[A/S] Van puller

[Terry Tyler <tylerbears@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Gary,

Good to hear from you. We, too, missed the TCT rally this year. My Mom lives
in Florida and needed us at that time.  We're hoping to make it next year.

For the last week or more, we've been wrapped up in the big Annual Airstream
Rally in Sarasota, FL. (one of our favorite rallies). Today is our first day
when it's quiet and email can be answered.

If you're on the Airstream email list, you already know where we've been and
have read the several summaries by myself and others.  If you aren't on the
list, you might find it enjoyable.  Go to
http://airstream.net/vaclist/listoffice.html and subscribe to the digest or
individual emails. A fringe benefit is a searchable archive that exclusively
focuses on Airstreams, Argosys, tow vehicles and everything associated with
using and restoring them.

As for using a Van to tow, I can share my experience. We've had our 1978
Ford Van E-250 (460CID) forever. It has been a reliable and dependable tow
vehicle for each of our bigger Airstreams. Almost all of it's entire life
has been dedicated to towing one of them. Several years ago when the engine
had around 300,000 miles on it, I opted to replace it with a remanufactured
one. The cost was nominal ($2,000) compared to a new truck.  Rust is not an
issue as we only use the truck for towing when there's no salt or snow on
the roads.

I know each person reacts to characteristics of their vehicles in different
ways.  What is a problem for some is no big deal for others and visa versa.
I'm one of those who don't get bent out of shape by ordinary maintenance and
repair jobs. With that in mind, here's my take on using our Ford Van to pull
our Airstreams.

You asked: "Did you do anything special to your van? And, do you pull fine?"
The answer is "YES" and "YES" in capital letters.  There are numerous things
I've done special to your van. The most important were associated with
cooling. Original equipment on our Van included a 3 core radiator, a 10,000#
transmission oil cooler and a 190 degree thermostat. Those were exchanged
for a 5 core radiator, a 30,000# transmission oil cooler and a 150 degree
thermostat. 

As a result, the dash temperature gauge NEVER goes higher than the letter
"O" in the word "NORMAL" - even on the hottest days, climbing the steepest
mountains out west and with the air conditioning going full blast. For me,
the important thing is to have my equipment keep its cool and perform at its
maximum without grunting, sweating or overexerting itself.

Having said this, the "nay sayers" told me that by making these changes, I'd
ruin the engine and transmission, plus end up with more expenses than
imagined. That was more than 20 years ago and they were wrong - dead wrong.
None of the above occurred - and in fact - just the opposite occurred.

As you might imagine, a truck that undergoes severe service all the time
needs an owner who is a bit compulsive about maintenance. At the first sign
of anything not operating correctly, I rarely allow two days to pass before
it is addressed aggressively and solved.

That doesn't mean I never have problems, but I never have problems that were
evident a week ago. Finding someone to fix things for us - anywhere on the
continent - has always been possible. Occasionally, I've had to take a novel
approach, but by and large, service has been competent and price has been
reasonable. 

How's this for starters?

Take care and enjoy your new digs in Kentucky,

Terry