Towing newbie

fasteddieyj

fasteddieyj

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Hanover, PA
Wheeled at Rausch Creek this weekend and for the first time I had a trailered ride up and back. Was one of the most fun trips I've ever been on not haveing to worry about how the Jeep was gonna get home.
So I'm thinking I need to figure out a way to add a tow rig and trailer to my fleet. I'm also planning on buying a house in the next 6-12 months so my budget is gonna be pretty small. I definetely wanna keep in under 5k and would really prefer under 3k for the truck. This has me thinking I need to be looking at 95 or older trucks.
Any trucks to stay away from in this era?
Are the older diesels better than the gas engines for towing like the new ones?
Do I really HAVE to get a 3/4 or 1 ton or can a 1/2 ton be sufficient?
How about extended cab versus regular cab when it comes to the towing aspect?
Sorry if these are dumb questions but the only truck I've ever owned was a little Yota pickup about 15 years ago.
TIA
 
3/4 Ton is pretty much the minimum. Doubt it will be in your price range, unless you find a smokin deal, but a CTD powered beast would be the best. For a gasser, other than a Ford F250/350 with a 460 BBF, I would go with a GM powered truck. The Dodge's makes decent power, but their transmissions are teh suck.
 
There are those who dislike the 6.2 and 6.5 turbo GM diesels, but I've heard pretty good things from actual owners. The 6.2 is weak powerwise, but gets decent mileage and seems to last a while. The 6.5 is the 6.2 with some extra displacement and a turbo, rectifying the lack of power. Yes, it's still underpowered compared to the ridiculousness of today's trucks, but it seems to do alright. There was a 95 GMC dually 4x4 6.5 for sale out here a little while back I was trying to buy that the owner claimed 18 mpgs on.
 
I love it when these threads come up.

So first off, what are your standards for towing? Do you want to be able to fly up every hill imagineably at 80 mph? Or would slowing down to 50 mph on a hill be fine? Do you plan on daily driving this? Does it have to be 4WD?

You need to set realistic goals for yourself, especially when looking at sub $3k tow rigs.

And if you have a Dodge automatic that is a TF727, you're not going to have a problem with it (I forget when they started phasing those out...91-92 maybe?).

You could probably get away with a 1/2 ton if you use a tow dolly or light aluminum trailer and your XJ isn't caged on tons and 40" tires. If you want a full deck 7k-10k trailer, I'd start looking towards a 3/4 ton.

Another big thing is wheelbase. The longer the truck, the more stable the towing will be.

This could go on and on, but the best thing to do is, like I said, set some realistic goals for yourself.
 
A *RECENT* half ton would do it. A buddy of mine towed my CTD 600 miles last summer, towed weight of over 9,000 lbs, just a shade over the rated towing capacity. It wouldn't win any speed records, and definitely made both of us nervous about braking, but on the whole, it handled it better than either one of us expected. No temperature issues with either the rear end or the transmission (gotta love I/R thermometers.)

Having said that.....the older half tons really don't have the trailering capacity of the new ones. If you go the half ton route, stick with a 7k or aluminum trailer, brakes on both trailer axles, and a big transmission cooler for the automatics. And understand that you're not going to be running 65mph up an 8% grade. Or down it, for that matter.
 
I towed all over the place with a 2000 F150 with the 5.4. My trailer and Jeep weighed around 6700 pounds. I got 9 mpg at 70 to 75mph. The only place it wouldn't hold speed was going up Vail pass on I70 going to moab in 2003, it would do 40 to 50 mph...it was fine.
mudtruck2.jpg


Before the F150 I used a dakota. Had plenty of power with the 5.2 v-8, just wished that it weighed more. Traded it for the F150, hindsight 20/20 which I would've kept the dakota, it was fine, I was just being a pussy.
DSCF0025-1.jpg


I also used to tow with a 1979 Ford Bronco before the Dakota. While it wasn't perfect I towed 8 to 10 hours with it more than once. Same Jeep, same trailer. It worked. This was right before I drove from Fort Wayne, IN to Branson, MO for Camp Jeep in 2002...the only suck was no a/c in July in the Bronco.
WWWtow2.jpg


I used weight distribution with both, that makes the setup work.

You don't need a diesel, you don't need a 3/4 ton. I never killed any buses full of nuns. Its fine, people do it all the time.

mac 'don't buy the hype' gyvr
 
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Here's advice from a guy that has had all kinds of tow rigs including semi's. I've also been doing it since the 80's. 1) Dually is always best but not entirely needed. 2) As Johnie Walker, Mcgyver or MoparManiac and a few girls from the past said, length (wheel base) is not needed but highly-highly desirable, hence the crew cab dually for length & width(the girls find it desirable when your both also). 3) Diesel or gas? About the same, as far as just for towing, if it's a daily driver then diesel for economy low maintenance and life expectancy. Although my 1990 crew cab F350 460 Dually went 257k without a single part replacement until the day I was selling it. The water pump started leaking out of the weep hole(I think it was crying & it didn't want a new home). 4) 1/2 ton or bigger? What's the weight your towing? How much you going to put on the tongue and/or in the back of the p/up. I had the dually as I mentioned, I traded it in for a 1999, 1st of the present body style 7.3 single wheel crew cab 4x4. The dually towed my Jeep better by far either flat, on a trailer, or inside a Ryder toy box I built for camping. The diesel got better mileage but cost more to fill so it was about the same. The 5.9 Dodge Cummings P/up's would pass the 460 going up hill but not my 7.3, I passed them. Although I still tow on solo trips either flat or on a trailer my Jeep with my 4x4 Van E350 Ford the last of the 7.3's, the best I've towed with is my 36 foot diesel pusher (inline Cat 7.3 liter) with all three; sufficient power with economy, length, and dual rear wheels, now the wife's happy too!! But back to you I have a 1989 F350 460 5 speed with a brand new clutch that I picked up for $1300.00. I bought it for the King pin hi pinion Dana 60 front axle. I feel now that it would be a shame to cut it up so I thought about selling the motorhome or trading for a 5th wheel trailer or converting my toy box to 5th wheel then getting a propane kit for the p/up since propane is only $2.40 a gallon. The propane kit is about $1300.00 and you can still switch to gasoline if your out of propane!
 
I hope all that helped! Bottom line 1/2 ton, in my opinion is too light, but with all the extra leveling and anti sway gadgets you could be ok but still not at ease with hills, curves, winds and emergency stops. 3/4 ton comes in two ratings: a regular & a HEAVY DUTY, not to be confused with a heavy duty 1/2 ton which in no way compares to the 3/4 ton. If your going to buy older, I think 3/4 & 1 tons are close enough in price that I'd get the heavier 1 ton and if the crew cab 3/4 ton is the same price as the single cab 1 ton, I'd get the crew cab ( if you got room in your drive way). God Luck
 
Thanks for the replies. After some debate I have decided that before buying a tow rig and trailer I need to have a better place to keep them, AKA a house. So I have started the search for that and put a truck/trailer on the back burner for a few months.
I think that when the time comes however that I will probably go ahead and just do a 3/4 ton extended cab. 4 wheel drive and diesel would be nice but neither is really an absolute must have.
 
I'm always looking for a 3/4 ton+ 4x4 ext/crew cab, preferably smog exempt (age or diesel in CA) so that I can fit the family, haul the Jeep or whatever I need, drag trashed cars out of the desert, etc. Biggest reason I'm looking for 3/4 ton is because I'm looking in the older price range, around 2-3k and back in the day, trucks actually were rated for the class they were in. IE a 1/2 ton could haul 1000 pounds, 3/4 ton could handle 1500, etc.
 
slightly off topic but it is still related to towing and looks like lots of towing experts are here,

whats the best way to connect an ARB snatch strap to a "towing eye " that is found on most sedans, is it ok to connect a shackle directly to the tow eye? and feed the strap end loop to the shackle?

also, is it ok to loop back the strap to half its length? in this case the loading point to the vehicle being pulled will be the V at one end of the strap while the 2 end loops will be connected to the pulling vehicle. is that setup ok for short emergency pulls?
 
Eddie, I went through the EXACT same thinking process as you for a long time. We just moved into a new house with plenty of storage space, and I now own a 1999 Chevy Suburban 2500 with a 454 big block and a 4.10 posi 14 bolt rear.

It cost $3,800 and is very clean.

BUT, after having a very good GM mechanic go over it with a fine tooth comb, I put another $2k into it to bring it up to where I want it to be - which is safe, comfortable, and trustworthy for a 1000 mile trip with my wife and kids.

Anyway, just remember that because a truck only costs $3k doesn't mean that will be the full cost. Old trucks ALWAYS need money to be dependable tow rigs.

Don't skimp on your tow rig. It needs to be worry-free!!!
 
Didn't really HAVE to do anything, but I wanted it reliable and comfortable

New tires and wheels
Four door lock actuators so all the power door locks work
New AC compressor - system charged
Trailer brake controller and new hitch wiring and receptacle
New front brakes
New serpentine belt
New belt tensioner
Top off all fluids
New rear axle seal
Rear brakes serviced and cleaned
New ball joint
4WD switch cleaned and fixed
Various light bulbs

Thing rides and drives awesome!!
 
MrSimon, I saw your thread on here about your Suburban. Looked pretty clean. I had considered a big suv as an option, but with buying a house that needs some TLC, I could really use the pickup bed.
 
fasteddieyj said:
MrSimon, I saw your thread on here about your Suburban. Looked pretty clean. I had considered a big suv as an option, but with buying a house that needs some TLC, I could really use the pickup bed.
Click to expand...

Just chop the 'burb.

But seriously, why not use the trailer inleu of a pickup bed. And if you get/ make some stake body sides for it it would be much better than a bed

Plus the burb could double as a house.
 
chedisme's point is an excellent one about basically using the trailer as a 16' pick-up bed .... and then having a nice SUV that can haul nine people.

I don't know why more people don't do that.
 
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