tow vehicles??

[LMDGUY]

just wonderin what you guys are using for tow rigs?? now that my 73 is almost done and i will be hitting sum shows in socal and nevada. My 1/2ton Dodge is getting the job done but was thinking how cool a squarebody dually or even a burb would be. Im thinking how milage would be, dependablity, must have cold ac/heater. just lookin for ideas

[884x4Sub]

my 85 Sub is in my avatar.....going to put a carb 383 in it.....I had a 96 3/4 4x4 6.5 Sub and this I learned.....everything is fine with modern diesels until something goes wrong, then look out!!!....my boat wieghs 9000lbs and it tore up that truck, tranny probs, 2 sets of front wheel bearings in 3 yrs at $1600 per set......I would NEVER own ANY modern diesel truck off warranty and in my case thats a PILE of coin every month for something that isnt a daily driver....did you know that ONE fuel injector for a DMax is almost $400!!,and that doesnt include installation.....try replacing all 8!!! the Ford and Dodge are right there too....and thier gas mi isnt all that great loaded

I used to have a 87 full size Blazer I used to pull it with before the 96 and I never put a dime in it, just drove it, but the 350tbi was a dog and it had too short of a wheelbase.....

I pulled it last summer with a 87 3/4 ton 4x4 Sub and it did a nice job of towing, very stable, again the 350 tbi wasnt up to the job......I found out in my area the 87 will now have to e test forever but an 85 wont and you can make alot more power with a carb engine than a tbi.....a big square is as bulletproof truck as you will find......dirt cheap to fix, fuel pump $50, modern truck $400...... it goes on and on.

heres what I want to fix it up like....doug

[vern350]

Whats the lift and tire size on that monster. I'm currently building a 87 3/4 ton 4x4 longbox that will become the new tow vehicle. I have a 6" lift for it already. Currous to how it tows and handles as a lifted truck.

[884x4Sub]

Originally Posted by vern350

Whats the lift and tire size on that monster. I'm currently building a 87 3/4 ton 4x4 longbox that will become the new tow vehicle. I have a 6" lift for it already. Currous to how it tows and handles as a lifted truck.

that truck has at least a 4' lift.....I'll leave mine stock ride hieght like Jcampells blue Sub below.....the lower the better for towing....my 87 (below) was stock ride hieght

[JCampbell]

Originally Posted by 884x4Sub

...I'll leave mine stock ride hieght like Jcampells blue Sub below...

Sorry...3" on 33's. Tows fine, wheels pretty good too.

[vern350]

didn't catch the "heres what I want to fix it up like" part. Thanks for the info and good looking rigs guys

[884x4Sub]

Originally Posted by JCampbell

Sorry...4" on 33's. Tows fine, wheels pretty good too.

yeah.....guess yours is a little higher than mine.......whoops

[JCampbell]

Both of mine work *****in for anything I ever need to tow-

'86 Crew Cab Dually
Carbed 454ci/TH400
10 MPG empty/8 MPG towing
Dependability-excellent
Stiff nipple A/C - Hellfire heat



'88 Burb
TBI 350ci/TH400/NP208
10 MPG empty/8 MPG towing
Dependability-excellent
Stiff nipple A/C - Hellfire heat

[bucket]

what happened to the blue and white crew dually? that thing was inspiration for my current 78 crew dually project.

trailer brakes are the only way to go.

Originally Posted by JCampbell

Both of mine work *****in for anything I ever need to tow-

'86 Crew Cab Dually
Carbed 454ci/TH400
10 MPG empty/8 MPG towing
Dependability-excellent
Stiff nipple A/C - Hellfire heat



'88 Burb
TBI 350ci/TH400/NP208
10 MPG empty/8 MPG towing
Dependability-excellent
Stiff nipple A/C - Hellfire heat

[JCampbell]

Originally Posted by bucket

what happened to the blue and white crew dually? that thing was inspiration for my current 78 crew dually project.

She's sidelined right now with driveline issues, but I still have it...funny to hear somebody say it their inspiration.

I've been thinking about selling it and trying again with something a little newer and in the same general condition as the '86. That things a mess and I'm just not really into rebuilding a whole truck right now ($$$).

[bucket]

its similar to my 78 so it's inspiration in a low budget - beater sort of way. and i mean that with the upmost respect

Originally Posted by JCampbell

She's sidelined right now with driveline issues, but I still have it...funny to hear somebody say it their inspiration.

I've been thinking about selling it and trying again with something a little newer and in the same general condition as the '86. That things a mess and I'm just not really into rebuilding a whole truck right now ($$$).

[Captkaos]

My 91 Crew Cab SRW with TBI 350/4L80E gets 15/17mpg (2WD BTW)

[78 Chevyrado]

Now my longbed seems small....

My 3/4 ton may be small but it does the job nicely...

[JCampbell]

I think the mileage is so-so on the C30 because it's carb'd, and the Burb because it's underpowered. In any case, they're identical. I can get 11 in the dually if I keep it at 55...but who wants to do that?

I'd like to swap in a TBI engine into my rig one of these days. I have a Buddy up in Washington State that has a lowered '88 C30 w/ TBI that gets 14mpg all day long. He drove it from just s/o the Canadian border, down to my place in SoCal last year for Reso '08 and I can vouch for those #'s. It's not stock. He runs an MSD ignition, electric fans, headers, throttle body spacer, etc. I'm not sure what his towing mileage looks like though.



I only tow relatively light loads with the Burb (>7,000 lbs). However, with the dually, I do pull an excess of 10,000 lbs (7,500 lb Skid Steer/Mini Ex + 2,500 lb trailer + fuel, tools, chains & binders, etc...) with relative regularity and have had no major issues.



If you need a Burb, I'd go with a C20/2500 with a TBI 454 ('87+). If not, I'd stick with at least a C/K20, but shoot for a C/K30 (again, '87+).

[LMDGUY]

Originally Posted by JCampbell

I think the mileage is so-so on the C30 because it's carb'd, and the Burb because it's underpowered. In any case, they're identical. I can get 11 in the dually if I keep it at 55...but who wants to do that?

I'd like to swap in a TBI engine into my rig one of these days. I have a Buddy up in Washington State that has a lowered '88 C30 w/ TBI that gets 14mpg all day long. He drove it from just s/o the Canadian border, down to my place in SoCal last year for Reso '08 and I can vouch for those #'s. It's not stock. He runs an MSD ignition, electric fans, headers, throttle body spacer, etc. I'm not sure what his towing mileage looks like though.



I only tow relatively light loads with the Burb (>7,000 lbs). However, with the dually, I do pull an excess of 10,000 lbs (7,500 lb Skid Steer/Mini Ex + 2,500 lb trailer + fuel, tools, chains & binders, etc...) with relative regularity and have had no major issues.



If you need a Burb, I'd go with a C/K2500 with a TBI 454 ('87+). If not, I'd stick with at least a C/K20, but shoot for a C/K30 (again, '87+).

thanks for the info!

[JCampbell]

That's a sharp lookin' rig, Jeff.

[Thumpin455]

I like a lowered truck to pull, of course having a low trailer is part of that. Currently the 76 is waiting for some more parts, 86 vintage 454s are weak suck for the size. Before the 454 it pulled a single car trailer ok with the lowly broken piston skirt 305. It needed to downshift on every hill and you had to plan to pass anything, but it did good dropped.

A big part of what you need to tow with is what you are towing. If you are pulling a pop up camper or a small single axle lawn mower trailer, then an S10 would do it fine. Pulling a race car depends on the trailer, an open trailer is 1/2 ton at least, an enclosed two car and its time for a dually. Pulling a skid steer or other really heavy stuff and you need the bigger trucks like a 1 ton dually.

The big problem is controlling it, being able to stop the load and not having the load sling you all over the road. Getting it moving isnt the tough part, getting it stopped is, at least with the size trucks we are talking about here.


Mine likes yanking Fords around since they dont run as long.

[JCampbell]

Originally Posted by Thumpin455

The big problem is controlling it, being able to stop the load and not having the load sling you all over the road. Getting it moving isnt the tough part, getting it stopped is, at least with the size trucks we are talking about here.

That's the truth of the matter, right there. Overloaded trucks are a big pet peeve of mine.

Listen people: just because it's a pickup, doesn't mean it can safely haul anything you can throw at it. You're not going to get the same towing capacity out of an S-10 than you will out of a Kenworth.

Read your manuals, know your GVW's, know how much weight your towing/hauling. Not only does it include the weight of your cargo, but you also need to factor in the weight of your trailer and means of securement. Chains and binders can really start to add up.

I'm pretty much a "by-the-book" kinda guy when it comes to towing. Pulling a 9000# boat, plus a trailer with a 1/2 ton Blazer is asking for trouble. That's even a tall order for a 3/4 ton Burb. According to GM, my Burb is only rated to tow 7,200 #'s. Can it handle more? I think so. Should I push it? No. The last place I want to be is sitting on the side of the road when the Troopers show up because I was in an accident partially caused by me being overloaded. Your looking at some heavy fines at the very least and maybe even a cozy little cell with Bubba should somebody get mortally wounded.

The question isn't "can I pull it?" The question is, "can I control it?"

[JCampbell]

I've been looking and looking but I can't seem to find anything-does anyone have a source where you can go to verify GM's specified towing capacitys for these trucks?

[Captkaos]

check http://brochures.slosh.com.
It will give you a general idea I think, but you won't know exactly unless you look at the specific vehicle. Different options can effect the capacity.

[JCampbell]

Originally Posted by Captkaos

check http://brochures.slosh.com

Wow, that's pretty awesome. Thanks!

[pilotj]

I was getting about 14-15mpg with mine towing cars back and forth from VA to TX, but that was when I had the 3.73 gears in it. I havn't checked it since I swapped in the 4.11's.

[884x4Sub]

Originally Posted by pilotj

I was getting about 14-15mpg with mine towing cars back and forth from VA to TX, but that was when I had the 3.73 gears in it. I havn't checked it since I swapped in the 4.11's.

is your motor stock???

[pilotj]

884X4Sub, My engine is close to stock. It's a GM 350 crate engine with an Edelbrock RPM intake/performer 600 carb and Flowtech Afterburner headers. No mufflers - just cats (kinda to loud at highway speeds). Sorry it took so long for my reply, I've been out of town

[cochino12]

My 86 K20, I'll have a 383 built this summer but stock for now. 350/th400 and about 8 mpg under load