Tow Rig?

[Beast40]

What do you guys drive as tow rigs and how do you like them? Any recommendations? I was thinking more along the lines of an SUV for dual duty purposes.

I seem to break something every other trip out and its normally some freak accident or something that should be a problem. I would like to have the ability to always be able to get home.

[Jerry Bransford]

The longer the wheelbase and the lower the axle ratio, the better it'll be as a tow vehicle. Big block engines with lots of low-end torque too. I personally like a little overkill on tow vehicles.

[sethmark]

I have a 2001 F-250 XLT V-10 4x4. Auto Tranny, 4.30 gears.

Its a good truck and I really like owning it. We've put 10k miles on it in 6 mos. and its been really flawless. Would I have preferred the 6.0l PSD? Yes. But the reality of a $40k truck was out of range. The V10 is terribly strong and the only thing it won't pass when towing is a gas station. I have pulled the jeep behind it for about 3000 of those 10k miles and its a pleasure.

Seth

[Jim M]

I have the same truck configuration as Seth, but the 7.3 PSD. It's a good truck. The gears are 3.73 and it's an auto. It will pull the puny 6500# load with ease. I can accelerate up 7% slopes as long as I watch the EGTs. Fuel eceonomy is fair with about 10-12 mpg towing and 16-17 unloaded in mixed driving. I recently added a rear sway bar and that really plattened the truck out. It now handles like a 7000# sports car.

Since this truck serves as the daily driver, I have to live with its size and other quirks. Glow plugs when it's cold, can't fit through most drive thru lanes, and parking is a bit of a chore. I'm still glad I did it as I use it almost every day at work to move something, and every weekend around the house for chores.

[Macgyver]

Originally posted by Beast40
What do you guys drive as tow rigs and how do you like them? Any recommendations? I was thinking more along the lines of an SUV for dual duty purposes.

I seem to break something every other trip out and its normally some freak accident or something that should be a problem. I would like to have the ability to always be able to get home.

The "problem" with most suv type vehicles is they are too small to use as a tow vehicle. Of course, Suburans, Expeditions, 3/4 ton and 1 ton trucks, etc. are best. I really hate when I see like a grand cherokee flat towing a wrangler down the road. Can you say unsafe? Even a lot of 1/2 ton trucks are too small to use as tow vehilces while flat towing. For a small tow vehicle, I'd use a trailer for sure, as most of the SUV type vehicles are way under braked and too light over the rear tires for flat towing.

My daily driver when I'm not driving the Jeep, is a 2WD Ford F350 Crew Cab. Not the best daily driver, but it hauls 6 people in comfort, tows most stuff safely, and hauls a lot of junk around. I don't know how people live without having a truck around. I can flat tow either of my Jeeps safely, although most of the time now I use a trailer. The gas mileage sucks at 9mpg, and a diesel would be way better, but it's paid for and I didn't buy it for gas mileage. I bought it 'cause it was a safe vehcile to tranport family, haul my camper, and tow what ever I need it to.

If you are gonna tow, use your head and do it safely! If I had a dollar for everytime I saw some unsafe combo going down the road I'd be rich by now.......that being said, a truck with a extra cab or crew cab in the 3/4 ton or larger size is probably the best way to go for a dual purpose daily driver in my opinion. Mileage would probably be about the same too.

Picture of my truck:

[TJRON]

I tow a lot of junk!
'99 Dodge diesel with some bigger injectors and over 30# boost. I should have got a dually without 4X4 but that's hindsight.

Oh yeah, it's a manual. NV4500

I've put about 60k on it. One clutch and one exhaust manifold due to a bolt falling out 'cause I work on the Jeep and ignore the truck way too much.
My wife and I love it. She calls it "The Beast" and I call it "The Truck".


Diesels are nice. For cross country you need air brakes and some other goodys to make it right.......... Towing all my junk I get about nine or ten MPG at worst.

[Wind_Danzer]

Ron,

That's legal?!?!?!

[TJRON]

Originally posted by Wind_Danzer
Ron,

That's legal?!?!?!

Sometimes.

Not where you live though......

[Wind_Danzer]

Originally posted by TJRON
Not where you live though......

LOL, nothing in this state requires 35's though.

IE - you're not missing much.

[Darrell C]

I've got a '93 Chevy with the 6.5 TD, dually, 4 door, 4x4, 4L80E auto and 4.10s with a limited slip in the rear. We bought the rig new and have almost 180K on it.

We absolutely love the truck. We got the Chevy because in '93 Chevy had turbos on their diesels, Ford did not. Also, for other items, there was no comparison: the Chevy beat the Ford hands down. However, now-a-days, the Ford well out powers the Chevy 6.5...hence Chevy's switch to the Isuzu "Duramax" motors. The 6.5 TD also has it's inherent problems.

I'm a firm believer that your tow rig should be long wheelbase and rather heavy (preferably close to your trailer weight)...but this comes from towing 10,000 lbs of live loads (horses) over mountain passes (Carson, Sonora, Ebbetts, Tioga, etc.), not to mention out of state (Sawtooth range in Idaho for Elk).

Many people use 1/2 ton rigs and tow 6000 - 7000 lbs of weight...and do just fine. But, IMO, there is no margin for error.

[DanB98TJ]

Another vote for a Dodge with the Cummins. I have a '92 3/4-ton 2WD. I get about 18 MPG around town, 21 MPG freeway (unloaded). Towing the Jeep, about 15 MPG - better than I get driving the Jeep. I averaged 15.4 MPG on a 3400 mile trip, loaded to just over 7600 lbs with the cabover on the truck. Try that with a gas truck.

I'm the opposite of Ron, though - I wish I would have bought a 4X4 dually. I didn't want another 4X4 to maintain, but after running into a lot of snow on vacation earlier this year, and mud the last couple camping trips (had to get tugged out twice ), I regret the decision to go 2WD.

If you buy a Dodge, get a manual transmission, or a '94 or later auto - they use a lockup converter that allows the use of an exhaust brake - I can't use one with mine. Personally, I'd go with a '97 to early '98 with the 12-valve engine - they don't have as much computer stuff as the 24-valve trucks, and it's easier and less expensive to get more power than the 1st generation (89-93) trucks.

[Joe Dillard]

I use my Motor home & Dodge, both work well.

I highly recommend installing a top quality electric brake controller in your tow rig to supplement good braking ability for the trailer. Use the best quality tie down equipment $ can buy & always double check everything!

RV has a 454 Chevy, 3 speed auto & 14 bolt diff.

Dodge 2500 has 5.7L Hemi, 5 speed auto, 10.5" AAM diff w/3.73 gears.

Towing with the RV, I get ~5-6 MPG's, with the Dodge ~12.

[Chris L]

I have an 03 F-250 super duty crew. Has the new 6.0 liter V-8 and 5 speed auto, that puts out around 350 horse and 575 ft lbs of torque. Plenty of room for six large adults, and I can pull up the cahon pass doing 85 with the jeep, and it feels like there is nothing behind me. Been averageing around 18 MPG on freeway trips/

The 24 V Cummins is a work of art, however the only problem is that DC hooked up all the electronics and the warranty program is looked after by DC. There is no way in hell I would buy another one.
Garry

[gp'n Jake]

Originally posted by Wind_Danzer
LOL, nothing in this state requires 35's though.

IE - you're not missing much.

maybe, just maybe if you're REALLY nice, someday i'll show you a few places in this state that requires 35's.