2wd tow rig...yay or nay?

untchabl said:
Anybody have any experience with the mid to late 90's Chevy 2500 & 3500 with 454's?
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Great trucks and motors. Just don't expect to hang with the diesels. The front IFS will be good riding for the road. Tranny will be the weak spot.

Depending on load etc expect 9 -11mpg
 
Not looking to hang with a diesel. Found a few Chevy 3500 4x4 Crew Cab dually's with the 454 on craigslist last night. They looked good, had 130k-170k miles and were under my budget (they were around $3500-5500).

I just think the initial purchase price for a 4x4 diesel is more than I need with the amount of towing I will actually be doing. I'll probably pull to URE (one hour each way) maybe once a month and out of state 3 or 4 times a year. The wife may tow a horse trailer on a few hour trip every couple months. Even with getting half the MPG vs. a diesel, I think between purchase price and maintenance, the gas truck would suit me better.
 
I know this goes against the grain but I've had a 4x4 tow rig since 2003 and as of 2009 had used 4x4 on 3 occasions. When trade in time came I specifically looked for 2wd truck becasue: they were cheaper, ride better, have less maintenance, are easier to get in and out of and 2wd dually looks better (I think).

I have had no regrets and never looked back. To those that don't agree with the "as long as you think about where your driving your OK" comment because you can get stuck before you know it. Well; you probably have a 4wd and don't have to be aware of where you are driving so yes, you get stuck before you know it and require 4wd.

My point is, it's just like wheeln'. If you're by yourself, don't go where you don't think you can go. If there are doubts and you have another vehicle with you willing and capable of pulling you out then go for it.

Yes I have been stuck once (in the back yard) but got the Toy and pulled myself out. If they're calling for rain and you leave your trailer in the back of your lot as I do, then pull it out a few days ahead of time. The Dodge actually performs very well in the snow but again, you need to know your limits.

If you initially wanted a diesel and doubted 4wd vs 2wd then I would stick with the diesel. Wether the gasser pulls great or not you will be dissapointed cause you didn't go with what you wanted....especially after you owned the truck for a year and have never put it in 4wd.
 
I have been everywhere within 6 hours drive to wheel at one time or another, even i the snow. I have never had a 4WD tow rig. I did get stuck in the field at the DPG, but was pulled out, worst comes to worst, I would unload the Jeep and pull myself out.
 
John B. said:
To those that don't agree with the "as long as you think about where your driving your OK" comment because you can get stuck before you know it. Well; you probably have a 4wd and don't have to be aware of where you are driving so yes, you get stuck before you know it and require 4wd
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I had more issues getting "stuck" (requiring the hubs to be locked/TC engaged) with the dang 4x4 rig ('93 F250) than with either of the last 2- 4x2 rigs ('92 D350-'99 Sub 2500)!!!

I suspect the LS in the Ford was toast, but after 150K/188K respectively, suspect the LS (Dodge) & G80 (Sub) ain't exactly factory fresh either

"A man's got to know his (trucks) limitations" :lol:
 
do you need a ext cab/4 door, or will a regular cab cut it for your needs? if a regular cab will work, why not an early chevy 6.0 4wd? ive seen reg cabs on auto trader for well in your price range. or a non turbo 7.3L stroker


edit; didnt read the last page until after i posted it. nice find!
 
Here are a couple quick pics I took of the new ride tonight. Looks pretty dang good for having over 303k miles :bounce2:

Already has:
- Farmboy Diesel 4" exhaust
- FASS fuel system
- Injection pump, transmission, clutch, transfer case and rear axle all replaced/rebuilt within the last 50k miles
- 5th wheel setup
- Aluminum flatbed

Current plans are:
- Remove woodsides from bed
- New headlights, foglights & cab lights
- Power & heated tow mirrors
- Programmer (undecided on which)
- Storage/Toolbox either on the bed or under the side of the bed

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nice truck! seems like the clean one have alot of miles, and the beat ones have low miles. you wantin a programmer for power or mpgs? i had a quadzilla adrenaline on my 98 24V and it reeeaalllly woke it up. it had that and a intake with a 4in straight pipe leveled on 335s and i got 21.8 mpgs on long trip once.
 
Wanting a programmer for both power & some extra MPG's. I'm leaning towards the Quadzilla Adrenaline, lots of great reviews from my research so far.

The truck has 4.10 gears, so it's going to be a great tow rig but it won't be the best on MPG. Luckily it's not going to be a DD, just a tow rig & farm truck.

I've only put about 4k miles on my Tahoe since February, so I figure the Dodge will see less than 10k miles a year even with the longer trips we have planned for next year.
 
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