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Roberto
Banned
Posts: 2162
Registered: 9-5-2003
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Pompano
This is great and very timely topic.
Help me build a tow truck:
I am in need of a The Perfect Tow Vehicle for pulling/stopping a 16,000lb-plus load over hill and dale. (BTW, Does anybody REALLY know what a dale
is?)
Have:
2000 Dodge 2500, 5.9L 24-valve fuel-injected Cummins
4X4 Quad-Cab
5 spd manual transmission, 2 spd transfer case w/ 4X4 shift-on-the-fly
3.54 axle ratio, tranny cooler, anti-spin differential, skid plate,
fog lamps hvy duty gas shocks, trailer group, LT245/75R16E all-season tires, rear wheel anti-lock brakes,
8ft long box, Line-X full coat
single rear wheel,
mileage now is over 200,000. Will keep as extra truck, no worthwhile trade-in value left.
So, as said...I need something capable of hauling/stopping around 16,000lbs.
My question to you trailer haulers....What would be your replacement?
Choices are:
2500 to 5500 series of:
Ford
Dodge
GMC
or:
Heavy duty truck(Volvo, Peterbuilt, Freightliner, etc.)
(or 2-3 Toyota Tundras!!  |
Pompano - for that kind of weight, you are going to need a Medium Duty Truck (MDT). A pickup is not going to give you the safety you talk about.
I would check the forums at rv.net and other such places. There are plenty of builders that will deliver a great rig based on the International 4700
or FL-60. Also, this might be an option: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-F650-Supercrewzer-Showha... .
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9006
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
Member Is Offline
Mood: Inquisitive
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Man, what a headache......
.......all that towing is gonna be, Pomp.
Are you sure it doesnt make more sense to store some of that (maybe a basic boat, the hunting stuff, etc.) in proximity to your hunting areas and then
PAY someone with a big rig to haul it to your site (s) each year?
And then have a similar basic trailer/boat for Baja?
It would certainly be no fun to tow that whole rig from Mulege to Montana every year.
Or, if you could just get Felipa to settle for a 5er just 3-4k lbs less, your current vehicle would work.
Like you said, the thought of what you could do with the "savings" of purchasing a new truck is daunting. A boat for the Great North that you store up
there and a nice 23 foot Edgewater or Mako CC for Baja.
And you'd still be mucho pesos ahead and your "pucker factor" way down.
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Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
Member Is Offline
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We went for the other alternative;
F350 crew with canopy and racks with boat loader, towing as long a trailer as you like (ours is 24').
You just need the transom wheel mounts and a tongue connection and you're all set. Of course this only works for boats up to 16' but then, you can
take it anywhere without beating it up.
I don't like the fifth wheel taking up the truck bed. We need the canopy for storage and dogs.
Considering the places you like to go, I'd think the DRW trucks might cramp your style ! Can you remove the outside wheels and fenders on those
things ?
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