Cadillac 1960 caravan trailer towing

[Tony472]

Hi,
I own a 1960 cadillac in Germany and like to tow a classic caravan.
I can get a certified special made tow bar and hitch. Lokal authorities however will only allow, if I provide a car manufacturer's recommendation about max towing capacity of the car !
Could not not find any hint in owner's manual, workshop manual or Cadillac data book. Is there any written document available about towing capacity of 1957 till 1964 Cadillacs ?
Thanks for any hint
  Tony

[walt chomosh #23510]

Tony,
  Here's a few pics of my 1955 frame hitch that I arc welded up. The hitch simply bolts into holes already in my frame....hope it helps....by the way, the Airstream "Bubble" is also 1955!....walt...tulsa,ok

[walt chomosh #23510]

sorry....the hitch didn't attach...let me try again...walt

[Clewisiii]

I have not found anything from manufacturer. I don't know if they did that at the time. 

The Cadillac engine frame and rearend combination was really the biggest on the road for the period. Most trucks included. But I know that is not really documentation you can use for certification. 

[Clewisiii]

You will need to do something for the brakes.   A little story.

When I worked for an equipment rental company we would not let any Toyota Tundra tow our equipment. Bobcats excavator etc.  Twice when hauling our equipment Toyota tundra drivers were pushed into intersections and caused an accident. 

Because the trailers were rental trailers they were equipped with surge brake systems and not electric brakes. They relied on the force in the tongue pushing on the brake cylinder and activating the brakes. 

The Toyotas were capable to pull the trailer. But they did not have the braking power needed for the surge brakes.   There were a few hard feelings on that but not many.  I worked in Flint Michigan so very few Toyotas.

[walt chomosh #23510]

My I suggest trying the Airstream forum for technical towing info. Wally Bynum (Airstream company founder) used Cadillacs to tow his personal trailers on caravans around the world......https://www.airforums.com/.....walt...tulsa,ok

[Jeff Maltby 4194]

Good reads here.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/how-to-find-a-tow-rating-for-an-old-car.660546/
https://caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/topic/16805-towing-weldorado/
https://www.towratings.net/search/make/cadillac

For 1971, Engine performance began to decrease with EPA restrictions on tailpipe emissions and grams per mile emissions requirements, forcing gear ratios to taller and taller ratios, dropping to as low as 2.73:1 for 1975-1976. A new common frame/suspension design was introduced in the latest generation Sixty Special which was also used in other GM full size cars. While the other GM divisions used a front-steer setup (steering linkage in front of the engine crossmember), all Cadillac RWDs retained the 1961-vintage front suspension (rear steering linkage, eccentric cams in the steering knuckle in lieu of shims, strut rods attached to the framerails for caster adjustment). Rear suspensions were now driven by the Pontiac-designed ​8 7⁄8-inch ring-gear 10-bolt Salisbury live axle. A new trailer towing package was added allowing larger trailer loads to be pulled. Coupled with heavy duty cooling, 3.23 gearing, high output 80 amp large frame alternator and heavy-duty THM400 transmission, the long wheelbase was ideal to pull trailers weighing up to 7,000 lb (3,200 kg).

U-Haul: 1966 Cadillac DeVille trailer hitch components
Hitch
Hitch
Square Tube 2 inch Rec. (Powder Coat)
Class 3 hitch
Max weight: 5,000 lbs.
Manufacturer Part Number: UHI75907CH
$223.75


I bought a Nos hitch made in the early 50's off of ebay for a 49 and while I would never tow anything with it, I had to have it :<)

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

G'day Tony,

Welcome to the vague area of Cadillacs being used for other than carrying people in comfort.

Back in the day, that is before we had to be spoon-fed with weights and measures, and the authorities couldn't make any decisions for themselves because it wasn't written down for them to see, we got on okay.

Now, when makers supply Tow Bars, they have to provide everything so that the poor Public Servant only has to tick a box, it is simple.   Get a car that was built before these present days, and the rule of thumb is that one cannot tow anything that weighs more than the vehicle doing the towing.

Hope you find your answers, but without the Factory Recommendations for your car, nobody else will put pen to paper as the Lawyers just love it when people do, and something goes wrong.

Have you had a chat to the people that make trailers near you?

Bruce.

[Roger Zimmermann]

For a while (even a long time), I worked for GM and I had often request for trailering weights. In the fifties and sixties, GM had no limitations nor any recommendation. I don't remember when trailering weights were issued by GM; anyway, in some circumstances, I did myself  affidavits (I was allowed to do that due to my job) for all kind of cars and light duty trucks. It all stopped when the product liability was introduced in Switzerland. From that day, if no certification is available from the factory, no trailer, period.
Germany is, in some aspects, more severe than Switzerland; you may have difficulties to be allowed to tow a trailer.