What do you have?

[vwmann1]

1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee V8. It has over 200,000 miles and is still pulling!

[SamITC85]

I have an '02 Silverado 1500. 5.3L with towing package. I am looking at getting a 24' Pace Shadow GT to go with it. Well within the 8500lb towing capacity with the IT Rabbit or the Prod Rocco in it plus tools.


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Sam Rolfe
TBR Motorsports
#85 ITC VW Rabbit
#85 GP Scirocco

[nlevine]

Originally posted by nlevine:
1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 5.2 liter V-8... With the CRX, and the weight distributing hitch, I could tow at 75mph no problem.

Couldn't pass up the rebates (and a supplier discount) so I went ahead and bought a Dodge RAM 1500 Quad Cab with the Hemi. The Jeep is now for sale if anybody's interested in a nice compact tow vehicle - great for trailer maneuvering in tight spaces.

[lateapex911]

Sam. I have essentially the same setup. You will need a weight distribution hitch, and you might think about air bags. Shocks are decent to start with, but will fade after a year or so.

The engine is capable of pulling the load, but it will use the higher gears if you want to cruise in the 70s and up.

If you don't have the trailer yet, don't get one without some aero nose. Huge difference with this size/power engine.

Other than that, a nice truck.

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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[emwavey]

Whoo, hoo! (never thought I'd be excited about buying a truck)

Just bought a 94 Suburban w/80K, both previous owners were maintainence freeks. It came with a brake controller and in-cabin adjustable rear airbags to adjust ride height.

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-dave
8)
Got Photos?... post 'em here: http://y3k.shacknet.nu:31338/gallery/

[Festus E. Simkins]

'94 Burb with 18' open trailer. 12-15 mpg regular and 9-11 towing. Thought about buying a new burb because they are discounting them $12,000 off sticker. Yea, right then you look at the sticker and it is $38,000 - $42,000. Then there is the new tag. In Jackson Mississippi a tag for a new burb will probably be close to $1,100 or more. Then insurance....... Hell, I'll just keep the '94 and buy lottery tickets in Louisiana.

What I want is a Ford Excursion with a big Power Stroke Disel with a Banks upgrade. Can you say 500 hp and 650 ft lbs of torque and 18 mpg.

Drive well.

[moto62]

'99 GMC Burban 2500 7.4 pulling a dual axle econo open trailer and an integra. 10-12 mpg on a flat road with a tailwind. This truck does not recognize hills even when towing.
Ray

[JeffG]

02 Silverado 2500 w/ Duramax pulling a 24' box getting usually 12-13.

[RSTPerformance]

Any truck that someone is willing to lend

I have towed with many trucks. When I buy a truck (IF) I will save for a Diesel... You can still drive it as a daily driver and not get killed by the gas... not to mention the fuel $$$ you save certainly makes the race weekend seem a little bit less expensive (although I know the capital investment of a diesel is more).

Raymond

[dickita15]

I have been half heartedly looking for a new truck and have been thinking diesel but am now thinking with fuel prices rising that the v10s might be a bargain. it was $5g more for a diesel but it might be more now. it would take a lot of miles to recover that difference.
dick

[Greg Amy]

Dick, you're spot on.

I *love* my diesels. A lot. The truck I have now may be orange, but it runs damn fine and has served me very well.

But, as I noted above, I have to accomodate pulling two cars now, and while the non-turbo E-350 is perfect for my one car and open trailer, it just wasn't going to cut adding a larger trailer (maybe enclosed) and another car. So I was in the market for a new truck.

Notice "was."

As much as it pained me, I closed a deal yesterday on a 1999 E-350 Extended XL with a V-10 engine, A/C, cruise, towing package. 25,000 miles, was used by the local Methodist university as a shuttle. The damn thing looks brand freakin new. Get this: I was looking at comparable Powerstroke-powered trucks in the mid- to high-teens MINIMUM; I picked up this truck for $9450 out the door.

A good PSD-powered '99 E-350 I found was selling for $17,500. I figure I just saved a minimum of $8K by buying this V-10 truck. At 25% less fuel mileage, 15% higher fuel cost, and approximately 7500 miles per year I calculated it would take me *15 years* to cover the fuel costs. Further, gasoline prices will fluctuate from time to time but in the long run the average price of regular unleaded over diesel will not maintain a 15% premium, and in fact some times will be less.

As gasoline prices begin to stabilize this summer and slowly drop, the purchase price advantage of a V-10 will diminish; if you're sitting on the fence now's the time to start looking seriously. There's a lot of good examples to be had, and the owners are finally coming to the realization that their V-10s are not worth as much as they think (Dick, I know of one well-equipped E-350 passenger van for sale here in CT that's cherry, and I bet his price will drop this week once it doesn't sell on eBay for the third time...email me.)

Now, I know there are a lot of non-economic reasons for buying a diesel; frankly, I think the diesel will tow better and last longer. I'd personally much prefer a PSD. However, when it comes down to the bottom line it made a lot more sense to go with this find.

So, New Englanders, say goodbye to the orange van if you see it again; it's for sale ($3500). It would make a great tow vehicle for someone with a single car and open trailer. I'll put it in the Classifieds once we've got the new one delivered and ready to go.

GregA

[RonInSD]

I am currently using a 86 Prevost XL motorcoach that I am converting to a motorhome. I am also using a 20 Ft H&H tilt deck trailer. I am looking to upgrade to an 20'-24' enclosed trailer in the spring.

I really like the Bus because it floats down the road on air ride and has the power to peg the speedo at over 80 MPH with the trailer. I am currently getting right about 9 MPG.

[lateapex911]

Ahh....a Prevost! NOW were talkin'!

But I'd have to sell the house to get one!

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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[RonInSD]

Originally posted by lateapex911:
Ahh....a Prevost! NOW were talkin'!

But I'd have to sell the house to get one!

I am really thinking about selling the house and just building a big building to have the motorhome in and the race car.

Or live on the rode between tracks and telecommute for work. I think I would have to have a larger trailer for spares.

Some friend of mine built a semi trailer that will hold 5 cars and has a lift gate on the back. We have a generator, air compressor and even a rim clamp tire changer. Most of the time they have 1 BMW Ligthweight, 1 BMW E46 M3 SMG, 2 Porche 944 Turbo S2, and 1 Porche 911 Carrera 4 on board. I come right behind them with the Prevost with my ITB car and my motorcycle on the trailer behind me.

I am building the Prevost out to sleep 8 adults comfortably. Queen bed in back, 2 sets of bunks and two coaches. It will have a full bath, kitchen, and TV with Dish Network.

For the last couple years we have been instructing at BMW CCA driver schools and people wonder what we would have if we where running pro class with a sponsor.

By a group of us getting togeather to do this type of thing we are able to pool the money and do the "big" things.


[This message has been edited by RonInSD (edited July 09, 2004).]

[Dave Hardy]

I have to agree that a van is the way to go. I've got a '94 E350 Clubwagon Chateau with the 5.8 and E4OD. 4 captains chairs plus a rear bench. I pulled the rear bench so that there's a TON of space back there. It tows my open trailered Civic like it's not even there.

A bonus with vans is that they are cheap. Since they aren't status vehicles like Pickups and SUV's, they don't carry a premium. I picked mine up for $3750. An equivalent pickup was $5K and an equivalent SUV was $7K. Plus, vans are so much more practicle on race day.

[wally]

99 Dodge Dually with a 14' Trailer World Super Duty All Aluminum trailer.
http://www1.trailerworld.com/Content.aspx?...Id=1501,132,607

Wally Ruanto
www.trailerworld.com

[Greg Amy]

<font face=\"Verdana, Arial\" size=\"2\">...Greg A keep us posted if you get the v-10 and how it works pulling the two car trailer.</font>

Bill, I haven't gotten the two-car trailer yet (workin' on it) but we used the E-350 V10 last weekend for a 7-hour tow from CT to Summit Point. It - literally - tows like nothing's back there with the open-deck trailer and the NX2000 (about 4000 pounds), plus about 700 pounds of tools, equipment, and bodies inside.

I miss the low-end torque of the diesel, but once it's up to speed the V10 pulls nicely up hills and level. We got about 10 mpg going down there (driver wasn't in a hurry, cruised about 65-70) and about 8-9 coming back (driver was in a hurry to get home).

We added a both Draw-Tite load-leveling hitch and a Reese cam-type anti-sway control, and the difference is absolutely remarkable. I can't support this addition enough for a tagalong.

I'll keep you posted when we finally start towing both cars. Do wish I had a Powerstroke, though...

[Tak]

99 Dakota extended cab w/ 5.2l and airbags (2wd). Tows a 16' flatbed and Rx-7 great. Gets 11-12 mpg towing. Total towing capacity is about 6500#, not quite enough for an enclosed. 15-16 mpg no trailer.
Addition of a lady and two horses to my life is going to require 4wd. I'm seriously considering a Toureg V10 TDI--VW claims 25-30 MPG unloaded. Has anyone driven one? They claim a 7700# trailer capacity!

Tak

[m glassburner]

Im hearing the toureag is already sold out this year Volkswagen brought over a limited #..kinda pricey I think around 60k ... mike g.

[m glassburner]

double post sorry

[This message has been edited by m glassburner (edited July 23, 2004).]