First Truck for a Tractorman
- Thread starter glennmac
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Well if it is any consolation Cowboydoc they are having fits with the new Allison. Basically it isn't doing well at all. You can get a good strong Ford E4OD or E101OD tranny built but it's gonna cost you $2800. They have aftermarket people into the racing tranny's building them up. Also with add on items such as a Banks Transcommander that take the slip out of the tranny under load that helps them immeasurably. I also run Amsoil synthetic and watch the tranny temperature. If you keep em below 250 you got it made. Like tractors, there's those of us who enjoy building towing machines and watching them work. Heck if ya smoke a tranny, big deal, build up a better one and slap her in. There are good E4OD's out there, but they are built up not stock as comes from the factory. Very important --- get a tranny temp gauge and watch it. If you are getting temps up then add a double stack cooler and change the fluid any time you really get it hot or twice a year if you tow lots. It's just another one of them horsepower challenges.
Mmmmm love that burnt diesel smell!
Dr Dan
Mmmmm love that burnt diesel smell!
Dr Dan
LarryT
Silver Member
I have to agree with Woodstock. I have TWO trucks. One is the work truck. An 88 GMC 4WD 1500 with over 230k mi. It used to be my good truck (bought it new). Now I have a new truck, a 2000 Silverado, shortbed, short cab "sissy" truck. I've towed a 7000 boat many hundreds of miles and other trailers hauling construction materials and autos thousands of miles with the old GMC. A great truck! It now has farm duty, still gets about 200 miles a month. The sissy truck is fun to drive, looks good, and is otherwise useless. I just hauled a Troybuilt rototiller from Sacramento to San Diego and you'd have thought I had load on the back. I'm presently shopping for a new Suburban to replace my 96 Tahoe with 95,000 miles. I've decided to go to a 2500 for all the reasons Richard and others mentioned above. I'll still have the two trucks though! Gotta look good and gotta work, can't do both with the same machine!
Larry...
Larry...
Bird
Rest in Peace
Glennmac, I believe Mt. Mitchell on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina (yep, part of the Smokies) at 6684' is the highest. And we did stay a few hundred feet down from the peak.
Bird
Bird
RobS
Super Member
I'm just getting a taste of the width now Dan. I replaced my regular mirrors with the big, wide, swing out towing mirrors. I know what you mean about drive throughs etc. Great for towing though and beat the heck out of the slip ons I used to use /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
cowboydoc
Super Member
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- JD 8320 MFWD, JD 6415 MFWD, FEL, and cab, John Deere MFWD 4600, John Deere 4020, John Deere 4430, John Deere 455 mower, Deutz, and Gehl 4610 perkins skidsteer
Dan,
In the new Ford that I got it has an automatic. It was a great deal so didn't have a choice. I have always had manuals in the past. My wife wanted an automatic as she is small and has a hard time driving the stick. Mine has the redesigned 4R100 but it's still not able to keep up. It was really bad hunting gears and such and drove me crazy. I put in a superchip which helped some. Tryed the Banks transcommand and it didn't do anything much at all. Since it is under warranty the dealer put in the updated heavy duty torque converter, cooler, and inline filter. I also added another cooler and inline magnetic filter and gauge system. We'll see how it goes but if you are on ford diesel.com you know they are having a devil of a time keeping them in the diesels. We'll see how this goes but if it doesn't get better I'll be trading for a stick.
In the new Ford that I got it has an automatic. It was a great deal so didn't have a choice. I have always had manuals in the past. My wife wanted an automatic as she is small and has a hard time driving the stick. Mine has the redesigned 4R100 but it's still not able to keep up. It was really bad hunting gears and such and drove me crazy. I put in a superchip which helped some. Tryed the Banks transcommand and it didn't do anything much at all. Since it is under warranty the dealer put in the updated heavy duty torque converter, cooler, and inline filter. I also added another cooler and inline magnetic filter and gauge system. We'll see how it goes but if you are on ford diesel.com you know they are having a devil of a time keeping them in the diesels. We'll see how this goes but if it doesn't get better I'll be trading for a stick.
RobertN
Super Member
Example weight rating for Dodge
I thought the GVRW was it... but looked at my Dodge literature(just got a 2500HD). GVWR and trailer capacity are listed different. They also list a combined rating. So, to clarify from thier book:
GVWR= Total wieght of truck with cargo, passengers, ect
Max trailer= Total max wieght of trailer with cargo and fluids, 150 lbs for driver(ya right!), and must include cargo ect in truck
Max GCWR = Total weight of truck and trailer with cargo, people, fluids, ect
So, here's what I found, in the 2001 Dodge literature
Ram 1500 4x4 quad cab:
GVWR = 6400lbs
Max trailer = 7150
Max GCVWR = 12500
Ram 2500HD 4x4 Quad cab Diesel(my recently bought truck)
GVWR = 8800
Max trailer = 13,200
Max GCWR = 20,000
So, based on these numbers, I could reasonably tow my B8200 with equipment behind a 1/2 ton, and not have to worry about excedding, or even coming close to the limit. However, if you are shooting for something near the 8000lb range, a 3/4 ton IS the choice.
It is interesting to note, that in all models(1500/2500/3500), That the weight rating is higher on the 2wd regular cab(by 500-800lbs)
And yes, as someone mentioned, all the weight rating are confusing till you sit down and look closely at them.
RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif
I thought the GVRW was it... but looked at my Dodge literature(just got a 2500HD). GVWR and trailer capacity are listed different. They also list a combined rating. So, to clarify from thier book:
GVWR= Total wieght of truck with cargo, passengers, ect
Max trailer= Total max wieght of trailer with cargo and fluids, 150 lbs for driver(ya right!), and must include cargo ect in truck
Max GCWR = Total weight of truck and trailer with cargo, people, fluids, ect
So, here's what I found, in the 2001 Dodge literature
Ram 1500 4x4 quad cab:
GVWR = 6400lbs
Max trailer = 7150
Max GCVWR = 12500
Ram 2500HD 4x4 Quad cab Diesel(my recently bought truck)
GVWR = 8800
Max trailer = 13,200
Max GCWR = 20,000
So, based on these numbers, I could reasonably tow my B8200 with equipment behind a 1/2 ton, and not have to worry about excedding, or even coming close to the limit. However, if you are shooting for something near the 8000lb range, a 3/4 ton IS the choice.
It is interesting to note, that in all models(1500/2500/3500), That the weight rating is higher on the 2wd regular cab(by 500-800lbs)
And yes, as someone mentioned, all the weight rating are confusing till you sit down and look closely at them.
RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif
RobertN
Super Member
Richard,
Of interesting note, while working on my Class-B for driving fire engines, I re-learnt about what gears to use for hills. The big thing is when going downhill, don't use a gear that's higher than what would be required to climb that hill. So, if you have to go up the hill in second gear, go down in second gear too.
RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif
Of interesting note, while working on my Class-B for driving fire engines, I re-learnt about what gears to use for hills. The big thing is when going downhill, don't use a gear that's higher than what would be required to climb that hill. So, if you have to go up the hill in second gear, go down in second gear too.
RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif
cowboydoc
Super Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2000
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- 6,725
- Tractor
- JD 8320 MFWD, JD 6415 MFWD, FEL, and cab, John Deere MFWD 4600, John Deere 4020, John Deere 4430, John Deere 455 mower, Deutz, and Gehl 4610 perkins skidsteer
Robert,
Yes that is true for the big rigs. But just so we don't confuse the motorhome and big rigs with pickups again let me say that with a pickup and trailer I can take most of the hills back in Idaho in 4th gear. With the chips, coolers, turbos, etc. these pickups are putting out way more hp and torque than when the book was written. On my brothers new truck the last time I was home in April we went to a rodeo up north and that thing pulled hills in overdrive that before you had to be in 2nd or 3rd on the 95. He had the exhaust done, superchip, etc. and dyno'd at 350 hp and 675 lbs. of torque. Now as far as going down the same hills in 4th gear that would not be a pretty situation.
Yes that is true for the big rigs. But just so we don't confuse the motorhome and big rigs with pickups again let me say that with a pickup and trailer I can take most of the hills back in Idaho in 4th gear. With the chips, coolers, turbos, etc. these pickups are putting out way more hp and torque than when the book was written. On my brothers new truck the last time I was home in April we went to a rodeo up north and that thing pulled hills in overdrive that before you had to be in 2nd or 3rd on the 95. He had the exhaust done, superchip, etc. and dyno'd at 350 hp and 675 lbs. of torque. Now as far as going down the same hills in 4th gear that would not be a pretty situation.
fishman
Veteran Member
Glennmac,
I know you said 2nd-hand vehicle, but have you looked at some of the rebate and other incentives available for new trucks? I looked at the used/new prices around my area (TX) and decided that the used trucks weren't worth what they were asking for them. With a new truck, like a new Kubota, you get a warranty and you decide how nice you want to treat it (oil changes every 3000 miles, waxing, etc.) Rebates included, I've seen some new single-cab half-ton 4x4 gas v-8 trucks going for 20-22 grand in the paper. Dodge seem to be the least expensive, followed by Ford, and then Chevy. Any would do well for you, but I bought a Chevy. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif Finance it for 4 years instead of 3 and the payments are lower than a used late-model truck, and you will know it's history.
That said, the last truck I had was 9 years old when I bought it, I kept it for 12 years, and then sold it for what I had in it. Just thought I'd present another option./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Oh, and once you experience a pickup's versatility, you'll never be without one again. Just thought I'd warn you!
I know you said 2nd-hand vehicle, but have you looked at some of the rebate and other incentives available for new trucks? I looked at the used/new prices around my area (TX) and decided that the used trucks weren't worth what they were asking for them. With a new truck, like a new Kubota, you get a warranty and you decide how nice you want to treat it (oil changes every 3000 miles, waxing, etc.) Rebates included, I've seen some new single-cab half-ton 4x4 gas v-8 trucks going for 20-22 grand in the paper. Dodge seem to be the least expensive, followed by Ford, and then Chevy. Any would do well for you, but I bought a Chevy. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif Finance it for 4 years instead of 3 and the payments are lower than a used late-model truck, and you will know it's history.
That said, the last truck I had was 9 years old when I bought it, I kept it for 12 years, and then sold it for what I had in it. Just thought I'd present another option./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Oh, and once you experience a pickup's versatility, you'll never be without one again. Just thought I'd warn you!
