Cadillac Fleetwood or Buick Roadmaster

B

bigshrimpin

God
I'm looking for a new tow vehicle the new year.

I love my little jeep comanche, but it's gets tossed around too much while towing and the stopping power isn't so great. I've decided to sell her and move on to something bigger and better. I've narrowed my choices down to a 92 - 96 Cadillac Fleetwood or a 92 - 96 Buick Roadmaster estate wagon (Caprice Wagon). Both have posi rear ends and the 5.7L LT1 . . . Fuel Economy is rated at 23 - 25mpg hwy. Anyone have experience towing with either one?

The Fleetwood/Brougham has a tow rating of 7000lbs and the Roadmaster/Caprice wagon is 5000lbs.

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what are you nuts!!!!!!!!!!

Caddy is a high way car no balls on the ramp!! Been there done that!!

The wagon has lots of expensive parts not to mention them rear air shocks that cost a fourtune to get replaced, and if you thinking of doing it yourself, get ready to pull the rear carpet and cut holes in the floor to get at the rear top shock bolts!
Have two friends that have had them and they both have nightmares to talk about!!

Those two rateing's are for stright pull, when you get on a ramp slop and have to pull with rear wheel drive you going to be in trouble if it is slipery!!

Unless CA has all level ramps?

Get a small pick up or Jeep you be way ahead of th game!!
 
mj - Both vehicles 94 - 96 with the tow package have posi traction rear ends and the 5.7L LT1 corvette motor (260hp and 330 ft of torque). Do you still think I'm going to be better off with a jeep?
 
bigshrimpin said:
mj - Both vehicles 94 - 96 with the tow package have posi traction rear ends and the 5.7L LT1 corvette motor (260hp and 330 ft of torque). Do you still think I'm going to be better off with a jeep?
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Can change BigShrimpin' to BigPimpin' ;D ;D ...

How long a tow do you typically have??...is it flat or hilly??...JMHO, I wouldn't go in that direction for towing, even w/ numbers like that ... many times numbers aren't the whole story... ;) ...

Even if drive-train, etc handles it, how about cooling-system ... that's what bit me on a Caprice wagon I used to tow a 17' Thunderbird with :P ...
 
Reel - What year was your Caprice wagon? Did it have the tow package v92 (tranny cooler, suspension, etc.) ?

Unless I fish in the river . . . 12 miles away, then I gotta drive 60 miles to the ocean. There's one dry storage area at Berkley Marina . . . which is nice (.5mile tow to the ramp) BUT the Salmon move during the season. It's usually better fishing further north, so it's about 60 to 100 mile drive (one way) to the ramp. The Comanche is just too light and small for these long hauls . . . I'm worn out by the time I get to the ramp. I'm hoping there is a better (heavier, longer wheel base, better MPG) tow vehicle out there. I want something that can fit passengers, and tow like the boat isn't even there.

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http://www.carsurvey.org/viewcomments_review_65697.html

"16th Oct 2005, 07:09

I tow a 251 Checkmate convincor with mine. I added air lift bags to the springs and what you get is a tow vehicle that eats up half ton trucks!I'm serious, I have towed my 5000 pound rig with a 1999 Z71 Chevy and this Fleetwood puts it to shame, it's a torquey ole girl. With 150000 on the clock it runs and performs flawlessly. Normal parts, egr, ball joints and such, no biggie. Very dependable, will buy another!"
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http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/003175.html

"the '91-'96 Caddys, with the optional 7000 lb tow package components, are basically series 1500 Suburbans in disguise. All engine and drive train components are the same, except for the truck suspension, hence the need for the weight distributing hitch."

"I've towed my 25 Outrage over 80,000 miles, usually at 60-65 mph, and with a Caddy (7000 lb tow rated), yet! No problem at all if you're set up correctly, and with 4 wheel disc brakes, radial tires, air shocks."
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http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/007194.html

my wagon gets 25 mpg,i don't know of any truck that will get that.got 20 towing a large grady white.
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LHG -

http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000988.html

I have towed my 25 Outrage close to 100,000 miles with one of these beasts! The package was special order, and they are now hard to find used, but are out there. GM hoped this model would catch on with the towing crowd, but didn't. Most still prefer the trucks, which don't have the engine choked up with pollution controls. I've never seen another one towing a boat.

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BS they are both good vehicles, the Road Master was owned by a friend of mine, used it as a small camper tow vehicle, one of the little Scotty's. We used to go hunting in it.
I would get that over the Cadi mostly because of the room in the rear to store stuff. Plus I beleive his had the seating in the rear which gave grown men room to stretch while traveling.
I do beleive the fuel estimates are a little inflated but they are both classic American vehicles. They both will get it done in my opinion. But remember that the posi rear is a limited slip and the clutches wear, if the vehicle has a lot of use (mileage) or towing then your performance at the slick ramp will be as a open diferential unless you have the rear rebuilt with a new clutch pack.
 
Do what you must, I have a Caprise at one time with a 350, lots and lots of balls, put a trailer on the back and she was a dog!! They just not geared for towing IMO

Good Luck
 
MJ - What year? . . . Did you have the tow package? Which rear end did you have? Just trying to gather info . . . and make a good decision.




1991: Roadmaster, Caprice and Custom Cruiser wagons all had 5.0L (305 cubic inch) throttle body fuel injected V8s and TH700R4 automatic transmissions. Roadmasters came standard with power windows and wood panelling, but could be ordered without wood. Caprices were not available with wood panelling and power windows were optional. Custom Cruisers were also not available with wood, but power windows were standard. Roadmasters and Custom Cruisers used a trim piece around the cargo windows and the rear doors that "rounded" the lines of the cargo windows and interrupted the body line. The Caprices did not, and the bottom of the windows from front to back appear uninterrupted. Rear end ratios for all were either 2.73 non posi, or 3.23 for optional tow package cars, with limited slip differential an option only on the tow package cars. Roadmasters and Custom Cruisers featured a retro vista glass roof with a shortened (and, frankly, useless) roof rack while Caprices featured a roof rack that ran nearly the length of the roof. Caprice interior colors included tan, blue, burgundy, and grey while Roadmasters and Cruisers had all but grey. Leather seating was optional for Cruisers and Roadmasters. Third seats were standard in all (but could be deleted) and were all vinyl except Cruisers with cloth seating, which featured a cloth 3rd seat. Keyless entry was available for Cruisers and Roadmasters, but not Caprices.

1992: Roadmasters got the 5.7L (350 cubic inch) engines standard, optional on Caprices and Custom Cruisers. Custom Cruisers dropped the cargo window trim and now featured the Caprice window line. These, I think, are the nicest looking Cruisers, and the only ones that featured both roof glass and the uninterrupted window line.

1993: Cruisers were dropped, sadly. Woodgrain is now available as a Caprice option. Caprices got a wider "chrome" topped side molding. Though interior colors stayed the same, they were altered slightly, thankfully darkening the putrid tan of 91-92. Badging was relocated.

1994: The best change of all: Corvette LT1s are now installed in both Caprice and Roadmaster wagons. The classic 5.7L 350 Chevy small block now sports multiport fuel injection, dual exhaust, 260 hp, 10.5:1 compression that runs on 87 octane gas with reverse flow cooling that kept the heads cool for ping-free high compression operation. Behind all that power was an electronic version of the 700R4 transmission now named 4L60E. Gear ratios dropped to 2.56 base and 2.93 tow package, with positraction optional on the tow package. Both wagons got a simpler fold down seat, new dashboards, Caprice got digital speedometer/odometer, and the Roadmasters got new door panels and different, slightly more useful roof racks. New computers did a great job of controlling and monitoring these advanced engines.

1995: Finally, the "E.T." mirrors are gone, replaced with bigger mirrors that not only provided better rearward visibility, but folded in and provided a better looking body line not interrupted by a mirror. Interiors changed again with minor color differences for the Roadmasters and a totally different seat design for the Caprices. Roadmaster now offers a Limited trim level for the wagon that was previously offered on sedans only. Limiteds feature a different, flatter seat design with lumbar support and power recliners amid lots of other conveniences (like power passenger seat and twilight sentinel) that were optional (and common) on non-Limiteds but usually grouped in convenience option packages. Heated front seats were optional on Limiteds. Like non-Limiteds, leather, alloy wheels, and towing package were still optional.

1996: GM gives up nearly totally on the Caprice wagons. Knowing that they both had a ton of last-year Caprices to produce for police duty and Impala collectors, plus the extra profit that the Buick wagons brought, GM built only 485 Caprice wagons. Both wagons received new computers due to federal requirements. All Roadmaster wagons had new "Collector's Edition" hood ornaments to signify the last year of production.
 
Mine was a 92, I bought used and it had all ther trailer stuff on there, wat it there factory?? But the wireing looked that way.

Get on the highway do 120 easy!!!! Man that thing could fly!!
But when I started to tow with it what a difference!!, Hills were tuff and and you had to work up to speed.
And that was with at 17 Hawkline with a 90 merc on the back.

I kept it for one season and traded it for my first Blazer S10 V6 and that thing towed better then the car ever did, Had to use 4x4 on the some of the ramps but was great.

My best friend father owns a what we call a Loadmaster wagon, its a 94 I belive with he corvette motor, I am going to ask what he thinks??

He is a macanhic and says that car is always a pain to work on and not cheap!
 
Thanks MJ and Reel - I appreciate your help!! I've got zero complaints about the ability of my little 2wd Jeep Comanche pulling the boat out of any of the steep ramps . . . sometimes it's a controlled skid down the ramp putting in and the brakes suck (good thing all trailering vehicles have a 55mph speed limit in CA) . . . but never any issues getting my boat out of the water or towing up hills. I'd hate to trade it in for something that didn't work.
 
Just happened to think, back in the day my Grandfather only drove Caprice Classics. Can't really recall any other car he drove from the late 70's on.

Anyway, when I was little we'd tow from Cumberland MD to the Chesapeake bay everyweekend. About 150 miles each way, through the mountains, and we always made it pulling some darn heavy loads.

I'd say its doable, but we've all becomed accostumed to needing a Suburban to pull a jonboat in modern times ;D
 
My parents always had a travel trailer and always towed them with large cars.  We traveled out west all the time though the mountains.  Either of those vehicles would do the job.  Billy Mac  ;D

Not pop ups but the two I remember were a Holiday Rambler and an Air Stream.
 
Well I am a JEEP fan myself, and I really miss my COMANCHE for towing. What is your COMANCHE(4 or 6, and year)? My COMANCHE always stopped GREAT!!! My CHEROKEE on the other hand is interesting. There are some upgrades you can do to some of the JEEPS to help out.As for towing with a PIMPMOBILE, I don't have a clue. Never owned a car that wasn't a race car, I have trucks for towing.
 
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