Tow Vehicle For Your DSM

[LaserRS92]

First off, moderators if this is not where this thread should be then I apologize and please let me know where it should go.

Anyhow, for those of you who tow your dsm here and there to test and tunes, races, shootouts, tuning sessions, what is your tow vehicle of choice? Say a dsm is about 3k lbs, add another 1-2k lbs for the trailer minimum, and some other tools or wheels and what have you. So for me to be able to tow 6k lbs reliably, cheaply, and easily, what do you guys use or recommend?

Gas or diesel? 2wd or 4wd? What's mileage and maintenance like?

 

[Bricktop]

2006 GMC CrewCab Long bed Duramax. With my PPE tuner on 100hp and turbo back 5 in exhaust, I get around 16- 17mpg towing. Pulls a 18ft trailer and 2900 lb 1g like its not there. Change the oil every 5k (11 qts) and fuel filter every 10k.

 

[snowborder714]

2007 Dodge Ram 2500 quad cab. It has a 5.7L Hemi, optional 4wd, and a brake controller. I tow in 2wd and don't feel the trailer behind me. It got around 13mpg when towing if I remember correctly, but has since gone down after getting better (and knobbier) tires. The ones on it when last towing were pretty much bald.

Maintenance for me has just been fluids. Changed all fluids when I bought it a few years ago and just changed oil last weekend (on a 2 year rotation based on testing). Has ~75,000 miles on it.

It gets the job done and is setup to tow 10k lbs. Just wish it got better gas mileage...and that I had my own trailer

 

[ktgurl87]

We've got a new toy iffin we ever have to pull anything. 2006 Dodge Ram Mega Cab with the 5.7 hemi in it. Since we have yet to tow anything with it, it gets okay gas mileage with the monstrous tires that are on it... 325/60/18's which are not stock . Bought the truck that way though so we'll see how she does. I do like the fact that after you reach 'cruising' highway speeds, it starts knocking down cyinders to get better gas mileage. Haven't seen that though since the hubby likes to romp on the damn gas pedal

 

[LaserRS92]

Well I'm on a tight ish budget. I'm only 21 so I don't want a loan more than $10k. I'm leaning towards the 94-02 5.9 Cummins if cheap enough but the autos typically need rebuilt for regular work and it's a pretty good idea to do the lift and fuel pump on those when you get them so that's normally an extra $1500. I would do the gas version of that body style but I just don't know if those can handle 5-6k lb loads so that's why I was looking for suggestions.

 

[jdxnc]

I've got a 94 Ram 2500 diesel, 4wd, tows dsm's around very nicely. It manages about 18mpg with the car + my bosses 3500lbs trailer. I've towed with both gas and diesel, if you're in hilly country like I am, diesel is king.

 

[WES_393]

'95 Ford F-150 5.0l 5-speed. The few times I've towed my DSM, it handled it just fine. Pulled on a double axle car trailer too. If my DSM were a trailer queen, I would definitely upgrade to a turbo diesel. But for the few 100+ mile trips I've taken with a DSM behind me it really wasn't bad.

 

[Clinical]

if you just want something to tow with, get a good ol' 90's chevy 5.7l truck or a suburban

fantastic pulling vehicles. Cheap to buy, cheap to maintain, actually fair on gas. Hell got 17mpg pulling my civic on a 3 hour trip in my buddy's 95 chevy 1500 4x4 5.7l with 220k miles on it.


A bit out of your price range but my buddy has a Trailblazer SS AWD - it pulls awesome, is super nice and fast too. It's an awesome daily driver, tow rig, and fun to drive in general. They run low 14's bone stock.

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[rlacasse1]

I have a 1987 F-250 with a 6.9 IDI. Things a shit bomb. But it only has 87k miles on it and was handed down to me, my grandpa bought it. So I'm not complaining about it. It has 4.10s so it'll only do about 65mph max, but it will do that uphill, downhill, empty, or with thousands of pounds of shit in the back with a trailer and car on it. And it'll manage around 17-18 mpg the entire time. I still don't know how. No matter what is on it, it will drive the same and get the same gas mileage. I just can't wait to do a manual swap and throw my 3.55s in it.

Anyways, they can be had for cheap, and while not the best of diesels, they get the job done and are reliable as fvck.

 

[ktgurl87]

Well I'm on a tight ish budget. I'm only 21 so I don't want a loan more than $10k. I'm leaning towards the 94-02 5.9 Cummins if cheap enough but the autos typically need rebuilt for regular work and it's a pretty good idea to do the lift and fuel pump on those when you get them so that's normally an extra $1500. I would do the gas version of that body style but I just don't know if those can handle 5-6k lb loads so that's why I was looking for suggestions.

We just sold our 2000 ram 1500 4x4 with the 5.9 gas motor. That thing is such a damn beast. Hubbys pulled home lots of cars with it and hauled some off for the neighbors. But she's tough. Just got the tranny rebuilt with 205,000 miles on it and she's good to go now. I'm gonna miss big blue -tear-

 

[greddy_1700]

I just use my 2006 Ford F-150 Crew Cab with the 5.4L Triton V8. Tows my full weight talon on an 18ft flat bed fairly well, mileage usually sucks (around 14MPG), but I drive this truck every day and really have no use for a diesel at this stage of my life.

 

[LaserRS92]

Thank you for all the input. Giving some perspective on capabilities of trucks I hadn't considered.

 

[Diamond Star Werks]

Get a Dodge with a Cummins. And you'll be happy with it. Cummins is the most reliable diesel out there and gets the best mileage. Get on with a 5 speed and you can not go wrong:thumbup:

 

[tkrPerformance]

1951 mercury m-1 truck 2wd with sbc 400 and turbo 400 tranny

 

[Wild93GS]

A guy I know has towed multiple dsms and and a 240 on a big double axle trailer with his late 90's Cummins. Dunno the gas mileage but it pulled em just fine as far as I know.

 

[bastarddsm]

A bit out of your price range but my buddy has a Trailblazer SS AWD - it pulls awesome, is super nice and fast too. It's an awesome daily driver, tow rig, and fun to drive in general. They run low 14's bone stock.

I've seen that rig before. haha. Lost in the import finals at cordova to that guy.


I pull mine with a '00 chevy half ton with a 4.8 seems to do a fair job. Gets about 15mpg.

I used a friends 99 dodge with a cummins/automatic and knocked down over 20 running 70 on the interstate.

For economy early cummins are king.

 

[Clinical]

I've seen that rig before. haha. Lost in the import finals at cordova to that guy.

yeah, she's a lot faster than she was last time she was at cordova
Well faster as in horsepower, still hasn't gotten a good new pass. was at 420whp, now 545whp. He's re-doing some stuff over winter.

Did you have your 1g there?

 

[1G9S9T7]

I used a 98 Dodge Durango 4x4 although I never got a chance to pull the DSMs, I did pull a ton of other stuff. Among those pulled was a 95 Chevy suburban and it pulled it just fine while my friend decided to be a d*ck and hold the brakes.

 

[LaserRS92]

After looking it seems like a 2wd manual 94-02 Cummins would be closer to my budget. It would only suck not having 4wd in the winter.

 

[talon2gbuyer]

Shit, my 2000 GMC Jimmy 2wd can haul my talon just fine. I only paid $1400 for it. Not a bad deal

 

[Hal]

07 F250 and a 28' enclosed trailer (about 9k lbs loaded).

 

[airmail96]

Diesel Jeep Grand Cherokee. Full time AWD, with all the nice stuff. I have never towed the talon with it, but that was the reason for getting it. Towed my wife's car from Columbus Ohio to Virginia beach acted like the car wasn't even there, got 18 miles per gallon, unloaded on the highway get 23mpg. As for maintenance Chrysler has a deal where you get 5 oil changes for 170. Maintenace is cheapish, very reliable considering the transmission and motor are Mercedes.

 

[bastarddsm]

yeah, she's a lot faster than she was last time she was at cordova
Well faster as in horsepower, still hasn't gotten a good new pass. was at 420whp, now 545whp. He's re-doing some stuff over winter.

Did you have your 1g there?

Jesus what's that thing weigh if it was running 128mph at 420whp? I had my 1G there almost every other weekend over the summer

 

[Clinical]

wow I never saw it weird.
It weighs around 2600 I'd guess now.
450whp might be a more realistic figure, it was running lower boost but better tuned than when it made 420whp @ 27psi. Who knows though what it was. It was at like 22-23psi when doing those runs but the tune was better with vtec turned on which actually makes a huge difference.

 

[LaserRS92]

So I've narrowed my picks down to either a early 00s Chevy 2500 4x4 6.0 gasser or a 2wd 94-02 Cummins.