Tow Rig ideas- old school/newer?

[63chevyll]

my .02,

the payments suck but when your working 2 jobs and busy all the time a new is the way to go.

I spent all my younger years towing with old trucks and whatever I could find, but now its nice to hop into something and not have to worry about this or that and cruise at highway speeds without spending tons of time on an older truck.

However, I'm in love with Cummins crew cab chevys, personaly, I just dont have the time to build what i want/need.

 

[imiceman44]

I didn't see anywhere in your posts where you need a truck for your work, so you would be owning and DD a truck so you can tow the K5 with it when you go on trips, even if it's a couple of time a month, still not warranted.
Bulletproof the blazer and just keep with the subie till it croaks then get another cheap mileage car.
I always drove my blazer everywhere and I never needed a tow truck, I even DD the K5 when my car had problems.
Now I have a few trucks because I got them cheap and had the space, and I work on them to make them the way I want them but I don't need them for towing. I don't like the concept of towing since I like to go on rips, expeditions and it's better to have your do everything truck capable.
But if you are set on owning a tow rig, buy what you need, don't build it because it will be a long time before you finish it and get to use it.

With this statement, you have some things to really think about.

Do you absolutely need a tow rig? Your K5 is pretty stout. Why the need to tow it? Just so you can run it harder without fear of breaking it? You'd be better off in saving money by just driving it to/from the trail and wheeling it accordingly. When the occasional breakage happens fix it. When a catastrophic failure happens, paying for a tow home is cheaper than a monthly loan payment.

Buying a truck, even a decent mileage diesel, for commuting the miles you stated and using as a tow rig. This is like stepping over dollars to pick up dimes. You want to save money? Keep driving the Scoob. If that's becoming problematic, replace it with another cheapo high mileage beater.

If you really want to save money, long term, and put it towards buying the "dream truck" (or something more practical like a house), put some dollars and sense into the K5 to make it about bulletproof. That way it can be reliable enough to drive to/from the trail and you still have a toy to play with. And a reliable DD/beater car for work and commuting so you're not spending a fortune on fuel, insurance, taxes, maintenence, payments?, etc... on a truck just so you can wheel the toy harder.

I've been there. I lived paycheck to paycheck so I could have a decent truck to tow with. And if I could do it all over again... I'd do it different. If your goal is really to save money? Reevaluate how much you really need that tow rig. Unless money is no object for you, by all means, spend those dollars and save those dimes.

 

[longbedder]

don't build it because it will be a long time before you finish it and get to use it

Especially if you have a family (and like them)...

 

[imiceman44]

Especially if you have a family (and like them)...

Yep.
My projects are in extreme slow motion most of the times and completely dead for the past five years because I have a family and love to spend time with them, so I recently bought a running suburban so I can go in the snow this winter.
I have enough parts and tools to get all my projects going, it's the time I don't have.
Had plenty of time when I was single and that is when I aquired all my projects.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Time is the killer. No family here but I have a girlfriend and a suddenly busy job. I haven't touched The Blazer other than to drive it and check the oil in over a month.

 

[1-tonmudder]

Any particular reason for not considering a 7.3 Powerstroke????

 

[stockk5]

Any particular reason for not considering a 7.3 Powerstroke????

just couldnt get myself to spend that much money on a ford....

Time isnt really an issue come summer.... whole summer is off.

Yeah, I am all about making my truck still driveable on the street, and i wheel according to that right now too. My main issue is the good wheeling is down in PA and 300miles away.

I think to be honest I just want a pimp ass crew cab cuz its always been my dream.. so someday ill start that build thread!

 

[1-tonmudder]

just couldnt get myself to spend that much money on a ford....

Time isnt really an issue come summer.... whole summer is off.

Yeah, I am all about making my truck still driveable on the street, and i wheel according to that right now too. My main issue is the good wheeling is down in PA and 300miles away.

I think to be honest I just want a pimp ass crew cab cuz its always been my dream.. so someday ill start that build thread!

Well it has a international motor so thats how I justified it. I picked mine up for 6K w 147K on it.

 

[LT.]

I will go against the grain here. I would vote newer truck over an older truck with the swapped in drive train. Simple, you only have to look up parts for the one truck, not the couple of trucks you have cobbled together. Newer trucks ride better, should have less problems, and if new enough are covered under a warranty. Don't buy into the Cummins fuel mileage hype too much. The Chevy Duramax is capable of delivering excellent mileage. I am a Dodge fan through and through and I would personally drive nothing but Cummins for a tow rig. But, the Duramax is more than a great truck. The front end is a little weak and the motor is not as good at the low end torque (i.e. lower rpm pulls) but will serve just fine towing a light weight K 5 and trailer.

LT.