What it has to do:

min. flat bed capacity of 6,000lbs (haul Jeep)

additional towing capacity of 20,000lbs - gooseneck or 5th wheel WHILE hauling the jeep on the flat bed.

Pull 6-7% grades at 60mph fully loaded.

Be legal, to haul the weight.

Tranny - Manual, 10+ speed, what options are out there.

Diesel - size of engine undetermined, how much power would actually be required. Would a souped up cummins from a 1 ton do the job. (also note the tranny rqmts above).

4x4 would be a bonus, 6x6 or 2nd load axle is an option if needed.

Can't be required to rob banks to build this, all parts must be either cheap new, or 2nd hand. Fabrication shouldn't be an issue.

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one of my ideas was to start with a dead Dodge 1 ton truck diesel. So I have a cab to start with, as well as computer, engine, etc... leaving only tranny to deal with.

Then mod the frame... but that leaves, what trannies are available for a 5.9L, the laws for increasing it's GVWR, the axles (rockwell the only choice?)

So.. how would you guys go about this?

First off, would airbrakes be a problem for you? I think that will depict alot of your choices..

find a older dump truck or semi, and plop on a flat bed, with a gooseneck ball on the end of it like sceeps semi. Anything of that size with a diesel will have the power your looking for, except for maybe a 8.2 fuel pincher, or the 3116 cat. I think a DT466 and a 6 speed would do the trick quiet well. A 8.3 cummins and 9 speed would probably pull as hard as you could ever want.

How about one of those Isuzu cab/chassie set-ups instead? I bet you could get one of those to work..

I would buy an '80s IH crew cab, and put a flatbed on the back of it. DT466, many different tranny options, and you could even get them in 4x4.

Ebay rules for this kind of stuff.

It sounds like an International Medium Duty with a DT466 would do the trick. I rented a 4700 series with an auto and a DT466 back east to move some equiptment, it did it with ease. The IH even got better fuel milage (about 12 MPG) than my 1-ton (8-9 mpg) doing it. I was so impressed with the medium duty IH, that next time I need a tow vehicle that is probably the way I am going to go.

Buy an older ryder box truck. My dad's company runs them for a few years and then turns them back in, ryder then sells them. I've been considering buying one for nothing for a while. Cut the back off, rebuild the deck (would be PLENTY big) and go with it, would already have air brakes and the 6 speed that most of them have would be plenty, could ride one on the truck and tow one behind it. Also have a boom truck that has a bigger motor and two axles. That's the one that I want. Already has the flat deck.

Right now, as we speak, there are two IHC 4700 Crew Cab 4wds sitting for sale. DT466, 7spd, two speed air shifted transfer case. Pretty slick. Probably just enough frame behind the cab for a 12-14' flatbed.

Originally posted by Dustin Smith
Right now, as we speak, there are two IHC 4700 Crew Cab 4wds sitting for sale. DT466, 7spd, two speed air shifted transfer case. Pretty slick. Probably just enough frame behind the cab for a 12-14' flatbed.
now THAT sounds like a nice rig.. We have a 95 4700 with that motor and tranny in it, not bad on gas, and will run a gear limited 70mph with a full load(about 34K) on it, runs a 8% grade loaded at about 55mph in 5th gear. The trannys actualy a 6+, 6 speed plus a granny low, so the top 6 have syncros. a very, very nice truck to drive.

think you just described a dump truck? I know a skid steer fits in the bed your jeep might too.

All of these are ~ $12,000 CDN. First two have hydro brakes and a B Cummins/7 spd. For these prices why would you even consider a 1 ton except for the ready availabilty of a extra/crew cab?

http://media.canadatrader.com/canadatrader/405/1107/1/92011.jpg

http://media.canadatrader.com/canadatrader/407/1213/1/76022.jpg

http://media.canadatrader.com/canadatrader/407/1100/1/42002.jpg

We just picked this up for a service truck but it was more than 12K, Hino FD, 8L Diesel, 6 spd, 23,000# GVW:
http://media.canadatrader.com/canadatrader/404/1414/1/01006.jpg

There are LTL straight trucks available now with a sleeper, i.e. you could haul 4 or even 6 adults comfortably. Of course, the frame and everything is the same as any other medium-duty or up truck: you're into air brakes.

Here (http://www.trucksforsale.com/truck/1667/truck-for-sale) ya go, it's called an 'Expediter' truck.

http://www.trucksforsale.com/vehpics/1667/1075150067.jpg

$12,900

They can't really get less than 6mpg. That's why my dad gets with a '98 Volvo with a 430 Detroit and a 10 speed. That's average.

Hell, notice the rear axle lifts for turning, and for saving tire wear? Saweet.

Damn, here's another one with single rr, but with GVW of 32k, you can haul any trail rig on a home-built flatbed.

http://www.trucksforsale.com/vehpics/bigpics/1771.jpg

These are cool, but I saw a rollback with a freakin aluminum deck, with a Dodge Quad Cab on it around here :eek: I'm gonna find that sucker again one day, that would be sweet.

But honestly, for 15k, and my experience with used OTR trucks, this might be a consideration. If you pay HALF what you pay for a brand-new 1ton, and get 4 TIMES the truck, you can afford 6mpg and the repair costs, which can be big, but you probably won't even run into on one of these trucks with half-a-million miles. You'll put, what, 100k more on them over your ownership? That's nothing.

Originally posted by rusted

If you pay HALF what you pay for a brand-new 1ton, and get 4 TIMES the truck, you can afford 6mpg and the repair costs, which can be big, but you probably won't even run into on one of these trucks with half-a-million miles. You'll put, what, 100k more on them over your ownership? That's nothing.


EXACTLY my thinking!! these people dropping $20-40k for 1 tons are OUT of THIER MIND! :shaking:

check on ebay for what you can get for for under $15k

Originally posted by sceep



EXACTLY my thinking!! these people dropping $20-40k for 1 tons are OUT of THIER MIND! :shaking:

check on ebay for what you can get for for under $15k


You make some good points about very viable options, but don't forget, most of us "Dummies" running one ton's etc use their truck for double duty, family car etc- and I get 10-12 mpg in cross country runs.

Most of these will ride for shit unless you get air suspension too. Oh- and what do they top out at- 73 going down hill?? Not saying all, but many so look at all the aspects before you buy something you may end up selling six months later. If you're just doing local stuff it may different, but then even a gasser is OK. just more stuff to think about.

hell for the price of a new 1 ton, you could have this truck..
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2458279442&category=6729

17 hours and 166 miles on it..

http://imagehost.vendio.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/dawsongrant98/DSC05424.JPG

Originally posted by Go2Guy


You make some good points about very viable options, but don't forget, most of us "Dummies" running one ton's etc use their truck for double duty, family car etc- and I get 10-12 mpg in cross country runs.

Most of these will ride for shit unless you get air suspension too. Oh- and what do they top out at- 73 going down hill?? Not saying all, but many so look at all the aspects before you buy something you may end up selling six months later. If you're just doing local stuff it may different, but then even a gasser is OK. just more stuff to think about.

Hmm, I don't know. I know in the hills they will slow down if they are very loaded. But the trucks themselves will weigh ~10k lbs. At least, that's what an FLD120 tractor weights (class 8). So if you take 10k, and add 8k in rig and family, that's only 18 thousand pounds.

With a 250 or 300 horse motor, they probably won't slow down. Since some of our older FLD120s had 370 Detroits in them, and could carry 78k up the hills at least in the East, and yes they'd slow down, but it's not like they couldn't make the trip.

Since those Expediters are designed to carry ~25k - 30k and get things around FAST, I think they could pull around a little trail rig outfit.

I guess I'd talk to an LTL driver and see what they said.

Hey Rob, remind me this weekend so we can talk about this. I have a few miles in that category of trucks :p

Originally posted by rusted


Hmm, I don't know. I know in the hills they will slow down if they are very loaded. But the trucks themselves will weigh ~10k lbs. At least, that's what an FLD120 tractor weights (class 8). So if you take 10k, and add 8k in rig and family, that's only 18 thousand pounds.

With a 250 or 300 horse motor, they probably won't slow down. Since some of our older FLD120s had 370 Detroits in them, and could carry 78k up the hills at least in the East, and yes they'd slow down, but it's not like they couldn't make the trip.

Since those Expediters are designed to carry ~25k - 30k and get things around FAST, I think they could pull around a little trail rig outfit.

I guess I'd talk to an LTL driver and see what they said.

I can not picture using one of those to go skiing or camping with. Looks like I'll be a "dummy" and drop $25K on a 3/4 T :rolleyes:

Guys- did not mean to confuse anyone- I'm not questioning their ability to move weight, but to go fast doing it. Most "local" trucks are not geared for over the road speeds are they? maybe I'm all wet.

When I'm towing, I run about 7-8 over posted speed limits, usually 77-82 which a lot of these trucks just won't do. dropping 10 MPH adds hours to the trips fast.

Originally posted by Go2Guy
Guys- did not mean to confuse anyone- I'm not questioning their ability to move weight, but to go fast doing it. Most "local" trucks are not geared for over the road speeds are they? maybe I'm all wet.

When I'm towing, I run about 7-8 over posted speed limits, usually 77-82 which a lot of these trucks just won't do. dropping 10 MPH adds hours to the trips fast.

Ok maybe some of them won't but those trucks will do 85 mph no problem. That's what I'm saying.

You see the sleeper? That's an interstate, OTR truck. They're made to deliver 'less than truck loads' interstate at very fast speeds. They were designed to haul ass and be very efficient.

I've been thinking about the same thing. A buddy of mine buys trucks from the state and a local lumber yard. He has had four doored 1.5-2 ton trucks with the low profile setups on them. I have seen the two speed rears with disc in them and disc on the front axle. I've been wanting to go thru a few of the scraps and see what I come up with.

Originally posted by sceep



EXACTLY my thinking!! these people dropping $20-40k for 1 tons are OUT of THIER MIND! :shaking:

check on ebay for what you can get for for under $15k

I know this may have been posted before, but I can't find it.

I'm curious, what kind of MPG do you get? What kind of motor? Tranny? How fast and easy does it tow?