Well, here's how you avoid "things getting out of hand" by way of modifying the tow vehicle; buy one that's already modified!

 

I tow with a '04 2500 HD w/ a 6.0 gas. I used a '99 4Runner 3.4 before that twice until I decided it was scary as **** towing over Monteagle Mountain with that. If you are in a flat area, it would probably be fine. I'd rather have too much truck than too little.

 

Hang out with addicts long enough and it all becomes logical *looks out at the miata and the Jeep*

 

2010 Cummings
16mpg @ 70 unloaded
10mpg towing a 30' 5th wheel @ 70
8 mpg @ 60 mph @ 8000' 14+% grade passing grandma in the buick

considering deletes


Still sourcing a trailer.

Has anyone found a toy hauler that they like, that will fit their miata. It cant be much larger than a sand rail.

 

Cummings?

 

Electric tow vehicle would be baller. 'Efficient' and 'torquey'.

 

Bob, enclosed trailer's problem is not weight, but aero. towing a 6,000LB open trailer is easier than towing a 4,000LB enclosed trailer. somebody should come out with a formula for it.

for about an year, I've been towing my Miata on an open steel trailer (4,000LB total) with a v6 Pathfinder. towing mpg is 13-14mpg.
I just bought a Class C RV (Ford v10) to tow the same trailer. It drop mpg from 8 to 7mpg

 

My setup. '05 Nissan Titan and Kwik-Load trailer. Works fine for me. Also, DD the Titan.




A- 097 by Sixace, on Flickr

 

I agree on the aero aspect of towing an enclosed trailer. The aero is crap on enclosed trailers and your going to drop mpg or need more power for the same or less weight if its enclosed. I towed with a 01 Toyota Sequoia 4x4 with a lift and 33"s with a open 12ft single axel for 1.5 years and had 0 problems. I pulled a closed 14ft uhaul trailer 500 miles empty that pulled worse than my loaded 12ft open.

 

With the 98 Dodge Cummins 5 speed setup it really doesn’t seem to change fuel economy much with weight or aero so much as how fast you drive it. The thing got pretty much the same mileage with a heavy giant camper over the cab pulling a 20' Bayliner boat behind it that it gets pulling my miata on a light weight open trailer with a cab height canopy. Change your speed from 60mph to 70 mph though and loose about 4 mpg. Big difference in the load versus efficiency curves for a diesel versus gas.

Bob

 

Current tow vehicle is my wife's V8 Pathfinder. She loves it as a DD and it has enough ***** to pull my 18ft open trailer without trying.

I've owned quite a few tow vehicles through the years and all have their pluses and minuses.

2500 Cummins (900HP, 1600TQ) Best
S-10 w/ 4.3 Worst
Nissan Titan
Jeep Grand Cherokee (5.2 V8)
V10 28ft Class C RV
Toyota 4Runner (V6)
Chevy 3500 15pass Van (6.0 V8)

If I could pick the best of all, it would be a 12-15 pass van with a diesel driveline. You would be able to pack it to the gills and pull a load without issue. The only downside was that it is not really usable except on the weekend's your towing, so you end up with an additional vehicle that sits 24+ days a month.

I'm liking the Pathfinder for the time being. I would have loved to gone with a crew cab Cummins or Duramax, but I know I wont leave the damn thing alone. All I need is another vehicle to dump $$$$$ into. The mega cab cummins rear seat looks big enough to host a full/queen size mattress when folded down. That is enticing for the budget minded track weekend camper that I am.

 

I use my ss trailblazer most of the time, or a have a 07 chevy pickup truck if I'm not bringing my wife and kids, both work fine, both have aluminum block 6.0L engines.

 

Duct tape, bubble gum and steel zip ties and I'd have that thing back on the track before the next session , lol.

OP; I use my DD, 08 Honda Pilot which I upgraded with the following - Trans cooler, oil cooler, power steering cooler, Air Lift bags for the rear and a Tekonsha Prodigy P2 controller. The Pilot tows 4500 lbs stock and with my 13 ft double axle narrow trailer, it pulls the Miata anywhere with no problem. Plus, I get between 12-14 mpg while towing, speed/grade dependent.

 

Yep. Big trucks don't like going fast, but you can't lug the motor either. The difference in towing mileage from 60 to 68 isn't all that big (maybe 1-2mpg) but even unloaded, I lose 4mpg going from 70 to 80mph.

My truck is totally stock, except for an updated turbo mouthpiece to solve the overheating issues that MY05 trucks had. The cost of a built Allison ($2-3k+labor) is the best deterrent in the world against chips, tuners, etc.

 

2001 Dodge Dakota with the 4.7L V8 with the tow package. Good enough for a simple 2 axle utility trailer, the miata and a load of gear in the bed. Although, the rear squats pretty bad. It definitely could use another leaf or something back there.

 

You guys all need to man up and buy a real truck...



You've never had fun towing til you've done it with four wheel drum brakes and no power assist (no power steering either).

 

I'm about to buy a 5.4l Ford rape van. This way I can pull to and from the track with AC, and sleep in it at the track because in Texas, we are significantly more hardcore than Cali and typically crunk on Four Loko.

Any thoughts on my van idea/ I still need to pick up a trailer.

BTW, back in January when we raced at Houston I saw a Ford Ranger cruise by with a huge goose-neck trailer, lol. It was the first Ranger I've seen with a 5th wheel.

 

I'm thinking something similar to hustler's idea, except maybe a bigass box-van. So basically a f450/4500 dually diesel that could tow just about anything. Then you'd have enough room for all your tools, a work bench, store all your **** and even a cot or two.

Seem to be finding them for only around $6000 too.

 

I've heard they tow well (weight over the rear wheels) but diesel's are better and still cheap. Crosswind sucks as was mentioned earlier.

My wife recently pointed a trailer place out that had a 2500lb goose neck camper designed for mini trucks as I have a B3000. They looked neat but I rather stay in a truck bed tent / cap or a building.

You'd be surprised what those little trucks can do if you keep wheel spin down, which can be hard even with an 8.8 torsen and 235/75/15 tires, of course a v8 vehicle would be easier.

From Mazda's sales brochure, you'll notice (if the pic is clear enough) this is a B3000 not a B4000


I had one with a miata on the trailer but I can't find it.

 

Around here I'm looking at $2250-4000 for a gas e250/350 or $7k+ for a diesel. I can also work on a diesel and find junk-yard parts more easily than the diesel. I want something which is very easy to work on with cheap parts. Maybe that's my inner-East-German calling.

I thought about going this route but the price of a light trailer off-sets the savings of the small truck, with equal fuel economy.

The remaining wild-card is the 2012 diesel Wrangler...but I seriously doubt my willingness to finance a $30k vehicle with modern, sketchy, euro technology.