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tow rig advice

mojojojo

mojojojo

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Gresham, Oregon
I think I am finally in the market for a tow rig... Been searching quite a bit and I think I have found a few potential options. But wanted to ask some local advice as well.

Here are my requirements - Budget is approx $10K, looking for at least 8000# capacity. Needs to seat 5 semi comfortably. Potentially driven daily to and from work 20 miles round trip.

so what would you get and why ? :eyes:




Thanks in advance :patriot:
 
I have an 05 chey 1/2 ton crew cab with the 5.3 it seems to pull my jeep and trailer around just fine, and it's my daily driver. Ideally I would personally want a 3/4 ton or 1 ton diesel crew cab long bed for a tow rig. Plenty of space for people and gear and more than enough power and torque.
 
$10k will Get you a 2nd gen Dodge diesel.. 98+ have club cabs (Rear suicide doors) and I can sit in the back seat of my truck easily..

also a 96+ Ford 7.3 Turbo Diesel can be had in the $7-10k range, and they are stout First tow-rigs..

IMO Find a Diesel...
-Way higher fuel mileage (I can pull 20mpg, 14 fully loaded)
-Resale Value.. Gas trucks tank in resale, If you buy it today for $8k, Tomorrow it will likely be worth $6k, Diesel will still be the same 2 years later..
-Towing Capacity.. Jeep and Trailer will weigh 6500-7500# But add a few dudes and Camping gear, your close to an extra 9k Lbs.. thats ALOT for a gas motor.. expect Slow hill climbs (Single digit fuel mileage) Where most turbo diesels will maintain Hill climb speed and keep double digit Mileage..


My advice, Lock in the exact truck you want.. and Hammer the Northwest for Craigslist searches.. Spending a Day driving to Boise,Bellingham or Bend.. to invest in something like this is never a bad idea..

Good luck:sunshine:

EDIT: Each vehicle you pick will have Pros/Cons.. once you lock in what you want, Somebody here can generally tell you what to watch out for..
 
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^ agreed on both rigs! Just try and stay away from the 2000+ ford 6.0 diesels if you come across one. They are good but only after you fix a bunch of crap.
 
NW-ZJ-SCOTT said:
$10k will Get you a 2nd gen Dodge diesel.. 98+ have club cabs (Rear suicide doors) and I can sit in the back seat of my truck easily..

also a 96+ Ford 7.3 Turbo Diesel can be had in the $7-10k range, and they are stout First tow-rigs..

IMO Find a Diesel...
-Way higher fuel mileage (I can pull 20mpg, 14 fully loaded)
-Resale Value.. Gas trucks tank in resale, If you buy it today for $8k, Tomorrow it will likely be worth $6k, Diesel will still be the same 2 years later..
-Towing Capacity.. Jeep and Trailer will weigh 6500-7500# But add a few dudes and Camping gear, your close to an extra 9k Lbs.. thats ALOT for a gas motor.. expect Slow hill climbs (Single digit fuel mileage) Where most turbo diesels will maintain Hill climb speed and keep double digit Mileage..


My advice, Lock in the exact truck you want.. and Hammer the Northwest for Craigslist searches.. Spending a Day driving to Boise,Bellingham or Bend.. to invest in something like this is never a bad idea..

Good luck:sunshine:

EDIT: Each vehicle you pick will have Pros/Cons.. once you lock in what you want, Somebody here can generally tell you what to watch out for..
Click to expand...

Very sound advice. The only thing I would add and its more personal preference. Is manual trans. Better fuel mileage than an auto and more torque and HP. I don't have any experience with ford or chev manual trans just dodge and some 5 spds are not the best. Most of the 6 spds are good.
 
ruger81 said:
Very sound advice. The only thing I would add and its more personal preference. Is manual trans. Better fuel mileage than an auto and more torque and HP. I don't have any experience with ford or chev manual trans just dodge and some 5 spds are not the best. Most of the 6 spds are good.
Click to expand...
That's a great addition.. I will only own a Manual.. Mileage and Control in the mountains are far superior with a Manual trans..

Dodge Automatics in stock form are weak (You dealt with this in your blue ZJ, Rod) After a Stout rebuild with the popular Upgrades, They can be Bulletproof tanks.. But for me, a Manual with a decent clutch is Superior..
 
Good stuff 2nd gen dodge is on my list. I will also def hold out for a manual... Lessons learned with the autos :)

Any feedback or personal experience with expeditions or suburbans???
 
mojojojo said:
Good stuff 2nd gen dodge is on my list. I will also def hold out for a manual... Lessons learned with the autos :)

Any feedback or personal experience with expeditions or suburbans???
Click to expand...
Dont know about Expeditions.. But the Suburban is offered as a 2500 (3/4 ton) with the 6.0.. I've heard good things of these.. and I personally Like them alot

That's the end of my knowledge about them tho.:eyes:

EDIT: http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/ctd/4368807756.html
 
If you go with a gm gas get eight lugs and 96+ is when the trans got fixed better if you find one with a 4l80e auto you will be fine
And stay away from the f150 chassis for towing
And if you don't have to have 4x4 in a tow rig 2wd is cheaper tow better and have a higher payload
 
thats a nice suburban! i agree stay away from 4l60e but 4l80e is good.
if i went diesel id go dodge or ford with manual and i would pay more attention to how good of condition the interior/exterior is in then the miles cuz its sucks when a truck falls apart around a good motor ... :bawl:
 
Where I work we have many 6.0l and 8.1l Suburbans. All have close to or well over 200k on them. all have 4l80e transmissions and no problems with the transmissions to date also. I have had two 6.0l motors out to repair broken exhaust manifold bolts and major oil leaks. Both had over 200k on them. While I had the heads off one with 230k I pulled the pistons and rods to take a look at things. Everything was in great shape! The motor on the inside looked as if it only had 50k on it. I put it all back the way it was and today it has right about 250k on it. I asked the owner when she was going to get another? She replied. When this one dies!

I'm not much a Chevy guy but very impressed with the LS motors.

Don't buy a f150, We have them also and they are junk!
 
Also keep in mind when owning a diesel. Repairs are not cheep! Not even the parts to DIY. They do get great fuel milage but all it takes is one seized primary Piston in a VP44 injection pump and you have canceled out all that fuel mileage and extra cost of buying a diesel truck.
 
BoringDave said:
Also keep in mind when owning a diesel. Repairs are not cheep! Not even the parts to DIY. They do get great fuel milage but all it takes is one seized primary Piston in a VP44 injection pump and you have canceled out all that fuel mileage and extra cost of buying a diesel truck.
Click to expand...
I disagree. With a fuel pressure gauge there isnt much to worry about and even when it does fail, the VP44 is $1k and takes an evening to replace.. and other then that, There isnt much to worry about.. Just Typical maintenance..

Not that $1k is cheap.. but almost double the fuel mileage over the coarse of a year still outweighs the repair.. mines been replaced once, in its 14 year/400k mile life..

EDIT: Rough estimates

Gasser
12k miles a year, Devided by 12mpg @ $3.39/gal =$3390/Year

Diesel
12k miles a year, Divided by 20mpg @ $3.89/gal =$2334/Year
 
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NW-ZJ-SCOTT said:
I disagree. With a fuel pressure gauge there isnt much to worry about and even when it does fail, the VP44 is $1k and takes an evening to replace.. and other then that, There isnt much to worry about.. Just Typical maintenance..

Not that $1k is cheap.. but double the fuel mileage over the coarse of a year still outweighs the repair.. mines been replaced once, in its 14 year/400k mile life..
Click to expand...


You have to keep in mind the tow bill for a tow rig and what it's towing if it can not be driven home. And I do have to admit it's be close to 6 years since I have replaced a vp44 so I'm sure the prices have fallen a lot.

The shop I worked for then charged $2600.00 installed with a fuel low pressure warning light/sensor install also.

How about cracked blocks and killer Dowell pins? Those are not easy to fix at home DIY And both were common problems with the 12 and 24v Dodges.

Don't get me wrong I love diesels and diesel power. But I have worked on them for the past 20 years and have seen or repaired the horror stories. To me it's not worth it anymore, that's why I sold my diesel trucks and went back to gas.

I maybe slow on the hills at 21,900lbs but I get there and get home at a SOLID 6mpg now!
 
BoringDave said:
You have to keep in mind the tow bill for a tow rig and what it's towing if it can not be driven home. And I do have to admit it's be close to 6 years since I have replaced a vp44 so I'm sure the prices have fallen a lot.

The shop I worked for then charged $2600.00 installed with a fuel low pressure warning light/sensor install also.

How about cracked blocks and killer Dowell pins? Those are not easy to fix at home DIY And both were common problems with the 12 and 24v Dodges.

Don't get me wrong I love diesels and diesel power. But I have worked on them for the past 20 years and have seen or repaired the horror stories. To me it's not worth it anymore, that's why I sold my diesel trucks and went back to gas.

I maybe slow on the hills at 21,900lbs but I get there and get home at a SOLID 6mpg now!
Click to expand...


the 53 block issue on the 24v was an issue the first few years of the Dodges.. But (beating a dead horse here) 405k on mine.. no crack..

The killer dowel pin for the 12v's is a $70 Preventative maintenance fix.

The tow bill is a $140/year AAA Premier membership.. (Every jeep owner should have it IMO)

That's how "I" combat your (Valid) Points..
 
NW-ZJ-SCOTT said:
the 53 block issue on the 24v was an issue the first few years of the Dodges.. But (beating a dead horse here) 405k on mine.. no crack..

The killer dowel pin for the 12v's is a $70 Preventative maintenance fix.

The tow bill is a $140/year AAA Premier membership.. (Every jeep owner should have it IMO)

That's how "I" combat your (Valid) Points..
Click to expand...


I believe you got lucky sir. You bought a truck from an owner that knows about diesel SCA (supplemental coolant additive). Most people that just goto a Dodge dealer and buy a Dodge diesel will usually never change the coolant. They just buy them and tow the snot out of them till they are done or break them bad.
 
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