Cheap towing rig

[Aero426]

The brakes on the older 1/2 ton trucks i wouldnt feel "safe" with 7k pounds in tow.

I agree.   But a B-body on an open trailer is not close to 7k weight.       With four wheel electric brakes on the trailer the older half tons will do it.   

[Homerr]

Is a shortbed bad news for towing?

Like this one:  https://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/cto/5543438502.html

Works for as much as I'd ever haul and would give me more garage space.  Standard bed is okay though.

[warmpancakes]

4.3 with a manual wont pull a car on a trailer

[Aero426]

Is a shortbed bad news for towing?

I have towed an 18 foot open trailer with a Little Red Express and a '97 Ram shorty without any problems at all.     As mentioned, you gotta have a V8 in it tho.     

[stripedelete]

I agree,  if you don't need 4 wheel drive,  an 80's or 90's 3/4 ton Suburban,  with 454, is the most bang for the buck.
A 350/5.7 vortex will also do the job, but, 454's can be had cheaper and lower miles compared to a 350/5.7 or a c1500.

[JR]

How heavy a trailer do you plan on towing?

Are you hauling stripped down shells, or complete 4000 lb b bodies?

[Aero426]

How heavy a trailer do you plan on towing?

Are you hauling stripped down shells, or complete 4000 lb b bodies?

He's talking about pulling an open U Haul trailer (or similar) with a project car on it.   

[Homerr]

I'd like a pickup over a Suburban, but feel free to post about them as it may help others.

A complete Charger project on a U-Haul trailer is the goal.

I don't want 4wd, simple is better.  Diesel seems above what I need.  Live in the city grid 'burbs and just need a hauler for barkdust, dump runs, studs/plywood at lumber yard, pick up the odd piece of furniture type thing.  Obviously with a project Charger I'll need something to pickup/drop off parts.  Could be backup transportation for a week if primary car (an Accord) has an issue.  Could use it every other week and maybe put 1000 miles a year on.

For me the 80-96 F-150 2wd, manual trans, and 300/4.9 six are at the top of the running.  Seems like the Chevy/GMC stuff is all auto trans, V6, or 4x4 in my price range of $15-2500.

[miller time]

Short bed is fine for some,but if you put in a tool box you get a 4.5ft bed and that's ridiculous, personally I'd be just dandy with a 12ft bed, and even then it won't be enough at times lol short bed is dangerous with gooseneck trailers as a jack knife can slice the trailer into the cab and fifth wheel also I'm sure, but it sounds like you have your mind made up, if you want a truck get one, if you don't want to be sorry towing atleast an extended cab long bed diesel is the choice, and its fine I DD my 25ft Cummins dually and I'll change lanes with Mario andretty if I wanted, I used to lose civics in traffic when I was in highschool, but hey if you want a suburban and OK with needing a trailer and 6-8 parking spots to get a couch or lumber or engines, ect. Get one! This is America do what you want, BTW I believe truck buying is a man's job, if the wife wants 8 rows of seating trade in the other car and get one, I've never been sad with my diesel but would have traded in an SUV or car by now if I had one, but that's me! Do a circle comparison on paper, the 2 over lapping circles with similarities in the middle and it helps ALOT!
Good luck!

[Homerr]

So, holy crap selling a car.

I just sold my wife's 15 year old Subaru, which was needed to make some room for a truck.  KBB says $2500 on a good day private party, $1200 dealer trade-in.  It needed tires, engine light is on/off randomly (on today of course), it's about due for another timing belt, AC needs a charge, and idles rough and hesitates.  I just want this thing gone.  Dealers on CL are showing $5-6,000 prices however. 

In only 15 minutes two guys say they want to come look at it - it's first come and money talks. One said he'd be here in two hours as he's about 80 miles away, I told him I've got other people coming.  Everyone has a story: buying for wife/mother/sister.  The more local guy knows another is on the way too and offers $200 over - sold!  Meanwhile my phone is ringing every 5 minutes.  I call the 2 hour away guy (this is about 30 minutes from the original call) to tell him it's sold and gone, don't bother coming up.  He didn't take it well.  "WHAT'S THE GUYS NAME? GIMME THE GUYS NAME WHO BOUGHT THE CAR!"  <click>  Immediately get a series of texts from "it's probably a friend of mine that bought it, give me his name", "I'll give you $1000 if you tell me his name", and after an hour "I'll be there in 20 minutes".  I text him back that I'm calling the police if he shows up and that I'm blocking him.  All this over a $2500 Subaru, ffs.

I think there are a bunch of bottom-feeder buyers that are looking for anything presentable to put on a used car lot and charge the dealer price.  They all know the game, but this one guy has been on the losing end of the deal too often lately.  Or he's fucking insane.

So the moral of the story is charge a delusional price and come down until someone bites if you'd like to avoid these scum.

[lukedukem]

Holy crap dude. Did he show.

Luke

[VegasCharger]

So, holy crap selling a car.

So the moral of the story is charge a delusional price and come down until someone bites if you'd like to avoid these scum.

Selling on CL can be some serious drama if you don't put restrictions on the way you list. For me I NEVER display my phone number in the ad nor my regular e-mail address. I use the CL e-mail administrator system. I couldn't care less if I lose a potential buyer who is turned off by having to reply via e-mail on the first attempt. Avoiding the ton of drama out weighs that scenario. Also I NEVER have a potential buyer meet me at my residence, no way, instead I have them meet me at a remote area. I know that selling cars/trucks may be more difficult to do this but I would try to arrange a meeting that is not my home. For example at your work place or if the car/truck is road worthy and registered take it to a local Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes you name it. You don't want angry disgruntled buyer saying "I know where you live" if a deal goes bad.

I mostly sell parts so this task is a lot easier and I understand that selling cars that you're more than likely to actually invite them to your kingdom.

I hope it all smooths out for you in the long run. 

[Homerr]

So, no, the crazy guy didn't show.  We went out to dinner anyway.  But I did mention to the neighbors what was up.

Yeah, good points Vegas.  I figured anyone looking at the car registration and receipts will know where I live.  But next time I would do as you suggest.  I just had no idea there would be drama over this crappy car, there must literally be at least 1,000 silver 2002 Subaru Imprezas in Seattle.

[Aero426]

So, no, the crazy guy didn't show.  We went out to dinner anyway.  But I did mention to the neighbors what was up.

Yeah, good points Vegas.  I figured anyone looking at the car registration and receipts will know where I live.  But next time I would do as you suggest.  I just had no idea there would be drama over this crappy car, there must literally be at least 1,000 silver 2002 Subaru Imprezas in Seattle.

I had my '93 Ram (the rust free one from Mississippi pictured in this thread) on C/L for two days a couple years ago.   Nothing but bottom feeders and crazy people.    I took the truck down and kept it.  At the time, I didn't have the energy to put up with the hassle.  

[charger_fan_4ever]

Up here in canada its same thing but with kijiji.

I agree avoid inviting any of these yahoos into your driveway if at all possible to meet somewhere. I live 20 mins outside the city, usually i say i work in the city so can meet you in town. I used to be the kind that said the buyer needs to come to me to inspect ect, but now i always try to avoid it. the little extra money in gas and time loss is worth it to not have a freak in my driveway. Now anytime i have something forsale i never put a sign on it in the driveway anymore.

People are crazy these days. Wife is on maternity leave calls me at the office awhile ago says someones in the driveway and been over near the garage for 5 minutes then left. Never came to the door and her car was in driveway. I get home after work to find a sicky note with a phone # on garage door. The troll wants to buy my snow plow that was beside the garage way off the road. I wanted to call and say if you know whats best for you you won't come back in the driveway unannounced again, but figured this could cause more harm then good.

Summer project spray paint garage windows black.

[Homerr]

I've more or less settled on a 1992-6 F150/F250 shortbed 2WD with manual transmission.  Six is preferred but V8 would be ok.  Not in a hurry, so I can wait for the right one.  They seem to be around $1200-2000 nationally in this configuration with some dings and maybe needing some sort of non-major work like clutch or brakes.

[Homerr]

Thanks to everyone that commented, you all helped out a ton.

I ended up getting a 94 F150 XL, 2wd, shortbed, 154k miles, 4.9l six, 4spd+OD, $2,000.  It has just the right amount of scratches and minor dings, but still shine on the paint.  It was an old man's truck, I spent the afternoon cleaning out the interior - looks like he spilled a Coke in there and never cleaned it up.  Looking much better now.  Only thing that doesn't work is the front gas tank he says.  I'll figure that out, maybe a bad front tank fuel pump?

[RCCDrew]

Congrats!  I just lucked out and bought an 04 Cummins 4x4 for $2500. When a deal pops up you have to be ready with the cash.

[Aero426]

Looks like it will do the job.

[b5blue]

  Check the relay and wiring for the tank switch first. Check on the model transmission you have some Fords had a stick shift with a rubber plug on the very top. The rubber would dry out and the plug fall off. Road crap could get in and ruin the darn thing. (I'm not sure what years.)
 Good luck looks like you did fine!    (Peroxide is a good cleaner for soda, soak the stain and blot with a rag.)

[lukedukem]

Oh man Homer, a single cab short bed with duel tanks. They didn't make many of those. That was a option you had to order. Either way. Awesome buy for 2k.

Luke

[Homerr]

Thanks for the heads up on the transmission.  I have the Mazda M5ODr2 and it looks like this one can have issues with 3 internal rubber plugs failing.  I'll look further at this.

Been looking on some Ford forums and the dual tank problem tends to be the cross-flow valve between the tanks failing, so I'll look at that too.

Before doing any towing I'll get new rear tires and check/redo the brakes.

My head just about exploded last night looking at the owners manual about towing.  They have some general guidelines, definitions of GAWR/GCVW/etc. and then some charts of weights - and you're supposed to look at the door sticker too.  But it's like two people wrote all this up using different methodologies.  And they throw in terms like 'total weight' or 'load rating' - do they mean GVWR, GCVW, etc.  So it becomes confusing to follow.

From the owners manual: I have the 3.55 8.8" rear axle, the truck apparently weights 3,896 lbs. and is rated for GCVW of 7,800 lbs.

From the door sticker:

GVWR: 5,250
Front GAWR: 2,500
Rear GAWR: 3,166

Uhaul says I can tow their 2,200 lb. trailer with a V8 Dart, but not a /6 Charger - with either 5,000 or 6,000 lb. hitch rating system in their configurator.

The hitches in the pic a re $145/160/240 for 5,000/6,000/6,000 lbs. respectively.  Any idea why the last two have same rating?  I get the receiver, mount, and ball rating - that's easy.

But the owner's manual made it sound like this is the situation for the whole package:

7,800 GCVW
-3,896 truck
-2,200 trailer
============
1,704 load capacity

Anyone care to help me math this out?  It seems like GCVW is at odds with Uhaul's limits, at least from what I could decipher in the manual.

I'm okay telling Uhaul I'll tow a Dart instead of a roller Charger, but I'd like to know where I'm at.  

[Trulyvintage]

You did the math

Your calculations are correct

The truck you bought is not adequate to tow a car trailer and a car

http://howto.curtmfg.com/Pages/index.cfm.25.html

I tow an enclosed trailer every day - towing is one thing & stopping is another

My advice is to purchase a minimum 3/4 ton chassis vehicle



Jim

[stripedelete]

TrulyVintage is correct.

[RallyeMike]

There is the math, and then there is reality. He just needs to tow a project car a few times and run bark. It's not the best rig, but it will do the job. I would avoid a long highway tows or speeds over 55 or so..... take it easy, avoid steep hills, and leave excessive stopping room.

U-Haul is going to give you trouble because they are worried about company liability. Outside of U-Haul, a half rack of decent beer or less will typically get you trailer rental from your gear head acquaintances