I will probably be getting a tow vehicle once the honda goes full race car so I am in the market for one. What's something comfortable that is strong enough to pull a big enough trailor to put a car and spares on?

im trying to find something in the like 6-7k range.

thanks

 

Search Results

Your search for tow vehicle returned 102 results.

Please do a search. There is quite a bit of info about it in this forum alone!

 

thanks... i must of had recent tagged cause it didnt really come up with something.

thanks

 

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=862991
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1050738

here are two decent ones

I got a 95 F250 7.3L diesel for under 7K, it will pull just about anything

 

In that price range I've done pretty well with a V8 Grand Cherokee. Some issues (serpentine belt, starter, power steering pump), but overall it's done the job. It's also great for snowy days like today!

 

In reading your initial post I don't blame you for not doing a search...

Last year I bought a 94 Suburban 1500 with under 60K for 7300. So far I'm pretty happy with the purchase. So far I've towed the car, set of spare tires, lots of tools and pieces parts from the garage, my dad, wife and kiddie also all came along. Hills were obviously a little challenging, but shifting out of OverDrive (OD) to Drive (D) did the trick. Once I was back in flat NJ, I was fine back in OD.

Since I have an open trailer, the Suburban is perfect for lugging stuff around.

Good luck.

 

I have a explorer, check my sig

 

Diesel: it's what's for towing....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MaddMatt &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Diesel: it's what's for towing....</TD></TR></TABLE>


I can only agree! My 99 3500 Cummins Diesel.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JRDbuilt &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> What's something comfortable that is strong enough to pull a big enough trailor to put a car and spares on? </TD></TR></TABLE>

Get a 1/2 ton something with "at least" a V8. You should be able to get a fairly decent F150 (or similar Chev or Dodge) in your price range. If you up your budget to 10k, you'll do a lot better.

$.02

 

This year I am planning on purchasing a box truck, where we can basically have a rolling garage, workbenches, keep a lot of the tools and spares full-time in the truck, set up a couch, television, satellite, etc.

Not sure what kind of racing you're doing, but in rally where you need to be able to service your car and usually can't have a trailer with you, a box truck becomes a really good idea.

I think we're going to find that it is also going to have great utility for road racing as well.

Good news as well is that you can get them for well under $5k for a good running one.

I wouldn't recommend if you want a dual purpose, i.e. a truck you can drive around town with, but if you're looking for a tow vehicle, they are pretty useful.

-k

 

I have a 1997 Ford E350 with a Powerstroker for sale. I'm asking $10k obo. Awesome tow vehicle and you can even sleep in it very comfortably.

Good luck,

AJ

 

Diesels are the best for towing... Unfortunately diesel fuel is pretty damn expensive right now.

I'd love to own a diesel... maybe in a few months I'll get rid of the Ranger for something like a powerstroke.


Oh, by the way I have a '96 Explorer for sale right now... 5.0l V8, it will tow just fine! all the bells and whistles.. leather, cd player, moonroof, power everything.

 

Well mine wqas for sale but just decided to hold onto her.



Try to stay away from short wheelbase vehicles....much less stability
Diesel is the way to go.

 

Don't get yourself all in a "must have diesel or die" mindset. I've towed with a few things now and while diesels are nice (unstoppable, actually) a good 3/4 ton pickup with a good-sized gas motor in it will never do you wrong either. Especially if it's going to be your daily driver, and especially in that price range.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TeamSlowdotOrg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Don't get yourself all in a "must have diesel or die" mindset. I've towed with a few things now and while diesels are nice (unstoppable, actually) a good 3/4 ton pickup with a good-sized gas motor in it will never do you wrong either. Especially if it's going to be your daily driver, and especially in that price range. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Well, I've been in it since 1994 when I bought my first F350 with a PSD, I had a 99 and now have a 2001. You can stick to gas if you want but 450-500 lb-ft from 1500-3000 rpms is tough to beat. My truck is 6800 lbs and will get 22mpg @ 65 or 19mpg @75 unloaded so it's my daily driver too.

 

Most everyone on this board will say "don't bother with anything but a diesel" to someone asking what to do for a reasonably priced tow vehicle. There are plenty of great gas trucks out there too, and they're a lot cheaper to buy and can be cheaper to operate too, especially at the price point we're talking about where a diesel is likely to be nearing the end of its rope if it's selling for so cheap.

If you're willing to sell someone your rig for 7 grand, by all means, do it.

 

BTW, Diesel costs more in the winter due to heating fuel prices. In the summer it will be equal to or less than regular unleaded. At a point here a couple of weeks ago it was higher than premium but I just paid 1.79/gal and premium was 1.89/gal at the same truck stop.

 

Well.... im thinking about a tahoe with a 5.7. I looked up the tow capacity and it was 7000 pounds. and honestly i probably wont break half of that . I found one right at 6500 and it's got the options and a towing package. Along with ive put the "towing leaf springs" that help keep the vehicle stable under towing conditions with better suspension and i loved driving it. Plus knowing me ill probably put money into the tahoe like exhaust , programmer , rims ,...... stuff like that just to make me happy during street driving. plus the power stuff helps with gas mileage and helps towing .


this is just an idea.

 

I have a 97 Tahoe (5.7L V8). I had air shocks put in the rear to help with leveling the truck while towing. It does an ok job, and for dual purpose it's pretty hard to beat.

If you can, put your heavy stuff in the center of the truck when you load up. (Tools, tires, etc). I've found it makes a BIG difference in how it tows. Surprising, but true in my case. How did I discover this? Quite by accident. Noticed when I had my dog in the cargo part and my "stuff" on the folded down seats it towed much nicer than when I left the dog at home and put the "stuff" in the cargo area. Maybe the difference is the dog, but I think it's probably the weight placement.

FWIW, you'll hit 7000lbs pretty quickly. That's the trailer + truck + gear + you + dog + ...

Diane ~ who aspires one day to a diesel.

 

I'm a diesel guy myself, but would steer you clear of a diesel anything in the $7K range. The motor is likely to be fine, but the rest of the stuff around it, maybe not so much.

Stiffen up the rear suspension of a Tahoe like r2x has and I think you've got a fine tow vehicle. Something with a 5.7L motor also won't eat you out of house and home if you're driving the thing to work. An F-150, Dodge 1500 (5.9L only) or Chevy 1500 would do the job just fine as well.

My most important words of advice are to be patient and buy as much tow vehicle as you can afford. Towing is supposed to make track stuff easier, not more difficult. I'm with johng that you'll do a lot better if you budget $10K instead of $7K.

 

I have a 95 Tahoe with the 5.7 litr. I love the truck and if you plan using an open trailer it will be great. I got about 13 MPG with the open trailer. I added Edelbrock shock absorbers (highly recomend them) and added a leaf to the rear leaf springs (also highly recommended). Its a great truck. But, if you plan on getting an enclosed trailer any time soon I would not recommend it. I have a 24' box and the Tahoe has difficulty with it. 6-7 mpg and if there are hills it will only do 55-60 mph. Its a shame I really like the Tahoe but I think I will have to upgrade to a diesel or big block soon.