• Welcome to ClassicBroncos! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all the site features, please take a moment to register. It's fast, simple and absolutely free. So please join our community today!
    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

Camping with your bronco!

knack

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2007
Messages
832
Just curious how many of these tow rigs are efi or carb. Do any of you guys put a few hundred miles or more when towing? How do they handle with a pop up in tow.
I'm thinking of getting a pop up to tow behind my bronco.

I've been looking at the Fleetwood E1 and the Jayco baja.

Stock 302, carbureted, 4:10 gears, no sway bar. Tows my camper trailer fine (about 1000lbs) for shorter trips. But, I usually stay off the freeways and travel at 55-60 mph. Also no mountains around here.

For long trips I load the whole works in a larger trailer and tow.
 
OP
OP
englewoodcowboy

englewoodcowboy

Lick Creek Restorations
Joined
Jul 25, 2010
Messages
4,200
My bronco has a 347 with 4.88 gears and 35” tires. I can pull my pop up at 68-70 and get about 12 mpg doing it. If I go over that it drops to 9. I have had it up to 80 but the trailer buffers too much for my comfort level. I do have an anti sway device I connect to the trailer. My other cohorts Ratch and Thebeas have stock 302 from explorers, Ratch has explorer EFI and Thebeas has FiTech 2bbl, both have C4’s, 3.50 gears and 33” tires. They get about 11 mpg towing. We are planning a 9 day camping trip for this coming summer, Broncos and pop ups starting in the Smokey’s and possibly ending up out west somewhere. Trails and fun.
 

Attachments

  • 69ABD352-70D7-4A55-9B15-6302BF3E74A6.jpg
    69ABD352-70D7-4A55-9B15-6302BF3E74A6.jpg
    76 KB · Views: 107

Jakedog

Sr. Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2010
Messages
807
My bronco has a 347 with 4.88 gears and 35” tires. I can pull my pop up at 68-70 and get about 12 mpg doing it. If I go over that it drops to 9. I have had it up to 80 but the trailer buffers too much for my comfort level. I do have an anti sway device I connect to the trailer. My other cohorts Ratch and Thebeas have stock 302 from explorers, Ratch has explorer EFI and Thebeas has FiTech 2bbl, both have C4’s, 3.50 gears and 33” tires. They get about 11 mpg towing. We are planning a 9 day camping trip for this coming summer, Broncos and pop ups starting in the Smokey’s and possibly ending up out west somewhere. Trails and fun.

How does the FiTech compare to the Explorer efi? Since you have experience of having both at the same, I'm interested in the comparison of the 2 systems.
 

blubuckaroo

Grease Monkey
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
11,795
Loc.
Ridgefield WA
Well then you won't like this one...

We did camp, though. ;D

FiwVe0jFwzf28o861xteMp7PqOQDHA0yecZV-6EG-m27UlU0HYQwOFhlZxRDgicW5QWPPeBYN-oh2hCfEgRW3TIedSN8_OVnxG-5COPNcjwLqjrvxD9RxOfBfzDQz7mbGo52fp4ufiWeNd8eqQj3joGu1c6IjFqgHS6dxGKGROmRbD7lh7xrL6ERVE9gzvKHvfoOIiYGi7_oiT8fKQzQ0v5PxVvFGzhYoecVCe06X7yjL9oT13_xtfU67fH4Mb5ahdktJHUs5OPrJ9hGSeGtivFPwEOtHV56IPomL_Xou8xluaMxCF6sXT4vjQRibU40L9cwaMPife8QjT0EQYfzAOOkIcVbaU9lwfyGD2SPBzESgBgkEqsr-6eNttrSJ4PRloswmmwEoogaiRPnaZpwzrwtHk-6QRNkQVThtMCT0uts_-yXXakOVpQcNRy2UPtIIb4UwJQh6_x0nhtNAaSuEPT8fMckov9RBpoKLdFs9PJWXjQ2dyxFHxvr5vJw2puenm-Ajn4R7NC4Bjzblv67fPVGcrTYscCDWrS2MmAGfU9eslcS7MW82j1z46zogiwyAEUan8hq-cNVbnBgJCMO3jNwyjjBjyuepdlKCcyWjBCyihiUALuZjy-LJUhk0pnXyAkXlE5jmZ_ep5KkK_BBWqyBMA=w1705-h959-no
No,
you might as well have a trailer full of bicycles.%)
Broncos were designed to be all purpose vehicles.
Just try using a Bronco as your primary camper vehicle.
Your wife probably won't buy into it, but you'll have a ball.
 

bronconut73

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 7, 2012
Messages
9,916
Blu,

Even when eb's were new, rich guys were pulling them on trailers, but that's part of why we often find such low mileage units. Often they were parked and only driven occasionally but others were used often but predominately trailered everywhere.

I for one look forward to the day I can comfortably tow my eb on a trailer.
I have multi-used mine for long enough, lol.
But necessity being the mother of invention drove me to do really cool stuff to my eb, like nice riding suspension, a/c, excellent tires and alignment, etc...probably wouldn't have done all of that if it was a trail-only eb.
Having said all of that my eb will never be as nice as yours Blu, but one can always dream....
 

blubuckaroo

Grease Monkey
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
11,795
Loc.
Ridgefield WA
Blu,

Even when eb's were new, rich guys were pulling them on trailers, but that's part of why we often find such low mileage units. Often they were parked and only driven occasionally but others were used often but predominately trailered everywhere.
QUOTE]

Yes, that's true. Exactly why ours has over 300K on it. ;)
 

5001craig

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 3, 2013
Messages
1,180
No,
you might as well have a trailer full of bicycles.%)
Broncos were designed to be all purpose vehicles.
Just try using a Bronco as your primary camper vehicle.
Your wife probably won't buy into it, but you'll have a ball.

You just can't make everyone happy. %)

Maybe with my next EB. The one that's a little more "stock."
 

Ksm

Bronco Guru
Joined
Apr 29, 2013
Messages
1,252
This was a while back but I'm lucky to be short enough to sleep in the back of my Bronco. I even made a custom bedroll for when the backseat was taken out.
Drive, park, sleep, wake up, drive happy ;D
 

Attachments

  • camping b.jpg
    camping b.jpg
    139.4 KB · Views: 142

bronkenn

Contributor
Bronco Guy
Joined
Apr 27, 2017
Messages
2,662
Loc.
Southeast Ohio
This was a while back but I'm lucky to be short enough to sleep in the back of my Bronco. I even made a custom bedroll for when the backseat was taken out.
Drive, park, sleep, wake up, drive happy ;D

That looks like a 4 season setup.
 

Attachments

  • camp.jpg
    camp.jpg
    142.3 KB · Views: 166

blubuckaroo

Grease Monkey
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
11,795
Loc.
Ridgefield WA
You just can't make everyone happy. %)

Maybe with my next EB. The one that's a little more "stock."

You're missing a lot by towing your car to the campsite. Actually using your Bronco as your vacation vehicle is a lot of fun.
Maybe you're afraid or maybe your wife doesn't like camping, but you really need to try it.
 

snoddas

Full Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2017
Messages
298
Hope this qualify here since its more "rafting" then camping looking in the picture but the sleeping bags, fishing equipment and beers are present.
 

Attachments

  • thumbnail_IMG_1052.jpg
    thumbnail_IMG_1052.jpg
    176.1 KB · Views: 118

FordFarmer

Contributor
Full Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2014
Messages
304
You're missing a lot by towing your car to the campsite. Actually using your Bronco as your vacation vehicle is a lot of fun.
Maybe you're afraid or maybe your wife doesn't like camping, but you really need to try it.

My wife loves camping. But she doesn't like being crammed in the Bronco with two kids, a dog and a buch of gear. We're slowly planning a summer on the road with the kids. The Bronco will be towed behind a diesel pusher of some sort. Trips with just one of the kids and myself? All good in the Bronco!

Snoddas, that's a great pic. Did you get another with it by the river before you unloaded? Could be a future calander shot?
 

snoddas

Full Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2017
Messages
298
My wife loves camping. But she doesn't like being crammed in the Bronco with two kids, a dog and a buch of gear. We're slowly planning a summer on the road with the kids. The Bronco will be towed behind a diesel pusher of some sort. Trips with just one of the kids and myself? All good in the Bronco!

Snoddas, that's a great pic. Did you get another with it by the river before you unloaded? Could be a future calander shot?

Thanks for thinking it could qualify for the bronco calander.
Two of my three kids (4 and 9 years) and wife went with me. We stay in a cabin that made us not needing alot of luggage.

Towing a bronco after a RV or such sound great. Best of two worlds.
 

5001craig

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 3, 2013
Messages
1,180
My wife loves camping. But she doesn't like being crammed in the Bronco with two kids, a dog and a buch of gear. We're slowly planning a summer on the road with the kids. The Bronco will be towed behind a diesel pusher of some sort. Trips with just one of the kids and myself? All good in the Bronco!

Snoddas, that's a great pic. Did you get another with it by the river before you unloaded? Could be a future calander shot?

No way! You should try it. Maybe you're scared. Lol

Seriously, we have the exact same concerns with kids (3) and dogs (soon to be 3 also). I also have other concerns like my EB is fairly purpose-built for what I use it for. There are tons of people that tow their EB's and still have fun with them doing things like camping after arriving. The way I push mine I'm always wanting to tow it home as opposed to having to drive it home. Never "had" to tow it but with the way I punish mine it's nice to be able to put it on the trailer at the end of the trip.

And in an attempt to stay on topic, I just looked for pics of the tent we camped in when I towed the two EB's but I didn't take any pics. Looking back on it that was not as much fun as I thought it would be. Maybe it was the site.

We camp every year for ten days on a EB vacation. We just tow it there. At some point I want to get a DP also.
 

MarsChariot

Contributor
Planetary Offroader
Joined
Oct 12, 2004
Messages
2,469
Loc.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Before this thread fades into forum history, I came across a couple of vintage pictures of camping out of the back of the Chariot that I had almost forgotten about. 1982 actually. All summer camping at 9500 feet. The tailgate saw lots of use.
 

Attachments

  • Bco_in_Camp_79 copy.jpg
    Bco_in_Camp_79 copy.jpg
    176.1 KB · Views: 129
  • B_82_3 copy.jpg
    B_82_3 copy.jpg
    101.9 KB · Views: 148

blubuckaroo

Grease Monkey
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
11,795
Loc.
Ridgefield WA
My wife loves camping. But she doesn't like being crammed in the Bronco with two kids, a dog and a buch of gear. We're slowly planning a summer on the road with the kids. The Bronco will be towed behind a diesel pusher of some sort. Trips with just one of the kids and myself? All good in the Bronco!

Snoddas, that's a great pic. Did you get another with it by the river before you unloaded? Could be a future calander shot?

A pusher wouldn't fit or be allowed in the campgrounds we stay in.
Campgrounds and RV parks aren't even on the same planet.%)
I've done the motorhome thing. Real camping is so liberating. A lot less crap.
You should at least try it.
 
Top