Looking for ideas on a light tow rig *I have my eyes on one, post #41

I vote any 03-07 Chevy V8 truck. That’s 1/2 ton duties for sure, but if down the road you get into going more and maybe you wanna haul your friends razors and split fuel, you might wanna keep that in mind and go straight to a 3/4 ton truck.

In that case, the F250 mentioned earlier is a killer deal for a very sweet truck. Sounds like it could easily tow yours, or 2-3 more if you needed. At the price he is offering, you’d get your money back if you didn’t like it 6 months from now.
 
Slow down?

My truck pulling my boat will do 70 but it gets real thirsty and I'll say uncomfortable. I pretty much have to stay in it the whole time. Back it down to 60-65 makes a world of difference. I'm not passing anyone but who cares.

Your only chance for doing 70+ while getting 20mpg is a 12v Cummins.
 
BigBody79 said:
Slow down?

My truck pulling my boat will do 70 but it gets real thirsty and I'll say uncomfortable. I pretty much have to stay in it the whole time. Back it down to 60-65 makes a world of difference. I'm not passing anyone but who cares.

Your only chance for doing 70+ while getting 20mpg is a 12v Cummins.
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I had to come to a harsh self-realization a little while back. Every vehicle I've ever owned, with the exception of one, simply wasn't practical. Yes, they were cool, capable, and turned heads, but they simply were built or upgraded for one purpose, not several. So it's me finally attempting to be a practical person instead of demanding something of a vehicle it was never designed to do.

Sent from a device I own.
 
Depends on how big of a rig you want, if you are ok with the size of a burb, go grab a 4wd 2500 burb with a 6.0l and be good to go. If you want something a little smaller, grab a Yukon Denali (tahoe size) with the 6.0l. Most people will tell you to stick to the 2001-2006 Denali as the NVG179 is a better AWD transfercase than the second generation.

Smaller still, I still say stick with a 5.3l Envoy / Rainier / Trailblazer (SS came with the 6.0l). The Envoy came in an XUV option that no one knows about....it was kind of like an avalanche with a retractable roof, that looked pretty cool / functional as a multi-purpose vehicle.

If you didn't shoot out Dodge from the get go.....I would tell you that my 5.7 hemi / 8 speed w. 3.92 gears is the bomb....but I get some people aren't big on moving outside their manufacturer comfort zones.
 
shelby27604 said:
Depends on how big of a rig you want.....I would tell you that my 5.7 hemi / 8 speed w. 3.92 gears is the bomb....but I get some people aren't big on moving outside their manufacturer comfort zones.
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There's a guy local to me selling a Sierra Denali w/Quadrasteer, but I am overlooking it because of the complexity of the aging Quadrasteer components, and the fact that it's AWD. I'll have to look into the Trailblazer. I remember the Envoy XUV. Looked like a space ship and huge.

Nothing against the Dodge mechanically, I just don't like the styling unless it has a solid axle under the front of it.
 
I had a sierra denali w/quadrasteer, hands down one of my absolute favorite trucks on the planet! The 6.0l, the gearing of the 4L60 and the 3.73 gears made that thing a beast, and when you pull a u-turn in traffic with the turning radius of a civic....it will make you smile ever time!
Most of the mechanical components are bulletproof, there are some electrical bits that can fail....I haven't looked into availability since selling mine. The failure mode, locks the rear knuckles, truck drives and steers just fine.

Drive one before you take it off the short list
 
Another vote for GM
 
shelby27604 said:
I had a sierra denali w/quadrasteer
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I always thought those were a nifty idea in light duty applications. Never understood why they weren't more popular...other than they were at the beginning of the disposable vehicle era and consumers were skeptical of something going wrong. I almost never see them on the road any more either.
 
UTfball68 said:
I always thought those were a nifty idea in light duty applications. Never understood why they weren't more popular...other than they were at the beginning of the disposable vehicle era and consumers were skeptical of something going wrong. I almost never see them on the road any more either.
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Quadrasteer died for the same reason most good GM ideas die, ZERO marketing....it was a sierra denali exclusive for a while, then it became a high priced option that no one knew about, in the last year of production it was a $1,500 option (from $5k orig)....but as they had sold so few, the bean counters assumed no one wanted it. Had they been smart, every showroom would have been equipped with a test drive vehicle to familiarize the public.

I had a boss who owned a sierra denali, always complained about the "silly lights on the fenders"..... didn't even know the truck had 4ws.
The only issue I remember, was going fast through curvy mountains and switchbacks, the crab walk was unbearable, but I would just turn it to 2ws.
 
The only thing with the Quadrasteer is the fact that it's 15 years old, and from other forums I've read, parts for that rear axle (not including the electronics and such, just the hard parts like half shafts and unit bearings are outrageous expensive and difficult to source. So @BigBody79 has it nailed down in a nutshell. I'm overthinking the obvious. Haha!

For those curious, here's the local Quad: (148k) 2004 GMC Sierra Denali Quadrasteer
 
I’ll throw a vote towards a Tundra with a 5.7
 
Mac5005 said:
Far better bang for your buck if you find one with 6 spd instead of 4 spd auto.

Better towing and better fuel mileage empty.
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I have to disagree. Early gen 6sps suck donkey for towing. They search like crazy. Newer ones might be different. The mpg difference towing between the 4spd and 6spd might be 0.5. Not worth the potwntial headache.
 
awheelterd said:
I have to disagree. Early gen 6sps suck donkey for towing. They search like crazy. Newer ones might be different. The mpg difference towing between the 4spd and 6spd might be 0.5. Not worth the potwntial headache.
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For me the 4 speed is always screaming on the big hills been rocking a 6 speed for a wile been very happy with it
 
awheelterd said:
I have to disagree. Early gen 6sps suck donkey for towing. They search like crazy. Newer ones might be different. The mpg difference towing between the 4spd and 6spd might be 0.5. Not worth the potwntial headache.
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That’s why you hit manual, put it in 4/5 and let it eat. 6 is for open road flat ground.

We will have to agree to disagree. 4spds are too dependent on staying st the right mph for each gear. Get out of the sweet spot and it sucks.
 
Mac5005 said:
That’s why you hit manual, put it in 4/5 and let it eat. 6 is for open road flat ground.

We will have to agree to disagree. 4spds are too dependent on staying st the right mph for each gear. Get out of the sweet spot and it sucks.
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karatejosh said:
For me the 4 speed is always screaming on the big hills been rocking a 6 speed for a wile been very happy with it
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I guess I am not used to people driving like they give a damn. My drivers put not in D and go. 4spds hold up to that abuse, 6spds do not. I've tried manual and or tow/haul loaded and unloaded and neither drives well underload w the 6spd. 70mph always seemed wound out with manual or tow/haul and it would search in D. Never have that problem with the 4spds.
 
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