What are you towing with?

Whatever you use make sure it's a Chevy!

chef tom,
we have an 8 x 18 foot trailer. if you scroll down thru this site find the thread 2 greyhounds....smokin!!!! rig pics to get an idea of it.
our tow vehicle is a v8 dodge 1500 with factory towing package.
if i remember right trailer is around 7000 lbs but to be honest have never had it on a scale.
since we dont have mountains here cant say how it would do in them.
jack

Thanks Jack

Here is my tow vehicle.. but I'm not towing a smoker..

'03 International 4400LP

yep willy!!!!
that would darn sure tow our baby beluga!!!
nice rig!!!!
jack

Willy,
That is what I will need when I get my dream kitchen on wheels.
That is a nice rig.

tom

quote:

Originally posted by Chef Tom:
[qb] Willy,
That is what I will need when I get my dream kitchen on wheels. That is a nice rig. tom [/qb]

Hey, it's for sale..

Chef Tom, It's good to see new members on the Pro Forum. It's been kind of slow down here lately.

I bought a F350 Ford Diesel Dually. Crew Cab, Short Box, automatic, 4x4.

My rig is 8000#, bumper hitch. My farm truck is a F350 Diesel, Manuel Trans. I tow a 16,000 GVW gooseneck with that. I like the manuel better for towing, I don't trust an automatic with that kind of load. They are nearly impossible to find nowdays.

I haven't run a Chevrolet lately. The suspension is to light for my needs. Heavy loads made it squat and handle hard. Oncoming cars kept blinking their brights at me because I was blinding them.

I'm planning my next catering rig to be a gooseneck, or 5th Wheel. They tow like they're not even back there. I like Fred & Annie's. But I'd give up the truck bed for storage. A 6' LifeTime serving table fits perfect in a short box. I'm hoping the LifeTime picnic table fits; We are going to buy a couple for a Food Court we vend at.

We found that the truck your salesman sends home to "try" for the weekend is the one you will buy.

Good Luck! Roger

Thanks Roger,
I guess the real reason is that I have full size GMC van with a 350 V8 in it and I would love to keep it (it's paid for...lol) but here in AZ to go anywhere outside of Phoenix metro area I have to go through the mountains where most of the speed limits are 65-75 and only two lanes in each direction. I don't want to be "that guy" that is holding up everyone's ride because he is way under powered for what he is towing.

I have a trailer a lot like Jack & Peggy of 2 Greyhounds. Like theirs, it weighs a lot; I think maybe 7000 lbs is a good guess.

I use a F-350 with 460 gasoline engine, Banks kit and tow package. I can go wherever I want to in the West (I live in Montana).

Well, mostly where I want.....

Thanks, Chris

I am seriously looking at an Excursion with the powerstroke diesel. I think that might give me the best of both worlds.

Tom, Check with a TRUSTED source if you have enough tranny and radiator to pull a heavy load up mountains. You should march right up them with a Power Stroke.

DON'T ASK A SALESMAN, for obvious reasons.

Good Luck, Roger

Roger,
I don't like salesman and by the time I run them in circles, they usually don't like me.

whenever I spend more than 100 bucks, I do a ton of research and typically know more about the product than the typical salesman. If I ask a question and they lie to me, I take my money elsewhere.

I regularly used an F350 Superduty to tow my 13K# RV up and down the Sierras and Colorado mountains.. it has a ton of power. I had the 3.73 rear axle ratio.. and would have been much better with the 4.10 or 4.30 albeit a bit poorer fuel economy. Actually, this truck was great.. I had 18 solo and 13 average towing the trailer.

I have an X, it is the v-10, as Diesel is 25% higher here in Kansas, and you pay ahefty premium for the diesel motor, when I did the math, it was about 80k miles to make up the difference in $$$, my V-10 is rated at 11k for towing, and it tows my 7000lb boat and my 6000lb trailer like they are not even back there. I had a 1500 Avalanche before and it had the 327 and it towed my loads fine, but it was well into the power band while doing it up the hills (no jokes here) in Kansas, when I am towing from Wichita to KC it is through the flint hills and they can make a rig work to tow.

I like the X, and you can pick the gas versions up for a song nowadays.

Hope this helps

Christian

Thanks Christian. Diesel costs more here too, don't understand why but it is. I really like Diesel Engines in tow vehicles. They also last for 4 times as many miles if taken care of.

Tranny cooling is a consideration.
Try to get an oil cooler for it, and a temp gauge for sure. I have overheated my tranny and scared myself pretty bad when the fluid boiled out and caught fire on the exhaust.

I found an Excursion Diesel that is set up with the banks power kit and a tranny cooler. It has the added guage cluster up on the A pillar. I haven't bought it yet, but it is owned by a trusted friend and I have driven and ridden in it many times. I also have been with him when he towed a 4 horse trailer to payson with it and it went up the mountain no problem.