Hi all,
I've been away from the computer until today so now I'm playing catch-up:
We started with a Chevy van (can't recall the year, but it had fuzzy orange
carpet all inside it; including on the ceiling) and a 16' open trailer with
tandem axles. It was more than capable of hauling the ITA Dodge including
the tire rack and boxes we installed on the front of the trailer.
It was time to find a newer vehicle when we bought a nice used 22' enclosed
trailer -- the van was only getting 6 miles/gallon and it worked real hard
to get the trailer home from Long Island to Erie. We found a '92 Dodge 3/4
ton HD with a Cummings Turbo Diesel. Towing became effortless. It also got
17 mpg and diesel fuel was much cheaper than gas at the time. That was in
'96. The trailer does everything we need; it keeps the rain out of the EP
Dodge now that it has no side windows, it carries all the tires, toolboxes,
fuel, etc we care to bring along. A quad will fit very comfortably up front.
It also has a work cabinet and a fold-down table for when we need it, and an
awning that runs the length of the trailer and has walls that can be tied
together. That paid for itself one bleak, miserable weekend at the Glen. The
trailer has tandem axles and is rated for 7,000 lbs. It has brakes; that's a
law for heavier trailers in PA.
The diesel now has 167,000 and it still runs great. It rattles a bit more,
and since the arrival of our daughter this past June, the single cab seems
to have gotten smaller. We just ordered a 2002 Ford F-250HD Super Cab with a
V10 and 6-speed manual transmission. It also comes with 4 wheel disk brakes,
something the new HD Dodges don't offer. The price of diesel fuel is still
$1.50 while gasoline is down to $1.09, and the fuel economy of the newer
diesels isn't what they were. There is such a fierce battle over who has the
most powerful engine it appears that economy has fallen to the wayside.
Diesels are also a $5,000 option. The V10 makes more than enough power for
us (I think it's 425 lb/ft of torque?), and the truck should still be
capable of handling the load safely if we decide to add a bed camper to the
rig.
Of course, all that stuff is for the EP Dodge. Our TR-6 doesn't need to be
carried; it tows it's own trailer!
Cheers,
Wendy Hart
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Price" <jprice1@txcyber.com>
To: "FOT" <fot@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, November 23, 2001 4:14 PM
Subject: Trailer/Tow Vehicle Survey
> OK, here's the results:
>
> Total Responses - 19
>
> 3/4 ton or larger truck (mostly Diesels) 10
> Dakota/Tahoe/Suburban/Expedition/Assorted Vans 8
> 1/2 ton or smaller truck 1
>
> Open Trailers 9
> Enclosed Trailers 10
>
> Almost everyone agreed that dual axles and electric brakes are a must.
> The real problem is not pulling the rig - it's stopping it.
> Dual axle trailers are in the majority. Mine is a 16' tandem-axle open
> trailer with electric brakes. Weighs about 1500#. I wholeheartedly agree
with
> the concept of tandem-axle trailers being safer.
>
> My car/trailer combination is fairly light as these things go, so based
on
> your comments I could probably get by with a Suburban/Tahoe/Expedition or
1/2
> ton pickup. But a 3/4 ton Diesel pickup would be ideal. For what it's
worth,
> Reed and Linda Yates (hardcore MG types, but nice people) were towing a
20'
> enclosed trailer with their 1/2 ton Gas Dodge and were real unhappy with
the
> combination. They upgraded to a 3/4 ton Dodge Diesel and are very pleased.
> They claim it has more power, is more stable in towing and gets better
mileage
> than the gas engine. Diesel seems to be the way to go for both power and
> mileage.
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
> John Price
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