Tow vehicle opinions!

#21

I want to hear about Al’s tow rigs.

#22

[quote=“turbo329is” post=61098]I want to hear about Al’s tow rigs.[/quote]Which one, the E12 with a piece of Armco for a rear bumper/hitch mount, or the ratty Volvo he’s been using lately?

#23

I’ve only seen the blue 525 or whatever it was.

#24

[quote=“EddieK997” post=61097]I just got my first SpecE30 and open trailer, of course, now I need a tow vehicle. I plan on getting a 4.4 X5 as when I’m not using it to tow my wife will use it as a DD. Not too concerned with DD gas mileage as her round trip commute is only 10 miles.

Does anyone recommend the X5 for this purpose or should I look at something else? - as a side note, theres no friggin way my wife will drive a pickup to work.

Grassy ass… said the Mexican with no legs.[/quote]
My 4.4l X5 towed fine. I’ve a buddy that tows with an X5 3.0 also. You should really see the threads at bf.c.

#25

[attachment=1685]WhoNeedsaTrailer.jpg[/attachment]

#26

Is that a dumpster, no surprise its an E46.

#27

I tow with an 86 Ford 350 RV. Tows great, holds lots of stuff, super comfortable at the races.

BAD: 6 mpg

-Rius
SoCal Se30

#28

I had a 99 F350 diesel crew that towed great but was super loud and beat up. I just got a 2004 3/4 ton yukon with the 8.1. Also tows great but terrible mileage (I’m considering doing the duramax swap that is popular in the Yukon/Suburban circles). Just had a kid so needed to get rid of the truck as it was a dedicated tow vehicle. So we went from 3 vehicles to 2. Now the wife drives the Yukon with all the baby gear and loves it. I take it to the track when needed.

I pull a 24’ enclosed trailer and I’m considering getting a stacker with a friend so the 2 of us can get to the track in one rig. 12,000 towing capacity is good and should handle a smaller stacker. The only bads are the mileage and the fact that you can’t pull a 5th wheel/gooseneck. Tons of space and great comfort make up for it in my opinion. The DVD player should pacify the kid when he’s old enough to travel to the track;)

Good thread.

Jason

#29

Two words: Chevy Avalanche.

I have a Titan now and I hate it. Uses so much gas, the rear end is undersized, the transmission gets hot (with a cooler) and it squeaks and rattles.

#30

2006 Ford Explorer, 4.6 V8, w tow package. My daughter uses it as a DD. I have to “borrow” it when I want to tow. She is easy to bribe though. A full tank of gas is as good as gold to her. I tow with an open steel trailer with tire rack out in the wind (I am guessing about 5000lb loaded).

Likes -

7300lb capacity (with load levelling hitch which I do not have)
Easy wiring set up. Literally plug and play.
6 speed tranny (2006 was the first year)
Trans cooler
Plenty of power
Decent mileage at 65 (14 when towing, 22 when empty)
20 gallon tank
Tows fine with a great ride

Dislikes:

Around town mileage (14. Particularly with a 17 year old driving!)
Limited ability to manually shift trans in 5th or 6th. It hunts at 70 and above.
It would be too light to haul an enclosed trailer.

It does what I need it to do.

Don

#31

Would it be a surprise if I told you that is an E36?

#32

I have a 2007 ram 3500 to tow with that I don’t drive all that often. Fit is my DD. The truck gets 13-15mpg towing.

Trailer is a 40’ RV/5’th wheel/car carrier. Its basically a converted cargo trailer with living quarters. We go “camping” about 5-6 times a year and I use it a few times to go up north per year. Plus, at some point I’ll be using it for racing as well.

I added up all the hotel costs for all these things and while it doesn’t completely even out, I like having the RV. It is close in cost though. It has a generator, AC outlets, air con, heat, canopy, fuel station, and a few other goodies plus bunk beds for the kids.

I raced for years out of open wheel trailers, hotels, trunks of cars. I also like to drink a few beers while at the track. With a fam. coming along for the weekend, hotels get expensive.

The one thing I hated the most was how far away the hotels were from the track. I always ended up screwing myself on sleep and driving forever and wasting gas just to get a cheap hotel room.

I also like having a truck to keep at home for trips to get whatever the hell I want no matter how big it is. There isn’t much a 3,500 with an 8’ bed won’t take.

Yeah, if anyone in the midwest here near Michigan wants to split a car next year with me, I’m all up for it. We can split the NASA weekends and I’ll show up with the truck/trailer.

#33

Would it be a surprise if I told you that is an E36?[/quote]

O here are my glasses I couldn’t find yesterday. Yes it’s an e46.

#34

Want badly to buy an Eco Boost F150 Lariat, or a Tahoe - am considering the 4Runner and the Tahoe Hybrid - need to study that last option in more detail.

Edit:
– http://tinyurl.com/7uud9w7

Me Likey

#35

What a bunch of coddled sissies I race with. :laugh:
My rig (and the Mid-A/NE guys will confirm this is legit):

Half ton, 208hp (when new), 3 speeds on the column (acts as a great anti-theft device), converted to disc brakes on the front, totally stock with a 2 bbl carb (you do remember carbs, right?). 15 mpg unladen, 11 towing on the highway. No air, leather, power anything, but it also has no $500+ per month payment.

Yeah, okay, I do occasionally wish I had a F250 Super Duty so I could hear the radio over the wind noise.

#36

Reminds me of carpooling with my buddy in his 69 chevy c10. Nothing like the safety and security of lap belts, a solid steel dash and the gas tank inside the cab.

#37

I like the 65 Ford

#38

[quote=“ddavidv” post=61222]What a bunch of coddled sissies I race with. :laugh:
My rig (and the Mid-A/NE guys will confirm this is legit):[/quote]
I can attest to the fact that this is legit. We paddocked near each other at NJMP and Dwight’s rig oozes cool.

I love the BRE-esque paint job on the SE30 but now that I look at that photo I think you should paint the race car with the same scheme as the truck. Next time it needs it, that is.

#39

The bottom line for me on a tow rig is you get as much truck as you can afford. I had a tahoe which worked great with an open trailer. got a diesel excursion next which worked great with a 24-28 enclosed trailer. It didnt work great as a DD so i started buying beaters. Next upgraded to the F-350 diesel 2WD, best truck ever. The F350 does everything I want and since I have a beater I dont have to use it as a daily driver. You can certainly get away with less truck but the safest, most comfortable, and quickest way to tow is with the most truck you can afford.

Drive-gear.com

#40

currently i’ve found:
92 Ford F350 extended cab Dually 7.3 Diesel with 100k for 2,000
-or-
95 Chevy 3500 Dually single cab Diesel with no bed and a goosneck hitch for 3k.

Opinions on these?