What do you pull your cars with?

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chlngr1970

chlngr1970

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I have a '72 Dodge 1/2 ton with a 318 that I was considering using to pull my car around with. Only problem is, I don't have a trailer. U-Haul says my truck doesn't weigh enough to rent a trailer to pull my Duster/Dart. I have seen others using a Dakota to pull cars, even a B-Body ( in the trailer queen thread ) so, what is your experience with that? If I get ahold of the guy today, I am going to look at a '76 3/4 ton with a 400 :) It's not a 4X4, but it is an extended cab, and a 3/4 ton, so I think that would work for U-Haul. I wish I had more room here, I would just buy a car trailer instead, but the GF won't let me :(

Thanks!

j

PS...She doesn't know about the 3/4 ton yet 8-[
 
I pull my duster with a '06 Brimar 16' open bed with an '01 Ford explorer sport trac,it has done an excellent job with no issues for 4 years now:thumrigh::thumrigh:
 
i used a 94 dakota to haul everything i moved around for 168,000 miles. not all towing miles, but i towed alot back then. but i did the rear suspension upgrades to make it do right. road manners are everything when towing. i now have a 2005 2500 cummins 6 speed 4 wheel drive to tow with. since i've owned it,i've noticed i don't seem to tow as much. but if i need it i have it.
 
I pulled my GTS on a 18' open hauler using a 1997 Ram 1500 2WD extended cab/short bed w/ 360 (5.9lt) and auto trans. It had 160,000 miles on the clock.

It had a tough time towing around town, but on the highway running at 70mph was no problem. I got about 6mpg towing.

I now tow with a 2000 Ford F250 Super Duty Crew Cab long bed 2WD with the V10 and auto trans. What a difference! The Ford acts like there isn't 5000lbs behind it and I get 10mpg towing.

I have a buddy who tows using a 2003 Dakota four door with the small V8 towing a 3600lb car on an open hauler with no problems. The longer wheelbase and greater weight makes the difference in towing. I had another buddy towing a 26' enclosed hauler with a standard cab short bed Ram 1500 with 360. That trailer wagged the truck all over the road. He now tows with a Cummins 4WD Ram3500 four door short bed and has no problems.
 
My experience has been that the trailer is as, or more, important at the tow vehicle. I've pulled trailers that seem to want to take you all over the road, some that are a bear in wind and some you hardly realize there's a car on a trailer behind. Most of my pulling has been with a W150 Power Wagon w/360, a 2003 Chev 1500 4wd w/ 5.3, and a 2005 1500 RAM WITH 5.7. The pickups all worked well.
 
2002 Dodge Ram Diesel, pulling a 2003 20ft Contenental Cargo trailer

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The tail wagging the dog is caused by not enough tongue weight. Also the longer the wheelbase on the tow vehicle the better, except in the case of 15 passenger vans...... the distance from the rear axle to the hitch ball is like a long lever.
I tow with my Dakota R/T with about 800 lbs of tongue weight and the trailer will follow me everywhere I go.

NewPortRicheycamry.jpg
 
I have towed with a 1998 Dodge ram 1500 ext cab short bed and now a 2007 Dodge ram 2500 cummings 5.9 six speed . the desiel dose better in the mountians but the 1/2 did fine also
 
i said 05 but it is an 06. yellowdartdave is right about the tounge weight. and the quickest way is to load a car backwards. i was noticing some on the trailer queen thread. without a motor it ain't so bad, but i think it is good practice to load "nose first".

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I use a Dakota also. A 1999 2wd, SLT with a 318 and an auto
trans. I make sure the load is right and haven't had a problem.
YellowDartDave, What are you doing using my wife's R/T?
We got one just like it.

the truck.jpg
 
2004 2500 4x4 Cummins .... If you ever go with the diesel you will love it.... But I would love to have a 70's model with a big block in it also... Especially an old Club Cab....
 
They won't let you rent a trailer because your pickup doesn't weigh enough?
Are you kidding me!!?? I used to pull 2 horses with my 57 Chevy 1/2 ton with a 235 6 cyl and it did just fine. That is crazy!:angry7:

What does that thing weigh anyway? Ask them how much more a 3/4 ton weighs! Lol.

I would try a different U-haul.

I pull my cars with my 04 Ram 1500 with the hemi nowdays and it does just fine.
 
Here is a pic of me heading to Carlisle last year. 99 Dakota 5.2, 5 speed manual, 3.91 gears, 31x10.5 tires. 14 MPG round trip. I was really suprised considering all of the hills. MY best MPG not towing on a trip was 16 MPG. I don't drive slow. The old Dakota seems to like 5500lbs behind her and 500 in the bed.

DSC01416 (460 x 345).jpg
 
They told me the combined weight of the trailer and the 68 Dart was too much for the '72 1/2 ton. I told them they were nuts, but that didn't help the situation at all. Once we get the new garage built, I hope to have enough space behind to store a trailer. Then I'll have my own, and no one will tell me stupid crap like that. I'm also considering a Dakota 4X4, but I dream a lot anyway :D

j
 
I use my '05 f150 with a low deck trailer. load it right and she follows you nicely.
 
I've got a wood-floor trailer (open in the middle) that weighs 800 pounds. My Duster weighs around 2800, and I tow those with my '97 Dodge Ram 4x4 5.9L. It's great on the highway, struggles a bit on big hills.

My neighbor used to tow a similar trailer with a Camaro on it - weighed around 3500 pounds - with a 2000 (I think) Dodge Dakota 2WD with the 6 cylinder. He had no problems with that, either.
 
i have a heavy *** C channel frame 70s trailer. it tows pretty nice. straight. i tow it with my 03 hemi 2500 with 4.10s. its a pretty good combo. real steep hills you really have to lay into it but it works. i used to tow it with my 03 1500 quad cab with 4.7 and 3.55s. that worked too but not well. i was going to have 4.10s put in and install airbags but decided to just get rid of it. i think it would have worked fine with those 2 things. thats just uhauls policy. insurance or something. my buddy wanted to rent a tree chipper one day and asked to use my truck, sure. they told him he needed a 3500 or better. anyway here it is.
IMG_0120.jpg
 
Briankaplan,
I ain't got your better half's R/T... I have a 98 with a Shaker Hood!!
1 of 135 CCs in Intense Blue.
 
I have a 95 Dodge 2500 extended cab with 8' bed 4x4 and a cummins diesel and auto. I pull a 24' enclosed car hauler and went to Carlisle with golf cart, 81 Imperial and all the other crap. I figured about 9,000 lbs.

This thing runs and pulls

I have used a 1/2 ton and if you load it right it will pull a uhaul trailer with no problems. U haul should be renamed no haul. I checked unto renting a tow dolly in NY to pull my brothers car back to Indiana. They asked what kind of car, when I told them they said they could not rent it to me because the car would not fit, BS, we had a tow dolly at one time and I knew the car would be OK, but no they would not rent it to me. So I took a 20' open trailer o NY with me and towed the car home.

The R/T Dakota guy's that are towing, have you had any problems?

A friend bought one new to tow his AAR Cuda with. They told him that if he towed his car they would void his warranty and they would buy it back from him since he bought it to tow with. They claim the tow rating was only 2,500 lbs instead of the 6,500 originally stated due to the rear end breaking in them.
 
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