Inexpensive Tow Vehicle

[California]

I've had the '88 Isuzu Trooper shown in one of my sig photos since new. It gets over 19 mpg pushed hard on the highway, keeps up with traffic, and is in good condition. (Cars don't rust here so we keep them forever). I would keep this Trooper forever except it's too light to tow my tractor.

It's comfortable towing 2,000 lbs. However when I towed my 'new' tractor home on a U-Haul racecar trailer, I said 'never again' as soon as I got rolling. I kept under 54 mph and slowed as needed to keep 900 ft of empty space in front of me to avoid surprises. The 90 mile trip was uneventful but it was clear that I should have rented a heavier tow vehicle.

I weighed the rig near my destination and learned I had 3,100 lbs on a trailer that already weighed 2,000 lbs empty. I was towing 5,100 lbs behind 3,650. The U-Haul with its excellent balance and brakes handled flawlessly but the sense of tremendous inertia was unmistakeable.

Now with ballasted tires the tractor is about 3600 lbs, plus another 450 to 700 lbs for an implement, and I'm clearly beyond what I can tow.

So my question is: can anyone recommend an inexpensive replacement for this Trooper, with similar seating and good fuel mileage but can tow more weight? It doesn't have to be new, anything made in the last ten years would be fine since I use it in the orchard and for offroad camping trips and expect to put a few scratches on it anyway. I just can't think of any model I would like better than what I already have. I think a big extended cab pickup would be overkill for 99.9% of the time when I'm not towing. I'm thinking a heavier SUV, maybe a later Trooper. I'm hoping someone has done similar shopping and might have some advice. Thanks!

 

[SteveM]

I dont think a later trooper will be significantly heavier. You will be forced into something domestic, i am afraid. Even a run of the mill 4 door blazer can tow 5-6,000 lbs with the popular 6 cyl. I tow a 3200lb ford tractor on the same Uhaul trailer with my 99 Bravada, can hold 65mph comfortably.

 

[Joe1]

How about buying a used 1/2 or 3/4 ton pickup just to haul the tractor and for other farm use and keep the Trooper if it's running good still. The truck doesn't have to be too fancy.

If you only tow once or twice a year, rent a truck and trailer for the day. It will be cheaper than owning two vehicles. Unless you go for a Diesel. then 19 mpg in a pickup capable of towing 6,000 - 7,000 lbs is a dream.

My 99 Cherokee is rated at 5,000# tow capacity. I've towed #3,500 pounds (no trailer brakes) three times for a total of 800 miles with no trouble, and I think it could handle the max, but I wouldn't want to do it too often.

Good luck with your decision. Vehicles cost so darn much today, it's never an easy choice.

Joe

 

[keeney]

My older Dodge Dakota is rated for 5000 lbs. Braking is not the only factor for towing. Before I put in a new radiator, it could not sustain pulling my 5000lb (+?) boat trailer (with brakes) on the highway without overheating. With a new OEM radiator in it, it can pull the boat at 60 MPH and stay in the not-quite-boiling temp range on a cool day.

My Dad's full size GMC is rated for 8000 lbs. Tows the same boat without blinking. The "haul" mode function on the transmission makes it even better.

I agree that an older full-size pickup or maybe one of those older full-size SUV's-before-SUV's-were-yuppified would be your best bet.

- Rick

 

[JDgreen227]

I used to tow a 6000 lb. travel trailer with my '90 F150 truck with a 300 inline 6, a factory tow pack, AOD transmission and 3.55 gears. It still got 17 mpg without the trailer behind it.

But seating in a pickup is cramped, so you may want to check into a used Ford Explorer. There are a lot of them around and parts are always available. The small GM Blazer models would also do the job, but the repair record is very poor.

 

[Soundguy]

Try a cre cab full sized pickup.. like an f150/250 dodge ram.. 1500/2500 ( or even an older dodge 250/350 )

That will get you the tow capability.. crew cab will help with seating.. if you go the cummins diesel route ( older dodge 350 ) you will get -some- milage.

Might also want to get your own trailer.. a 16' tandem axle with trated wood deck and electric brakes.. probably weighs 1700 pounds.... I tow a NH 1920 with implement on a dodge 1500 with same tandem trailer as mentioned. 5.9L V8 is great for power.. but isn't super fuel efficient.

Also.. as Imentioned.. invest in electric brakes... surge brakes just don't feel right. E-brakes lets you do a few neat things.. like apply trailerbrakes without applying tow vehicle brakes... adjust brake pressure easilly.. and no switches to flip/valves to open when backing up. Ebrake controll also idnetifies many faults with the brakes as soon as you plug in the connector. Controllers start at about 45$ for good ones.

Most late 90's full sized domestic pickups are pre-wired for lights and controllers.. meaning you only do minimal wiring.. like plugging in a connector under the dash.. adding a fuse/breaker.. and then get the right plug converter to match the trailer/truck

Good luck

Soundguy

 

[TheKid]

To tow more than 5000#s your going to have to move up to a full sized van/truck/SUV. Most of the mid sized vehicles can only tow up to 5K max. Even my F250 superduty diesel is only rated to pull 5K unless I use a weight distributing hitch, or I buy an after market class 5 reciever.

 

[rambler]

My '92 Dakota can tow a lot of weight, I had a car trailer with 25 almost new RR ties on it for 120 miles. Towed a lot of heavy farm implements too, at slower speeds. That's better than 6000#. It has the tow package which raises the towing to 5800#, a 6 cyl, and probably most important a 5-speed manual tranny. On many pickups the manual tranny gives better towing service - less slip & heat. Personally a much better feel for the load as well, but that's perhaps my personal bias. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

--->Paul

 

[Soundguy]

How old is that f250 super duty? and what is its gvwr?

We have one sitting outside out office that list over 5k using a class IV hitch.. Same with a new gmc yukon xl.. it lists 12k..??

Course' the guy could always get a gooseneck trailer and jump that weight limit a bit using a ful size truck.

Soundguy

 

[KAB]

What to watch for is the GCVW (Gross Combined Vehicle Weight). This is the maximum that the vehicle and trailer combined can be. This number is for total weight as if you are driving down the road. I have heard that some states require that any body pulling a trailer go through weight scales. If you are over the GCVW, you have to lose some weight prior to being able to continue.

As for Class III hitches anything over 5,000lbs should be using a weight distributing hitch.

As other post have suggested you will probably want to use a full size vehicle to pull this with. I had a neighbor who was pulling around 6000lbs with a F150 until he backed in the driveway on day to look back in the mirror to notice the bed bouncing around more that usual... A broken Frame rail.

I have been researching what vehicle (Prefer Mid-Size SUV) to buy to be able to pull about 6000 lbs and notice a lot of mfg's state they can tow in that range. When I start looking closer it is only a properly equipped model that can tow that much. Looking deeper it is usually restricted by engine size, and optional tow package (Usually adds heavier cooling) so I have been asking myself if the base vehicle cannot tow the max amount do I want to trust the model that they say can tow the max amount. May have to go full size /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

As for the Ford Explorer... If you plan on renting a U-Haul I read somewhere a couple of months ago that they will nolonger rent you a trailer if you are pulling it with an Explorer.

Kurt