I am in the process of simultaneously buying a 1975 Volkswagen Westfalia Camper and buying a trailer/hitch so that I can tow it across the country when I move from OR to NJ in just three days. Time is of the essence.
I’ll be towing the VW behind my 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan, 3.8L AWD. I already have an appointment for tomorrow to buy and install a standard 2 in. receiver hitch on the Grand Caravan.
I need to know:
Approximately how much the 1975 VW Westfalia weighs.
Approximately how long it is (don’t actually own the VW yet, so can’t go outside and measure it).
Also, I’d like to know whether you suggest I get a flatbed trailer or one of those two-wheel trailer pull doodads…
There is no way you should tow 3200 lbs with a Grand Caravan. The towing capacity on that vehicle is 2000 lbs (standard) and 3500 lbs (max), which is assuming you have a weight distributing hitch and trailer brakes, which I’m going to guess you don’t have. DO NOT attempt to tow that van, especially across country. You will be endangering both your own safety and/or life and the lives of everyone on the road. The Grand Caravan will no doubt be able to move the van with little problems, however you will be running into HUGE problems when you’re trying to stop the 7000 or 8000 lbs. you will be moving at 60 mph. The brakes, suspension, and transmission are not designed to tow that kind of a load 30 miles, much less 3000. Best case, your transmission will fail. Worst case, your brakes will fade and fail and you will end up turning an innocent motorist into ground beef when you are unable to stop and lose control of the vehicle. Towing my boat (~4000 lbs) is hard enough even with a vehicle rated with an 8000 lb. towing capacity and electronically controlled trailer brakes. I would also suspect you would be found negligent if there were an incident and it was found that you exceeded the manufacturer’s maximum towing capacity. I repeat, do NOT try to tow that van behind a Grand Caravan.
Just to add to what Admiral_Q said, don’t forget that you also have to add to the weight of the VW the weight of the trailer, weight of all the stuff you cram inside the VW, and the weight of all the stuff you cram inside the Grand Caravan. You will not have enough brakes, transmission, or cooling system to complete this trip safely and sucessfully.
If you had the money and a second driver, it may be possible to fill a Uhaul with your items, and tow the VW behind the Uhaul. If that interests you, your local Uhaul licensee should be able to help.