Re: [A/S] Airstream or less-expensive others?

[William Kerfoot <wkerfoot@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

David & Bret,.

The 4.7L V8 is not available on the smaller Cherokee, only the Grand 
Cherokee.  Although the 105" wheelbase is short, I would not hesitate to 
tow up to a 19' as long as the weight limit is not exceeded.  The 
Airstream corporate site forum states you need 110" for a 20' and add 4" 
for each foot over, subtracting 4" for a 19' gives you 106", close to 
105".  While a frame/body is better, a properly installed hitch on a 
unibody car will work, the 1970's Dodge vans were unibody as well as 
most of the 1970's large Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth cars and in the 70's 
you towed with a car.  (My parents towed their late 60's 29' with a 1973 
large Chrysler to Alaska and all over the US.)

You do need to make sure that you have a transmission cooler for the 
automatic transmission and upgrade to the towing package radiator.  The 
other thing is to slow down going up hill and down, you do not need to 
pull every grade at 70 MPH.

Regarding your 80%, I am apparently in violation, my 1973 Dodge W200 
PowerWagon (360 CI, 4.10 axles) has a towing capacity of 75% of gross 
weight (8000 X 75% = 6000 X 80% = 4800) and my 1973 Safari has a gross 
weight of 5800, my 1977 Lincoln Continental (460 CI and 4V) has a towing 
capacity of 6000 with the 3.0 axle and I have the 2.75 axle.  I doubt 
that anyone would say that either vehicle is insufficient for the trailer.

The important thing is to match the tow vehicle with the trailer,

ps: notice the article in the new Airstream Life where Wally Byam and 
Neil Vanderbilt towed a  22' Airstream all over Europe in 1948 with a 
CJ2A, which probably has a wheelbase of less than 100"

Bill Kerfoot
WBCCI/VAC #5223
1979 23' Safari
1973 Dodge W200 PowerWagon
1977 Lincoln Continental
Orange, CA