56 replies to this topic

[leon.borden*]

I have a DD as is, and a few toys. I've been looking recently into selling some of the toys, consolidating some cash, and purchasing a cheap tow rig. I obviously want something thats going to be reliable enough to pull a car and full size trailer 4 hours one way. I dont need leather, four wheel drive, chrome, baller status shit, navigation, or whatever new Duramax Chevrolet has produced for 20 year old army guys' bro trucks that never pull or see a dirt road. I need function. This trucks only purpose will be to pull the cressida to events, or to pick up junkyard parts.

Option 1- 94-99 Dodge 1500/2500 with a 360. I know... transmission woes and that AMAZING dodge reliability =/

Option 2- 94-ish 2 Door Chevy Tahoe/Full Size Blazer- This is what I had my heart set on originally. It can pull like a Full Size chevy truck, but I can also keep tools/tires/parts etc. locked up inside at events. Not to mention plenty of backseat room for lunch breaks.

I'm still considering Fords. I really really hate the bodystyle Ford had before 1997. I know we're talking function, but the 94,95,96 bodystyle screams trailer park queen to me. I have ZERO experience with pulling with any Ford and really don't know how they perform.


Cmon, somebody shed some light here. What trucks have you pulled with, and which would you recommend buying. Im VERY firm in not exceeding 5,000... the lower the better.

[bradlee]

how concerned are you with gas mileage? you favor gas over diesel? you might want to consider a late 80s suburban. 454 with a 4.11 rear will tow pretty much anything you need, but get ready for 9mpg. step up to the newer bodystyle for a little bit more, but i think all that was offered was the 350.

[leon.borden*]

Gas mileage isnt a concern. I do prefer gas over diesel, simply because in my price range, I can get a better, reliable gas burner. I havent considered those 80s model suburbans. Are they Fuel injected? Did ALL of them have the 454 and 4.11?

A 454SS was offered in the newer body style, but those things pull a penny still. I checked into that =/

[brian]

fuck 5 grand? might as well buy a dirt bike with a wench bolted to it.

seriously, grow the budget and get a cummins powered dodge. it will be the last truck you ever buy.

[cocobutterz]

^^ Fucking TRUTH.

cummins FTW

[leon.borden*]

I have zero desire or need for it. I'm not spending 10-15,000 on a truck, and Im not settling for a 5,000 dollar Cummins. The purpose of the thread is Tow Pigs under 5,000. I cannot justify having a 3 new model vehicles. My job and my wifes job both involve us having to take clients places and drive them around, so we need suitable sedans for that. I'm not spending 10,000 again to have yet another vehicle like the X7 that I drive once or twice a month, lol.

So, again, Tow setups.

[cianide]

Check out Dodge Durango. For some reason they have a rediculously high towing capacity, are newer, and are dirt cheap. I almost bought on of those before I broke down and just bought a newer Envoy.

[Kyle]

I went and looked at a 99 f250 crew cab, one owner with all maintenance receipts on schedule since new, 178k, for $5200. 5.4 liter triton. Look around for awhile. A decent 95 dodge cummins would be better though IMO. But you hate them for some reason though.

[leon.borden*]

I might try to find something like that. It's not that I hate Cummins. Id love one. I just hate the Cummins I find UNDER 10,000. Theyre all ratty, 350-400,000 miles, etc. It really takes atleast 10 grand to get into a Cummins truck worth having.

[cocobutterz]

Alright well have fun with 8mpg, because if it's not a diesel tow rig it is going to double it's cost in the first year.

[Jamieson]

Drove a 91 Dodge 3500 with a 5.9 Cummins from California to New Jersey and back, and in two weeks put 10,000 miles on it all while towing 15k pounds of metal.. Damn truck didnt miss a beat and it already had 200k on it. Cant beat a cummins. Something like this would be splendid http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Dodge-Ram-2...5fCarsQ5fTrucks

[leon.borden*]

g'dammit... might have to look harder then and see if I can find one under 5k.

[mcfizzle]

Bottom line seems to be a tow rig under $5k is going to have some serious drawbacks, so pick your poison.

But definitely get more skrillz together for Cummins if you can. I know you're trying to save money now, but as with many things, spending money now means you don't have to spend it later.

[Gseventythree]

Tow = DIESEL. .

Towing with a gas truck is a fuckin waste of time.. You spend WAY more money in Gas and the power is NOT there. . Towing a fuckin AE86 on a half decent trailer to Cali from Vancouver bc WAS INSANE. .Truck was a 98 Vortec (NOT the LSx yet) 5.7 torquey but useless. Got maybe 400km on a tank. . and FUCKING slow up the hills. . wow. .good thing was it was like $400. .

DO NOT buy any mid nineties chevy big block. They are completely TERRIBLE on gas and literally have NO power and CANNOT be upgraded without changing the complete management system. . TRUST me i sell this shit all day long. . how bout a fuckin Edelbrock engine management system/intake manifold/throttlebody etc. . for fuckin $4000. . no thanks. . After all that SHIT it makes maybe 450lb/ft of torque and 350hp (we've dynoed this same setup with headers and like heads and shit. . it made like 280hp @ the wheels haha same as my stock 1J). . ANY 454 chevy will get ASSKICKED by a fuckin 6.0 LS (2000-up) chevy truck. They're lighter/better on gas/more powerful/better trucks/more refined etc. . I got a buddy with a bigblock 3500 dually on bags. . He NEVER fucking drives it cuz he cant afford the gas . . Its a fuckin GIANT pos lawn ornament. . . . Another buddy with the same truck (not slammed) they use as a"worktruck" (crewcab/dually) and it gets maybe fuckin 320km on a fuckin tank in the city. . shit. . Its just that ERA of trucks they were trying to figure out anything that worked while keeping emissions in check. . And NOBODY really had a fuckin clue how to do it. . no matter what mid-late nineties gas truck you buy its gonna be a comprimise. . a SHITTY one. . I see ALL the fuckin problems of those vehicles at my work man. . and TRUST me. . theyre JUNK.. Dodge/Ford/Chevy V8 from that era is SHIT. LSx is KING of gas trucks man. . Ford (4.6/5.4) second. .and Finally now ('08) Dodge hemi is finally decent. .

If you cant get a cummins. .(ANY FUCKING CUMMINS) Get an LS powered chevy truck. . You can find parts ANYWHERE/theyre cheap/ and reasonably reliable for what they are. . Try to get a 2500 with the 6.0 and the 4L80 tranny. . they are the same ones in TOW TRUCKS/Any 2500 4x4/suburban/escalade etc. the 1500/5.3 is good but the 4L60/65 tranny will leave you fuckin stranded if you tow anything heavy. . only good for towing small cars. these trucks should be failry cheap now. . up here they're like 5k. . . I know a guy that tows a BIG assed boat (6000lbs)with a turbocharged 5.3 and says its AWESOME. .

Cummins rules.. Doesn't matter the mileage.. Buddies from texas towed THREE cars on a THREE car trailer (imagine what the trailer weighs!!) from texas to fuckin cali @ 35lbs of boost THE WHOLE WAY. .
AND they get fuckin 700km on a tank IN THE CITY even towing like 2500 lbs. (I got a customer with a 6 speed 02 that tows a fuckin tool trailer EVERY DAY and gets 700kms/tank) But yes.. they are expensive.. even for like 7K you get a fuckin beatbagged '96 or something. . But like they've always said. . you're not buying a Dodge with a Cummins engine.. you're buying a Cummins with a Dodge body. . Upgrade any cummins and you have like 600lb/ft of torque and unreal reliabilty. . Evan a fuckin stock one with exhaust and intake hauls ass. .


Bottom line.. ANY fuckin truck CAN tow. . but If you're really trying to be smart with your Money, do your research and get the best bang for your buck. . Either an LS powered Chevy or any Cummins.


G.

[bradlee]

Are they Fuel injected? Did ALL of them have the 454 and 4.11?

they're throttle body injection, and i believe they're MAP sensor'd. not all were big block. some were 350 and some were diesels, which are pretty hard to find. never said it was the BEST option, but that's what i have experience with.

[Rag]

From my experience with wreckers, at my dealer and at the track. If you're looking for a reliable tow vehicle that is still practical in every day use it needs to have a cummins under the hood.

[leon.borden*]

G, thank you for the legit thread. Good stuff and food for thought. I'd love to hear other peoples opinions on tow setups, as Im sure Im not the only one interested in this sort of thing.

How are Powerstrokes? Ive found a few turbo diesel fords for 4k or so.

So you guys are basically saying a 250,000-300,000 mile Cummins is going to be more reliable and cheaper to maintain and drive than a 150,000 mile gas burner?

[Gseventythree]

G, thank you for the legit thread. Good stuff and food for thought. I'd love to hear other peoples opinions on tow setups, as Im sure Im not the only one interested in this sort of thing.

How are Powerstrokes? Ive found a few turbo diesel fords for 4k or so.

So you guys are basically saying a 250,000-300,000 mile Cummins is going to be more reliable and cheaper to maintain and drive than a 150,000 mile gas burner?

Yes..

AND The Powerstroke 7.3s are reliable but GUTLESS. . and then the 6.0 came out.. BUT search ANYWHERE and you'll find they have major headgasket problems related to EGR clogging etc.

NOW. . .. AFTER you do the ARP headstuds ($460) and some headgaskets ($??) and REMOVE THE FUCKING CAB to do that job. . (in a diesel shop my buddy works at, the total cost is $5000, and they're lined up 5 deep) and do an EGR delete, they are apparently bulletproof. AND much nicer interior and looks than a dodge. so now you see why cummins is king. . .

G.

[rayray]

used a GMC Sierra 1500 Z71 to haul around the cressida on a 2200lb trailer (uhaul car transport). it didn't struggle much getting around, and it got may be 15-16 mpg. it was a low-mileage truck so i couldn't tell you how long it'll last, but i haven't had issues with it. my car isn't stripped either so we're talking close to 6000lbs i was towing with that truck

it aint no heavy duty truck by all means but it got the job done. i'm sure early models are on the cheap now. one i drove was like a 2000 or 01

[5YearSlump]

I have a 99 Tahoe with a 4L80E tranny...... It will do just fine... I do want to yank out the 5.7 vortec and drop in a cammed 5.3 LSx engine...