Noob tow rig questions

[sixstringsteve]

how tough is that swap? I've never even swapped the motor on a lawnmower, and I [obviously] don't know the first thing about diesels.

 

[Houndoc]

Mine is hte diesel.

And that '72 is sweet!

 

[sixstringsteve]

I want a 4x4, right? Do they tow differently than a 2wd?

 

[Corban_White]

They tow exactly the same.................right up until you get stuck. Or the road gets icy.

 

[sixstringsteve]

So I've decided that I'm not capable enough to do a cummins swap. I'd love to buy a rig already swapped, but I can't handle it myself. So that narrows it down a bit.

 

[SmokinCamel]

That Chev is beautiful. The old 12v Cummins are awesome. One of the best diesel motors ever made in my opinion.

 

[sixstringsteve]

How do you think theat chev would tow a two-rig trailer if needed? It pretty much looks like it's built to tow. I'm really leaning towards that chev. It'd be ok to DD, not too long, classy, fun, small (I could probably park it in the garage if needed). ANd i'll bet it'll handle my tow needs every month or so.

I could drive the '81 toyota to work everyday if I needed, i'm sure it gets twice the gas mileage of the '72. I just wanna sell my truck soon so I can snag that chev before it's gone...

 

[Houndoc]

I want a 4x4, right? Do they tow differently than a 2wd?

I would say yes. Last week I found it very handy when getting up what would normally have seemed like only a moderately steep dirt road that would not even got my attention. Its a lot different with 9,000 pounds tied on behind you!

 

[sixstringsteve]

Ok, 4wd is definitely a must for me, especially if it'll be my snowboarding vehicle.

 

[SmokinCamel]

As a truck driver, I will never tow with a gas motor ever again. Diesel's are made to tow and run. That Chev would have the horsepower to pull, but it will suck down the fuel to do it. Diesel has the torque to run without the excess rpm's to do it. And if you plan on running a dual crawler trailer in the future. The exhaust brake is a major advantage. I have one on mt dodge and use it quite alot when towing the crawler. And even with just the camper in the bed. Trying to stop all that weight coming down Parley's or Soldier Summit will heat up and wear your brakes really fast. I just flip a switch and drop a gear. Every now and then a tap of the brake to keep my speed in check. Give me a call and we will run up Parley's in my dodge with the crawler in tow. I'll show you how much of advantage the exhaust brake is

 

[sixstringsteve]

the seller says the chev gets the same mileage whether it's towing or not. (9-12mpg) Not sure if I buy it, but it's hard to imagine getting less than 9 mpg.

I'd love a reliable diesel if the rest of the truck were reliable. What I'm seeing is that I can buy an old dodge with a reliable motor, but the tranny isn't as reliable, and the interior, fit, finish, brakes, and little things are going to go out on me and nickel and dime me to death. I need the whole package.

 

[sixstringsteve]

It sounds like I've got my mind set on the Chev. I do like it, but I'm flexible and teachable. Reality is I'm trying to find the balance between my wallet, dd needs, and tow needs. And it need it to be reliable in all aspects, where I won't be replacing injectors and sensors and ball joints, and everything else within the first year of owning it. School me guys...

 

[SmokinCamel]

My dodge is an 01. It had 50,000 miles on it when I got it 05. it now has 178,000 on it. Last year alone I put 70,000 on it just in 6 months when I was towing a 24' inclosed trailer to Twin Falls 5 nights a week. The only things I have fixed were the ball joints and the rear drive line bearing. Since it is a long bed it has the long shaft. And Brakes which is a given thing. I get between 17-22 mpg normal driving with some short shifting and 10 mpg with the camper and crawler in tow. That's 18,500 lbs total gross. 14 mpg with just the crawler. And this is to Moab.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I would love an '01 with 50k on it. Problem is, all the 2001s in my price range all have 170k+. Do I just need to be more patient? I don't need a 4-door, and extended cab would be fine for me.

 

[sixstringsteve]

This one looks good, but way out of my price range:
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=0&nid=443&tab=list/view&ad=3111314

This one's going to be too big for a DD:
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=0&nid=443&tab=list/view&ad=3105290

And this one looks decent, but it's a single-cab.
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=0&nid=443&tab=list/view&ad=3046278

I can't find any in my price range with less than 130k.

If I towed for a living, or towed more than once or twice a month, then I'd pony up and get a big one, but the reality is that I'll only tow it to Moab about 4 times a year, and st george once or twice a year. The rest will be out to 5 mile or little moab. Although I do plan on towing to the Rubicon next year.

 

[SmokinCamel]

mileage for a diesel is different than a gas vehicle. Semi's are made to go for very long times. my 01 Freightliner had a Detroit in it. When my boss decided to changes trucks around and he took mine. It had 988,000 miles on it. I so wanted to see it to a million. It had its hard times. Replaced the turbo, water pump, injectors. But that motor ran as strong as the newer ones. Yes the other parts of the truck can will go bad with time. There is no way around that. Just depends how well it was taken care of from past owners.

 

[Greg]

I should keep my mouth shut, but...

After owning 3 Dodge diesels, if I ever buy an American diesel truck again it will be a GM w/ a Duramax. The only thing the Dodges have going for them is the Cummins, the rest of the truck is severely lacking IMO. My '03 Dodge was the biggest pile of sh!t I've ever owned (and that's saying a lot), there were times I wished it would have burned to the ground.

I'm not a Ford fan, but those older trucks with the 7.3l are pretty good trucks, all the high & low points have been hit on so no need to repeat what has already been said.

Here's to hoping that someday Toyota will bring over a Hino diesel in the Tundra.

If you can live with a gasser truck, the GM 6.0 trucks are pretty decent, for gas. I wouldn't even think about trying to tow with the older Chevys, especially with the TH400. I owned a 3/4 ton Chevy, TBI 350, TH400 and it drank the fuel like crazy. Just driving around town and not really going anywhere, I was filling the tank every 3-4 days... at $50 a tank. I owned that truck for less than a month before I decided that was a bad idea.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Here's to hoping that someday Toyota will bring over a Hino diesel in the Tundra.

I think we all hope that. I can find a duramax in my price range...

My neighbor has a concrete business and he said the duramax is their longest lasting truck with the least maintenance required (vs their other 01-08 3500 dodges and fords).

Thanks for the input on fuel mileage Greg.

 

[SmokinCamel]

I will say the newer Duramax's are nice. Way better ride then the dodges. Interior is nice too. While working with my last boss, they had a 04 and it had 323,000 when it started finally goin down hill.

And yes I can't wait for a diesel from toyota. I hate American vehicles. Only reason I own a Dodge is cause of the diesel motor.

 

[sixstringsteve]

why is this one so cheap?

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=0&nid=443&tab=list/view&ad=3112309