doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com (OT) what do u drive?

I am in the market for a ntm (new to me) vehicle. What do you recommend, currently I have a Ford Explorer and U-Haul will not lease me a trailer - hitch. So I'm going to have to up grade??

What do you Recommend??

jas

I drive a 2500 series 454 cubic inch gas Suburban with Detroit Locker, 4.10 gears, front and back, and would recommend it to anyone after a quarter million miles, the last 150,000 relatively trouble free. What I should mention is that it has been more than a year since I have been stupid enough to start it and a few months ago, my wife made me give it away to her oldest son who will only use it to transport decoys short distances during VA duck season. I guess the good old days are gone forever. I too now drive an Exploder.

JAS
Drive a 2000 Ford Ranger 4x4 and a 2002 Ford Explorer 4X4. Love the Explorer especially. Mine needs more aggresive tires and, if
I were to pull a trailer over 3,000 lbs, perhaps the V-8. Meantime my V-6 with 3.55 gears pulls like a trooper. Not too big, Not too small, Just Right! 20mpg on the hwy, with trailer and loaded. Set the cruise at 70, and enjoy. U-Hauls decision comes after the hoo-haw re: Firestone tires and is basically unfounded in truth if you maintain your tires and vehicle.
I recommend installing your own :)hitch and either buy your own trailer or rent from someone else.
Mike B.

I drive a hard bargain. . .


. . . but seriously, a 3/4 ton 1996 GMC 4X4 350CID. It turned 180k on the way home from Vermont Sunday night. Best truck I ever owned. I was stooopid before this one. . . all the others were 1/2 ton.
When I've been very, very good I get to drive Kathy's '04 Volvo XC-70.

I drive a 1991 VW Jetta GL. Any help?

JC

The problem is a bought a !963 Morgan and it needs to be moved in a trailer. I can not sleep in the Morgan.

You can buy a class 3 hitch for about $125 or so and put it on yourself or just pay a flatbed wrecker to move the car for you if its just this once.

The worse thing you can do it under-equip yourself for trailering. It's unsafe for you and others. I use my Dodge Ram 3500 V-10 488 cubic inch 5 speed dually for towing. That's 34 more cubes and 2 cylinders more than the lightweight tow vehicles.

If you like the Explorer why don't you consider stepping up to the Expedition? I had a much loved Eddie Bauer model that was probably one of the best vehicles I ever owned. Plenty of comfort and power and a built in hitch.

If I had to move that Morgan any distance at all, I'd opt for paying the tariff for enclosed shipping by truck.

Jas, is it a Plus Four? Wow, congratulations, great classic and you can use any experience acquired tending to your stocks to treat the chassis.

Seriously, I'd use your Explorer with a proper hitch. I'd say it is more than enough.

JC

Come to my house and I'll sell you my 2000 Ford F-250 Superduty, Powerstroke, Extra Cab, 4WD. I'll even sell you my 1990 Alpenlite 27' 5th Wheel to go with it. I'm done trailering and want to downsize.

I suggest Slackum (SP?) for the Morgan chassis. Keeps the creaking from becoming TOO annoying.

To answer the original question...an f350 6.0 turbo diesel crew cab long box 4x4 2005 model. Before that an f350 7.3
turbo diesel crew cab long box 4x4 1997 model. The 1997, which I still have, turned 275,000 recently and my whole investment in the shop with it is still under $300. That's not counting regular maintenance of course. I'll take a diesel for towing (which I do a LOT of) any day. I hope the new one holds up as well.
Regarding the u-haul thing......It boils down to a spitting match between a couple of over aged rich boys who are more concerned with oneupmanship than customer relations. If you pull up towing info for Mercury's suv that is identical to the ford explorer, and practically made on the same assembly line, you'll find that it is acceptable to tow with it. I've been a u-haul dealer, as part of my business, for about 15 years now and the whole explorer issue is a royal pain in the tush.
Unless you need a one-way rental, look to a local rental house like Nations Rent, Grand Rental Station, etc. Many have their own vehicle hauling trailers for rent and don't put the explorer restriction on them. You should be familiar with your vehicles curb weight, however, as you do not want to be towing a heavier load than you weigh in at. It kinda sucks when your load stuffs you into oncoming traffic at an intersection.......If that turns out to be the case, you'll need to look into having a trailering brake system on your vehicle, but you'll probably have a hard time finding a rental auto hauler that has any compatible brake system other than surge brakes, which are not really adequate.
I could go from here into what I WANT to be driving, but.......

Class 3 is good up to 5000# and 500# tongue weight.
I have an Explorer with a Class 2 (soon to be a Class 3) and a 4 Runner with a Class 3. I use the 4 Runner for my boat perhaps once a week, weighs about 1600#, I have no problems.

I can't imagine a Morgan weighs more than 24-2500#. Class 3 should be fine on your Explorer should be fine

I drive an older Corvette conv. I guess that's why I'm partial to doubles since they break down for transporting!!
Jim

Daily (farm) driver is a '03 F350 4WD Super Duty extended cab. It will handle any legal towing job. It pulls a 1600 gallon nurse tank/trailer during the spring/summer and anywhere from 80 to 120 peanut trailers carrying up to 8 tons of peanuts each in the fall (now). The 6.0 engine is a powerhouse but I fear it is not the engine the 7.3 was for longevity and dependability. 118,000 miles, so far.

For lighter towing my wife, Jean, drives a '05 Yukon. Great vehicle. No problems.

Stan

I have an all wheel drive Acadia, factory towing package (good for 4500)and it gets 22 on a trip. Best ride I have owned in SUV type of Truck?
bill

Instead of 'Expedition' why not buy Ecovan some carpet and 3 sleeping bags?

I really like the Explorer as I can sleep stretched out in it. Perhaps one of the local trailer guys will up grade it. I was very shocked to find out the Explorer should not pull a trailer. THe car full of gas weigh's 1400 pounds. I had considered buying a large self contained camper, rebuilding it, and storing the car in the back. I could still use it for hunting trips with out the car. Only bunks.
John

The problem with most undersized vehicles when it comes to towing is not the 'power' but rather the lack of adequate brakes.

Next time you see some jamoke towing too much going 75MPH down the highway and think it's OK just remember your wife and kids could be coming the other way....

On a related note, I'll bet 80% of all new mattress sales are to replace mattresses lost on the highway. Cops should pull over and thrash anyone with a Sealy strapped to the luggage rack of their Explorer.

I got tired of riding around in pickups a long time ago, although my 76 Chevy went anywhere in any weather in these parts. Several years ago I bought a trailer made from the bed of a pick up truck. (After the cabs are wrecked, guys take the cab off and cut the frame into a V and walla!! a pickup truck without the truck. I hook it on to the back of my T-Bird which has a frame mounted bumper. Bingo-bango!! The convenience of a car and the carrying power of a truck. It is also balanced well enough that I can pick it up by the tongue with my hands and push/pull it around the yard.

I drive a 1996 GMC Yukon V8, a very rare bird in these parts. I like it a lot, better than my old Range Rover diesel which I sold last year.
Regardss,
Jani