trailering with small window cab pickup

[matt167]

My pickup is starting to die. Recently got a '99 Subaru for a DD so a 4x4 pickup is not critical anymore.. Was Thinking about getting a cool pickup to tow the old boat with, Then I figured with a few simple changes to my hotrod project it could tow decent... Only issue in my thinking is the small rear cab window and the lack of visibility overall as it is pretty tight.. Anyone have tips on how to back a setup like this up, or should I just go with a backup cam mounted near the roof?.. As far as what it is. It is a scratch built that I have yet to complete. 1994 Ford Ranger front suspension ( entire front frame ). Cab is custom constructed and the rear frame rails are 2x3 square tubing that I jigged up and welded. Suspension is currently tacked and is Jegster adjustable ladder bars and coil overs but that will change in some way. Possibly to coil springs and shocks. Power may be a Ford 460 ( I have one on a stand ) or possibly I will do a 300 I6, either 1 will be behind a T-18 4spd as that is what I have on hand.

 

[roscoe]

Re: trailering with small window cab pickup

My pickup is starting to die. Recently got a '99 Subaru for a DD so a 4x4 pickup is not critical anymore.. Was Thinking about getting a cool pickup to tow the old boat with, Then I figured with a few simple changes to my hotrod project it could tow decent... Only issue in my thinking is the small rear cab window and the lack of visibility overall as it is pretty tight.. Anyone have tips on how to back a setup like this up, or should I just go with a backup cam mounted near the roof?.. As far as what it is. It is a scratch built that I have yet to complete. 1994 Ford Ranger front suspension ( entire front frame ). Cab is custom constructed and the rear frame rails are 2x3 square tubing that I jigged up and welded. Suspension is currently tacked and is Jegster adjustable ladder bars and coil overs but that will change in some way. Possibly to coil springs and shocks. Power may be a Ford 460 ( I have one on a stand ) or possibly I will do a 300 I6, either 1 will be behind a T-18 4spd as that is what I have on hand.

Umm, use the left and right side mirrors.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: trailering with small window cab pickup

If NY laws are anything like OH laws...

If you can not see the vehicles behind you with the main In-Cab Mirror, You are required to have working mirrors on BOTH sides of the tow vehicle that allow you to see behind the trailer. You can't legally Tow Blind!
How would you ever change lanes without the risk of forcing someone in the blind zone off the road?

Backing up with Side Mirrors is a common event in boating.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: trailering with small window cab pickup

I never use the rear window or rear view mirror when driving or backing the trailer. In fact, I only use the rear view mirror to make sure the trailer and boat are still there.

 

[matt167]

Re: trailering with small window cab pickup

Well, yes I know I need side mirrors and they will be the main key for trailering safely, Should have mentioned that I guess..It is pretty tight in the cab but workable. 48" wide, 48" long and 44" tall. The cowl is 16" deep so I have 32"x48" of free space in the cab proper. I built it to fit me and it's enough space tho it seems minimal... I'm thinking that the mirrors can get mounted to the cowl with fairly long curved stalks and that will give me good visibility behind.. I'm just used to towing with a larger pickup. My truck ( that is in need of more work than it is worth ) is actually an extended cab long bed, and I can back up trailers with it just fine using just the mirrors, but this rat rod will be the smallest tow vehicle I've ever used. The wheelbase is shorter than a regular cab shortbed Ranger. IIRC it is just under 100" wheelbase

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: trailering with small window cab pickup

... Anyone have tips on how to back a setup like this up, or should I just go with a backup cam mounted near the roof?..

... I know I need side mirrors and they will be the main key for trailering safely ... I'm thinking that the mirrors can get mounted to the cowl with fairly long curved stalks and that will give me good visibility behind...I can back up trailers with it just fine using just the mirrors...

What was the Question again?

 

[matt167]

Re: trailering with small window cab pickup

More or less I guess, I now just want insight on where to place the mirrors to get the best visibility? I'm used to my truck which is much longer but this is obviously a lot different. Higher up and higher visibility.. If I put them farther forward on the cab, I will have a smaller view point covering a wider range, but the closer I get to the cab, the less range side to side I will have... I guess because what I have now just works ( current truck ) . I'v never really had to think about mirror placement as to a vehicle design, or even think about how I'm going to see in this thing. I never once thought about pulling a trailer with it while I was designing and building it to the point that it is at, tho I always knew that it could.. Original thoughts for mirror placement was 4" peep mirrors mounted in the front corner of the door openings, but towing, I know that just won't work..

It is also that this little truck is just on my mind now..

As for my current truck, it has stock mirrors but the previous owner added a peep mirror to the DS in the perfect spot, can see straight down the truck to see the trailer, and the rest of traffic in the big mirror.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: trailering with small window cab pickup

Looking at the pics you have quite a long time to figure it out BUT if you were to get a couple magnets (they have good ones at truck stops for cb antennas) and put mirrors on em you could experiment with placement until you found a workable location.

I hope you don't plan to tow more than about 1000 lbs with that short of a wheelbase, especially if you stick with hotrod style suspension.

 

[matt167]

Re: trailering with small window cab pickup

I was thinking nothing heavier or longer than my boat which is 15'9". The rear suspension will stay ladder bar, but I'm probably going to swap the coil overs with coil springs and shocks mounted inboard.. Boat is 450 LBS and the Merc 650 weighs ~240 LBS and the trailer should be around 400 lbs, so I'll be right at 1,090 LBS dry. Add 12 gallons of fuel to that + other gear, I doubt I will be over 1,300 LBS

And yes, there is a lot of work to be done.. Good idea with the magnents

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: trailering with small window cab pickup

You can tow aboat that small with about anything, so that's not the issue.

A short wheel base makes towing hard (and towing heavy loads dangerous).

Mirrors, no cameras. That said, I drive with the mirrors but prefer to back with the rear window, too. Habit, that's all.

 

[matt167]

Re: trailering with small window cab pickup

Yea, I remember my dads Nissan hardbody pickup towing the old 21' Chieftan.. Behind the truck was a blind spot as the boat was wider so we always kept to 2 lane roads. It was barely legal tow weight, but it was legal, and my dad could back it down the ramp with no problem. That was in 1994-1995, he didn't keep that tow vehicle long altho it towed the boat great. It used to push the boat a slight bit right before the brakes surged on the trailer going down a hill.

I wonder about a threaded escutcheon to attach 'towing' mirrors to? That way I can have mirrors that work very well for when I have the boat in tow, but might look silly. I envision 'good' towing mirrors to be curved out at least 6" from the body, and as tall as the bottom of the windshield.. So kind of a frog look while towing, but the mirrors would simply thread off and shorter mirrors could be placed in the escutcheon's..

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: trailering with small window cab pickup

why not make em telescope out when towing and slide into tubes into the cab when not towing

 

[matt167]

Re: trailering with small window cab pickup

Interesting idea, that would actually work well... Any idea where I could get a shaft that is strong enough? Some of the 'peep' mirrors have threaded connections on the back, so adapting them to anything would be pretty easy. At first thought, Metra power antenna’s are available about anywhere but I'm not sure they would be strong enough,

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: trailering with small window cab pickup

http://www.raneystruckparts.com/brackets-assemblies/

http://www.empirechromeshop.com/c-691-mirror-mounting-brackets.aspx

http://www.anythingtruck.com/category/htp-mirrors.html

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: trailering with small window cab pickup

I kick ARSE... LOL

 

[matt167]

Re: trailering with small window cab pickup

Thanks, Empire Chrome shop seems to be the winner. I never thought about truck parts. Looks like the shortest expandable mounting arm will probably do what I need it to, or I can make it fit. I can deal with loosening a lock nut and expanding it.

It's funny, this is supposed to be a Rat rod, but all of the parts I have bought for it have not been bought from hotrodding catalogs or even considered hotrod/ ratrod parts. The coil overs and ladder bars were race parts and that's as close as I have gotten. The 460 Ford I'm ditching and I think I'm going to use a 350 Chevy because I have access to one and the T-18 4spd will fit behind it with some parts from Novak adapters, which makes adapters for mostly Jeep conversions.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: trailering with small window cab pickup

also consider that the bent arms could be swapped from one side to the other to change height

 

[matt167]

Re: trailering with small window cab pickup

That makes sense.. Actually I missed these "Pod" mirrors. They should work good and swap like you said.

Edit: searching some more on a different site, and found probably the best solution. Extendable cowl mount mirror which can take 6-8" convex mirrors
Sure Plus Universal Front Fender Extendable Arm Mirror Mount: Big Rig Chrome Shop..

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: trailering with small window cab pickup

FWIW You don't have to use convex mirrors on em

 

[matt167]

Re: trailering with small window cab pickup

I know, the mounting is the same for the flat glass 'peep' mirrors that are common with Hotrods,