PUBLIC FORUMS => General Discussion => Topic started by: xjh3 on July 14, 2011, 01:47:14 PM
Title: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on July 14, 2011, 01:47:14 PM
http://buffalo.craigslist.org/cto/2493066948.html
Thinking about something like this. Would I really hate not having 4x4? I like the utility a van offers over a pickup. I like Mark\'s setup, but I could see my Jeep outgrowing a confined space eventually. Yes, I know it will suck to work on.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: Wingman on July 14, 2011, 05:36:08 PM
Open trailers are fine until your wheeler is open to the elements (aka no windows). I\'ve loved the extra storage and versatility of being enclosed. A van has a lot of good points. Mike Wolf went with the van but uses it for business as well.
...but, you\'ll have $$$ tied up in a van AND trailer.
Will you miss 4x4? I haven\'t yet but I don\'t do much during the winter when it would be needed most. I\'m old.
Not sure how you\'d grow out of a confined space like truck or enclosed trailer unless you\'re going full-size. Some secrets you\'ve been keeping from us?
Best thing about all this is that you can go one direction for a while, then change your mind according to your needs and get something different. It\'s only temporary.
:two cents:
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: kempracing on July 14, 2011, 08:34:12 PM
There is a ford cube van with a V10 motor on Mckee rd in rochester that I thought about , the guy only wants 1800 for it , I think that would be a great way to haul a jeep to the trails
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: Wingman on July 15, 2011, 06:51:18 AM
Just make sure you account for the weight of your anticipated load. An E350 only has a cargo capacity of about 2500lbs. When I was looking, it was for E450 or C4500 and up.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: MrMindless on July 15, 2011, 09:47:24 AM
Mike Universal has been towing with retired fleet vans through three or four vans. Works for him.
I haven\'t missed 4x4 in the last year but a couple of times and have only been stuck once (hooked a landscape rock with the rear axle) - but I\'ve got a lot of tractive effort and very aggressive tires which have been put to full use.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: smichaelR22 on July 15, 2011, 02:15:42 PM
ill never have a tow rig that isnt 4x4, i use to say its fine, but it isnt.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: MrMindless on July 15, 2011, 02:21:57 PM
I used to say no way you could pay me to take a 4x2 tow pig, but after living with it for 11 months so far..... I\'ve been lucky.
If you don\'t ever go to BackCountry\'s land in Bath in the spring, and don\'t have bad luck on wet grass, and if it\'s cheap enough.... maybe.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: Wingman on July 15, 2011, 03:03:57 PM
Bath is close enough to drive to (if streetable), wet grass just needs more momentum, and I\'m cheap! Did I cover all those? :-D
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on July 15, 2011, 05:36:22 PM
Throw a lunchbox locker in it? Ha... Can\'t be a good idea for towing. Would run something more aggressive tire wise in the rear though.
The research I\'ve done says the payload capacity for an E350 is a little over 4100lbs. Mark, where did you find 2500lbs? Towing is 10000lbs which is obviously adequate for one Jeep.
I see my Jeep sitting on some D60 front/fullwidth combo *someday*... When depends on a lot of things. Probably not in the near enough future for me to be worrying about whether it will fit in/on something right now. Another thing I like about van vs truckvan is having something still relatively drivable and parkable. However, I do really like the simplicity of no trailer.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: Wingman on July 15, 2011, 08:26:38 PM
When you start looking at cube vans, they have a weight sticker in/on them. I think the cube van is a little heavier than the regular van. That might eat some of that number. I was a little surprised. I also wanted a little leeway, too. My wreck weighs in at 4000lb.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: k9keeper on July 17, 2011, 06:36:48 AM
We use the van to go to dog shows (often parking in fields), haul dog food for the kennel, and tow. It has a limited slip in the rear. The first dog show we went to we got stuck in the wet grass field they were parking us in. 1 high school kid gave us a push to get us on our way.
When backing up the whole trailer disappears behind the van walls. You have to get used to using the mirrors, but it means you can only see the trailer from 1 point of view.
Using it as a camper, we had to remove all our gear from the van to use it to sleep in. That said I had 3 in there with air mattress and a bench seat. I am thinking of building a platform to put gear under.
Those are the down sides. Overall towing with the diesel is awesome. Easy on the skinny pedal and I have gone through places others have had problems. With snow tires on it, it was driven weekly all winter and never stuck. It does the little hill beside the kennel while the front wheel drive caravan slides.
The biggest factor for us was the dogs. With a pickup they would get roasted if there is a cap, subject to exhaust without one, and no access to A/C. So far 4wd is needed occasionally, its a matter of where you drive it.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: Ryan_25 on July 17, 2011, 07:14:27 PM
Dont ever buy a Ford V-10, the 5 mpg toeing would get old after the first trip.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on July 18, 2011, 12:38:14 PM
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on July 18, 2011, 06:15:01 PM
That actually does look like a great deal! How much fun are the hills on 81 going to be towing with that though? I wanna diesel...
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: Wingman on July 18, 2011, 08:35:05 PM
Most of the \"big roads\" keep the grade pretty reasonable. No worries...
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: smichaelR22 on July 19, 2011, 07:47:58 AM
just remember all diesels are not a like....
hills arent too bad if stay off 901 and 54, which for me uses the same amount of fuel but cuts off about 20 minutes and 15 miles or so
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: MrMindless on July 19, 2011, 08:36:53 AM
I don\'t know if you can still tow heavy with the 15 pass extended vans. I suppose with a weight distributing hitch it\'d all be good
that rusty of a frame seems odd with a clean body. Probably 8mpg towing with that sucker but I\'m sure it\'d get the job done as long as it\'s got 4.10s.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: smichaelR22 on July 19, 2011, 11:28:59 AM
id put a futon and a fridge, sink in that baby
if your spending that much, it takes a while for fuel economy to catch up
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: k9keeper on July 21, 2011, 06:17:13 AM
You need to look at the frame of the extended van. Some vans have an extension added to the frame. They are not as good for towing. You want to make sure it is an extended frame. My GMC is rated for 10k
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: luvmyxj on July 21, 2011, 05:37:35 PM
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: smichaelR22 on July 22, 2011, 01:08:53 PM
both nice! it the dullie had 4x4 id be trading up!
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on July 22, 2011, 07:44:23 PM
Checked out church van today. Not as mint as the pics may indicate, but not bad. Body had some bubbles coming through on the rockers. The underside didn\'t look too bad, nothing worse than you\'d expect for a 96 in NY with the exception obviously being the steering box area. Just The driver\'s side though, passenger side looked great actually. The frame looked good in the back (I think?) and already had a hitch on it.
Biggest concern I have is that it\'s a 1500 with the 5.2. I don\'t know about towing with that. I was hoping for at least 2500 with the 5.9... Maybe swap in a heavier duty rear end?
Not looking to spend $10k... I love the E350 though. Looks better than the original one I found. Really like the idea of a cheap fixer upper but dependability is somewhat important here.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: Spencer on July 22, 2011, 09:26:50 PM
i\'m not sure how i feel about towing a jeep with the 5.2L. i told you about the time i towed a subaru on a uhaul transport from baltimore to school right? that was 1900lb trailer with a 3200 car. it pulled ok through the mountains but definitely got hot. the only thing i really worried about was the trans. i assume the one in the van can take a lot more than my baby 42re. and what rear end does it have? i\'m guessing an 8.75?
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on July 24, 2011, 12:25:43 PM
Pretty much decided not to go the church van route. I know Ryan says stay away from the V-10, is it really that bad? This seems like it could be a steal if it doesn\'t have 300k on it... Waiting an email back.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: MrMindless on July 24, 2011, 12:32:58 PM
8.75 hasn\'t been used since the muscle car era.
Should have a 9.25\" rear and a 46RE trans. With 4.10 or 3.92 gears it\'d probably do okay but that\'s a lot of van to move in addition to the Jeep. I wouldn\'t pass over a 2500 because of a 318 but I might pass over the 1500 just because it\'s a 1500. I\'m surprised they built a 15 passenger half ton.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: MrMindless on July 24, 2011, 12:37:11 PM
1 ton is the better way to go.
the Ford motors like to have plugs seize in the aluminum heads, and like to eventually spit plugs out too. Kinda crappy but repairable with a helicoil. Just wrecks the threads usually.
The biggest issue with the v10 is you\'ll be getting 6-7 mpg. Hope it has a big tank :)
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on July 24, 2011, 07:58:25 PM
240k. Too much for a gasser I\'m thinkin, especially when I don\'t really want a gasser. Gonna try to go look at the black E350 soon but it\'s in freakin Andover.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: Wingman on July 29, 2011, 06:37:57 PM
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on September 04, 2011, 09:29:18 PM
Mark, how long is the box on the Crawler Hauler? There\'s a lot in the 12-16ft range, then it seems to jump up to 22ft or more...
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: Wingman on September 05, 2011, 06:46:07 AM
18\'. TJs with spare are 14\' so it leaves a little room to move around. Also leaves almost all the weight over the rear axle in my case. Not that that matters...
I was looking for 16\' and over but the 16\' had to have the \"attic\". Definintely leave a little room to spare.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on September 07, 2011, 07:23:09 PM
This caught my eye...
http://buffalo.craigslist.org/cto/2561336048.html
It\'s no Cummins or Powerstroke, but it\'s a diesel :)
Kind of the same line of thinking as a van. Lots of room, but 4x4. Talked to the seller, it was in FL until 2005 and has little rust. Needs a muffler and tailpipe, but I plan to immediately straight pipe it anyway. Has brake controller already setup. He didn\'t seem like the price was firm. Going to look Friday.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: Callelle on September 07, 2011, 10:03:48 PM
<3 duraburbs
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: Wingman on September 08, 2011, 06:03:01 AM
pre-Duramax were were big heavy slugs. I wouldn\'t.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: MrMindless on September 08, 2011, 09:03:19 AM
6.5 is almost as much of a pile as a 6.2.
the price is right for a rust free HD burb, if it sucks out loud it\'s not a bad candidate to swap a good motor into, or sell and not lose much.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on September 08, 2011, 10:48:04 AM
Pretty much my thinking Mike. I don\'t think it will be hard to get out of it if I hate it. I looked all over and couldn\'t find a running one for under $4k, all with 250k.
My dad\'s friend is a seasoned GM mechanic and does all the dealership\'s light and heavy duty diesel work. He said they get a bad rap but aren\'t bad. He said biggest thing is burning up the PMD due to heat, and there are many kits to relocate it.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: Ryan_25 on September 08, 2011, 08:19:28 PM
I would rock that burb all day.
Go for it.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on September 08, 2011, 09:26:46 PM
Thanks Callelle and Ryan. I don\'t know why Mark\'s hating on the Burb. Haha
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: MrMindless on September 08, 2011, 09:52:47 PM
Quote
xjh3 wrote: I don\'t know why Mark\'s hating on the Burb. Haha
because of his impeccable taste, no doubt.
hahaha
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on September 08, 2011, 11:17:19 PM
Idk Mike, I read all over the 6.5 forums that they can outpull Cummins with some work.
J/K
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: Wingman on September 09, 2011, 07:07:49 AM
I\'ve never heard anyone say anything good about the 6.2 or the 6.5. The words \"anchor\" and \"turd\" are often associated with them. But, hey, the military used them in the humvee. Go figure.
Now, the real \"Dura\'burb\" conversion... I\'d do that in half a heart beat! I love my wife\'s Yukon XL and the Duramax would the yummy icing! Too bad it\'s only a 1500.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on September 11, 2011, 07:33:50 PM
The Burb was mechanically sound, but lacking in the interior/exterior dept. One rocker is gone, rest is OK with fading paint. Interior is typical for a 94 with 165k. Not a $2800 truck. My buddy\'s dad ran the scanner and though it ran good. He suggested offering $1500 in a few weeks if he still had it.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on September 13, 2011, 07:30:24 PM
Looked at this today. Power was worlds better. Body was in OK shape but will probably be rotting through within a couple years. 148k miles, started right up after sitting for 3 weeks. Drove straight and smooth and shifted good. Mileage will suck but such is life.
Thoughts? I don\'t have a ton of experience with the 7.4/4L80E but I generally think of mid 90s GM drivetrains as being pretty reliable.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: MrMindless on September 13, 2011, 09:58:12 PM
Ryan had that exact same truck 2 tow rigs ago.
really not sure how it treated him, he got his for a song with a bad rearend, and smike got him some injectors for it and he got it tuned... not really sure how it pulled /drove /etc.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: smichaelR22 on September 14, 2011, 01:03:44 AM
it was a pile even after throwing free parts at it and tuning it up. get a cummins, no debate.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on September 14, 2011, 05:14:46 PM
Cummins are out of my price range. Plus, I really want a large SUV or van. I\'m not looking for or expecting diesel performance. Unless they are incredibly problematic, I don\'t see how I could go wrong for that price.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on September 18, 2011, 03:50:03 PM
Well I finally actually bought something.
1996, 2500, 7.4. $2900 with no rust.
Gonna rent a Uhaul trailer to get my to Jeep CT then trailer shop once I\'m settled.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: MrMindless on September 19, 2011, 09:35:45 AM
nice!
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: Wingman on September 19, 2011, 01:23:26 PM
score!
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on December 21, 2011, 03:30:58 PM
I\'ve been working on this thing getting it up to snuff for it\'s maiden Rausch voyage. I\'ve quite conveniently arranged a borrow-to-own situation on a trailer with a guy here in CT.
Future plans: http://www.4btswaps.com/forum/showthread.php?17529-1996-Suburban-Cummins-12V-Conversion-Build-up-with-pics I was surprised at how painless this looked compared to what I was imagining. No Dumpbus, but still pretty sweet.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: Ryan_25 on December 21, 2011, 03:46:38 PM
I had one of those, it was a 97.
It towed very well and it had lots of room to sleep. I think I got around 10mpg towing an open trailer and my Samurai. I towed my enclosed with it and dropped the MPG to 6, so it had to go.
Nice find.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on December 21, 2011, 03:51:32 PM
10mpg? I\'d be very happy with that from a big block towing. Did you do performance work to it? I was thinking exhaust and possibly a tune, but not much else. Just keep it reliable. It has fresh fluids/filters, replaced some crusty brake lines, and am ditching the leaky injectors now. Once I\'m done, I think it\'ll be ready! Trans temp gauge and cooler soon.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: Ryan_25 on December 21, 2011, 03:51:59 PM
Best thing I did was send the computer out to get a tune.
http://www.wait4meperformance.com/
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on December 21, 2011, 04:16:14 PM
If I decide to do it, that\'s where I would send it for sure. Read lots of good reviews and it seemed reasonably priced. Did you just tell him to work his magic to make it tow well with decent mpg?
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: rejeep on December 21, 2011, 05:56:42 PM
i have a trailer going down to CT next weekend if you want.. I would only charge you a small fee for the trip..
let me know aschochat!@hahnauto.com
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: Ryan_25 on December 21, 2011, 10:23:28 PM
Yea, I just told Jess what I was using it for and he programmed it up. It felt like it added 100hp to it.
I just had the one done for my 6.0 in the buggy as well, cant wait to get that going and see what its like.
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on December 22, 2011, 08:28:30 AM
Awesome. Can\'t wait.
Arie, not totally sure what you mean but my Jeep is already here and I\'ve got a trailer I can borrow. Thanks though!
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: rejeep on December 22, 2011, 09:45:07 AM
got it.. from the earlier post i wasnt sure if its still there (CT) or here (NY).
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: xjh3 on December 22, 2011, 12:57:38 PM
Ryan,
How man miles were on yours? Did you ever do intake manifold gaskets? I\'m losing a little coolant and I think I\'m going to replace them while I have the intake half apart anyway to do injectors. From what I\'ve read, they\'re notoriously problematic.
Anything else preventative you would suggest other than the obvious fluids and stuff?
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: smichaelR22 on December 22, 2011, 02:04:12 PM
we did so much work on that pile, or was that the 7.3 pile i cant remember lol
Title: Re: Tow Rig?
Post by: smichaelR22 on December 22, 2011, 02:17:42 PM
harrison, talk to me about parts before you buy anything engine wise
