Help me select a tow vehicle/snow plow
 

Before I can finally achieve my ultimate goal and build a dedicated track-Eliminator, I need to do a few things:
- Build a new house with a yuuuuge garage
- get a tow vehicle and trailer

Considering that the Eliminator is not well protected from the elements, a fully enclosed trailer would be the way to go I guess. Hate to have wet Megasquirt and spark plugs.

The new house will have a loooong driveway and I'm not going to shovel that by hand. I need a vehicle with a plow. My current daily is a Taurus SHO. While it does have AWD, it's not a great tow vehicle (only up to 1000lbs) and there are no snow-plow attachments for it, as far as I know. The wife drives a Mazda CX-5, but I don't think it's up to towing a racecar trailer either and I haven't found any trustworthy looking plows for it. I got the Taurus until at least the end of 2018, so I need something in the meantime.

What's an affordable vehicle to tow a trailer to track events and attach a plow? I'm talking used and less than $5k. If you could sleep in it (meaning at least fit a 6' roll-up mat) at the track, that would be a plus. It doesn't have to have all the creature comforts- it will only be used for towing and plowing. But I don't want to spend a lot of time fixing up the tow-rig. And I would like to get most of my investment back when I sell it in a few years- I hope the get an F150 Raptor after the Taurus.

Snow plowing will destroy your car/truck. Get a lawn tractor with a snow blower attachment.

No opinions on snow plows -- I stay away from places that it snows. :)

If you're buying an enclosed trailer you could sleep in that instead of the tow vehicle. Air mattress, maybe some kind of fold-down platform to put it on that suspends it above the hood of the car?

--Ian

If you are going to have a long driveway you will have a big yard. Which means you need a lawn tractor anyways.

Or an RC helicopter and some mad flying skills.

--Ian

But then you can't leave the trailer in the paddock as most tracks won't allow you to stay on premise through the night.

If you're going to have a super long driveway to plow, skip on the lawn tractor and get a tractor tractor with a front end loader or a 3 point snowblower.

I don't think the full tractor will be needed. When I'm saying long driveway, I'm comparing to my current 40' DW :)
The new one will be maybe 150'-200' or so. So a BA lawn tractor with a snow-blower would likely take care of that. Are we talking the more-fun hydraulic drive lawn tractors, or should I go with a traditional gear-drive and steering wheel setup?

Also the lawn tractor likely won't do double-duty as a tow-rig. So we still need to solve that problem. According to Google (the most reliable source of technical information known to mankind) the CX5 has a max. tow capacity rating of 2000lbs- not sufficient for an enclosed trailer plus Eliminator.

What is the size of Eliminator? Any way it would fit in the back of a cargo van? Just an idea.

Cool idea :)
Not sure about precise dimensions. It's a Miata with the ends cut off, so I'd guess just over 10' long. And roughly the same width- you need 1" spacers in the front, so maybe an inch wider. I'd guess 60"-64" wide.
Now on to google interior dimensions of panel-vans. Then on to painting it white, put on a Hawaii shirt and hang around in the vicinity of playgrounds.

The last generation "extended bed" Ford Econoline has an interior cargo length of about 12', and a height of 55" so that would do. But the width between the wheel houses is just 52", which definitely won't do. It's probably enough between the actual walls though. Maybe the interior is just tall enough to have the Eliminator sit ABOVE the wheel houses. Basically just keep the upward angle from the ramps going inside the van. A buddy of mine has a rusted out Econoline sitting behind his house- I'll take some measurements.

That won't leave room for anything else. Nice part of a tow vehicle is fitting everything else for the track in it.

Putting the car inside a van sounds like a really bad idea.

For cheap tow vehicles I'd look at late 90s/early 2000s 3/4 ton Suburbans. Lots of people bought them as macho minivans, so it's not too hard to find one that's never gone further off road than the mall parking lot and thus isn't beat to shit.

--Ian

The 3/4 tons as fucking awesome. They even came with a duramax in some form. Also quite rare.

the 7.3 excursions are also awesome.

7.3 excursions are also expensive as fuck. The only 7.3 vehicles that are cheap are the e-350 vans.

We have a 150ish ft driveway, two car widths wide and 4 wide at the bottom. We have just been using a big Snapper walk behind snow blower for the last 16 years. Works great, takes about 45min if you don't include cleaning the cars off and shuffling them around.

For towing, I always figured I woukd just buy one of the V8 body on frame work vans. Should be cheap and easy to get parts for, can sleep in it just fine as well.

GM never sold a Suburban with a Duramax in it. A few people have motor-swapped them, but it's not an inexpensive proposition by a long shot.

--Ian

Err. Oops. The 6.5l turbo diesel then. Idk saw one the other day at PIR.

I'm old, fat and lazy. So if my tow vehicle with a little modification will allow me to clean the driveway from the comfort of a heated cabin, I'm all for it. If not it's no big loss.

That being said, I like the idea of a V8 work van as a tow rig. Plenty of space to nap in and store parts and tools. It won't really need 4WD, so we're good there.

If I was buying a GMT400 (late 90s), I'd probably look for the 454. The 6.5L detroit diesel only made like 150 hp.

The GMT800 Suburbans came with a 6.0 LS-based V8 or the 8.1L big block and is a big step up.

--Ian

I still kind of like the idea of having the Eliminator roll out of a panel-van. There'd be plenty space for tools and supplies underneath the car and up high on the sidewalls.

Failing that, I'm actually thinking Nissan Xterra. 4WD, 5000lbs towing capacity. A decent engine (no V8, I know, but I won't be driving it THAT much). And all that for between $2,500 and $5,000.....

A panel van has no divider between the driver and the cargo area. If the tiedowns fail in a crash, you'll be squished. Even if they don't, after a track day you'll be inside a metal box with a heat-soaked lump of 180 degree metal, and the van's AC is not going to keep up. It'll be miserable. Plus, to get it that high you'll need ridiculously long ramps, which you'll have to fabricate by hand and set up and tear down every time you load/unload.

I dunno where you live, but Suburban 2500s are in that price range too:

$3K asking price for a 99 GMT400 w/ 454: 1999 Chevy 454 suburban 2500
$4500 asking price for a 03 GMT800 w/ 6.0 LS: 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 4WD LT Leather Fully Loaded 3/4 TON

Enclosed trailers are a lot more demanding of the tow vehicle than open ones. For one they weigh more, and you'll be right up against that 5000 pound limit. For another, they have a lot more drag (hurting freeway acceleration) and a lot more sail area, so the wind pushes them around. To cope with that you want a longer wheelbase on the tow vehicle, and the Suburban is 130 inches vs the Xterra's 110.

--Ian

Point taken on the panelvan. I just like the James-Bondishness of the idea.
I like the Suburbans. A few years ago a buddy of mine was looking for one and most of them had gotten pretty rusty once they hit 10 years old or so. What's the last year they put a big block in a Suburban?
And I'm sure a Suburban will hold up nicely to operating a snowplow as well. Maneuvering in a narrow driveway maaaaay be a different issue though.

Big block is unecessary. The vortecs are good.

The independent front suspension will hate being used as a tow plow. But if its just your driveway it should be fine.

Don't get sucked into plowing everyones driveway, that shit destroys suspension.

Where we're moving I'm pretty sure everybody already has their own plowing solution. Our house will be the last one built in the whole area. No empty plots left.

True 454 big block, '99. They put 496ci (8.1L) Vortecs in the 3/4 ton Suburbans through ~06. 00-07 Suburbans are great trucks.

I can't speak to rust -- I live in California, there is no rust out here unless you live on the coast. If everything near you is brown and ugly, it might be worth flying to somewhere the weather doesn't suck and driving a decent truck home.

--Ian

I could ask Lars to find one in SC, where there's not much snow and ice and salt. Fly down to visit the family there for Christmas and drive the Subie home. Hmmmm... Lars?

I can start looking, but I know nothing about Suburbans, but I am game.

Want to be sick? Guy in my car club just sold a 8.1L Suburban with enclosed trailer a few months ago...

"2001 Chevy Suburban 2500 LT, 8.1L, 4wd, leather, 2nd row bucket seat, 3rd row, etc. 169400 mi. transmission was replace at 125000 mi.
Haulmark enclosed trailer 20 ft. bench, electric brake redone 2 years ago.
$9500 for the package."

Attachment 182950

At least this will give you an idea of price and what is out there.

If you really want the 8.1L, I would get a Silverado instead of a Suburban. The Suburbans all got 4L85Es, the Silverados with 8.1s got the same 5-speed Allison that went behind the Duramax. The 4L85s are decent, but the Allison is world-class.

And if you're going to get a Silverado you might as well step up and get the Duramax... :)

The Suburban fits the "sleep in the back" requirement better than a Silverado, I think.

--Ian

canopy.

if you are going enclosed trailer then sleep in the trailer.

Keep the truck for bringing home all the HPDE trophies.

Truck also lets you do a camper later.

Definitely look for a southern truck if it's a early 2000s gm. I see lots of pa and ny trucks come through and they're rust buckets. Brake lines, rockers, fenders, and brake backing plate/dust shields seem to be the things that go first.

Thanks everybody. I'm not really hung up on the Big Block thing. I just like the name and the idea. Had a Big Block '69 Corvette, and a '84 Big Block BMW (the 3.5l). With Turbo of course (a KKK K28)
Or maybe an Expedition? I know they never got the 460, but I'm sure the 5.4l could handle some towing duty. Most of my friends are more Ford than Chevy guys (I know - the company you keep)

Lars: Thanks! I very well may ask you to go take a look if I find something.

Now to come up with the budget. Where's the wife when I need to talk to her?

God help you if you ever have to do plugs on the 5.4L Triton.

Depends on the vintage. The older one it spits them out, the newer one they're stuck in so tightly they break trying to remove them. :)

I really think Chevy nailed the 3/4 ton trucks in the early 2000s.

--Ian

Got it. No Ford.

No Ford 5.4L Tritons. Find a 7.3 E350 van and tow whatever you want. Or an F-350 with the 7.3, get a manual, and tow even more. $5k can buy you a decent van with some searching, trucks are about double from what little I have seen briefly looking.

Lots of coastal people weighing in here...
Take it from a guy that actually lives where it snows, don't buy a snowplow just to plow your driveway.
Unless you are planning on plowing out all of your neighbors, just buy a snowblower and keep your tow rig... a tow rig.
You will be money ahead, and you can still clear your walkways.

Also, I have a 7.3 F350. I love it, but I agree that chevy options are good as well.

7.3 F-250 Manual
I saw this in person last night. Very clean underneath. Needs a new exhaust, unless you like the ignorant white-trash pipes coming out the bed.

http://imagescdn.dealercarsearch.com...3169229390.jpg

That price just makes me go a little crazy. I so far have not been able to justify doubling how much I want to spend to goto a manual truck over a auto van.

There's a few danger signs with this one... The black rotary knob on the dash panel below the steering wheel looks just like the one I had on my 7.3 Ford... it's for a multiple tune ECU mod. That in itself is not really an issue, but with the stupid coal roller stacks, and the note about a new transmission just being installed I would be cautious...

Other than that, I had the same (2001) truck, and it was a great truck. But I didn't beat the shit out of mine.

I'm a huge fan of manuals, but not in my tow vehicle. If you're going to spend that much, get a Duramax with the Allison, that transmission is magical.

But the Suburban is fine.

--Ian

For a tow vehicle I'm with the majority- I'd go with automatic over manual. Need to ask my boss for a bonus, because I'm pretty sure I'd rather go with a truck or 3/4ton SUV than a van....

My 350 has an automatic. The truck has 350K and has spent most of its life towing a massive horse trailer/ living quarters. No complaints so far.

The truck verse van debate comes down to, where are you going to sleep. If you are cool with sleeping in a tent, enclosed trailer, or getting a hotel then truck all the way. If you want to sleep in the vehicle then the van is a bit easier to do that in.

I want the van to sleep in, and so I have a vehicle to make my bondagevan.com videos in.

Fucking hate you

Hmmm. Just Googled Bondagevan at work. Will not do again. Thanks for trying to get me fired. But: No job, no house: live in van.

Solution to sleeping in the truck...

Attachment 182909

Can't help you with the whole bondagevan thing though... you're on your own there. :inout:

That is another way to do it. Are the campers easy to put on and remove from the pickup?

I like it!

It takes about 30-45 minutes off or on, taking my time. The process is complicated for me by having to navigate between my house and a fence through a space that's about 6" wider than the camper (which I keep in my back yard). Hint... if marital bliss is important, don't have your wife help... :p

Cons are it weighs (packed and wet) nearly as much as our NA and NC combined :eek3: and they're expensive.

Pros are I have a place to stay anywhere I go, I can use it as an extra guest bedroom if needed (kids love it!), and it's considered a 2nd house for tax purposes, so there are some write offs.

The pic above was taken on a trip to Utah last month. Hauled the NC up, parked in an RV park and lit out every day in the NC to go hiking in Bryce, Zion, Canyonlands, and Arches Nat'l parks. :cool:

Yeah, you need a pretty beefy truck to haul a camper *and* a trailer.

--Ian