Tow rig help

jeepermc · Apr 5, 2010

My tow rig is my daily driver... 97 F-350. But I commute from North Bend to kent every day. Your commute wouldn't be real nice with a diesel as said....But I'd at least consider a 3/4 ton for the duties you plan for it... My truck tows just fine over the pass, but I keep a close eye on the trans temp gauge... I don't like towing anything without knowing how warm the trans is getting... Depending on the year and model you decide on the 1/2 tons have come a long way in recent years but it's still not a 3/4 or 1 ton truck. And hell yes on trailer brakes... If I'm not mistaken most trailers that you could use for hauling a wheeler would be illegal in WA without brakes on all 4 wheels.

zukkev · Apr 5, 2010

A 5 minute commute?????????? Buy a moped...:redneck:
...... and get a DIESEL tow rig!!!!:awesomework:

Cole1 · Apr 5, 2010

Yeah the 5 min commute is pretty nice except my car takes about 10 min in winter to warm up so most the time its a cold drive.

It seems like everyone ive talked to with experiance towing and most people on the board here are saying the diesel is the way to go. Im definantly going to be getting a newer truck (04 or newer) since I want to keep it for a long time.

Mainly Ive driven powerstokes but its only every once in awhile but i like the look of the dodges and the interior is better laid out in my opinion.

Every one seems to piont out the trans temp as a big thing to look at while towing. Is there any other things I should be looking at when buying a used tow rig? Whats the main diffrence between getting a dodge diesel compared to a ford diesel? Is it just prefrence or whats the benefit of one or the other? Like I said previously anywere I tow is going to be over a pass of some sort so pulling the passes is a must.

Binder · Apr 5, 2010

jeepermc said:
If I'm not mistaken most trailers that you could use for hauling a wheeler would be illegal in WA without brakes on all 4 wheels.

You're correct. Trailers over 3000 lbs gross have to have brakes on all wheels with some specific exceptions.

Binder · Apr 5, 2010

Cole said:
Whats the main diffrence between getting a dodge diesel compared to a ford diesel? Is it just prefrence or whats the benefit of one or the other?

For the most part it's just personal preference.

Lucky Jeff · Apr 5, 2010

Binder said:
For the most part it's just personal preference.

you know that's not true.. For the trucks, yes. For the engine, no. Cummins lasts longer, gets better mileage, is stronger, and makes more power.

Now if we're talking NEW trucks, my statement is only half true.

Jeepasaurusrex · Apr 6, 2010

Them '11 Superduty's engine/trans combo is pretty awesome. :masturbanana[1]:

Jeepasaurusrex · Apr 6, 2010

BTW, I just drove my F350 down to SLC, Utah and back this last week. The ride was great. I left Marysville with a full tank, and stopped in Boise ID. for fuel, and still had a 1/4 tank left. On the return trip, I topped off in La Grand OR (Still had 1/4 tank from filling up in SLC, 528 miles covered) and made it home with just under 1/2 tank left.

CHOP SHOP · Apr 6, 2010

Binder said:
For the most part it's just personal preference.

this is correct when comparing new diesels. all electronic diesels have the pros and cons and none seem to be any better than the others.

now comparing electronic diesels to an older 12V cummins is a joke.
CUMMINS 12V, hands down winner.

If you own a electronic diesel, but it new and sell it before the warranty is up or go broke paying the repair bill.

Turtle Bite · Apr 6, 2010

I have towed my rig and trailer (almost exactly 7000lbs) for the last four years with newer chevy half tons (05-09), a 97 F150, a 5 speed powerstroke, and a 1-ton 6.2 diesel. Even though they are "rated" for 10k, or 7k, ect, the 3/4t are much safer and nicer. I put 8,000 miles on my F150 towing that 7k trailer, and I have stories to tell.

I just bought a 98' 12v dodge, but I daily drive a geo. It is nice to let it idle in the winter for 25 min and know it only cost me 10 cents.

I would look into buying a gas 3/4 ton, it will get nearly the same mileage as a 1/2 ton but the brakes and suspension are up to the task. They are dirt cheap compared to a diesel also.

TrikeKid · Apr 6, 2010

unclestripey said:
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Fuel doesn't cost that much more, and a diesel engine's longevity is 2 or 3 times that of a gas motor. If you're planning on keeping the truck for awhile, a diesel is the way to go. However Jeff's right, I wouldn't use it to commute if I lived less than 20 or 30 minutes from work.

Yeah, the fact they use twice as much oil has nothing to do with the maintenance costs.

For a 5 minute commute, pick a beater car. That short trip **** is hard on cars, pick something you don't like much. Picking up my geo is the best thing I've done for my wallet execpt maybe for quitting smoking, I drive ~300 miles a week and put 20 bucks in the thing every week and a half or so.

Binder · Apr 6, 2010

Lucky Jeff said:
you know that's not true.. For the trucks, yes. For the engine, no. Cummins lasts longer, gets better mileage, is stronger, and makes more power.

Bullshit!

unclestripey · Apr 6, 2010

TrikeKid said:
Yeah, the fact they use twice as much oil has nothing to do with the maintenance costs.

For a 5 minute commute, pick a beater car. That short trip **** is hard on cars, pick something you don't like much. Picking up my geo is the best thing I've done for my wallet execpt maybe for quitting smoking, I drive ~300 miles a week and put 20 bucks in the thing every week and a half or so.

Yer right--15 quarts @ say $5/qt = $75
8 quarts @ say $5/qt = $40

However.....Diesel's about $3/gal--Getting 20 mpg about $450/3000 miles
Mid grade unld $3/gal--Getting 15 mpg about $600/3000 miles

When I'm towing with my diesel I lose a couple mpg, towing with a gas rig you'll be lucky to get 10 mpg. I'll stick to the oil burner.

Lucky Jeff · Apr 6, 2010

Binder said:
Bullshit!

ok, what was bullshit? I'd love to hear this one....

Binder · Apr 6, 2010

Lucky Jeff said:
ok, what was bullshit? I'd love to hear this one....

All of it. You bring this kind of crap up every time someone talks about tow rigs and it gets shot down every time. Look up the specs of most any year Ford vs Dodge and you'll find they are very comparative in all categorys.
Lasts longer= BS. "stronger" WTF does that mean anyways? More power, better mileage.....look it up.

Lucky Jeff · Apr 6, 2010

Binder said:
All of it. You bring this kind of crap up every time someone talks about tow rigs and it gets shot down every time. Look up the specs of most any year Ford vs Dodge and you'll find they are very comparative in all categorys.
Lasts longer= BS. "stronger" WTF does that mean anyways? More power, better mileage.....look it up.

You have never shot me down. Have you been drinking? Sorry I didn't realize everyone on here kept their vehicles stock. Shame on me for thinking that.

YES they are stronger motors (takes more the grenade them, pretty simple explanation if you ask me), YES they get better mileage (Lets hear some of your mileage claims, or anyone you know with a Ford), YES they make more power (need me to copy and paste the lists from CompD about who's making what HP?) and YES they last longer (WAY more high mileage Dodges out there that needed much fewer and CHEAPER repairs over that mileage).

But like I said, the NEW trucks are a crap shoot, they have so much crap piled onto those good motors that it causes all kinds of problems, for all three. Chevy, Ford and Dodge are all making great numbers now. Although mileage numbers are falling. But Ford takes an insane amount of nitrous to keep up with the other two.

If you want to talk stock for stock, have at it. But it seems to me, in an automotive forum, people stray away from stock for the most part.

Binder · Apr 6, 2010

Lucky Jeff said:
If you want to talk stock for stock, have at it. But it seems to me, in an automotive forum, people stray away from stock for the most part.

Maybe you haven't noticed but this is a tow rig forum and your :rb: dyno **** doesn't matter here. Yes you have to compare stock to stock because modified you get whatever you want so what's the point? Modified to modified towing there is nothing special about a Dodge.
Like I said, look the stuff up for yourself and let us know what you find?:corn:
Until then quit gaying up this guys thread.

Lucky Jeff · Apr 6, 2010

Binder said:
Maybe you haven't noticed but this is a tow rig forum and your :rb: dyno **** doesn't matter here. Yes you have to compare stock to stock because modified you get whatever you want so what's the point? Modified to modified towing there is nothing special about a Dodge.
Like I said, look the stuff up for yourself and let us know what you find?:corn:
Until then quit gaying up this guys thread.

I've been around diesels for a little while. Pretty damn sure I know a bit more about what they can and have done. You're still dumb enough to think that heavily modified diesels can't tow. You can sit there and believe that all your truck can do is barely get out of a pintos way and do nothing else. Nobody else has to believe that.

I stated a fact. I am not trying to talk the guy out of buying a Ford. MOST people won't do what someone like me wants. You just felt the need to bitch about something that is quite obvious. Unless you know of a lot of Dodges with Powerstroke swaps?