I am watching that old movie with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez, it is hilarious. I had to think of all the full timers. Desi was griping because the trailer was $5000.00.
Paul and Jo said
03:29 PM Sep 5, 2010
We are watching it too. Having a bunch of laughs!
Sushidog said
06:45 PM Sep 5, 2010
I like the fact that he was towing with a convertable. Now, most people think you are crazy towing a 7,000lb TT with a 1/2 ton truck that's like twice as capable as "Ricky's" old car.
Go figure. Yep, I grew up riding a bicycle barefoot, without a helmet. Our 58 Impala didn't have seatbelts, or disk brakes. I remember my dad's 66 Buick Wildcat was the first car we had that came with seatbelts (I thought it was a race car.) You could load a bunch of kids in the back of a station wagon or pick-up and no one thought anything of it. The speed limits were high, the roads were bad, the suspension horrible and the brakes even worse, yet we somehow got by. No one knew what a child seat was, nor were they overly obsessed with safety like they are today. We all knew we were taking risks, but we were ok with it. What else could we do? Amazingly, we all survived.
Chip
53 Merc said
08:42 PM Sep 5, 2010
Yeah, but let me tell ya, that was NOT a 1953 Mercury. The 53 had a 235 V8, and there is just no way it would tow that much trailer. I have read it was a "specially prepared" Lincoln with the newer iteration of an OHV engine. My car also had a MercoMatic transmission. The acceleration was, shall we say, sedate? Except for being a convertible, my car was just like what they said Ricky and Lucy pulled with.
On the other hand, the one I have now (see my sign on name) has a later model 302 OHV, but it also has a C4 transmission. It ain't gonna pull no 40 ft New Moon either.
We pulled our 40 ft New Moon with a 51 Hudson Hornet. The "HydraMatic" transmission actually had 6 speed forward. When in Low, it had 2 gears. In Drive, it had a different set of 4 gears. Pulled good. (ran fast too, when I got to drive without a parent.)
That is why I like the animated movie Cars so much. Ol Doc was a hoot. Remember the line, "Sonny, you ain't running hard till you're turning right to go left". Back when Daytona was run on dirt, reverse lock steering was the way they made the left corners. Man, the dirt would fly when they were tail out and flying.
TxYellowRose said
09:59 AM Sep 6, 2010
Personally, I think a DVD of this movie should be included in every goodie bag new RV owners receive when they buy a rig!
Dave and I keep saying we ought to get the DVD.
Montanamanda said
09:57 PM Sep 6, 2010
I love it when they are struggling up, then whooshing down the mountain and scared to death both ways.
aussiesteve said
12:52 AM Sep 7, 2010
Is'nt it a small world. During the last school holidays I had my 12 year old nephew over in my caravan/trailer and we watched the Big Trailer together. As soon as it was over I went to bed and he watched it again all the way through. He said it was one of the best movies he had ever seen. An aussie kid watching Lucy and Dezi. When I told him they were married in real life he didnt miss a beat and said " Oh yeah like Brad and Angela". Kids and RVing the same world wide.
P.S. It was the first time I had seen a dolly wheel used on a Trailer. I had heard of them of course and even saw an old one but never in use.
Ooh Roo
ausiesteve.
Dave and I keep saying we ought to get the DVD.