Tow Rigs, What do you have/use?
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 9,002
Likes: 12
From: somewhere testing various tires, brakes, and suspensions.
Not as bad as I thought!
I definitely looked at a few V10's before buying my current Cummins, but after having an '01 F350 with the 5.4, I just couldn't let myself go back to a gas truck. The 5.4 is such a disappointment.
Looking forward to hearing how well she pulls, and the gas mileage with a fully loaded trailer!
I definitely looked at a few V10's before buying my current Cummins, but after having an '01 F350 with the 5.4, I just couldn't let myself go back to a gas truck. The 5.4 is such a disappointment.
Looking forward to hearing how well she pulls, and the gas mileage with a fully loaded trailer!
5.4l might do an AL trailer with my old race car (2600 lbs) OK...but not what I'd want for my CMC car.
This v10 has 275hp/425tq...not too shabby.
Next to me was a friend I was caravanning with. He had a Dakota with the 5.9, he didn't seem to have the issues I did in my F150. I guess that .5L makes a huge difference. He was towing his car on an open trailer with total similar weight on both trucks so it was a decently fair comparison between vehicles. I had a hard time keeping up with him up hills.
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 9,002
Likes: 12
From: somewhere testing various tires, brakes, and suspensions.
Torque peak is a little different and rear end gearing. But I hear you...sucks watching the mph drop forever without any way to accelerate.
I'll chime in with my 'beast" of a tow rig, lol. 2003 GMC Envoy. Haven't really planned on using it as a long term solution but it has worked out decently when my vette broke an axle and the evo decided 500 whp on the stock block was too much...
I plan on renting a trailer to use a few times this summer, i'll pick up some straps to get the car further back on the trailer and install some air bags in the rear. Actually got 13 mpg pulling the vette which was pretty impressive for the inline 6 with 3.42 highway gears. Pulled some pretty steep grades in 3rd at 3k rpm's and 65 mph. The truck is rated at 5100 lbs so i'm right on the limit for those who were wondering, lol
I plan on renting a trailer to use a few times this summer, i'll pick up some straps to get the car further back on the trailer and install some air bags in the rear. Actually got 13 mpg pulling the vette which was pretty impressive for the inline 6 with 3.42 highway gears. Pulled some pretty steep grades in 3rd at 3k rpm's and 65 mph. The truck is rated at 5100 lbs so i'm right on the limit for those who were wondering, lol
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 9,002
Likes: 12
From: somewhere testing various tires, brakes, and suspensions.
That rear is at its limit.
And be careful of not just the tow weight; but also the load on the tires. They are not LT and could be overloaded by towing too heavy of a load.
And be careful of not just the tow weight; but also the load on the tires. They are not LT and could be overloaded by towing too heavy of a load.
Lots of info on tow vehicles but not much about trailers....
I'm looking to purchase an open trailer and don't know whether to get dovetail or flat, 16 or 18', steel deck or wood, or if its worth it to buy aluminum right away. Cost is really not an issue but loss of cash at time of resale is a consideration.
For example... Should I spend $5k on an aluminum trailer and only lose $500 over the course of two years or buy a wood deck trailer and possibly lose more than that.
I only plan to use the trailer 4-5 times a year.
I'm looking to purchase an open trailer and don't know whether to get dovetail or flat, 16 or 18', steel deck or wood, or if its worth it to buy aluminum right away. Cost is really not an issue but loss of cash at time of resale is a consideration.
For example... Should I spend $5k on an aluminum trailer and only lose $500 over the course of two years or buy a wood deck trailer and possibly lose more than that.
I only plan to use the trailer 4-5 times a year.
Lots of info on tow vehicles but not much about trailers....
I'm looking to purchase an open trailer and don't know whether to get dovetail or flat, 16 or 18', steel deck or wood, or if its worth it to buy aluminum right away. Cost is really not an issue but loss of cash at time of resale is a consideration.
For example... Should I spend $5k on an aluminum trailer and only lose $500 over the course of two years or buy a wood deck trailer and possibly lose more than that.
I only plan to use the trailer 4-5 times a year.
I'm looking to purchase an open trailer and don't know whether to get dovetail or flat, 16 or 18', steel deck or wood, or if its worth it to buy aluminum right away. Cost is really not an issue but loss of cash at time of resale is a consideration.
For example... Should I spend $5k on an aluminum trailer and only lose $500 over the course of two years or buy a wood deck trailer and possibly lose more than that.
I only plan to use the trailer 4-5 times a year.
I had a new motor home I bought around 1997 or so, I'd guess it was one of the first years for the Ford V10. The motor home was on an E350 chassis and I think was only about 24', I pulled a 28' enclosed trailer with that, about 24,000 miles in two years. I thought that engine was great, power was good, mileage was acceptable and the engine was super smooth.
I have a '96 E350 motor home I bought last year, has a 460 in it, overdrive trans, it's 30', won't tow in overdrive, not nearly enough power. Tows pretty good in 3rd gear though, this is also with the lightest enclosed trailer/car weight I've ever towed.
I have a '96 E350 motor home I bought last year, has a 460 in it, overdrive trans, it's 30', won't tow in overdrive, not nearly enough power. Tows pretty good in 3rd gear though, this is also with the lightest enclosed trailer/car weight I've ever towed.
I prefer wood decks, they don't get nearly as hot sitting at the track all day. Wood and steel are both slippery, steel will last longer but the wood is easy to replace for less than a couple hundred bucks. Get an 18 with a dovetail. I have an 18 with a 3ft dovetail. It gives me plenty of room to load the car and room for different sizes or if I have to load it backwards.
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 9,002
Likes: 12
From: somewhere testing various tires, brakes, and suspensions.
I had a new motor home I bought around 1997 or so, I'd guess it was one of the first years for the Ford V10. The motor home was on an E350 chassis and I think was only about 24', I pulled a 28' enclosed trailer with that, about 24,000 miles in two years. I thought that engine was great, power was good, mileage was acceptable and the engine was super smooth.
I have a '96 E350 motor home I bought last year, has a 460 in it, overdrive trans, it's 30', won't tow in overdrive, not nearly enough power. Tows pretty good in 3rd gear though, this is also with the lightest enclosed trailer/car weight I've ever towed.
I have a '96 E350 motor home I bought last year, has a 460 in it, overdrive trans, it's 30', won't tow in overdrive, not nearly enough power. Tows pretty good in 3rd gear though, this is also with the lightest enclosed trailer/car weight I've ever towed.
11-13 mpg so far without towing. Just added a tonno cover today. See if that helps with mpg.
Lots of info on tow vehicles but not much about trailers....
I'm looking to purchase an open trailer and don't know whether to get dovetail or flat, 16 or 18', steel deck or wood, or if its worth it to buy aluminum right away. Cost is really not an issue but loss of cash at time of resale is a consideration.
For example... Should I spend $5k on an aluminum trailer and only lose $500 over the course of two years or buy a wood deck trailer and possibly lose more than that.
I only plan to use the trailer 4-5 times a year.
I'm looking to purchase an open trailer and don't know whether to get dovetail or flat, 16 or 18', steel deck or wood, or if its worth it to buy aluminum right away. Cost is really not an issue but loss of cash at time of resale is a consideration.
For example... Should I spend $5k on an aluminum trailer and only lose $500 over the course of two years or buy a wood deck trailer and possibly lose more than that.
I only plan to use the trailer 4-5 times a year.
18 dovetail here with steel and wood center section. Look on RacingJunk. I got mine for really cheap (under $1500) and just added new tires and some paint. Both truck and trailer are under $5000 total.
Lots of info on tow vehicles but not much about trailers....
I'm looking to purchase an open trailer and don't know whether to get dovetail or flat, 16 or 18', steel deck or wood, or if its worth it to buy aluminum right away. Cost is really not an issue but loss of cash at time of resale is a consideration.
For example... Should I spend $5k on an aluminum trailer and only lose $500 over the course of two years or buy a wood deck trailer and possibly lose more than that.
I only plan to use the trailer 4-5 times a year.
I'm looking to purchase an open trailer and don't know whether to get dovetail or flat, 16 or 18', steel deck or wood, or if its worth it to buy aluminum right away. Cost is really not an issue but loss of cash at time of resale is a consideration.
For example... Should I spend $5k on an aluminum trailer and only lose $500 over the course of two years or buy a wood deck trailer and possibly lose more than that.
I only plan to use the trailer 4-5 times a year.
^ Thanks! Have you ever wished you hadn't purchased the open deck? I don't think I'd ever want to haul anything else but you never know when I might want to carry drywall or something that requires a full deck.
In the NE, it is common to see 2-3 v10's at the track; us owners talk (in forums and in person) and your representation of v10 ownership is rather tainted. As for the turbo seals, yes, PITA, many seem to fail after 70k miles. Good thing there are extended warranties. As for removing the engine, yes, good thing there are warranties (even for 02 sensors, the engine must come out!). As for run-away, share the number of run away incidences which have been reported on v10's; these are not Isuzu diesels. As for engines, there have been a statistically insignificant amount of fatal occurrences (less than a handful in nearly 7yrs of production). Also note a known failure is the carrier bearing which has what I think is a design flaw and will go, costing the owner around $400 for a permanent replacement without removing/re-balancing the driveshaft. Many shrewd owners have preemptively addressed this based on mileage/region.
I have 103k on mine, bought it used at 38k miles. Had turbos replaced under warranty (thank you Fidelity!). No other issues over the last 65k/4yrs.
So let's think about this... 2 sets of tires, ~15 oil changes w/ regular maintenance, fresh pads/rotors for about $1500 and a tune; so my TCO (sans fuel/ins/reg) is about $43k spread over 4 years for an incredibly luxurious vehicle that can tow 7k lbs like nothing. If it lasts as is for another 5 years, and I have to put $10k in it (unlikely, but for illustrative purposes), TCO goes to ~$53k over 9yrs or less than $6k/yr or ~$500/mo.
Add to that the great mileage and fun factor. At that point, I sell it for $7.5k reducing my TCO to about $420/mo amortized and hope I will ever see a deal like that again.
Since the market currently lacks diesel family haulers, I think there are few competitive options out there. Cayenne Diesel (new) equipped like my v10, $94k. New VW v6 or Q7 diesel, $55k-$75k. If you can find a low/medium mileage v10 with a VW/Fidelity extended warranty that has a good history and you have a good VW near you that services other v10's, I think it's a great choice.
FWIW, I used similar logic when considering an Evo as a race/TT car (ST2/TT3 or TT2) and my TCO compared to others in class, with different vehicles, is unusually low. As far as bang for the buck track cars, the Evo is a great option. Lower options exist but the compromise of speed wasn't worth it to me.
I have 103k on mine, bought it used at 38k miles. Had turbos replaced under warranty (thank you Fidelity!). No other issues over the last 65k/4yrs.
So let's think about this... 2 sets of tires, ~15 oil changes w/ regular maintenance, fresh pads/rotors for about $1500 and a tune; so my TCO (sans fuel/ins/reg) is about $43k spread over 4 years for an incredibly luxurious vehicle that can tow 7k lbs like nothing. If it lasts as is for another 5 years, and I have to put $10k in it (unlikely, but for illustrative purposes), TCO goes to ~$53k over 9yrs or less than $6k/yr or ~$500/mo.
Add to that the great mileage and fun factor. At that point, I sell it for $7.5k reducing my TCO to about $420/mo amortized and hope I will ever see a deal like that again.
Since the market currently lacks diesel family haulers, I think there are few competitive options out there. Cayenne Diesel (new) equipped like my v10, $94k. New VW v6 or Q7 diesel, $55k-$75k. If you can find a low/medium mileage v10 with a VW/Fidelity extended warranty that has a good history and you have a good VW near you that services other v10's, I think it's a great choice.
FWIW, I used similar logic when considering an Evo as a race/TT car (ST2/TT3 or TT2) and my TCO compared to others in class, with different vehicles, is unusually low. As far as bang for the buck track cars, the Evo is a great option. Lower options exist but the compromise of speed wasn't worth it to me.