Suitable Tow Vehicles

[aston]

Lets just say I was thinking about getting a Jeep tow vehicle for those out of town trips....

That's a YJ on a trailer.

What tow rig would you recommend.

I was thinking of a Tundra for reliability but I think it might be too wimpy, same goes for F150.

What about F250 SD? or others?

I was thinking of a 2000 for about $10k.

TIA

[JeepGal]

Our 05 Dodge 1500 has been a fairly good tow vehicle. We got a screamin deal on it...but Im sure it would still cost more then what you wanted to spend. We really really needed a truck, and we werent looking specifically to use it as a tow vehicle, it just worked out that way. It pulls the Jeep and trailer just fine

That said, Chris wanted me to be sure and tell you that we will NEVER buy ANOTHER 2WD tow vehicle. We've got its tuck on more then one occasion.

Next truck will be able to pull a gooseneck that can haul both of the Jeeps

:thumbs_up

Tam and Chris

[rick]

I vote for the beautiful 1993 F-350 DRW IDI non-turbo diesel (aka Big Red)... It turns out they can be had for around $1500 with blown rear pinion bearings

It even looks kinda purty when the sun's setting and the light's real dim as long as you don't wash it too often, as the paint is starting to fall off.

She smokes a bit under hard acceleration and going up grades, as can be expected of a non-turbo diesel:


Seriously though, I drove both V-8 and V-10 F-250's for a while at work and I can see why the gas engines don't last long under heavy towing. These engines are both revvy and require high rpms to get the power. In other words, downshift and wind it out. Maybe the big block Chevy or Dodge trucks have better power, but it's still not going to last like a diesel. If you are just looking for something you can use a few times a year, get a cheap diesel and fix what needs fixing on the driveline. I have around $3k in my truck. I put $1500 in it, and I could have easily spent the same or more in repairs on a newer one with lower miles. Once you pass 100k, all bets are off in my book. Mine has 239k on it and the previous owner already performed many of the routine maintenance/repairs that can be expected between 125-200k miles.

You can find 95-97's in the +/-10k range if you're willing to shop for one a bit, and they'll certainly look much better than Big Red. Add $2k for 4wd. Dodge Cummins are probably the best engines, but many earlier (pre-2000?) Dodge models have interior gizmos that have long since failed or fallen off, and many rattles. Of course, my '93 has those as well.

Ideally, I'd take a turbo diesel, but I'm now convinced you don't even need that if you're on a budget and you don't mind going a little slow up long grades. Even my non-turbo does fine for what it is. I wouldn't trade it for a gasser, that's for sure.

[goodtimes]

If you are going to be doing alot of towing with it...go with the diesel. A real diesel, not one of those little girly diesels. Real diesels [used in automotive applications] are all in-line configuration, have a turbo, mechanical fuel pumps, and are made by Cummins. V-8's need not apply.

I just sold an unmolested 96 with 120K on it's B series Cummins (older 12 valve head) for $9500. It was a fair price. Expect to pay more if you get a manual transmission, or expect to spend a bit of $$$ at DTT or ATS if you get an automatic. Once you do that, it will cost you about $500 to modify the pump and turbo to get more power than you can realistically use when towing.

[jmbrowning]

All Cummins powered

http://tucson.craigslist.org/car/247530935.html


http://tucson.craigslist.org/car/240719788.html

http://tucson.craigslist.org/car/249093372.html


http://tucson.craigslist.org/car/249503898.html


http://tucson.craigslist.org/car/255426552.html

[jmbrowning]

Don't pull with a half-ton. They really aren't setup with the brakes to get your trailer stopped in a hurry even if you have brakes on both axles of your trailer. The suspension and axle in the rear are also not up to snuff.

The dually is nice as you will be able to handle a heavier tongue weight (pin weight if you go that way too). Also nice to know that you won't kill yourself and everybody around you if you blow a rear while heading downhill with a gooseneck 6 horse slant load trailer behind you. I don't think 3500 with a SRW are really all that much better than a 2500.

Go with a full length bed if you can. It will make reversing a bit more difficult but adds immensely to the stability especially on downhills when it can sometimes feel like the trailer is doing the driving. It will increase your Gross Combined Weight Rating. A 4x4 quadcab shortbed 2500 is pretty limited in its towing capacity. Also that megacab is really hampered in this department.

2WD vs. 4WD is an ageless debate. I personally didn't mind the poorer mileage and increased maintenance and decreased towing capacity/GWCR. I need it to get to the cabin in inclement weather, even if I don't plan to reverse down a boat ramp or drive up to a Jeep spot.

I preferred stick (NV5600) as I wanted a real Jacobs exhaust brake, but these are now available on the newest slushbox trannies from Dodge. Unfortunately, I think the warranty has been gutted to3/36K. Maybe they know something that we don't?

Good luck.

check out http://turbodieselregister.com and http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fu...s/forum/41.cfm for more information!

PS. BTW get a good brake controller. I personally prefer the BrakeSmart as it ties into the master cylinder rather than using those pendulum/accelerometer doohickeys to figure out what the tow vehicle is doing.

[goodtimes]

Go with a full length bed if you can. It will make reversing a bit more difficult but adds immensely to the stability especially on downhills when it can sometimes feel like the trailer is doing the driving. It will increase your Gross Combined Weight Rating. A 4x4 quadcab shortbed 2500 is pretty limited in its towing capacity. Also that megacab is really hampered in this department.

Yea, but at the weights he is looking at (~4000 pound jeep on a ~2000 pound trailer), a quad cab short bed will be fine. Plus, the quad cab short bed will fit into a standard 20' garage (barely). The only long bed that will fit is the standard cab.

X2 on TDR. To bad you have to pony up the $$$ to access the forum (or did they change that? I haven't been on since I sold my truck last summer)

[jmbrowning]

Yea, but at the weights he is looking at (~4000 pound jeep on a ~2000 pound trailer), a quad cab short bed will be fine. Plus, the quad cab short bed will fit into a standard 20' garage (barely). The only long bed that will fit is the standard cab.

Who puts a truck in the garage?

X2 on TDR. To bad you have to pony up the $$$ to access the forum (or did they change that? I haven't been on since I sold my truck last summer)

They never cancelled my forums id despite not reupping the magazine subscription. Give it a twirl.

[goodtimes]

Who puts a truck in the garage? .

People who need to do things like change the oil, service the transmission, replace leaking axle seals, etc. It is much nicer to do those things somewhere besides a inclined driveway in the rain.

[rick]

Yea, but at the weights he is looking at (~4000 pound jeep on a ~2000 pound trailer), a quad cab short bed will be fine. Plus, the quad cab short bed will fit into a standard 20' garage (barely). The only long bed that will fit is the standard cab.

X2 on TDR. To bad you have to pony up the $$$ to access the forum (or did they change that? I haven't been on since I sold my truck last summer)

Don't forget all the crap that goes in/on/with the Jeep... I'm fairly certain that I'm at least 7k loaded, particularly for a long trip or any that go through Utah where I may need to take my own beer