Tow rigs

For the money do not over look the Chevy 6 ltr gastrucks, the newer ones with the six speed trans tows very nice, empty the mileage is very liveable at 15 to 17 mpg. Reliable and low maintenance cost. I bought a used 2 WD 2013 with 21,000 miles for a little over 20k.
 
I had a 2001 2500 Duramax and a 2006 2500 Duramax with all the normal stuff on them and sold it to buy my wife a car after she totaled the one she was driving, DUMB. I realized there is no way in hell I can not have a truck and I was about to move across country so I was rushed into buying another truck. I bought a 2011 3500 SRW Cummins and I hate that damn truck. I have dumped 1k into fixing the steering and it was underpowered as hell until I put exhaust/tune/etc... on it. Even still with all that, its nowhere near a powerful as my Chevy was. I cant even tow a hill in this elevation at highway speeds without it shifting to 5th.

I will say that its rides way smoother than my Chevy though.

I would like to think that I am not biased, I would literally own any of the big three if I got the right deal on it. These are just my experiences with the two different types I have had. I don't have experience with Fords so I cant speak to them, all I know is that you should stay away from 6.0's apparently.
 
Are you set on a Diesel? Any of the big 3 half tons will handle the weight you're talking about for occasionally towing. It may not be set it on cruise control and ride, but they'll handle it.

I recently traded my '01 Duramax and DD car on a new Sierra 1500. The Duramax only got driven to the dump or towing a 24' goose with two rigs and I hated it just sitting most of the time. I haven't towed anything with the Sierra yet but for DD duties it is very nice.

The warranty was the deciding factor for me. Car and truck both had some issues and I was tired of dealing with it.
 
LBarr2002 said:
Are you set on a Diesel? Any of the big 3 half tons will handle the weight you're talking about for occasionally towing. It may not be set it on cruise control and ride, but they'll handle it.

I recently traded my '01 Duramax and DD car on a new Sierra 1500. The Duramax only got driven to the dump or towing a 24' goose with two rigs and I hated it just sitting most of the time. I haven't towed anything with the Sierra yet but for DD duties it is very nice.

The warranty was the deciding factor for me. Car and truck both had some issues and I was tired of dealing with it.
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I do want to link up with my friends from California and Utah so yes diesel seems the most economical choice for me.
 
While diesel usually seems to be the go-to for towing, unless you tow quite a bit, the cost of ownership is just that, cost with little benefit.

I drive my diesel daily and stack up 130 miles a day on it. I could get by with a gasser but wanted the diesel. Looking back, I would have bought a gasser and used it until I really needed to make the step up to diesel. I would be thousands ahead at this point.
 
iwaxmyjimmy said:
I know one is on Craigslist with 230k on it for $18k.... I mean I just don't get that it's a 2003 vehicle. Regardless of it being the last year of the 7.3 it's so over priced it's hard for me to spend that kind of cash on one.
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are you talking about the black Excursion in Apex or Fuquay Varina.............. it's BULLETPROOF and says so in the add :D
 
Daily i drive to and from college, my jeep on 37s gets at most 13mpg. When i get a tow rig i want to go to a sticky or just an all put offroad tire. There isnt a place to wheel around here like when I was in California. So driving 5-8 hrs to go wheeling on a weekend and not having to worry about breaking anything and getting back. When i popped a steering box and had my buddy tow my jeep back to base in his '03 cummins 4dr and get 21 mpg at 70 on the hwy. i was sold. It was like you couldnt feel my jeep back there but it rode a little better.
 
mommucked said:
are you talking about the black Excursion in Apex or Fuquay Varina.............. it's BULLETPROOF and says so in the add :D
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Lol nah it was a 4 door white f250
 
I'm concerned about why someone would sell a "good" tow vehicle/diesel w some 100-200k miles on it. If it's all good why would they sell it? If it's never been used for towing that's one thing, but if it towed heavy loads for 3/4 of the miles or more lot's of stuff besides the motor could be about worn out.
 
Just wait for Cass92lx50 to post up a good deal. For what's it's worth, 3 of my last 3 trucks have come from him.
 
shawn said:
Bullshit. The overhead might have said you were getting 21, but you were actually getting 14-15.
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I dont know man, that truck got great fuel mileage. It was pretty much stock, had a turbo back exhaust, a cone filter and 285 tires on it.
 
Yeah, it got probably 14 towing a car on an open trailer, or 17-20 empty. 21 if you stayed under 65. 2wd trucks do a little better.
 
Be patient. Definitely consider a used truck. My Cummins is 10 years old now with 162K on the odometer. I bought it 5 years ago with 72K miles. Drivetrain is completely stock, and it still runs great. I daily drive it. And it is still under the extended warranty I purchased, so if it is a warranty you are after, you can buy warranties on used trucks.
 
For the amount it sounds like you will be towing, buy a gas truck.

That's why I still DD my tow pig with a gas motor.

Like Rockcity said above the cost of ownership and fuel is much cheaper over a diesel, plus the purchase cost is so much less.

Less of these have been ragged out by teenage dead beats.

A gas 3/4 ton truck will tow 7k lbs everywhere a diesel will. A gas truck just may pull 60-65 up the big hills on the interstate where a modded diesel can still run 70-75.

Is that worth the extra $$$?

I tow a 3500lb trailer for work everyday with either a 2500 suburban with 6.0, or 454.

My dd/tow rig is an 04 avalanche I bought for $13k, with 86k miles, will all the options, that has the 8.1.

I can only speak for the Chevy stuff.

Change water pumps at 150k miles, keep the oil changed regularly. The 4l80e's we have lasted to around 230k or so before needed a rebuild.

Most of the factory fuel pumps made it to around 180k miles. One to 220k, one to 250k miles.

The initial cost of an older gas 3/4 ton tow rig is soooooooo much less than a newer diesel it's hard to beat.

Especially with the cost of ownership being less with the older gasser.

Then go find something nice and clean and fuel efficient to daily drive.

The price of that plus older tow rig is still less than a whole bunch of the diesels on the market.
 
yea she's ugly but I didn't give but 1,000 dollars for her in 2008 and just got done with a 900 mile round trip to Windrock back in july. I don't need much to be satisfied when I drive and to me plush seats and a.c. are all "bells and whistles" and can be done without.My point tho is to not cut out work/service vehicles that have been pulled out of a fleet. Some good buys can be had as stated before with patience and realistic ideas as to what you need to ride on.
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True story. I bought my 07 in 08 with only 15k miles on it for 25k. Has 96k miles now and could probably sell it for 30k or more the way used prices are.
 
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