Love this build..

[Polara_500]

These folks have been bringing their truck down to our little car show here in town for several years now, just had this years' show and got some new photos to share with you folks. It's a 37 GMC built into a 3 door with a 5 wheel hitch and routinely drags a 28 foot 5th wheel to the shows it attends. There's a bunch of nice cars up in the Winterpeg area and some real car folks up there too - this has just been one of my favorites since I first saw it.

 

[65 sporty]

Is it still on the 37 chassis or a more modern chassis?

 

[Polara_500]

He wasn't around when I was there so I didn't ask too many details of his wife.... and honestly I never even gave it a thought, just assumed it would be a newer chassis with the hitch in the bed.

 

[K-Note72]

Better be a newer chassis and beefy rotors on those wheels. Pulling a 5th wheel without good brakes and suspension risks crumpling that into tin foil in a bad fender bender

 

[7mopar]

Trailer should have enough brake to stop the trailer. If not no amount of truck brake will make it safe.
I am not sure what load rating that 37 would have had but remember back then these were work trucks. You did not buy a truck to haul the kids to ball practice and haul groceries.

 

[K-Note72]

Trailer should have enough brake to stop the trailer. If not no amount of truck brake will make it safe.
I am not sure what load rating that 37 would have had but remember back then these were work trucks. You did not buy a truck to haul the kids to ball practice and haul groceries.

To be fair, back then there weren't many safety regs either, especially regarding vehicle weight ratings. Nothing telling you why not to pull big heavy loads on simple drum brakes

 

[LocuMob]

To be fair, back then there weren't many safety regs either, especially regarding vehicle weight ratings. Nothing telling you why not to pull big heavy loads on simple drum brakes

Semis still use drum brakes.

 

[K-Note72]

Semis still use drum brakes.

They also weigh alot relative to their load (versus a '37 truck to a 23ft trailer), have air brakes on their trailers, and use jakebrakes where necessary.

Point being, as tempting as it is to keep that truck close to original, old school brakes like that won't keep a 5th wheel trailer under control. Towing one with a short wheelbase is already pushing your luck, so hopefully he had enough sense to go with modern brakes (rotors in front minimum, trailer brakes in addition is preferable). Spent hours in traffic jams because of people who though anything less was "good enough"

 

[7mopar]

Strange that I have seen tractor wheel bases shorter than that. It also had no front brakes.

 

[LocuMob]

They also weigh alot relative to their load (versus a '37 truck to a 23ft trailer), have air brakes on their trailers, and use jakebrakes where necessary.

Point being, as tempting as it is to keep that truck close to original, old school brakes like that won't keep a 5th wheel trailer under control. Towing one with a short wheelbase is already pushing your luck, so hopefully he had enough sense to go with modern brakes (rotors in front minimum, trailer brakes in addition is preferable). Spent hours in traffic jams because of people who though anything less was "good enough"

I'd never go with the stock brakes on a 30's anything if I was making a cool retro hauler, that would be pretty ignorant to think they would work. I just gotta stick up for drum brakes, they get too much if a bad rap. And yeah, the brakes on a trailer, air or electric, help out a bunch.

 

[K-Note72]

I'd never go with the stock brakes on a 30's anything if I was making a cool retro hauler, that would be pretty ignorant to think they would work. I just gotta stick up for drum brakes, they get too much if a bad rap. And yeah, the brakes on a trailer, air or electric, help out a bunch.

Drums have their place, especially rear drum setups where 70/30 brake proportioning is preferable, but there's a reason drum-only setups got phased out.

You'd be surprised how many people think towing is all about the engine and tranny pulling power, and give no thought brakes or suspension