never felt it so far i find towing with a long bed is better __________________ David fuller Ase Certified Mechanic Click here to help support our board!! 1971 Chevy c-10 under going a 4.8l LSx swap Build Thread http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=421305 2007 Honda Accord my daily 145kmiles 2002 Honda Accord 4 door With 330k(sisters car) 2005 toyota Avalon 228k( brothers car) 2002 Sububran 5.3 245k 2000 Tahoe 5.3l 378 General manager for Marco's Carwash & lube Last edited by truckdude239; 01-01-2007 at 01:44 AM.

01-01-2007, 02:59 AM	#3
68GMC454 THE VILLIAGE IDIOT Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tooele, Utah Posts: 1,405	Re: Towing with SWB: It's not the same!!! the wheel base is what makes the difference...i wouldnt tow with a short bed if i could help it....the funny thing is the 60 i sold,,the guy shows up with a 80's full siza bronco,,the trailer is longer than the bronco..then he proceeds to load the truck on back wards..he was barely able to get the front wheels on the trailer..i warned him about it,,epsecially with his familyin the bronco..but he left i left a few mins later,,saw he made it about 4 miles from my house,,and he was in the process of reloading the truck...oh well some people aint to bright.. __________________ honestly honey,,i have no idea how that truck got here.

01-01-2007, 09:32 AM	#4
PanelDeland I am a Referee of life. Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Greensboro N.C. Posts: 13,992	Re: Towing with SWB: It's not the same!!! About the only time a short wheelbase truck is better for towing is when you are backing. __________________ The 47-present Chevrolet and GMC Truck Message Board Network,it's owners,moderators,members,and associates of any type should not be held responsible for my opinion. You can't fix stupid,not even with duct tape. "My appearance is due to the fact that "GOD" does punish you for having too much fun!" Barrett-Jackson has perfected alchemy,they make rust into gold! "You can lead a horse to water but you can't saddle a duck" "Cleverly disguised as a 'Responsible Adult' "Sometimes your Knight in shining armor is just a retard in tinfoil"

01-01-2007, 10:23 AM	#5
bowtiehotrodder SIX BANGER Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: NC Posts: 169	Re: Towing with SWB: It's not the same!!! i used to pull a two horse trailer with a 79 cj 5 now that was fun now i use a dually __________________ http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2597018(NN) 1979 chevy truck swb 454 w turbo400 with buckets 1977 chevy truck swb soon to be 454 1976 chevy dually 454 1969 chevy truck six shooter

01-01-2007, 12:38 PM	#6
gator2511 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: tampa florida Posts: 776	Re: Towing with SWB: It's not the same!!! Towing with a long bed is better but I tow with my 72 short bed with no problems. I have a 25' 6,000 lb. travel trailer with electric brakes, a good brake controller and a Reese weight distributing hitch with the good anti sway package. I don't go over 60 mph like some of the idiots I see going 80mph while towing.

01-01-2007, 12:56 PM	#7
SCOTI Registered User Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: DALLAS,TX Posts: 22,064	Re: Towing with SWB: It's not the same!!! I used my swb 68 to pull my 18ft car hauler. Is it optimum? No, but it gets the job done. If I was going to be pulling a trailer daily, I would use a larger, LWB truck. But for the occasional work I use it for, I can't justify having another truck. __________________ 67SWB-B.B.RetroRod 64SWB-Recycle 89CCDually-Driver/Tow Truck 99CCSWB Driver All Fleetsides @rattlecankustoms in IG Building a small, high rpm engine with the perfect bore, stroke and rod ratio is very impressive. It's like a highly skilled Morrocan sword fighter with a Damascus Steel Scimitar..... *Cubic inches is like Indiana Jones with a cheap pistol.*

01-01-2007, 01:13 PM	#8
PICKMUP "Trucks with Class" Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: OLYMPIA, WA, USA Posts: 8,158	Re: Towing with SWB: It's not the same!!! The previous owner of this little SWB used it for years to tow his horse trailer. It had a huge step bumper and an in-bed gas tank clear across. You can see the gas filler hole in the side that we had to weld up. I don't know how well or bad it worked, but it was pretty ugly! Look how high it sits with stock springs & stock size tires. Attached Images Last edited by PICKMUP; 01-01-2007 at 01:15 PM.

01-01-2007, 04:00 PM	#9
BigSky71 LAIDOUT Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: NW Montana Posts: 928	Re: Towing with SWB: It's not the same!!! I am looking forward to the better agility [if I can call it that] of my truck when its done as a SWB. I don't intend to pull any trailers bigger than a motorcycle trailer though... __________________ 67 2wd Shorty Build Pictures

01-01-2007, 04:34 PM	#10
poorboy Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Oregon City, Or Posts: 758	Re: Towing with SWB: It's not the same!!! A motorcycle or horse trailer probably would not be bad. I think the real issue is with a real haevy load or a big boxy trailer. As Gator said with all the right stuff you can still tow a decent load. I chose to build a longbed this time because I will be towing a race trailer weekly. If I was just building a cruiser or knowiing I would just be towing small stuff I would have gone with a short bed.

01-01-2007, 04:47 PM	#11
72armyswbtruck Registered User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Idaho Posts: 4,033	Re: Towing with SWB: It's not the same!!! Wow, that was a factory ordered spare tank, in a SWB truck talk about a rare combination __________________ "Remember, They can Kill You, but they can't eat You, That's against the law!!!!!!!!!"

01-01-2007, 05:08 PM	#12
RANDY COX Registered User Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: RADFORD, VA Posts: 2,651	Re: Towing with SWB: It's not the same!!! Yep I used my 90 burb 4x4 to haul back my 70 burb 4x4 and it towed very nicely sometimes I would be cruising about 65 on straight-aways. __________________ 1964 BBC 402 4x4

01-01-2007, 05:10 PM	#13
redhead69 fugedaboutit Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gresham, OR Posts: 832	Re: Towing with SWB: It's not the same!!! just weld on one of these and it will tow like a long wheelbase LOL __________________ Currently truckless

01-01-2007, 05:28 PM	#15
49studebaker Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Victor, Montana Posts: 386	Re: Towing with SWB: It's not the same!!! The pickup I shortened won't even have a hitch installed on it, I have another truck for such things. I did think about leaving it a LWB to pull a trailer to haul the Studebaker, but then again the Stude is a driver and never gets hauled. __________________ 04 4x4 GMC Ext. Cab lifted 71 2wd GMC / Ramjet 350 ready for sheet metal 49 Studebaker pickup

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