Help me bro. Trucks and tow stuff.

[!Zar!]

I am looking around for a beater truck/vehicle that I can use to haul my car around to events and such.

Right now I have no idea. Maybe something like a 1990~ toyota pickup like a t100.

I heard those little 22re's are workhorses and will get me to where I'm going (eventually) and still yield good gas mileage. Maybe the v6 version?

Ideally it would be around $3k.

Or throw down more for a v6 96+ 4runner?

I know nothing about trucks. I just need something to get my car around.

Also, feel free to post up your trucks and whatever tickles your inner bro.

[DataXUnknown]

The little 22RE will NOT be able to pull your car around from what I know. I had a 1994 Toyota Pickup, which is basically like a little t100 type truck, and just the weight to pull a car is too much for it. Yes they are workhorses and are the most reliable motor I've ever seen, but not so sure about towing things with it. I would grab something with at least a 6 cylinder

[lou's40sx]

22R's and RE's are great. My friend's friend is selling an 85" or 84" and it's a 4x4, repainted, the car has like 70,000k or so original miles on it. Clean, lifted a bit, I believe original owner. Wants $3,000 ish.

It's a fair price, but I am a sub-baller so it was pricey for me.

**Sub-baller = Under Low-baller.

[aoiken3]

i dont have a truck but i use the folk's 05 odyssey with a hitch i installed to tow my 240 around.

got the hitch at thehitchstore.com. great product and customer service

[TheWolf]

a 96 4 runner has a max tow capacity of 3500lbs.

That's not enough to tow a car. It may work for like local events but the brakes, suspension etc on the truck are not upto spec and your average open car trailer weighs about 1300-2000 lbs depending on what the deck is made out of. An aluminum one is nice but usually double the price. 2400lb 240.. + 1500lb of trailer is gonna put you in 4000lb range.

Best bang for your buck in your budget range was something we got. Old ford work vans. We bought a 2001 E350 Ford work van with like 178k on it. They've got long wheel base, the beefy 1 ton HD transmission, real brakes.. and the rear bumper tow hitch is rated to 7500lbs. Prewired for trailer for 3k. Hard to beat and makes a perfect car hauler vehicle.

Other than that, an old chevy pickup is your next bet. Most v6 vehicles won't get you 4000lbs. I mean they may do it.. a couple of times... but they won't do it forever.. and last thing you need is your tow vehicle breaking down on you.

[FaLKoN240]

You gotta V8 bro.

[Drifto95]

I would probably get ford explorer, they are cheap.

[altalti]

I would probably get ford explorer, they are cheap.

Can you say blown up transmission. Those things have crappy transmissions and rear ends wouldn't last 3 months towing a 240 100+ miles a week.

[stevenwhite1989]

I wouldnt do the toyota unless it is a V6, but if i was you and all you are doing is hauling, find an old F150, or jeeps with the straight 6, may not be good on gas but its going to be reliable, and tow whatever you need. Plus you could prob find one for pretty cheap

[sub9lulu]

Can you say blown up transmission. Those things have crappy transmissions and rear ends wouldn't last 3 months towing a 240 100+ miles a week.

the rear diff is fine
ford 8.8 last forever
tranny on the other hand :squint:

[codyace]

A few things to look at

1. Are you towing with a car dolley, open deck trailer, or enclosed

2. Make SURE you know the capacity of the above, and it's weight. If you have an open deck trailer, they obviously make good/bad/mid range types, and weights very between them all.

3. How far are you towing/how often?


Ultimately speaking, your best best would be to find (at least) an 1/2 ton (f150/1500 truck, or similar capacity vehicles, like Expeditions, or Suburbans. This way you have a decent vehicle to tow with, but also a vehicle that has brakes to support the towing, as well as the actual usability of it them. Sure the fuel milage will be a little worse than a v6 oriented truck, but when towing you'll have the good power to pull, instead of ruining that small engine.

Now there is also another option

If you don't tow much, check local borough auctions and similar type things. YOu can often find old 3/4 ton trucks/vans or even emergency vehicles (old ambulances are great tow rigs, tons of room!) for almost nothing.


Sorry for being long winded, but with a truck(and trailer) safety is key. A v6 small pickup is not ideal for towing anything this side of a lawn trailer

[D.Adams]

Do not get a 22r / RE to tow with.. My dad has a 89 yota with a 22re turbo and it was a pain in the ass to tow my car up Banning pass. If your looking for a tow truck you got to go V8 gas is going to suck but its a tow truck.

You can get a early 90's f150 HD with a 351 for less then $3k or a 90's chevy silverado with a 350 for $3k-$4k.

Find out your over all tongue weight and go from there. Most small trucks cant tow over 1600lbs

I dont know your location but some links to help

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/ctd/1772114241.html

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/1772102054.html



just for the lol's

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/cto/1766286568.html

[!Zar!]

Thanks for the input bro's.

Cody, a Ford Expedition was another possibility on my list, with the 5.4 triton v8 or whatever. Only thing that scared me was the amount of people who had replaced the transmissions by 70~100k miles.

So that would also put the Dodge Durango into play. They have like a 5.9 Magnum v8. That seems cool enough. I would like to get an astro rape van, but that seems too ghetto to daily around for me.

That's what appeals to me about the Expedition/Durango. They are just like a F150/Ram, but able to carry more like one passenger comfortably.

The hardest part of towing would be going through the Grapevine.

Sucks to hear the 4runner can't do a good job. Would be nice to not go completely broke on fuel. hahahah

[silviaguy240]

if you dont want to go broke on fuel dont go durango haha. i'd try to find an old 3500 work van or something similar that you can put tools and stuff inside/sleep in and have it locked up.

[sub9lulu]

LSx > * gas engine

u can probably find a 2wd v8 for under 4k
anything newer than 2000 will work

2001 GMC Sierra / Chevy Silverado Super Cab SLE Z71 +Bedcover (http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/ctd/1763434419.html)

[silviaguy240]

thats a good fucking deal

[g6civcx]

I use a Ram 1500. Can tow just about anything except for a full size enclosed trailer.

[0100]

Not sure what they are going for now, but I have a 97 E350 with a powerstroke. Got it for $9k like 5 years ago so they must be a lot cheaper now. The thing pulls like a rapped ape! Holds a ton of stuff. Plus you can sleep in the back at the track!

[0100]

Ford Bus (http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/1770273667.html)

Dually, diesel, runs on vegetable oil, party tow rig. Buy it!!

[!Zar!]

Yeah, those rape vans are pretty cool.
This one is tits.
http://i39.tinypic.com/1411s9v.jpg

I was going to buy a 00` f250xl Super duty with the extended cab, but the banks closed too early. So now I have to wait till Monday and hope dude doesn't sell it.

RAGE

Anyways, I would like to raise it up, but then once I do that I have to get one of those hitch drop things, and that murders my tow rating from like 6000 or whatever to like 900. hahahah

[Motoskin]

i believe to tow a car on an auto transport you'd at least need a 1 ton truck.. anything else is insufficient

[TheWolf]

i believe to tow a car on an auto transport you'd at least need a 1 ton truck.. anything else is insufficient

I believe you're wrong... weight is weight... look up half ton tow ratings..

[coww-cho!!!!!]

there was already a thread on this, i forgot what the verdict was but it was generally in your money range. also, my dad had a t-100 yea there ok trucks. the timing chain and i think head gaskets went out on them often, and people usually do swaps into them for more reliablilty, but they are hard to find since most use them as work trucks like doing landscapes and such. if i find the thread ill post it on here to help ya out

edit: found some threads.

http://zilvia.net/f/off-topic-chat/220386-i-need-truck.html

http://zilvia.net/f/off-topic-chat/234091-whats-your-track-whore-towing-vehicle.html

http://zilvia.net/f/chat/136430-who-knows-about-towing.html

http://zilvia.net/f/chat/131148-what-do-you-guys-tow-your-car.html

[DJPimpFlex]

Ford FTW. Mel you may remember my Rape Van I had a few years ago, '86 Ford E350 with a 7.6L V8. Thing was a monster. Gas mileage was SHITTY, but It got me to hella events.

Upgraded to my Excursion last year. Superballer tow vehicle. Nice inside and spacious.

Also my trailer is for sale very very soon if you're lookin for a flatbed trailer modified for lowered cars.

[!Zar!]

Yeah, I remember that thing; can't forget it being as how it helped save my ass.

Execution would be nice, but a bit too big for the city. So next step down would be an Expedition.

But my inner bro is pushing for a f250 or a silverado/sierra. Something extended cab. Just trying to wait out and see what pops up before I rush into something that needs more attention than the car is it hauling.

[DJPimpFlex]

Yeah, I remember that thing; can't forget it being as how it helped save my ass.

Execution would be nice, but a bit too big for the city. So next step down would be an Expedition.

But my inner bro is pushing for a f250 or a silverado/sierra. Something extended cab. Just trying to wait out and see what pops up before I rush into something that needs more attention than the car is it hauling.

Lol yea and that was before the trailer mods so we had to get a running start to push your shit onto the trailer. If you ever need a tow, offer is always there.

[SinGarage]

Old rapist vans are the best specially if it's diesel. I think ford has the 7.9 liter powerstroke. You can tow your toy and have all the spare rims/tires with tools in the back. You can lock those up and go race.

[drftwerks]

^
exactly what i told him.

[karl wasabi]

I use a '99 Ford Expedition with the 4.6L Triton V8. Really has no problems towing uphill on the 5 going to willow, just a little slow. Plenty of torque and it has pretty decent gas mileage. I could make it to willow and back while towing my 240 on a trailer in one tank. 200 mile round trip. I love it so far, only thing is the brakes. They could be better, then again I don't have a brake controller yet for the trailer. I know... it's bad. haha.

[!Zar!]

That is the original SUV I was looking at, but after reading about how they had transmission issues it made me kind of iffy. How's your mpg?

[0100]

They could be better, then again I don't have a brake controller yet for the trailer. I know... it's bad. haha.

Oh man that makes a huge difference, at least it did for me.

[axiomatik]

I've got a '97 Expedition with the 4.6L. It towed my 240 on a Uhaul flatbed from San Francisco to Iowa City (~2000 miles), and more recently from Iowa City to Atlanta (~800 miles). It's not super-fast while towing, but it is certainly adequate. It's at 175k miles and has been ridiculously reliable since I got it in '04 with 104k. In 6 years the only repair work I've done is replace the load-levelling rear air springs, replace an ABS sensor and recently replaced the alternator.

As for mileage, I don't remember what I got while towing, maybe about 13mpg on the highway? During normal driving, it gets about 13mpg in the city (90% city, 10% highway), and on the highway, I've gotten as high as 25mpg on one tank with the cruise set at 70 (between Nashville, TN and St. Louis, MO).

[R_G]

Well, like people have said. Stay away from a toyota if u want to tow. The older v6 and 22r's. I have towed alot of cars with toyotas and have always sucked. We would tow my buddys 240 from sacramento to salinas alot and we would use an old 91 f250 but it was 2 wheel drive and it was gas.
The old F 250 is ok but to much freaken gas, it was stable and did not feel the trailer sway. Towed also with a f-250 diesel 04 , freaken awesome. It was more stable and the trailer did not sway and we have been using the same trailer as before.
__ Towed to willow springs from salinas to rosamond with a nissan titan. To me the truck just waist a crap load of fuel and it sucks to tow. Same trailer we have used in the past was swaying , brakes where ok not the best as the previous f250's. The turning also on it compare to the f250 seems like it did not turn to well but this is just me saying because i could take sharper turns with the f250 as oppose to the titan.

Also have towed with a 03 chevy 2500 diesel, awesome truck. Brakes , power , and even the cabin have been great. I prefer a gmc or chevy instead of a f250 or a titan. The seats are so comfy as oppose the the f250 (i could not stand driving the f250 because of the seats) titans seats are ok not the best for me. Im 5'9 and im 180 lbs so its not like im a big dude.

I have towed alot but all in all . Get a truck that has the best power as always , fuel is always going to be a problem but your towing. Make sure the truck in comfortable for you.

Good luck.