Tow Vehicle, what should I get?

I'm looking to pick up a tow vehicle. The trailer is a 20ft enclosed so I'm looking for a pickup truck, not a suburban/excursion, etc. I want something that has got a real strong transmission. I'd rather not have to replace it every 3 years. That being said, I think it would be smartest to buy a truck that hasn't been used to tow with in the past. I'd like to keep the cost under 10k. I was thinking an F150/250 or a chevy/gmc 2500. I'm no truck guy so I know nothing about which models are best for towing, which are weak, and how they differ from year to year. Can anyone provide some advice?

Thanks

THawkbh said:

I'm looking to pick up a tow vehicle. The trailer is a 20ft enclosed so I'm looking for a pickup truck, not a suburban/excursion, etc. I want something that has got a real strong transmission. I'd rather not have to replace it every 3 years. That being said, I think it would be smartest to buy a truck that hasn't been used to tow with in the past. I'd like to keep the cost under 10k. I was thinking an F150/250 or a chevy/gmc 2500. I'm no truck guy so I know nothing about which models are best for towing, which are weak, and how they differ from year to year. Can anyone provide some advice?

Thanks

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Merry Xmas...I have a 2002 HD2500 Chevy truck with an 8' bed and cap. It has an 8.1L 494(LOL) and a 4spd Allison tranny. Been great so far and didn't break the bank. Has the towing package, as well.

BruceG said:

Merry Xmas...I have a 2002 HD2500 Chevy truck with an 8' bed and cap. It has an 8.1L 494(LOL) and a 4spd Allison tranny. Been great so far and didn't break the bank. Has the towing package, as well.

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Would I be able to pick one up for under 10k? That's a diesel, no? I think diesels are running a little out of my range right now.

Merry Christmas everyone

2500 Chevy Avalanche! I have a 2002 Avalanche 1500 Z71 for towing my open trailer (and snowmobile trailer) and it's been running all over the northeast for many years. Best truck I have ever owned!

THawkbh said:

Would I be able to pick one up for under 10k? That's a diesel, no? I think diesels are running a little out of my range right now.

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8.1L (496ci, actually) is a gas motor, the last of the Chevy big blocks. Available in the 3/4-ton and 1-ton trucks (2500/3500), and the 3/4-ton Suburbans and Avalanches (2500). Beast of a motor, I have one in a Suburban, and I absolutely love towing the 8,000lb trailer with it.

And yes, they can be had for under $10K. Look for something in the model years 2000-2006, although I think the later years might be out of the price range unless they have super-high miles.

JoshS said:

8.1L (496ci, actually) is a gas motor, the last of the Chevy big blocks. Available in the 3/4-ton and 1-ton trucks (2500/3500), and the 3/4-ton Suburbans and Avalanches (2500). Beast of a motor, I have one in a Suburban, and I absolutely love towing the 8,000lb trailer with it.

And yes, they can be had for under $10K. Look for something in the model years 2000-2006, although I think the later years might be out of the price range unless they have super-high miles.

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Oh no kiddin? That's good news. Most ads dont mention engine size. Do you know what I should look for as far as vin codes?

What tow packages should I look for? I've never been quite sure about the tow packages. Sometimes it seems like the dealer just threw on a hitch, other times it seems like the truck might have the load leveling feature.

How is the mileage while towing; anything above 10mpg?

I have a good friend that tows his DSR with a 20' enclosed using the same spec'd truck that BruceG has for sale. IT is a beast and he gets around 9 mpg when towing. I use a 2500, 4wd, 6.5' bed Diesel and Allison 4 speed auto. I tow a 24' enclosed and get ~12 or a little less if I go above 70 mph.

FWIW, if you look at a 2500 Chevy or GMC make sure you get either the 8.1l gas engine or the 6.6 Diesel and the Allison tranny. You can then tow just about anything you might want to tow.

There are some pretty good buys out there as well.

I towed a 24ft enclosed featherlite with a 48 Plymouth inside(has a 54 hemi in it) from Southern VT to Torrington CT with the 8.1l. Barely knew I was towing a load.

Nice rig, Paul!

man, those 8.1s are tougher to find than I thought they'd be.

Bruce, I didn't realize you were selling the truck?

8.1L can be identified if the 8th digit of the VIN is a 'G'.

Anything with the 8.1L will have the heavy duty tow stuff.

THawkbh said:

man, those 8.1s are tougher to find than I thought they'd be.

Bruce, I didn't realize you were selling the truck?

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Drew...I'm not selling it.

THawkbh said:

man, those 8.1s are tougher to find than I thought they'd be.

Bruce, I didn't realize you were selling the truck?

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That's my fault. I fail at reading

He is not selling his truck.....

Thanks Bruce, IT is also a sometimes daily driver. I actually got 23 mpg out of it on a trip this year (not towing). Then again, I hate Virginia 65 mpg speed limit...............

pballance said:

That's my fault. I fail at reading

He is not selling his truck.....

Thanks Bruce, IT is also a sometimes daily driver. I actually got 23 mpg out of it on a trip this year (not towing). Then again, I hate Virginia 65 mpg speed limit...............

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No sweat, Paul...after the recent heated discussions here and on other forums RE: the new madatory H&R reguirements, this is just plain fun....Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!!

Those 8.1L trucks are damn near impossible to find. Any other suggestions? Will the 6.0 do the job without needing a new tranny every 3 years?

The 7.4 Vortec is also a very good Motor. If you like a manual trans be sure to get the 6 speed or the NV 3500 with the cast iron case. 170,000 miles towing 26,000 pounds and no problems. Pilot bearing sucks but there is a cure for that.

My only experience is with Ford products. For a 20-foot enclosed trailer I suggest you'll want a bigger engine and stouter chassis; I tried towing a 24-footer with a 302-equipped E150 and it didn't cut it.

If you can find an older (mid-90s) F-250 or -350 with the diesel engine, that would work fine. Don't get the non-turbocharged engine (before 1993?), and you can probably find a good deal on the dirt-simple-to-maintain turbocharged mechanical injection pre-Powerstroke diesels ('94-95?)

Transmissions on the Fords can be an issue, mostly because they're tuned for comfort so the trans slips a lot. But if you get a good buy-in price you can afford to have it reworked. Mass Diesel near Boston can convert these things into indestructible tow beasts. If you find one with an already-good E4OD or 4R100 trans then buy the Banks Power TransCommand; it'll up the band pressures and tighten the shifts up.

If the budget allows, move up to the later 90's Powerstroke trucks. That 7.3L will tow like nothing else. They tend to retain their value, however, unless really long in miles. If you can find one within your budget, any Ford turbodiesel truck will do.

Finally, I was fairly satisfied towing with my 6.9L V10 E350. I'd suggest as late a one as you can afford, as they made several improvements in the heads over the years relating to airflow (read: more power) and spark plug bosses (earlier ones were thin, and ham-fisted spark plug replacements could result in stripped threads and plug blow-outs). The 6.9L V10 will pull a 20-footer with NO problems. My E350 had the earlier (1999) engine plus engines are further de-rated in the vans, but it pulled my 24-footer well. You had to let the speed drain a bit on long hills, and you had to be willing to let it rev, but other than when climbing the Blue Ridge Mountains (top speed 55 mph floored and revving) I never really had any issues with keeping up to speed. Had I the pickup version of the engine and/or the later higher-flow heads (post-2001?) and I would have been perfectly happy.

Best part about the V10 is that you can get a nice one CHEAP. I do mean CHEAP. Do a search on a 2002 vintage F350 crew cab long bed and I think you'll find it's within your budget.

Worst part about the V10 is fuel economy: expect 7-8 mpg while towing, up to 12-13 mpg in lightly-loaded highway cruising (not towing). But given you can get one of these for such lower money, that will more than make up for additional fuel costs. Plus, maintenance is cheaper on the gassers.

To add to Gregs Ford story- The reason the 7.3 diesels hold their value so well is that nobody wants the 6.0. It was a nightmare, and Ford still can't come up with a head gasket that will stay in it. The 6.4 is better, but mileage sucks due to the particulate trap. That can be solved, but not legally in a polution controlled jurisdiction.

The gas engines don't require a hamfisted plug change, although that does help. Early engine have 3 threads in an alumunum head to hold the plugs. Bad design. There is a commonly available Timesert kit to repair the heads, but its a pain. The later 3 valve heads use more threads, but have a two part spark plug that breaks when you remove them unless you do a two day decarbonize/penetrating oil/wiggle program. Again, there is a commonly available puller kit to remove the ceramic and unthreaded spark plug extension. Quick solution is to sell the truck before you have to change the plugs, so watch out for that when you are buying.

As to transmissions, add a trans temp gauge, and drive by it. Temp kills.

Don't overlook the Cummins! Yes, the engine is better than the truck, but the truck ain't that bad. Tranny issues and balljoints are the big items, but they can be solved, and the Cummins will routinely run 250k no issues. Hell, easiest way to solve the tranny issue is to get a manual, which is fun to drive.

Early 2000s models are in the 8-9k range. They will tow a house.

Here's a local example, with 100k, and for about $9 grand.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/ctd/1525025241.html

Look for an older Dodge 2500 Cummins Turbo Diesel. You won't even know the trailer is behind you. I have a 1998.5 4x4, crew cab and when I towed up to Portland in 2003 with a dual axle open trailer, I got 18 mpg.