My $2300 tow set up

[mrnatural]

awlright, here she goes:

1973 chevrolet c30 dually, 350, sm465, 8'x9' flat bed= $50 from a friend.

1999 18' dovetail, 7000 gross, single brake=$1800

tires, tubeless wheels, voyager controller, oil, hitch and sundries=$450

being a broke ass eighteen year old with a road worthy tow set up IN MY NAME=priceless:flipoff2: :flipoff2:

what do you guys think? just towed 300 miles to Hollister and back, only leaked 4 quarts of oil, not bad, eh?

[Chrisf]

as long as it got you back:D

[70~K5]

Be careful, with a flatbed on that truck you're supose to cross the scales if they're open in California.

[rusted]

That's a nice setup. I'm looking to go cheep cheep cheep too.

I know I could have gotten the trailer cheaper for brand new. Those look to be 3500lb drop axles, one with brakes. That trailer should have run $1k brand new in MI.

[DRM]

I would add a stock bed or at least drop some weight off that behemoth by chopping down that huge wind sail/headache rack behind the cab :p

Nice setup though for low green investment :)

[postal]

Hey, I'm impressed that even though you don't have a lot to spend, you at least went with a heavy enough truck to safely tote the load.:)

[mrnatural]

Originally posted by rusted
I know I could have gotten the trailer cheaper for brand new. Those look to be 3500lb drop axles, one with brakes. That trailer should have run $1k brand new in MI.

yes, welcome to Kalifornia. it is dual 3500lb, new brakes, bearings, and tires. i had been (seriously) shopping for the past two months, and a shitty new angle iron car hauler was about 1700 after tax+license. this is a much better built trailer.

i was wondering about the scales:eek: I know I need to find a regular bed ASAP, this one weighs about 1K lbs:D

[Michelle]

Pick-N-Pull is having a half price sale this weekend. (5-31)

[jaluhn]

Originally posted by DRM
I would add a stock bed or at least drop some weight off that behemoth by chopping down that huge wind sail/headache rack behind the cab :p

Nice setup though for low green investment :)

Yep, sopunds like a good idea. As long as you never haul anything. Wait untill you throw something on the bed, misjudge a bit, and it goes sailing throught the back window. Or worse yet, you slam on the brakes for some dipshit in a geo, and all the junk on the bed goes through the window and winds up in your lap. :eek: :eek: This is not a good thing. Not having a headache rack is a really really dumb thing to do. Granted, ti could be cut down alot, but it definetly needs to be there.

Only 4 quarts of oil? Amature. :)

Got to love the feeling of having your own rig. I bnought my first truck just shy of my 17th birthday, against my dad's advise. Then, he starts asking me to haul stuff for him. :) :) I don't have a trailer yet, though. Got a tow truck, but no trailer. Working on building one, though.
~John

[Mustard Dog]

Ugly as fawk, but who cares if it gets the job done:D

[Benny]

Post a closeup of the trailer itself. It looks exactly like the one sitting in our lot.

[mrnatural]

the best i got:

[The Jerk]

my tow rig worked sweet going to teh con this past weekend. 78 gmc 3/4 ton, 350/th350/ d44/ 14 bolt, pulling my dope trailer

truck = 1000 bucks
trailer was 1600
cruiser 14,000 lol,

wt tow rig, slow as hell, but i was always told slow is safer and my wife and i were. dont care about slow on the hills cuz on teh trail the cruiser laughs!

rock on , on the cheap set up, jiMMy

[jays68yak]

Originally posted by Michelle
Pick-N-Pull is having a half price sale this weekend. (5-31)

Figures, they always have the half off sells the same weekend as the good guy car shows..........

[Chaz Murray]

Originally posted by mrnatural
the best i got:

looks like a PJ brand trailer...i have the same one but a year newer and black...you paid 1800 for that thing? new 3 years ago it was 1699.00..

[Brad]

I think the bedsides are big enough where hes not a "commercial" truck so he shouldnt have to stop at the scales. I remember my buddy said it was 6 or 8" bed sides

[mrnatural]

Originally posted by Brad
I think the bedsides are big enough where hes not a "commercial" truck so he shouldnt have to stop at the scales. I remember my buddy said it was 6 or 8" bed sides

hhrrrmmmm...they are removeable planks, as tall as about 2 feet if i want.

[70~K5]

Originally posted by Brad
I think the bedsides are big enough where hes not a "commercial" truck so he shouldnt have to stop at the scales. I remember my buddy said it was 6 or 8" bed sides

Next time you drive by the scales look at the signs there. If they're open it says "All trucks stop at scales" then there's a sign that says no pickups or except pickups. With a flat bed or a ultility bed they can come after you for not stoping. And look on your registration card from DMV, even pickups say "commercial" in Kali. If he puts a pickup bed on it and makes sure it's listed as a pickup at DMV then he'll be good.

[jays68yak]

Is it that anything over a 1/2 ton is registered as a comercial? My 94 2500 is reged as a comercial.

[jaluhn]

Anything with a bed is registered comercial, unless it has a "permanttly afixed" shell. Acording to the vehicle code, a pickup is a vehicle with a pickup bed, ie - stabdard pickup. Anything else is legally a truck, and is technically supposed to stop at the scales. However, I don't think you'll get in trouble nbot goin through. I know of at least one guys that drives nothing put a flatbed 1 ton, and he's never had a problem. And if they pull you over, Tell them it's a private rig, and you didn't know you had to go over the scales. Throw in solething about only seeing semis and not wanting to create a hazard. :)
~John

[pcorssmit]

Originally posted by 70~K5


Next time you drive by the scales look at the signs there. If they're open it says "All trucks stop at scales" then there's a sign that says no pickups or except pickups. With a flat bed or a ultility bed they can come after you for not stoping.

The signs in Colorado say the same thing, but you don't have to stop unless you're over 26k. No signs about pickup exceptions, either.

Pete

[Haole]

Originally posted by 70~K5
Be careful, with a flatbed on that truck you're supose to cross the scales if they're open in California.

Not necessarily.

If you're driving a 2 axle vehicle, they aren't really interested. The one up the highway from me specifically says no two axled vehicles. I can't think of one place where a light duty truck is required to go to the roadside scales.

[Haole]

Originally posted by jaluhn
Anything with a bed is registered comercial, unless it has a "permanttly afixed" shell. Acording to the vehicle code, a pickup is a vehicle with a pickup bed, ie - stabdard pickup. Anything else is legally a truck, and is technically supposed to stop at the scales. However, I don't think you'll get in trouble nbot goin through. I know of at least one guys that drives nothing put a flatbed 1 ton, and he's never had a problem. And if they pull you over, Tell them it's a private rig, and you didn't know you had to go over the scales. Throw in solething about only seeing semis and not wanting to create a hazard. :)
~John

It just says open type box bed.

Section 471. A "pickup truck" is a motor truck with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of less than 11,500 pounds, an unladen weight of less than 8,001 pounds, and which is equipped with an open box-type bed not exceeding 9 feet in length. "Pickup truck" does not include a motor vehicle otherwise meeting the above definition, that is equipped with a bed-mounted storage compartment unit commonly called a "utility body."

Doesn't say it has to be a factory bed, so technically, a wooden box one would work.

[warlock440]

Originally posted by pcorssmit


The signs in Colorado say the same thing, but you don't have to stop unless you're over 26k. No signs about pickup exceptions, either.

Pete

I know this is not true.. A few years ago I got stopped driving a 1/2 ton pick up across I-70 because I didn't stop at the weight station.. I had a little electric motor in the bed so I got a ticket for not stopping.. I haven't been through Colorado with a truck or trailer since..

[70~K5]

Originally posted by eurobob


Not necessarily.

If you're driving a 2 axle vehicle, they aren't really interested. The one up the highway from me specifically says no two axled vehicles. I can't think of one place where a light duty truck is required to go to the roadside scales.

Well with a 2 axle trailer behind it, it would be a 4 axle combanation vech. not a 2 axle. And in Nor Cal they could come after him if he doesn't stop at the scales. I'm not saying that he would get chased, but should be aware that it may happen. And he may want to change it to a pickup bed.

[mrnatural]

awlright, i think that I decided that i'm gonna cut off the racks (all 1/4" steel:eek:) and bend up some .120 wall tubing that will give me more visibility and be a lot lighter with less wind resistance...or just paint and sell the whole bed and get a dually bed.

I guess I'll just cruise through the scales for now...What is the deal with scales anyhow? i just drive through at 3 mph w/ the semis and its all good? is it for taxes or what? please give me some insight.

thanks,
chris

[Haole]

According to the Cal Vehicle Code, the scales are meant to check for overloaded vehicles. They also may pull select vehicles aside for a random inspection.

[SanDiegoCJ]

Originally posted by jays68yak
Is it that anything over a 1/2 ton is registered as a comercial? My 94 2500 is reged as a comercial.


I had a 1985 Nissan pickup that was registered commercial
here in Kali. If the bed is open it's considered commercial here.:mad:

[FULLSIZE]

Originally posted by mrnatural
awlright, i think that I decided that i'm gonna cut off the racks (all 1/4" steel:eek:) and bend up some .120 wall tubing that will give me more visibility and be a lot lighter with less wind resistance...or just paint and sell the whole bed and get a dually bed.

I guess I'll just cruise through the scales for now...What is the deal with scales anyhow? i just drive through at 3 mph w/ the semis and its all good? is it for taxes or what? please give me some insight.

thanks,
chris

just pull through at 3mph and make sure to wait at the little line they have til the guy in front of you is clear of the scale. also watch for the arrows at the left as you head through, thats how they pull you in to check your vehicle.:D

[BarrelRoll]

Kick ass tow rig for a dirt cheep price. I spent $1150 on my first truck which is a '90 f150 with a 300 6, it's a royal pos but it gets the job done. I spent $1400 out the door for a angle iron utility trailer that is kinda too narrow but gets the job. Gota love a trailer that costs more than your truck.

BarrelRoll

[FatA$$ Toyota]

I need to see a side shot of that. I am gettin ready to hack off the rear of my runner.