natedawg

Dodge 12v diesel. I'd go for something in 95-98.5 but older ones are good too. Reliable all mechanical no electric bullshit. Just get a 5spd. I got my 98 quad cab 4x4 short bed 5spd 12v for $8700. Stole it should be in the 12-16k range.

Best part is mods are basically free turn some screws you have another few hundred hp and pounds of tq. You are seeing everyone swap the 12v in the newer trucks espcs fords. Its know as the million mile motor!

Mpg is great to I get 20mpg with a 4x4 and only a K&N filter. Theres guys getting 23 with a 4x4 and high 20s with a 2wd. Check out the new diesel power mag they built a 800ish whp/tq dodge that got 27mpg.

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

So OP needs an 8500# truck to pull a 2200# car and 1000# trailer?

curly

iTrader: (25)

12v:

V12:


Big difference.

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

I think he meant 12 valve.

Savington

iTrader: (31)

Probably not, but towing a 4000lb (1800lb trailer + 2200lb car) tandem-axle flatbed with a 4000lb V6 SUV-ette on a regular basis would suck ***.

I maintain that the smallest thing I would own specifically for towing a car trailer would be a half-ton pickup. F150 Ecoboost = capitalist victory

bikersam717

iTrader: (5)

12valve:

Seefo

iTrader: (5)

12v 6-cylinder diesel, 6.0L...
This thing sounds ------- ancient.

jmann

+1 car dolly if gas milage is an issue.

GeneSplicer

iTrader: (14)

Now I have 2 FI vehicles to worry about! Picking her up friday...
2001 Excursion Limited, 7.3L (of course) 190k on the odo, 2wd - VERY clean inside and out (I love southern vehicles), has the programmable superchip installed, bla bla bla... tow-tuned at 350rwhp/600ftlbs -$8900 (selling the '06 GMC, after paying the loan off on it, I'll be debt-free car payment wise)

nickt93

iTrader: (5)

Now THAT is a tow rig!

Should have no problem at all pulling the new enclosed trailer.

Mobius

iTrader: (2)

Sweet. Run it on biodiesel and tell the Prius owners how you have a lower carbon footprint than they do.

vtjballeng

iTrader: (1)

I tow a 2500lb Miata in a 2000lb enclosed trailer (read: mobile air brake) with gear, people, tools, etc in a 2010 Tacoma 4x4 V6 Long Bed on a regular basis. It pulls no problem and has a better power to GCWR than older fullsize trucks (as nearly all modern vehicles do after the recent horsepower explosion in the 2000s). A nice brake controller that just plugs into the stock harness and an equalizer hitch make it super easy.

I will likely go with the F150 ecoboost for the 8x20 trailer in the future as I will go over the Tacoma GCWR.

I am continuously amazed at US tow ratings. I go to Germany and see your average german wagon pulling full size campers, look at the tow ratings and realize that our tow recommendations are a mix of massive american overkill and badly needed tort reform.

For the OP, I vote midsize truck with a tent (you can get one for most trucks that fit in the bed). This way you can still put fuel in the bed and carry nasty stuff and just throw stuff in the bed when/if you need to. 4x4 is only useful for pulling into wet, muddy lots at some track infields. WD hitch should not be necessary, brake controller and full brakes are highly recommended.

cucamelsmd15

Youre probably already there. If youre not over your GCWR, I would be really surprised. If you havent weighed the truck and trailer, loaded as youre towing it, you probably should. Its eye opening. You should probably check your GAWR, because thats the one that really sneaks up on people (and the one most people dont bother to check).

Mobius

iTrader: (2)

Words cannot describe the awesomeness of this tow vehicle. Pull up to an event in this bad boy, and your opponents will know the ashen taste of fear in their mouths. Or is that the oil you're burning?

vtjballeng

iTrader: (1)

I checked last season. Well under GCWR. Would be over GAWR fully loaded with people IF I didn't have my equalizer WD hitch. Which I do.

Mine is the extreme case of towing with a mid-size and the OP would have a lot more headroom with an open, lighter trailer and lighter car. If I went from a 7x16 2000lb dual axle trailer to the 8x20 ~3200lb dual axle trailer that I want (which I would stuff a LOT more gear in), I would go over both GCWR and GAWR.

So, at the moment, it gets the job done and I don't need a monster truck in my garage or a second vehicle as the tow vehicle is also the dd. WD hitch and a great brake controller are mandatory however.

k24madness

iTrader: (6)

1993 Land Cruiser with locking diffs. Rated to tow 5k. Should be perfect for my 3k Miata/trailer combo.

Solid rust free example with upgraded 4.88 diff gears. Motor & Trans refreshed by dealer. Full axle service and suspension upgrade by PO.

Fails SMOG so I paid $2,500. I have a friend who knows these inside and out. He says the problem is minor.

After my trip to Moab last year in said friends Land Cruiser I have been looking for one of these. With his 4.88 gears and locking diffs there was very little we could not climb.

mr_hyde

iTrader: (4)

I took my rig to MRLS from Seattle which is around 1,000 miles each way. As I think was mentioned earlier in the thread, I'm pulling a $700 tandem axle with a $1,200 '91 F150 with a 300/6. Before I left, I did basic maintenance to the truck and did the rear brakes ($30/pair shoes, $10/side wheel cylinders, $6 adjustor kits). I got at average of 14.7 mpg down and back on 87 gas. The drive includes a trio of fairly respectable mountain passes. A flat foot run from the base of one mountain to the peak of a second got me down to 11.6 mpg (dual tanks let's me track mileage very specifically). I got a high of 15.9 mpg on a long flat section which is one or two mpg less than I get driving around town.

Moral of the story: You can put together a pretty functional tow package on a modest budget and put the bigger bucks on the track.

chpmnsws6

iTrader: (12)

K24- just remember, the more gear the axle has, the weaker it gets. That's why I'm still on stock gears with the XJ

k24madness

iTrader: (6)

In theory yes. After seeing what my friend Rick did with his FZJ80 at Moab using the same gears I am not concerned. It's a popular mod with the FZJ80 crowd. I have not read about anyone having problems on the IH8MUD forums. They do however suffer from stripped front hubs on the early style axles. Mine are the upgraded late style.

shuiend

iTrader: (24)

I now have a tow vehicle. A 97 F150. Maintenance wise it needs a new radiator and AC compressor. Other then that it runs great. The to do list after that will be a transmission cooler, larger transmission pan and installing a tow hitch and brake controller. Then I should be set to tow the miata around for the next few years.