Re: alfa-digest V8 #89 - Alfa Trailer Hitch

[AlfaNeely@domain.elided]

       I built a trailer hitch for my Milano about 10 years ago.  I also had 
a trailer hitch built for my Alfetta sedan.  I built a trailer using an 
Alfetta DeDion axle that towed very nicely up to 100 mph.  The trailer 
weighed about 500 pounds empty and probably 1000 to 1200 pounds loaded.
       I have seen what were purported to be an Alfa factory hitch for a 
Milano.  It had a steel frame that circled the perimeter of the trunk with 
attachments that bolted through from underneath.
       The hitch I built has a drop bolted to the floor of the trunk at the 
rear.  The drop is a bit off center to clear the spare tire well.  It has a 
heavy beam that runs forward and angles up to bolt to the trunk floor above 
and right behind the rear axle.  This beam transfers most of the towing 
stresses into the center of the car.  Plus it prevents the trailer hitch ball 
from twisting downward from tongue weight.  All attachments have steel strap 
inside the trunk through bolted to the trailer hitch.
       The hitch I had built on my Alfetta was not as nice.  I had a welding 
shop build it and they more or less just hung it under the rear bumper.  It 
never came off, but I worried.

       Both the Milano and the Alfetta handled my trailer just fine.  I 
hauled race tires and camping gear to several AROC National Conventions.  
With the Milano I also pulled my 1200 pound empty car trailer from Dallas to 
Oklahoma City.  And I have pulled the trailer with a spider on the trailer.  
I would not recommend long trips on the road pulling a car trailer with an 
Alfa on it.  But around town it worked fine for rescuing Alfas from 
undeserving owners who refused to love them properly.
       Neither the Milano nor the Alfetta had any problems handling the 
trailers.  Of course, the Milano has much more power.  When towing, I have 
found that the tow vehicle should weigh more than what is being towed.  A 
heavy trailer will move a light tow vehicle around and make the combination 
undrivable.  My 11,500 pound motorhome is great as a tow vehicle.
       The Milano should handle the pop up trailer just fine.  I would not go 
very far with a race car on a trailer.  Flat towing or a tow dolly might work 
OK.  I know Kevin Trent came to convention this year flat towing a GTV with a 
Berlina.  He seemed to have no problems.  

       I found that the Milano would not go up mountains at 80 with three 
passengers with the air conditioner on and the trailer loaded without 
overheating.  No great surprise there, I guess.
       The Milano did overheat on the track at Summit Point.  I guess that 
was the Baltimore convention about 1993.  Of course, I did not tow the 
trailer on the track.  Then when we got back to Oklahoma the ambient 
temperature was over 100.  The Milano would not pull the trailer at 80 with 
the air conditioner on in that heat.
       In fairness to the Milano, it did pop a head gasket shortly after that 
incident.  Acutally it waited until the first real cold snap of fall.  The 
cold moved the aluminum of the block and the steel of the piston liners in 
different amounts of expansion and I ended up with a chocolate milk shake in 
the crankcase.
       The original bikini head gaskets in my Milano had been replaced at 
15,000 miles.  The second generation head gaskets were still of a bikini 
design and those are the ones that went away at 104,000 miles.  The one piece 
gaskets I put in have held fine since.  The Milano now has approximately 
175,000 miles on it.
       The point is that I had a problem that I do not think was caused by 
pulling a trailer.  It may have been aggravated by that.  If your cooling 
system is up to par, you should not have any problems, in my not at all 
humble opinion.

Ciao,
Russ Neely
Oklahoma City


In a message dated 09/28/2001 6:37:45 AM Central Daylight Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:



> 
> Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 22:36:52 -0400
> From: "The Csank Family" <csank@domain.elided>
> Subject: Milano Tow Car Questions
> 
> Put this one in the "Does anybody know" category.
> 
> 1.    I would like to use an '87 Milano Gold to tow a small camper (pop-top)
> trailer...and maybe a sometime track Alfetta GT (on a dolly or maybe a
> lightweight open trailer).  Has anybody got any experience doing that sort
> of thing?
> 
> 2.    Where would I go to find a good trailer hitch for a Milano?  Do I need
> an oil cooler, a better radiator, etc.?  Who might I trust to install the
> hitch?
> 
> 3.    Are there any special roof racks specifically designed for a Milano?
> Anybody ever use the Yakima racks?
> 
> 4.    The Corsa '86 and Evolution body kits for a Milano look vaguely
> similar to that Skoda "Imitation Hollywood Porsche", don't you think?  Were
> they all built by the same mad plastic guy?
> 
> Thanks,
> Alex Csank
> '69 Spider 1300 Junior (Gina)
> '78 Alfetta Sprint Veloce (Badger)
> '87 Milano Gold (yet to be named)

--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided