So, I'm very close to buying a race car and trailer. The trailer, loaded with the car, extra tires/wheels, etc., weighs about 6500 pounds. The trailer is a very nice trailer, enclosed, with its own braking system.

I would need a tow vehicle for this rig, obviously. I would like to buy something which would be reliable for a drive, for instance, from Seattle to Spokane, or even to California tracks. I have no regular need for the truck otherwise, so it needn't be new, but I have no interest in something that will be unreliable. I would expect to use it perhaps 15 - 20 times a year, mostly for drives of about an hour, sometimes for up to four hours (Spokane), and an occasional trip to, e.g., Thunderhill.

What kind of vehicles make sense for this gig, and how much is the least I might expect to pay for something which will meet my requirements?

Thanks.

 

I would get a truck with the diesel engine. ie...Ram 2500, F-250, Chevy HD2500. If you want something smaller, I would get the Titan.

 

Yup. My dad's F-250 diesel can pull that kind of weight without noticing.

You can get something smaller and still get by, especially since this would be occasional use.

If it is occasional enough, it might even be worthwhile to rent.

 

I used to tow a 6,500 pound horse trailer (including the horses) with an F150, but now use an F250 PSD (Power Stroke Diesel). Get the F250!

You can probably find a nice used 7.3 liter F250. These were made up until 2003 when the 6.0 liter engine was introduced. The older trucks are very reliable (They often run for more than 1/4 million miles) and prices are now reasonable.

Here's the truck and car trailer - it pulls 3,500 pounds like it's not even there.

 

^look at that beast!!!

I am still in the market to buy a truck myself. I might wait for the new Tundra.

 

I have an F350 with the 6.0 liter Power Stroke Diesel. The early versions of this engine are suspect, so I would stay away from an 03 or 04. The 7.3 is a good very reliable engine, and like someone stated earlier, they can be had for less money.

The 7.3 does not have the power of the 6.0, which you may need if you are pulling in mountains.

By the way, people that pull trailers every day tell me not to plan on consistently pulling more than 75% of the rated capacity of the truck, especially in mountains. So if you are planning to pull a 6500 pound trailer, that means you need about 9000 pounds of towing capacity.

The other thing I would do is lurk on the truck forums for a few days and get some sense of what to watch out for on these trucks.

CoralDoc - you sound like me - too many money sucking hobbies - horses and cars.

 

you want to make sure that the towing vehicle control the trailer...not other way around.

 

I've been talking with a local guy who has a 1989 F250 with a "heavy duty" 7.3 liter diesel. Not a turbo. He's not sure, but he thinks it's only rated at 6250 pounds, which clearly isn't enough. I think I'd buy this truck if it were rated at 9,000 towing capacity, but not 6,250. Is it likely that this is only rated at 6,250?

Renting would be attractive, but I may well use this race car as my track car most of the time, also, and I suspect that renting one of those beasts 10 times a year or more would be mighty expensive.

 

If the truck is in good condition, it will do just fine. Think of it this way, you've been towing around a trailer with your S2000 and it isn't rated to pull anything at all.

Having a tow vehicle that is rated for much more than you are pulling is a nice luxury, especially here with out mountains, but it is not necessary if you use some common sense with your driving and your maintenance.

 

Here's an acronym to explain it all - DINK

Nice "stable" of vehicles you have there - something for everything!

124Spider - Check out The Diesel Stop web forum for information about truck tow ratings. If the information's not handy, ask a question in the forum. The group is pretty helpful.