I am looking at getting a truck to use as a daily driver and tow rig. I would like diesel, but can't find much for less than 15-17k. I would like to spend 10-15k to get a 4x4, 3/4 or 1 ton, diesel...what would you recomend?

Dan

I have a 2001 Dodge, but it was a little more than your price range ;) I love my truck though, couldnt have made a better decision

Ford Ford Ford..... I just bought my tow rig a few months ago 96 F250 XLT Powerstroke 4x4 package SuperCab with 52,000 miles on it for $16,500.00. a little more than you want to pay but I think it was a good deal...

go powerjoke. they're cheap and un reliable. Personally I run an '01 eth dee dodge ram

Check the For Sale section! I have a 1994 3/4 ton Suburban for sale with a 454, 4x4 ect. Its a good tow rig with plenty of power.

I'm running a 1978 Ford F250 Extended cab with the 460 motor. I don't miss many gas stations but ya gotta love the power of that 460!!

you can get a 99 Superduty Powerstroke XL which is the no-frills trim for about 15000. I just got an 02 F250 at 0% financing. The more i think about the 0% the more i realize how amazing of a deal it is.

-Steve

I run an '01 Chevy 2500HD for a DD and tow rig. It's got the 6.0, which does a fine job of towing a Jeep on a trailer. I got the 8-foot bed and extended cab which is nice for towing (wheelbase), but a bit of a hassle in tight parking lots and whatnot.

Really, I drove all the brands in 3/4 ton and they all were nice. I got the best deal on the Chevy. In your price range, I'd look for the older (mid-90s) body style Ford F250s.
Dion

Just picked up a "93" 3/4 ton 4x4 dodge in incredibly perfect condition with the cummins and power everything for $10,000 even. Also has a shell on the back, 130,000 mil. I love it
ericfilar@fatcity

I've got a 94 PSD F250 4x4. I love it, but I think it's time for something a little nicer. I'm gonna order a new Dodge within the next couple of months (awesome discount). I've got 190k miles on my PSD and I haven't done much more than regular maintance to it. I'd say go for a 95+ Ford. They are getting to be pretty easy to come by and you should be able to find one within your budget.

i am running a 89 chevy crew cab dually. 454 4 speed, with a set of 4.10s and 215x85s so it pulls great and drinks the shit out of gas. find a deal on a cummings dodge. they will get you great miliage, last forever and pull good. the part you put in about daily driver, just about kills the gas rigs. unless you live close to work. i see good deals all the time here in texas, but i have no idea where you are at so it may not be an option. mike

2002 f30 psd
1999 expedition
1996 27' class A motorhome.


all are used as tow rigs and work great

I a got 97 dodge 3/4 cummins 4X4 with 12valve, dd 60miles a day 20 mpg. When towing 17mpg great truck. Take your time and you can find an older dodge with a cummins in much better shap then a psd ford. To find an affordable ford your are looking at twin I beam tire wearing out junk.

1999 Suburban 2500 (3/4 ton) LT with the 454. oh yeah and it hauls the family, two dogs, and camping shiat in leather covered comfort and then i get to sleep in the back at camp :D

97 Chevy C3500 with the 6.5L turbo diesel. Runs great and pulls anything Ive tried to pull without a problem. Our big mudtrucks wiegh a bit more than the jeeps do also. 6.5's have a bad rep but if you keep the fuel filter changed like your supposed to you shouldnt have a problem. Plus it comes with a 100,000 warranty on the motor! I got it used for $16,500 after trading in a car I was about $2000 upside down in.
http://www.homestead.com/teamzebra/files/mydually1.jpg

1985 J10 with a 360 and tf727 3 speed with 3.55 gears. it's a longbed, too.

you probly won't be able to find one tho ;)

i just like my 360, pretty torquey for a smallblock :)

Originally posted by primergray
I'm running a 1978 Ford F250 Extended cab with the 460 motor. I don't miss many gas stations but ya gotta love the power of that 460!!


Ohh yeah, I just got my new tow rig last week, 1977 Ford F250 with a 460. She will pull the ol' toy around no problem, even with dual tanks it doesn't have much range :eek:. Can't beat a tow rig for $400 either :smokin:

does any body tow with a van from the 70s to mid eighties? if so how does it tow? and what does it tow?

97 Chevy Silverado, crew cab, dually, 454. Tows like a bandit, gets 12 mpg towing my Runner with 3/4 ton of firewood in the back. Sucks gas in town, 10 mpg.

i use an 86 f250. it has been converted to a f350 with a solid d60 in the front. it has 4 inch springs up front f450 springs in the rear plus airbags. has 4.10 gears and 35 bfg at ko. i just swapped in a 460 that i added a cam, edelbrock intake manifold, headers and holley projection. it has a c6 and 208

1989 3/4 toy Chevy 4x4 extended cab. It only has a 350 in it but pulls ok.

69 f250 460/c6/205

Started as a $600 truck with a blown motor, I've put atleast 3k into it now. Gets about 4 gas stations to the mile... but hey it's paid for atleast :D

I just recently bought a 82 suburban 3/4 ton with 454 and th400.. I like it alot, seems to be really powerful but is a great big gas pig!
Someday I'll get a Dodge cummins....

1977 IH Terra 304 4 speed. 400 bucks

2001 Dodge Quad Cab 4x4 it's also my dd. :D I went for my 84 4runner welded rear and 33's, noy much heat and no a/c. Life is good.

93 F250 supercab longbed 4x4. It has the 7.3 Indirect Injection motor with the factory installed ATS turbo, the 5 speed manual, and 4.10 gears. Empty it gets 18 MPG, towing it gets about 13 with 1 or 2 trucks on the trailer.

Thanks for the replies...where are you guys finding these deals on heavy duty diesel trucks? Here in MI, a 250 powerstroke with high miles will go for more than 15k. I would like a dodge, but can't find one...I have been keeping an eye on auto trader for the last few months, with not much luck. Any tips on where to look?

Dan

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Originally posted by 9-Volt
y

What a fuckin padded, thats pathetic...

:flipoff2: :flipoff2: :flipoff2: :flipoff2: http://www.colorado4x4.org/uploads/semi3.jpg

97 f350 ps 4x4 crew cab:D

2000 Dodge w/ cummins and a 6 speed:D

1998 HD2500 Vortec 454 pulls like hell 13mpg on hiway empty 9 mpg pulling K-5 over Vail pass going to Moab. Wish it was a diesel but sure do pass a lot of them going up the mountain

77 Chevy Crew cab 1 ton!!454 4 speed 4:56 gears.Haven't pulled anything yet,But I don't even know the 10' cabover camper is there.And empty it will get sideways in 3rd!$600 for the truck plus $300 for cam and lfters and timing gears and chain.Blazin:rasta:

'92 toyota 4x, 4 cylinder---- towing '71 CJ5, and now towing my '85 toy trail rig, (and the 92 has a camper on it !)

Last week:
99 Ford F250 SuperDuty, SuperCab, 2wd, V10, auto, short bed....

This week:
00 Ford F250 SuperDuty, CrewCab, 4wd, V10, auto, Lariat, Short bed...

I got a 2000 F250 with the PSD in it. Love it and really want to get some propane for it but that has to wait until I get some money.

For your needs I would look for a pre '93 dodge with a Cummins in it. I had a coworker that had one and he pulled his 38' fith wheel all over the country. And those cummins are some of the easiest and cheapest to upgarde. I think his had something like 350,000 mile on it and all he does is regular maintenance. I know they are not as pretty as the new boddy stile but they were built to pull and pull they will. :flipoff2: :flipoff2:

'01 Dodge H.O. Cummins, NV5600, 6 speed. In 18 months I have almost 40K miles on it. Daily Driver. No woes. Everything works. Well integrated. Plenty of power. Pulls like a muther. Nothing I don't like about it except I would rather have a rear locker. Too easy to spin a wet tire with 505 ft. lbs of torque.
I would buy it again in a minute.
regards, as always, jefe

2001 Ram 3500 High Output 6 speed. The 6 speed is the best thing to happen to the diesel pickup, aside from the 5.9 Cummins.

I would try to find a 5-speed diesel dodge or ford, as the automatics in both brands have been known to be problematic.

97 F-350 4x4 hypertech power programmer, E40D w/Banks transcommand (waiting for that to blow up), and banks stainless turbo outlet pipe

89 Chevy one ton crew cab with a 350 .
Also a 21 foot class A 1980 motorhome with a 454.

1981 toyota 350, 40,s.....oh wait tow rigs......ya i tow stuff

2000 Dodge Ext Cab, 5.8L gas. It does ok, but I'm currently looking for a Ford CrewCab Powerstroke in the current body style.

Just ordered an '02 Quad Cab 2wd cummins 6 speed SLT. I got the limited slip rear, tow pkg, camper pkg, and trailer tow mirrors. I'll let you know how it pulls in a couple months when it gets here.

Just bought a 2001 GMC 2500HD 4WD, Vortec 8100, Allison 5 speed and 4:10 gears. My first tow will be this weekend, headed over to AR to do some casual trail runs with the club. We'll set the cruse at 75 and see if it ever comes out of 5th.

Probably better call ahead and have the gas stations order a new load.. :D

I've been told the 8.1's get better mileage then its smaller bretheren. What have you been getting as far as mileage?

http://www.colorado4x4.org/uploads/semi3.jpg

Showoff :flipoff2:

BTW. Great thread.

RR3

Originally posted by Blazr77400
I've been told the 8.1's get better mileage then its smaller bretheren. What have you been getting as far as mileage?

I'll tell ya next week. I just picked it up Monday. :)

So far as a commute vehicle it seems to be getting about the same as my Dodge 5.9L got (gas gauge guess)... I'll fill it up Friday, that'll give me a reading on the daily side, then it'll take me about 2 tanks to get there and back with the trailer in tow. So I should have real info by Monday....

1997 GMC Sierra k2500 extended cab 6.5 TD. it pulls my 5300# K5 on a 1700 # trailer pretty good, wont break any acceleration records, but cruises at 65-70 damn good on the highway.

i think i may need a sway control though, my damn trailer is a bumper hitch and i dont have a WD hitch or sway control. Thats a lot of Sq Ft to catch side winds!

2002 HD1500 6.0 4.10 Crew cab, pulls great. Of course Im from nebraska and most of my trailering is pretty flat ground.

'73 Chevy C20, 454, Turbo 400, 4.10 gears. Right now it's my daily driver at about 9-10 mpg. I have a cabover camper (8 1/2 ft.) and tow my CJ on a trailer. Get's about 7 towing. I bought the truck for $3000 and have done virtually nothing to it, so I think it was a pretty good value. I keep thinking about buying a used Dodge Cummins... But then again, maybe I'll drop a 502 in it, freshen up the interior, and call it good!

`01 f-250 XL 2wd psd/auto/3.73/crew/long bed, 0 miles 8/01 - 21,000 miles today

17-18 mpg DD
18-20 mpg Highway Empty, no gate 65/70mph
16-17 mpg towing ~4k zuke+trailer 65/70mph
~15 mpg towing same 75mph

[worst tank so far 13mpg towing zuke at 80mph]

Reguardles of MPG get a big tank or dual tanks make towing lot easier. I can run 500-600 miles on a fill up w/ 38gal tank.
-yag

Bought a '93 Suburban 2500 with a 454, and towing package to tow my '78 Bronco with... now, if I only had a trailer.

'01 Chevy Silverado 2500HD, 4x4, 8.1L V8, ZF6 6-speed, NP263, 4.10s. 13 mpg highway at 75 mph, never slows down on any hills. Can't wait to buy a trailer, I've got 3 Land Cruisers to haul around.

1984 Isuzu Hombre Diesel 4x2, tows an 8500 lb trailer/rig all day!

Squash

'99 Dodge 3500 Quadcab W/ 24V CUMMINS, 4 inch exhaust, 275HP injectors and the edge E-Z fueling box. runs great w/ 105,000 miles, and the clutch isnt even slipping yet.

I usually rent whatever I need brand new. 100 bucks a day, unlimited mileage, just add fuel. I've used Fords (don't like) Dodges (tons of power with the 6 spd) and Chevs. Chev's old motor which was originally based on the olds big block had problems getting out of it's own way. The Allison-Isuzu set up in the new chev's is the way to go. Auto tranny, tap the brake going down hills for the truck to hold you at that speed, no shifting and more power than you'll ever need. I personally think it beats buying a 50,000 (canadian) tow rig.... Plus, when you're done you just fork over the keys and you don't have to worry about owning a vehicle you just over revved, over heated and over GVW'ed... The only thing I don't like about the chev's though is they are half car almost. low step in height, ifs, etc.

97 f-350 crew cab, 4x4, with the power stroke.

Originally posted by BIGSTIC

For your needs I would look for a pre '93 dodge with a Cummins in it. I had a coworker that had one and he pulled his 38' fith wheel all over the country. And those cummins are some of the easiest and cheapest to upgarde.

what is special about a pre 93 dodge cummins ?

- jack

I wanted a diesel, wanted 4x4, and wanted to tow my rig...

I couldn't get a current body style truck decently equiped with 4x4 for less than $20K, and most were in the 24K-26K range, unless they were a beat to fuck farm truck.

I ended up doing a little more looking, and bought a 97 dodge 1/2 ton 4x4 with the 360. I paid $8750 out the door at a dealer, and have been happy as a pig in shit with the truck. For the $16K or so price difference, I figure it will take a LOOONNNNGGG time to make up the difference between 12 and 21 mpg.

Granted, you won't see me towing any loads like this:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?s=&postid=469336 or any load without trailer brakes for that matter, but it gets my ranger to the trails and that is what counts.

'97 F-250 XLT 4x4 Crewcab, Powerstroke. So far, it has been a great truck.

Originally posted by morpheus


what is special about a pre 93 dodge cummins ?

- jack

93 1/2 and up are the newer body style that are popular, before that they are the 80's body style that noone really wants these days, but they still have the same pull all day motor in them.

Originally posted by MR4WD
I usually rent whatever I need brand new. 100 bucks a day, unlimited mileage, just add fuel. SNIP.

Where do you rent from???? I can never find anything more heavy duty than a 1/2 ton!

I use this, but it is more than you want to pay, plus it really isn't any good as a DD.

I rent from the driving force. I also lease 6 company trucks from em. All half ton chevs... They've got a slew of one and 3/4 tons on the lot available for sale or rent.

Gotta put in a picture

97 F-350 PSD Crew Cab
Hyper-Max Chip, 4" exhaust, etc
Approx. 15 MPG daily average.
12-14 MPG Towing

Cory

I just snagged an 86 chevy 4x4 former 1 ton from The Rockslut. 454 th400 205 just put 33's on it. It feels like it will do great towing and works fine as a d-d. It doesn't really matter cause the price was killer!

I have a 81 C30 SRW 1 ton 350,Th-400, nuthing special but it tows:D

Originally posted by offroadr35
you can get a 99 Superduty Powerstroke XL which is the no-frills trim for about 15000. I just got an 02 F250 at 0% financing. The more i think about the 0% the more i realize how amazing of a deal it is.

-Steve
Yeah, except you aren't going to be able to get anything off on the truck. Plus, most people don't qualify for 0% financing because of their credit. Most people that have good credit don't need credit.

i got a buddy with a Mack too

http://home.attbi.com/~spencerclements/images/2_zuks_and_a_bug_1.jpg

get a diesel. as much as I hate to say it unless youre gonna get a new chevy with a duramax I'd get a powerstroke. You dont need a dually or even a one ton if youre only going to tow one rig. Dont listen to the dodge guys. cummins makes good motors but who wants to drive a tractor on the street?

Originally posted by ROCKILLER
who wants to drive a tractor on the street?

Hey I have a farm implement as a DD :flipoff2:

tow vehicle? What is this tow vehicle thing of which you speak???

Originally posted by ROCKILLER
get a diesel. as much as I hate to say it unless youre gonna get a new chevy with a duramax I'd get a powerstroke. You dont need a dually or even a one ton if youre only going to tow one rig. Dont listen to the dodge guys. cummins makes good motors but who wants to drive a tractor on the street?

Has chevy fixed that problem with the heads cracking? Even if it is fixed under warranty, a diesel is something I would want to get a lot of miles out of and that would worry me if I was spending $40k on a truck.

i have this posted in the chevy forum, but heres a pic sinc its on topic.
http://www.yeild2me.rockcrawler.com/images/towrig.gif



it tows my K5 pretty good (5300lbs + 17XX lbs, maybe a little more with gear) I am just glad the trailer has brakes on both axles. it REALLY makes a difference.

http://www.dreamwater.com/zuk/tow.html

Get a 96 to 98 Dodge 12 valve 5 speed. Stock they have a ton of power, you can easly get 300 + Hp and 600+ Lbs of torque for about $300 bucks.:p

http://members.shaw.ca/steevil/Images/favorite%20pics/trailer%20queen%202.jpg
used to be a 99 F-150 heavy duty. Currently a 79' 'Burban on 37"s.


http://members.shaw.ca/steevil/Images/AG00547_(p).gif

not a bad lil set up for a broke college kid, 87f250, jiMMy

:usa:

'00 Silverado 4x4, 3.73's, Air Bags, 5.3 liter. Auto, LSD.

http://www.alaskaoffroad.com/images/Misc/Break_Time.jpg

Great daily driver, and plenty of power at higher rpms. It takes a while to get used to holding it at 4000 all day long, but it works.http://www.colute.net/cwm/cwm/cwm/eek2.gif

Looks like I'll be using a 1978 faded sparkley poop brown 3/4 ton GMC 4x4 :D

SB 400 whatever auto and a 205 14bolt rear and D44 front.

Did I mention that it was sparley poop brown and sits
on 35" BFG all terrains .

My wife looks like a 16 year old girl driving daddys red neck truck. When she cruises around in it.
BWAHAHAHAHAHA.

Originally posted by 4Cruisers
'01 Chevy Silverado 2500HD, 4x4, 8.1L V8, ZF6 6-speed, NP263, 4.10s. 13 mpg highway at 75 mph, never slows down on any hills. Can't wait to buy a trailer, I've got 3 Land Cruisers to haul around.

'02 Chevy Crew Cab 2500HD. 6.0L Automatic 4.10 gears. 2WD. Fully loaded with kids & camping gear, pulling my FJ40. 75mph HILLY country side... 11mpg (dropped to 10.2, but avg 11 mpg). Cruiser was up in the air stream, so that didn't help. 75 mph was comfortable, as I was keeping with the flow of traffic.... it did downshift and bump rpms to 3,000 on the uphill... but kept the speed.

Flat road (Austin to Houston), 75 mph, got 15 mpg :cool:

Really not bad mileage at all considering. 2WD probably gained 1mpg, just wanted a basic tow rig! It is my daily driver... about 12-14 on the commute, about the same as my FJ40! :D

Tom :usa:

I have a 99 K1500 Suburban as the wife's daily driver and my tow rig (don't ask). I have since put in an Air Lift spring system in the rear to deal with the increased tongue weight, which makes a huge difference on the road.

I have towed my truck to Clayton twice, and everything was just fine.

However, having just gotten back from Cruise Moab, I can rightly say that it needs more power. A LOT more power... I was passed by everyone on every hill between SA and Moab. Yuck! I can deal with the 9.5 mpg average, if I can keep it going on the hills... With my bonus $$ next year, I'm going with a whipple supercharger! :D

Here's a pic of it ready to tow my pre lifted/TSLed FJ60: