Car Hauler Solution?

OK, if a guy absolutely, positively HAS to have a gas-powered hauler, at least do it with style and cl***! Only thing I'd change on this is the interior color...oh, and install a ***mins TD!:

http://bringatrailer.com/2009/08/27/car-plus-crew-1970-dodge-d300-hauler/#more-2031

 

you need one of those trucks uhaul has with the ramps to drive a car up the back up over the cab im sure they sell them when they get old like they do the trucks

 

I looked into this very closely. As a Uhaul dealer, we had trucks for sale. Had a nice IH with rebuilt diesel. Unfortunately, they are rather narrow and the wheelhouses are raised above the floor. This could all be overcome. They are usually pretty cheap, but buyer beware. Not the worst idea, just do your homework. I decided against it and for another $3000 I ended up with a truck that is so far superior to a Uhaul leftover that I feel very fortunate that I was patient

 

Around here you can find pretty decent square body Dodges with Diesels in the for a reasonable price. You can also find nice older Ford Diesel pickups for good prices. Mom's 86 Ford gets 16 empty and 12+ pulling a 24 ft fifth wheel.
Still with a minimum of 3/4 K pickup and an equal amount tied up in the trailer it might be more prudent to just make the car legal to drive on the roads and drive it to rod trots.
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Years ago in Hot Rod Mechanix there was an article about using an old Toronado or Eldo, cutting off the back half of the body/frame and making it a double axle ramp "bed"
Slick setup!!
http://www.442.com/tech/hauler.html

 

Diesel VS Gas for towing...diesel wins every time. I used to run a gas tow rig and it would wear me out trying to haul a load. With my diesel, I can set the cruise control just cruise along.

Go to accelerate or climb a grade, no down shift, no pushing the gas pedal through the floor, just a little turbo whine and away you go.

As a bonus, my 06 ***mins Mega Cab gets 17-18 city and 20.5 highway empty.

 

My comment on the gas /diesel thing was strictly based on the comment of "The "gas is less expensive than Diesel" statement is false economy."

If one is looking to tow, obviously you go with a diesel. Like I mentioned before, if you don't need to tow, gas is the least expensive option, even when considering the fuel conomy of the diesel, and again, if you do need to tow then of course you need a diesel.

 

He has a Model A ( sort of )
No fenders, or other stuff. It weighs ( my guess ) way less than 2500 lbs.
The trailer, the Model A ... and a weeks worth of luggage and supplies would weigh less than 4500 lbs or so.

A standard V8 equipped pickup will pull this along ... great.

IF ... and I mean IF he wants to start towing heavy stuff, make a living hauling, or tows every day ... all day long ... YES ... a diesel makes sense.

Lots of decent used V8 power pickups in the 3 to 4 grand range. 3 or 4 grand will only buy you a very high mileage ... mostly worn out diesel tow vehicle. PLUS most guys here can ( or have ) rebuilt a gas V8 ... Diesels ... not so much.

Just my nickle ...
I have pulled mine nation wide ( from the Atlantic to the Pacific ) quite a few times. No mechanical problems and never a problem to find fuel. I do not like the smell of a diesel and most definately do not like the rattle, rattle, rattle of a diesel. The ***mins is noisy. I do not use my trailer a LOT. My pickup is a everyday type vehicle ... and does not tow ... but a few times a year.

It does what I need ... where I need it and when I need it.

Disclaimer : Your results may vary

 

You could probably build what you need to fit your car for cheap! cheap! cheap! and rent a truck as needed. I saw on your profile that you've got some 30's & 40's rides, a couple of which are model A's... so I don't think weight is going to be much of an issue unless you plan on hauling more than one at a time.

 

I look at it this way - even for truck that is primarily a daily driver/commuter plus a tow vehicle (which my new '06 Dodge ***mins QC is!), I still get better economy than any gas truck out there, bar none. At a six grand premuim, it takes about 2,500 gallons of gasoline @ 2.40/gal to make up that difference in cost. You can drive a lot for $6K, true. My truck will break even with that additional cost at approximately 120K miles. At that point, my fuel mileage savings make up for the Diesel premium. At that point also, the gas truck is getting worn in the tooth, and the gas owner will lose big on a trade for another gas truck. Meanwhile, the Diesel owner has a HUGE advantage at trade-in time, but likely the Diesel owner will drive the truck to 300K miles or more. A three-year old 300K Diesel truck will still sell for a five-figure price, but the gas truck (***uming it makes it that far) is essentially a throwaway truck.

Whether it is for a commuter or a full-out work/tow vehicle, the Diesel wins out across the board. It's irrefutable. Oh, and I can make my own fuel, if I desire!!! Don't see too many folks brewing gasoline, or even ethanol!

Drive gas if you like. And lose. Pretty simple.

 

You haven't heard the newer '03-up ***mins Diesels, then, have you? That's because you CAN'T! They are very quiet, as are the Fords and GM pickups! My '06 sounds like a gas truck across the power band - sounds nothing at all like my old '93 or '96 Dodge ***mins trucks.

I get 18.7 mpg with my '06 2500 QC just around town and commuting, and 21.9 on the highway empty. My neighbor's '06 Dodge 2500 QC 5.7L Hemi (identical save for the powerplants) gets 12 in town and 15 on the highway, empty. I'd say I'm money ahead.

 

There is a reason that "high-mileage Diesel" has such high mileage, and that's because it's outlasted its gas brothers! Rebuilding a Diesel is no different than a gas engine, in nearly every aspect. But hey, if you want to rebuild that gas engine...THREE times, before the Diesel needs anything remotely resembling a rebuild, go for it.

 

Yeah we get it your a big diesel fan and diesels are typically better dedicated tow rigs.

Lets not use your flawed math, how much gas does that $6k premium at the 6mpg difference between your 21 and the gas 15, and how much more is diesel per gallon, how much more for a tune up, oil changes?

At 12k miles per year it would take you over 12 years (144k+) to break even accounting for the higher purchase price, the difference in mpg and a .17 difference in the cost of diesel (I didn't do the math for the tune up and oil changes). Diesel trucks are a waste for everyday driving. Ever bought a diesel crate engine? The difference in a crate diesel vs a crate 454HO is at least $3k.

I live in cattle country, my wifes entire family are cattle buyers/ranchers, they've used up 22 diesel trucks since 96, (the current 4 are duramax) All of them also own a gas 1/2 ton driver for around town. You still kill a diesel early using it as a daily driver for 10 minute trips, the fact is it still doesn't get up to a good operating temperature on short trips, and who the hell wants to drive a 1 ton around town.

Lets end the diesel vs gas debate, back to finding a hauler solution.

 

I've not had any problems with mine. Like I said before, to each their own. You are happy with gas, great! Knock yourself out.

"Flawed math"...right. Whatever.

 

why dont you just build what you want?
i just built this for all my 60's full size cars.
4x4x4 front box for ****
20 foot flat bed
4 foot dove
8 ft ramps
8ft wide 32 ft total lenght
03 f-250 with a v 10 pulls like a son of a ***** with 5.13 gears on 38" tires and gets an awesome 7 mpg loaded,or not!

 

Ryno,

Is the trailer bagged/air suspension?

 

no. i just refined the front bar. it now goes to the axle instead of squaring off in front of it. the plan was to build belly boxes there. it would drag on teh front bars in drive ways but drove great. its built on a truss setup, lower frame and upper frame work.

 

Lets end the diesel vs gas debate, back to finding a hauler solution.[/QUOTE]


great idea

 

For deals on toter type trucks, regularly check on:
www.ebay.com
www.racingjunk.com
www.cars-on-line.com

I'd like to buy a ramp truck some day.

 

the trailer makes your caddy look small. you could probably fit 3 hondas on that thing...

 

I have a friend who is getting ready to sell his custom car hauler - its a 55' chevy quad cab with a sleeper and 20ft enclosed box for hauling cars that tilts hydralicly for loading the car. Its a big truck and he no longer has use for it. 454, 4 spd, and 2 spd rear end.

I think the only thing that would make it cooler would be a diesel/overdrive trans setup.

 

i'm just going to build a car to fit my toy trailer and i know your car would fit in my trailer (if that is your car in your avitar) i know you said you didnt want to buy a truck but you can buy a used truck and a new or used trailer for a lot less than a used toter home thais is my rig

 

A roll back with a crew-cab is nice but like a pickup with a regular enclosed trailer, you can't live in it. So you have to decide if the "live onboard" feature is critical.

 

I roll an '88 Chevy CC dually, bought it for $3500 than spent maybe another grand servicing it up to be dependable on the road.

Then I found a single-car trailer on craigslist for a grand, rewired it and put tires on it (which brings the total up to almost as much as a new trailer - next time I'll know).

That's a little over 6K all-in, maybe 6.5 with tags and everything. It ain't nothing special, but my rig works pretty sweet for me. I don't go to that many shows and usually stay in motels because I hate camping / motorhomes / travel trailers.

When you weigh the cost of a motorhome or enclosed toy hauler (50 - 75K?) against a cheap tow rig (under 10K) and hotel rooms, ($30 - $75 a night) you'd really have to do a lot of shows for a long time to make the investment pay for itself.

A couple of my friends have crewcab ramp trucks and rollbacks, but older high-miles trucks can leave you broke down in outer BFE if you don't keep the maintainance on-point. We learned that the hard way.

 

Thanks again guys, you are right, I found a 20' trailer that weighs only 3300 pounds and with the fenderless hot rods, the weight shouldn't be too much for a standard V8 gas to truck to pull (which we already have) since we will just be using it a few times each summer.

 

I have a PACE like the one Deuce Roadster has I like mine it tows real nice no problem . My other enclosed is a bit longer and narrower and does ok.

Frenchy

 

Looking at a 8.5x20 Pace a local dealer can get for me

 

I wish i had a picture of it, but a few years ago there was an early (ford a/32???) with a 5th wheel hitch on top of the sedan... pulling a trailer/camper combo. Think there was an article in street rodder or something. Turning radius would be a lot better than a truck/trailer rig and look pretty cool pulling in shows...
oh, and if your pulling with a 1/2 ton you might consider bagging the rear axle - they do wonders for handling and really help the capacity.
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Pace makes a decent trailer and they resell well. Beware the low end Featherlite trailers, I saw a friend jack up his dragster inside his and he bent the aluminum floor. There are other low priced trailers that have structural problems when towed a lot.

 

great idea[/QUOTE]
That's real simple ...Just drive your hotrod... Just kidding..... How far are you planning on going and are you going to use it to sleep in are what else are you planning on doing with it...?