tow vehicles

You really want a fun ride put it in 4WD LOW. You could probably tow your boat up a wall. You will love the 4:10s when you need it, that is if you ever decide to come up to Chelan someday.

Fred
 
Well I guess you'd say we are Dodge Cummins fans. We have four, a 1991, 1997, and two 1998's. We just purchased one of the 98's (it's a 1-ton dually so we can pack our camper around) this past summer for $14,000. Rick also had three Dodge's before that.
All of these trucks have been extremely reliable. We did put a power chip in the 97, as it's a work truck and hauls some very heavilly loaded trailers. The prices have come down lately, and if you can find one that has less than 200,000 miles (nothing for a Cummins) for the right price, I'd grab it.
Pat
 
Do I need to chain up to travel the information super highway? It's looking like the big red truck is going to get traded in for a used, low miles F150 super cab short bed...I'll miss that spleen busting ride
 
You mean that we can still attend C-D gatherings even though I bought a Ford? We make all the gatherings we can, hate to miss them....attendance will be spotty this summer though cuz I gots to offer a summer class.
 
B~C":13bzs7gk said:
You mean that we can still attend C-D gatherings even though I bought a Ford?
Click to expand...
First person that makes a Ford joke gets their profile link pointed at Bayliner...

Don't worry Ken - Da Nerd will stick up for you.
 
OK.....you folks have me all confused here; But of course, that doesn't take a whole bunch.
I'm kinda shopping around for another tow vehicle, and I've been following this thread lately thinking that I could pick up some helpful information to assist in my making a wise decision on the size of vehicle I might want (or need) to tow my 22 Cruiser. However, it's confusing me a whole bunch. I'm listening to you guys talk about the size of your trucks (and some are pretty heavy duty) and I've come to the conclusion that you're hauling/towing stuff much heavier than a C Dory, or your C Dorys are getting dramatically heavier with age. One of the great selling points of owning a C Dory is their light weight and ease of towing. So why such heavy duty trucks to tow a 4000 lb package?

I'm looking around at 5.3 L kinds of things, with tow ratings of 8000 lbs, and I"m thinking this certainly is way heavy enough to tow my boat. Eventually I hope to pull it through and over mountains. Am I going to be WAY underpowered? Am I missing something here, or are you guys just into heavy duty power machines? I presently have a 92 Chevy k1500, and it seems to be ok, but the tranny is getting a bit weak and for long distance towing I"d feel more comfortable moving up a few years.

Thoughts?
Paul aboard the Joni Lynn[/i]
 
Da Nag":z3mbli0k said:
First person that makes a Ford joke gets their profile link pointed at Bayliner...

Don't worry Ken - Da Nerd will stick up for you.
Click to expand...

I knew that there was some reason that that parrot on my shoulder was advising me not to make some snide comment about BS's new rig.
 
A 5.3L engine will work just fine for towing a 22 C-Dory. I would suggest getting a Tranny cooler added on if you run an automatic. you want to keep the transmission as cool as possible.
1/2 ton trucks may be a little lite but you can add overload springs and better shocks to help even out the load. I had a 1990 F150 extra cab 4/4 and I added overloads on her . It worked great becuse the overload springs didn't take effect till you added weight to the rear of the truck. when empty it rode smooth. the most important item is a good trailer hitch rated for your weight and bolted straight to the frame.
These big Dodge(overgrown Fords) deisels are great if you need them. but unless you run 50,000 miles or more per year, it is a waste of money for it in my opinion. there isn't enough difference in fuel economy to make it pay.
I have a GMC 3500 4/4 flatbed dually now with a 454 and automatic. I needed it for the farm. but if all I did was pull my 22 ft C-Dory arround I would be looking at a smaller rig.
I am partial to GM trucks. One thing about the GM trucks is that you don't need a step ladder to climb into them.
 
Thanks Bill.
J.L., I traded a F350 with a 5.8L for the F150 with a 5.4L engine. I think it will tow the boat like a champ. With the right equipment, I think you could tow a 22' with a Toyota Tacoma (I think some have a 5k rating) but a beefier tow rig gives a bit more margin of safety, both for acceleration and brakeing.
When I was looking to change rigs, I wanted something with at least a 6500lb tow rating....just whatever you do, don't get a chevy :)
 
Ken

Congrats on your new truck. Those F-150 ride as smooth as a car.


Paul

My 7500 lb CD25 is considerably heavier than the CD22. The F-250 I had for a tow rig was adequate for towing it, but required almost constant steering wheel correction while driving down the road. The standard wheelbase with a heavy load allowed the tire sidewalls to flex and roll. It wasn't bad, but just required more attention to drive.
The longer wheelbase and dual rear tires on my new truck means a much more relaxing ride when I'm towing, I'm guessing that the bigger truck will pull the 25' almost as easily as the smaller trucks pulls a 22'. :mrgreen: I like stress free driving
 
here is the ultimate boat launcher/tow rig :mrgreen:
go_anywhere_tow_rig.jpg
 
Joni Lynn":3dzp4g3m said:
However, it's confusing me a whole bunch. I'm listening to you guys talk about the size of your trucks (and some are pretty heavy duty) and I've come to the conclusion that you're hauling/towing stuff much heavier than a C Dory, or your C Dorys are getting dramatically heavier with age. One of the great selling points of owning a C Dory is their light weight and ease of towing. So why such heavy duty trucks to tow a 4000 lb package?
Click to expand...
Completely fair observation, Paul. Capacity-wise, the big diesel rigs can be complete overkill, and are absolutely not "necessary". I'd say just about any V-8 powered SUV or 1/2 ton truck is adequate for a CD22.

I chose the diesel to tow a travel trailer I no longer own, but it wasn't much heavier than a CD22. And the reasons (for me) still apply:

- The mileage increase. I get about 8mpg better than most gas rigs when towing, and I tow a lot. This alone will pay for the difference in price of the truck.

- Dependability. Not as big a deal when you are within 50 miles of home, or your vehicle is new, but it gives me great peace of mind when I'm 1000 miles away...even in a 1997 truck.

- The power. You are hard-pressed to tell the boat is behind you with the newer diesel trucks. Again, not a big deal for short trips and mostly "flat" driving, but it makes for much more relaxed towing over long distances or when driving up steep grades.

- Handling. Typically, the bigger the rig, the better you can control things in an unexpected situation when towing.

- Future add-ons. Who knows - maybe you'll upgrade to a 25, or want to tow your CD22 with a camper. No problemo with a 3/4 or 1 ton diesel.

All in all, it's just much less stressful when towing with the extra power and size. I just set the cruise control, sit back and relax. I don't think you'll find anyone who has gone to the bigger rigs that regrets it, even with the relatively light load of a CD22.
 
Paul":3w0j9plr said:
I'm looking around at 5.3 L kinds of things, with tow ratings of 8000 lbs
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, that's plenty heavy enough. We towed our 22 with a Jeep Cherokee - small V8, 6500 tow package. Never a problem. I did not have brakes on the 22 trailer, and that made me nervous, but towing was always easy with the Jeep. It was after we towed the CD25 with the Jeep for a ways that we decided that sooner than later was better for getting a truck. The Jeep towed the 25 up to Cornet Bay just fine, but I was really nervous that trip!

If we still had the 22, we would still have the Jeep. No problem. The 1-ton diesel is for the CD25 at about 7500 pounds on the trailer.

Sorry about this topic being so confusing. I tell them guys and tell them guys to stay on topic, but somewhere along the line someone set a bad example, and this is what we get.
 
YO Mike, you say you'll be dealing with the Ford guys later.....are you planing on trading the Dodge for a proper truck (Ford)
 
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