Truck and trailer thread???

[brkntrxn]

If I remember correctly, there was a thread some time ago in this forum with pics and details of everyone's truck and trailer rigs. I have searched multiple times using various combinations of "truck, trailer, rig, hauler, open, enclosed" and so on and I cannot locate the thread. I even used the Google search option. Hell, I even posted in the thread and I cannot find it.

If someone remembers it, please post up the link. I am contemplating stepping up to an F250 or F350 and I just want to look through that thread for ideas and feedback.

Thanks in advance,

Kevin

 

[Jimmysidecarr]

I looked too, could not find it.

Let's just start a new one right here.

I have to lay off tracking for an unknown amount of time, but we still may want to go exploring this great country, and a great way to do that is to bring your own camper trailer.

I'm thinking, on the truck end of things, it must be comfortable, get decent fuel economy, and be tough as nails at the same time.

I believe something like this fills the bill.
A used Ford F250/F350 99-03 Super Crew 2wd auto with the 7.3:thumbsup:, I am not liking the reliability or fuel economy of the newer 6.0s.:nonono:

The longer wheel base true truck chassis would be much more stable than my current 99 Navigator, and would provide a more relaxed towing experience for long pulls. Fuel expense would be similar since the Navi takes high octane. I'm sure the brakes would be far better with an F250 in the mountains too.

example: http://www.autabuy.com/Vehicles/Details.cfm?VID=243071
2002 FORD F250 XLT 2WD SUPERCREW CREW CAB TRUCK
True Blue Metallic (Dark Blue) with medium flint (gray) leather, 77,000 miles, automatic, XLT trim (includes cruise control on the steering wheel, 40/20/40 seat configuration, power windows, locks, & mirrors, and premium stereo with in-dash CD player), Super Crew (four real doors), 4 brand new Michelin LTX tires with correct E load rating, 2WD, chrome wheels, trailer mirrors, adjustable pedals, rubber bed mat, running boards, towing package with 12,500 lb. towing capacity, 7.3 liter Power Stroke diesel with 275 horsepower and a house pulling 520 lb-ft of torque. This local low mile 7.3 Power Stroke is really nice, and hard to find. Priced at $19,500.

 

[Jimmysidecarr]

Another nice one here in Texas.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars...arms=39:1|65:7|240:1308&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245

This 2002 Ford F-250 comes with the following features:
Standard Equipment
The following is standard equipment for this make and model vehicle. On the right, you will find optional equipment that may override what you find under standard equipment.
Engine
Drive Type Code : RWD
Engine Cylinders : 8
Convenience
Cruise Control
Steering Adjustment : Tilt-adjustable
Steering Power : Power Steering
Comfort
Air Conditioning
Drivetrain
Transmission : 6-speed Manual
Entertainment
Audio System : AM/FM Cassette CD
Front Seat
Type : Split-bench Front Seats
Upholstery : Velour
Instrument Panel
Clock
Tachometer
Power
Mirrors Power : Power Mirrors
Power Door Locks
Power Windows
Rear Seat
Quantity : Split-bench Rear Seat
Roof/Glass
Front Wipers : Intermittent
Optional Equipment
7.3L Turbocharged Diesel V8 OHV 16V FI Engine
Cloth Seats
Front Split Bench Seat
6 Passenger Seating
AM/FM/CD/Cassette Audio System
Cruise Control
Side Steps
Bed Liner
Tow Hooks
Camper/Towing Package
Transmission: Automatic
Cylinders: 8
Drivetrain: 2WD
Warranty: Yes
Other
Bed Length:
Books: Factory Books
Keys: 1 Key(s)
Remotes: 1 Remotes(s)
Floormats: None
Window Rockchips: 0
Tires: Matching Pirelli Scorpion STR
Estimated Remaining Front: 70%
Estimated Remaining Rear: 65%

 

[Ryan]

I know I'm going to be the odd ball here.
05 Liberty CRD (Diesel). Most guys give me crap because they don't know the first thing about it and think since its not a 'full size truck' it struggles. The only thing draw back is the short wheel base. I pull my 18' trailer with my car on it with no problem and get 19-21mpg @ 70mpg. Granted I wouldn't tow the weight without trailer brakes.
2.8L Diesel engine backed up by the same trans behind the Hemi's in the Dodges...

 

[wheelhopper]

^ Hey Ryan. I met you at the SCMC event at VIR. I thought that was a great set up you had.

I personally have been towing my 18' open trailer w/ a '02 F250 7.3. I have a full 4" exhaust, CAI, and a Hypertech programmer set to its max. My truck pulls the s--- out of anything. It just so happens I may be selling it for a new F350 crew cab, since I have 3 kids, and Ford is making great deals right now. Here are the specs

'02 F250 XLT Supercab 4x4
108K miles
7.3 diesel
Auto trans
8' bed
Stainless running boards
heated tow mirrors
full tow package (of course) w/trailer brake assist
Lariat polished wheels w/ brand new 285/75/16 tires
bed liner
sliding rear window
20% tint on all side and rear windows ( must have for long trips )
Autometer EGT gauge
replaced the speakers w/ Sonys for better sound.

Ext and Int are in excellent shape. I have never had any issues with the truck. I did recently replace the drivers front wheel hub assembly, the bearings went bad. I also just flushed/replaced the trans, transfer case, and differentials fluids with synthetics. I changed the oil every 5K miles with Synthetic Rotella 5W40. I want $19K for the truck.

[/IMG]

 

[Maynor]

Truck, trailer and backup tech.

Diesel is the only way to go for me towing wise. I've got one of the infamous 6.0's (2005 model) and haven't had an issue with it. I'd buy the truck again in a heart beat. It absolutely rocks as a tow vehicle!!

The 05+ Fords have a heavier frame, bigger brakes, better turning radius and integrated trailer brake controllers which made the decision easy for me.

I also prefer longer wheelbase trucks for towing due to the stability. Even if the trailer is bouncing around some big dips and hills, there is no tail wagging the dog syndrome otherwise known as sway.. A closed trailer would require sway control between the truck and trailer in my opinion but for an open trailer, I'm not stressed with my current setup at all in any condition. You have to keep checking to make sure you even have a load back there or you'd never believe it.

Here's some trailer info from another thread I started elsewhere.

Just picked up a Bri-Mar open car trailer. After shopping around for months trying to score a deal, I've found that used trailer prices aren't much less than new so F it, I bought new. The used trailers on the market in the sub-$2k category (full deck) just needed too much work to make them worth while.

The Bri-Mar has two removable fender, 4 wheel electric brakes, easy lube bearings, 7000 lb axles, weighs about 2100 lbs, 15" wheels vs. the normal 14", 5' ramps, LEDs all around and power coated paint instead of the usual spray on. I'm hoping the powder coating keep its looking shiny, longer. Looks like my Cobra will just clear the fenders without the need to remove them. 9" deck to fender height clearance. (Edit, after a few months of use, I still need to remove the fender's on occasion as the car settles so its a handy feature).

Found the one flaw with the trailer.. the spare tire mounting location reduces the turning radius when backing up into tight spaces. Enough to hit the bumper and bend the mount. I already took it off till I can figure out another way to mount it:

Bringing the tech as well. Found a killer ball to hitch alignment tool. The Swift Hitch.

Battery operated wireless color camera/monitor with night vision. Magnetically mounts to the tailgate and points down at the perfect angle to make lining up the truck and trailer a piece of cake.

No more jumping out to confirm the distance with this gizmo. Works well and both units recharge from the cigarette lighter at the same time. Very handy.

John

 

[Maynor]

While I'm at it

Some tie down tech.. from another thread elsewhere.

The side mount strap just locks the car down to the trailer.

The other strap hooked to the lower a-arm was just there for back-up until I got comfortable with this side mount sling.

Easy, fast tie-downs with no worries about suspension, body interference or wheel scratches. Car does not seem to rock at all once the ratchet's are cinched down even with one sling on the car. I now use the side mount on both front wheels and even without rear straps of any type, the car does not move forward or backward.

I still use to rear wheel straps for backup in the event of a major braking incident but they are mostly for safety only as the front straps prevent any movement of the car on the trailer. With this setup, I have six point tie-down system instead of the usual four.

John

 

[ac427cobra]

I know I'm going to be the odd ball here.

You said it, not me!! ;-)

This was my original rig when I became addicted back in 2003

old truck and trailer:

Loved the truck, hated the trailer. This trailer is one of the very first things I've purchased brand new and was totally disappointed with. Pace American Shadow GT bought it brand spanking new and the first week I had it, I regretted the purchase.

Then I decided to downsize and got rid of both the red truck and my daily driven Navigator and got an '04 PSD 6.0L Excursion.

new truck and new trailer:

(I believe this pic will be at the bottom of the post)

Don't particularily care for the truck (rides like hell) but it gets the job done and it's reliable and dependable. Bought a new ATC all aluminum trailer and absolutely love it! :dancenana:

When I travel to far away places this is my preferred mode of transportation:

Taj Mahauler and trailer:

(sorry for the pic size, it's the only one I have)

Yeah, it gets the job done. :-D

:thumbsup::coolman::beer:

 

[wheelhopper]

Nice tow rig w/ the motor home Bruce.

The red wheels on the R are ugly though.

 

[ac427cobra]

Nice tow rig w/ the motor home Bruce.

The red wheels on the R are ugly though.

What can I say? I got a deal on the wheels and tires and thought they'd look good on the car? They don't! :fart::cryying:

 

[racer]

Awesome set-up. Great thread, I'm on the look out for an enclosed trailer at the moment as well.

 

[Maynor]

What can I say? I got a deal on the wheels and tires and thought they'd look good on the car? They don't! :fart::cryying:

Don't like the color either but I love the style. What kinds of wheels and what size?

 

[brkntrxn]

Thanks for looking as well, Jimmy. The original thread may have been lost in the server issues a while back. And thanks for everyone else jumping in on this.

To aid future searches, I am going to throw in a few choice keywords and I added them to the "tags" at the bottom (I can only add five tags):

towing
truck
hauler
trailer
enclosed
open
diesel



I currently have a 98 F-150 4WD three door supercab with a 5.4. I have a MAC equal-length headers, custom mid-pipe (I don't like the way we did it) and a Lightning catback, with a K&N and a custom tune in an SCT chip. It gets the job done for hauling a single car, does ok with an enclosed, but much better with an open trailer. With the deals that Ford is advertising right now, I am just thinking it might be time for me to step up to a new 6.4 F250 diesel so I can two both Cobras (or tow a buddies car and split fuel).

I have done all of the mileage-per-gallong calculations for daily driving, highway trips and towing to the track between my existing 98 gas and an 08 diesel. Even with the higher cost of diesel, my annual fuel costs would be slightly less ($200 less) with the new diesel because my gas mileage on my truck sucks (especially when towing - 9.5mpg). So, as long as diesel and gas are 50 cents or so apart, fuel costs are a wash (for me).

So, couple the desire (notice I didn't say need) for more towing capacity, a wash on the fuel costs, I have been going back and forth with a local Ford dealership lately. In fact, I am headed over there sometime this afternoon to look at the latest truck they say they found for me. If I can get them down to $25k for an 08 F-250 2wd 6.4 diesel supercab, I may just make the jump to a new one. Yeah, it is a stretch, but I get X-plan pricing through my employer and they seem fairly eager to sell them right now. We'll see.

Keep posting up your pics and details of your setup. This thread will be a very good resource to us.


Edit: spehlin

 

[ac427cobra]

Don't like the color either but I love the style. What kinds of wheels and what size?

They are AFS wheels with their special finish on them. They are all 18" with 9" wide on the front and 10.5" wide on the rear.

The tires are street Nitto 555's and I can't seem to burn them up. They are quite hard. :cuss:

 

[Ryan]

Nice tow rig w/ the motor home Bruce.

The red wheels on the R are ugly though.

What can I say? I got a deal on the wheels and tires and thought they'd look good on the car? They don't! :fart::cryying:

Don't like the color either but I love the style. What kinds of wheels and what size?

I digg'em.

Maynor not sure how far you were willing to drive, but I got my trailer for 1200 'new'. Two things you got over me is the steel deck and brakes on both axles...

 

[Maynor]

I digg'em.

Maynor not sure how far you were willing to drive, but I got my trailer for 1200 'new'. Two things you got over me is the steel deck and brakes on both axles...

That's a damn good price... especially for new. The least expensive new trailer I could find was "Econotrailer" and that was around 1700 for an open deck vs. full steel deck.

Where'd you find the $1200 job? I know a few other guys in the market. I'll eventually go fully enclosed trailer at some point but can't yet justify it.

 

[Ryan]

Where'd you find the $1200 job? I know a few other guys in the market. I'll eventually go fully enclosed trailer at some point but can't yet justify it.

Ebay. I believe his name CC Marina or something like that. I had to drive just west of Nashville to get it though.

 

[wheelhopper]

Nice prices on the open trailers. I paid $2300 for mine. It has the full steel deck, LED lighting and brakes on both axles. It was the cheapest I could find here in MD. It is an Econo trailer and I love it. My car is lowered and with the dovetail on the trailer I don't scrape anything or have to use an additional ramp to get on. My doors also clear the fenders by 1.5". I think the key to this is that my trailer wheels are 14" vs. 15" so the fenders sit lower.

You may have to get the plain XL F250 diesel to get them down to $25K. The F250 XLT, crew, 4x4 I was looking at I was able to get them down to $41K before rebates. You may want to try the V10. I know you could get your price with that. The diesel is a $7K option.

 

[brkntrxn]

Thanks for all the info folks, keep it coming for everyone else.

We bit the bullet this afternoon and we now own a red 2008 F-250. Here are the highlights of the specs:

6.4 turbo diesel (350hp 650tq)
2wd with towing package
XLT trim and all power (no keyless entry though, hmph)
4door Supercab (I can't justify the crewcab)
5spd auto (torqshift with the tow control button and engine braking)
tow command system
3.73 rear
cloth seats with bench front (I prefer a 6 passenger over 5 passenger, so this was good)

It is what I need and fits my bill without all the frills on some of the more loaded trucks. MSRP was $39,035 and we settled on $34,823.52 out the door (tax, tag, title, etc) with the 0% 72 month offer (we might as well keep our cash where we can make money off of it). I got payoff on my 98 F150, which was less than private party, but I don't have to hassle with it. The 08 feels tight and quiet, is only slightly longer than my 98, feels good in traffic and hits 60 in a heartbeat. I can't wait to get some weight behind it and see how it tows. And at the 7-8k per year that I will put on it, it will be a year and a half before I need to do an oil change, LOL (yeah, I know, do it before then).



Edit: itchy finger

 

[Maynor]

Nice truck and really nice financing! I hated the restyled front ends on the 08 trucks but I'm over that after a year or so.

You're going to love the Tow/Haul mode of the tranny. One of the best features of that truck. After you break it in, report some mileage numbers if you get chance. Empty and towing. I'm curious to compare them to my 6.0 although with 4WD and Crew Cab, I'm carrying more weight which will probably affect the comparison.

First time I've heard of XLT not coming with Keyless entry though. Did you mean the door keypad or the remote lock/unlock?