Tractor Portability

scruffy · Oct 30, 2000

Chuck, one other thing I will usually carry on trips (besides tool storage box on tongue) is a 2.5 ton floor jack. I normally slide it in front of the bucket, or under a vehicle (if the wheels are too close) in the front and chain and lock to the ramp storage bracket. Beats the heck out of sliding a bottle jack under an axle if needed. I've ruined two tires via the old (pardon the word usage here) chuckholes method. Both times the front tire on the passenger side.
Yessir, I think some of us are more frugal than others!

WVBill · Oct 31, 2000

Scruffy:

That looks a lot like the set up I had towing my B6100 from California (Thousand Oaks) back here to West Virginia in September - down to the Dodge Ram. Mine is a 1500 with the 5.9L engine.

I bought my trailer while I was back there (Carson Trailer in Victorville). Got an excellent price on it compared with what they go for around here - I should be able to sell the trailer for a used price and make money on the deal!

Bill

scruffy · Oct 31, 2000

Bill, I like the truck, but you did the smart thing by getting a V8. I bought mine with the 3.9L V6, which I would advise against for anyone contemplating towing anything. Flat ground is not bad, but hills are a drag, it just doesn't have the bottom end for that, or freeway running with a load. No guts.

Thomas · Oct 31, 2000

Would that be corn on the front of the trailer deck. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Hope you plan it well when driving the tractor around those low branches with the muffler that high./w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

scruffy · Oct 31, 2000

Thomas, no corn! Yessir I am careful with that exhaust stack. When we first moved up here, I poked a hole in the right front top of a 28 foot mini motor home. One lesson, one repair is all it takes to make me learn! I trimmed all offending branches!

RobertN · Oct 31, 2000

Nice trucks! I want to sell my older Ford F250, and get a newer Dodge. I want a 2500 series 4x4 extracab diesel though...

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

scruffy · Oct 31, 2000

Robert, if you plan on doing any heavy towing, you are barking up the right alley! The V-12 is another good engine for heavy duty towing work. The V-8 is good, but the V6 is really underpowered for the size of vehicle by itself. The 24 valve 3.9L V6 I had in my Chrysler LHS would definately fly well in the RAM 1500 P/U, but I wouldn't think it would have any more bottom end to it. Probably not as much low end torque even. Stay away from the 96's though, they had nothing but tranny problems with the automatics.

ERNIEB · Nov 1, 2000

Scruffy, You are right about the V6. A friend of mine owns and trains a few racehorses and occasionaly hauls them to Houston or up to Lone Star Park with a two horse trailer. He had an older Dodge with the 383, and traded it in on a 99 with the V6. After 6 months he was so disgusted with it he traded it for a V8. Man, did he take a beating on that deal.
ErnieB

scruffy · Nov 1, 2000

Ernie, I sure wouldn't like someone to make the same mistake that I did. I thought it would be ok, in a pig's eye it is. I kept it because I didn't want to take a beating, but in reality, I would've made out ok. Only paid 13,900 for it at a dealership going out of business sale!
I kinda thought that I would replace it with a V8 when the motor died.

WVBill · Nov 2, 2000

Ernie/Scruffy:

I highly recommend the 5.9L V8 on the Ram 1500. Like I said, I towed my B6100, FEL, Tiller, box blade and some other stuff on my 16' trailer coast to coast. Also towed a BobCat on a construction trailer locally. The truck pulled them so well I hardly knew they were there. Went from about 14.7 mpg on the trip there down to about 12.5 mpg on the trip back with the load.

Bill