tow rig

tsjeepcj

tsjeepcj

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
charlotte
i'm looking for a truck and want to get a chevy 2500 or f250. i've found an f250 w/the 5.4 ltr v8 w/98k miles. i'm looking to use the truck for at least 5 years. the mileage on the f250 makes me nervous, but the price is right, under 17k. any suggestions as how much mileage or how the reliability would be on the ford?? i don't think it was used as a work truck, but i haven't seen it in person yet.

any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated. the truck needs to be ext cab or 4 door and 4wd....

thx,
tim
 
dont get a gasser if its for your tow rig - your wallet will hate you at the gas station every 200 miles. I shopped around months before buying my SuperDuty. I compared trucks down to the floor mats. I found the Ford to ride, handle and outpower any truck I test drove. Heres a few pros cons I have found
What I liked about the PSD:
Sit high in seats for good view
The mirrors are huge and extend/retract
Very roomy crew cab
Solid axle
PSD Cons:
Price, even for used seem a bit higher

Chevy Pros:
I liked the interior

Chevy Cons:
Sit to low in the seats for me, felt like driving a car
Mirrors suck for towing
Didnt like the IFS

Dodge Pros:
Easily upgraded

Dodge Cons:
hate the interior
skeptical on the transmissions

To the anal, these are my 'opinions' of the trucks I drove.
 
towrig

i don't think my budget will let me get a diesel. also, my loan restricts me to 98 or newere and less than 100k miles. i haven't found a diesel that puts me in my price range. i have found a 99 2500 w/66k miles that i'm going to look at today.
 
What's yer budget?
 
towrig

the very high end is 19k or so. keep in mind, i've got a 6mth old, so i need room in the back for a car seat that is easy to get in and out, and 4wd for hunting. the wife will have to drive this on an occasional basis. i could get a f250 supercab in that price range but they don't look big enough.
 
Shoot, you can easily get a diesel for that, hell, I paid $12,500 for my '98 CTD.

You want to get something that is in the middle of its lifespan, not on the downslope.. a gasser with 100k that's had to lug around a 6000lb superduty is not exactly in it's prime.

Just my $.02.

I'd take a Chevy over the Ford, but I like the interior ALOT better, and could care less if it's IFS over a straight axle.. I prefer the ride of IFS on a street rig.
 
towrig

yeah, i agree on the ifs....i figure i'll tow my rig maybe 4-6 times a year, if i'm lucky enough to wheel that much, and it won't be hardcore wheeling to get to my hunting spot. i haven't had any luck finding what i need in a price range like 12.5k, but the search continues.....
 
In my opinion the Chevy 6.0 in the 2500 is going to be a better and quite a bit stronger engine than the 5.4 in the ford. The 5.4s i have been around have been less than impressive.

Also since you are towing, i believe that all 2500hd chevys with the 6.0 come with 4.10s, which is going to help a bit. I have to agree with Rich also, the Chevy interior is a lot better in my opinion than the Ford, but thats just my two cents.....what do i know i drive a dodge.
 
tsjeepcj said:
i haven't had any luck finding what i need in a price range like 12.5k, but the search continues.....
Click to expand...

One way ticket to Austin, TX - $149
fuel on the way home.. 1400 miles @ 16 mpg, $200
Hotel for overnight stay - $45

Total - ~$400.

Blue book - $15k.

I saved $2100 by taking a little road trip. ;)
 
i just rented a Penski 16' (3500) truck w/ the 6.0 gas engine / allison combo, if i didnt already have a f250 psd, id serioulsy be looking at a GM truck..

We did 1200 miles from dallas to raleigh with a 3500# car on a car toter... seriously, no less than 65mph and usually 70-75mph, the entire way and maintained at least 65 on hills. Averaged 11mpg. The box truck was probably a bit heavier than a regular truck but id think with 2500 truck you be all set and save $ over a diesel...

The tow haul mode was nice and the tranny never not once felt like it was gonna drop out of the truck like the ford does... :) wish someone made a converstion to put one inthe fords
 
towrig

rich...

ok, let me rephrase that...i haven't found anything close to that within 1400 miles....

just drove the chevy 2500...66k miles, priced within the budget. it's in good shape and i liked it. extended cab/third door is a little smaller but doable. it has the 6.0 ltr.

also found a 1500hd, 4dr, southern coach edition w/79k miles. but, it's got a third wheel hitch...obviously seen a lot of towing. still more expensive than the 2500....
 
A 5th wheel on a light duty 2500 (a.k.a. 1500HD)? I wouldn't.

I'd go with the 2500.. I'm assuming it's a 2500HD, and the newer series? (I think '00+??)
You'll get the 4L80E trans, and the bigger axles.
 
I remember when i was looking, I was focusing on the '01+, I can't remember, but something changed (besides the d-max).. anyone else remember?
 
There are some pretty good threads about this on pirate right now. I believe that in 99 when the new body style chevys came out, there was no 2500 hd. There was a 2500 but its gvwr was lower than the current 2500 hd. Also had a different frame, and possibly a semi floater instead of the hds full floater.

The 99 2500 is going to be very close to the same thing as the current 1500hd as far as payload is concerned. The easy way to tell the 2500 from the 2500 hd is the fender flares, and the frame hangs quite a bit lower on the hds.
 
Any interest in the real Beef? My buddy has an 01 2500HD 8.1 w/Allison. 4x4 , the down side is its a regular cab, but it only has 35k miles, $16500 obo. Green with Tan. I'm a diesel guy, but it blows diesels off the road when towing.
 
yager said:
i just rented a Penski 16' (3500) truck w/ the 6.0 gas engine / allison combo, if i didnt already have a f250 psd, id serioulsy be looking at a GM truck..
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Yag, not doubting you, but are you sure it had the allison and 6.0. It was my understanding that the 6.0 comes with the 4l80-e and only the 8.1 and the duramax get the allison. Either way they are nice trucks.
 
BIGWOODY said:
Any interest in the real Beef? My buddy has an 01 2500HD 8.1 w/Allison. 4x4 , the down side is its a regular cab, but it only has 35k miles, $16500 obo. Green with Tan. I'm a diesel guy, but it blows diesels off the road when towing.
Click to expand...

How does the truck feel when empty? does it accelerate harder than your average half ton? I have never driven one, and always wondered how they ran.
 
cumminsdzl said:
How does the truck feel when empty? does it accelerate harder than your average half ton? I have never driven one, and always wondered how they ran.
Click to expand...

It rides pretty good for a 3/4-1 ton truck even empty. It accelerates pretty damn good (496 BB). It rolls through the mountains towing 10k or better like it doesn't know it's back there. I've never shopped for a specific truck, whatever was the best deal for what I needed, I bought. If I could have the exterior and crew cab of a super duty, interior of a chevy and the motor in a dodge cummins, well that would be my choice. For all out towing power with an auto and zero worries about trans. temp. I haven't seen anything in stock form impress me as much as the 2500HD/8.1/Allison it really is pretty badass and seemingly rare.
 
cumminsdzl said:
How does the truck feel when empty? does it accelerate harder than your average half ton? I have never driven one, and always wondered how they ran.
Click to expand...

my neighbor has the 2500hd with the 8.1 and allison. It rides nice empty, it accelerates fast. It will smoke the rear tires with his gooseneck and skid steer on it.
 
cumminsdzl said:
Yag, not doubting you, but are you sure it had the allison and 6.0. It was my understanding that the 6.0 comes with the 4l80-e and only the 8.1 and the duramax get the allison. Either way they are nice trucks.
Click to expand...

His was a rental van, probably something on a commercial chassis...

That 8.1 is a STOUT engine... my neighbor has a 2wd 6-speed 2500HD.. we ran neck and neck in a little impromptu run, but only because when he shifted, he'd fall back a little.

The 8.1/Allison I test drove really impressed me, it's a helluva combo. The 6.0/4L80E is no slouch either with the 4.11 gears (That was the setup on the 1500HD I drove), but the 8.1 is most certainly the powerhouse.

(Women window-shop for clothes, I window-shopped for trucks, and drove a TON of them, and really love the Chevy interiors)
 
1500HD is a 2500 for the most part with a semi floating axle, some 1500HDs are DEALER APPLIED LOGOS, factory 1500HDs are crew cab and 8 lug hubs

2500 has floater, but the regular frame and no real beef, frame taper to about a 4" cross section C channel under bed.

2500HD has the floater and the taller frame, 6" tall frame boxed section to channel under bed box, double plated thru the axle area ( PITA to drill thru ). HD frame was made taller to accomidate the Allison trans, which is only available behind the Dmax and the 8100

Allison 1000 trans is available in the 2500HD-C5500 trucks with the Dmax or 8100,

the "G"-van 2500-3500 cutaway bodies use 6.0/4L80e or the 8.1/4l85e.

Next month, the Dmax 6.6 will be released in the Gvan chassis, detuned using a 4L85E trans, gonna be a PITA to work on. Next year, same combo is "supposed" to be released in 'burbs and 'hoes, dunno about the Avalanche yet ( BTW, the 2500 Avalanche uses the 8.1 with 4L85E ).

points of interest ,

8100 is 496 cid,

502 engine is based off the 454 casting using siamesed cyl walls ( no coolant between ) 8100 is it's own line using jacketed bore. they are similar, but not the same.

GenIII 4.8/5.3/5.7/6.0 same general design, different bore and stroke, strong bottom end, cross bolted mains (must have a special fixture to reassemble correctly)

If yer interested in the 6.6 DuraMax, ask, I've been soaking in those all month.

Kevin
 
towrig

big woody, i've got to have extended cab or quad cab. otherwise i'd be all over it.

ok, i'll be towing my rig by itself, it's a cj7, but i'm going to swap axles and get to 35-37" tires eventually. other than that, a 16-17 foot ski boat. i figure the cj and gear will be in the what...6,000 pound max?? the boat won't be anywhere near that. I can't find any info online about the 99's towing capacity, and couldn't find the thread on pirate. any reason this truck won't do what i need???
 
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