Box van / Roll back wrecker!

In my continuing search for the best tow rig for ~$10-15k (which would let me keep the daily driver), I stumbled upon 2 more options...

There are several Isuzu NPR series and mid 90's Ryder/Penske box vans for sale for around $10k. Turbo diesels, 20-ish' boxes.. Build / buy some ramps, and you have a combination hauler/campsite, bug & water free!

Or I also saw some rollback wreckers, they are no lower than $15k, but would also keep you out of the standing water while sleeping, and can easily haul your rig, and make loading a breeze.

Ride quality probably won't be the greatest on the box vans, but they get around 12-13mpg with your rig in the back...

Thoughts?

I just saw a '99 Kodiak with a CAT & 6-speed Allison, and a 24' box for sale for something like $19,999 at our local dealer (ad in the paper) recently. Looked like a lot of truck for the $$.

TEX

Originally posted by Eskimo
There are several Isuzu NPR series and mid 90's Ryder/Penske box vans for sale for around $10k. Turbo diesels, 20-ish' boxes.. Build / buy some ramps, and you have a combination hauler/campsite, bug & water free!


My brothers boss had a Isuzu box model for his first work truck. It was the most gutless POS I have ever been in. I would test drive one before buying! They are cheap for a reason. ;)

Originally posted by MattS


My brothers boss had a Isuzu box model for his first work truck. It was the most gutless POS I have ever been in. I would test drive one before buying! They are cheap for a reason. ;)

I agree with Matt on this one.. I used to work for a company named Pavement Surface Controll in Pasco Wa that had some of the Isuzu NPR's.. They were pretty GUTLESS.. We had a couple of Graco airless paint guns,anywhere between 20 and 100 Gallons of paint and our layout equipment(I would guess the total weight of everything we carried at less tha 1000lbs) and the NPR took forever to get to highway speed and would lose speed on the slightest grade..
If you could find one for sale somewhere my recomendation would be one of the Ryder 26 ft trucks withe Cat Diesel( I think it was a 3406 but do not know for sure)..I used one a few years back to haul a Ramcharger along with my household stuff(when I was in the military and didn't own much) inside the box and pulled a trailer with my car behind it fron Ft Bragg Nc to Ft Lewis Wa..Although not a speed demon it was much better than the NPR's and got decent mileage and that is loaded heavier than the NPR's I drove

Originally posted by hy_desert_4wheeler


If you could find one for sale somewhere my recomendation would be one of the Ryder 26 ft trucks withe Cat Diesel( I think it was a 3406 but do not know for sure)..

It wasn't a 3406. That's the 14 litre class 8 truck motor. Maybe a 3208.

Originally posted by 70~K5


It wasn't a 3406. That's the 14 litre class 8 truck motor. Maybe a 3208.

like I said I was not sure what it was but it was BIG and pulled damn good So it really doesn't matter what size it was

Cat 3126B ;) ones goin in my 1 ton next year

Let's say someone wanted to use a box van or flatbed for hauling one rig (Toyota mini-truck) and towing a flatbed trailer with another rig (same). So we've got about 4000 pounds of payload and 6000 pounds of towed weight.

What brand of box van or flatbed and what drivetrain would you look for in a used truck? Keep in mind that we want the rig to go uphill as well as down and that we want brakes that are up to the task. We are also spoiled and want air conditioning and cruise control. Same price range as defined by Eskimo.

Anyone have any examples of this kind of tow rig? Pictures?

Any thoughts anyone?

If you want to have a uniqe ride get a surplus deuce and a half and you could put it on the back. It sounds like a neet idea, you could even steal one of the axles if you wanted.
There was one on ebay the other day for about 6K

If you step up to the Larger cabover Isuzu, UD, and other trucks, they usually come with a decetn size engin, and pull pretty good, while still remaining fairly inexpensive. The best thing about the cabover is the fact that you can run a sleeper, or camper, etc, and still maintain an acceptable overall length.

1994 Nissan UD 2600 with a26’ Box Nissan 6 cylinder diesel & 6 Speed trans


http://www.intekleasing.com/ebay/5366.jpg


1989 MACK MIDLINER CABOVER RENAULT ENGINE 180 HORSEPOWER, 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION, AIR BRAKES,

http://ebay2.ipixmedia.com/abc/M28/_EBAY_97f3fd38f6a2aa8446525aaba3bde5e1/i-1.JPG

Or, you caould always step up to the real deal, and never need another rig, and never bitch about power, and still come out pretty cheply.

1979 GMC ROLLBACK/CAR HAULER, 3 CAR HAULER PLUS TOW BAR. 390-k miles, DETROIT-ALLISON DIESEL ENGINE (6L-7in/426 cid. 6 CYLINDER), 5 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (1-2-3-4-D), AIR BRAKES, EQUIPPED WITH A/C BUT NOT WORKING, 35,000 GVW, 29 FOOT BED INCLUDING 3 FOOT DOVETAIL, 95 INCHES WIDE, DUAL WINCHES

http://www.members.aol.com/Gilly7571/ch0004.jpg

http://www.members.aol.com/Gilly7571/ch0001.jpg

Yeah I hear ya on the bigger truck BUT my daughters will be driving it for deliveries and a bit smaller would be better, if it would work. The bigger ones are cheaper than the small ones in many cases!

I used to drive one of those UD cabovers with the 6 speed. hated every minute of it. I would definitely go for the one with the CAT though, also, check the Farmington UROC pic thread, the big rig in that is what I would go for. you can find them for about 17k-20k and then you got 2 beds and plenty o power.