Towing question

sirquack · #1 07/27/09, 08:33 PM

My old truck my son had been driving has broken down on him and he is now going to college so he can no longer afford to keep the truck anyway.
We think it is the alternator, but have decided the best option is to drag the old beast home behind my truck. My truck is rated to easily tow the weight of his vehicle (including the weight of mine). I just don't know whether my best option is four down or two down. I tried calling a hitch place and they of course think a bumper connected tow hitch would be the best option. U-Haul wants me to rent a tow dolly or a fully trailer for the older truck.
I am looking for advise from those that do this at least somewhat regularly.
My truck has 250+ HP and the torque needed to haul the old pick up which is only 2400 pounds.
I am thinking the tow bar will work, but I am not sure if I will blow out my brakes. The distance is not much, only Minneapolis to Des Moines.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

big rockpile · #2 07/27/09, 08:47 PM

I'd grab an alternator spend 5 minutes putting it on.Have spare Battery just in case.Drive it home.

big rockpile

Jim-mi · #3 07/27/09, 09:00 PM

Is the old truck a auto or stick tranny . .?

Sawmill Jim · #4 07/27/09, 09:57 PM

Stick a battery on it if is starts ok take a spare turn off anything you don't need like boom box ac an take off . Or what Rockpile said

haypoint · #5 07/28/09, 06:27 AM

I've used a tow dolly a few times. Once, the U Haul place was out of dollies, so I had to pay the extra for a car hauler trailer. Since then, I'll only use the trailer. They pull so smooth, feel safe and load easy.
I'd suggest paying the extra and get the vehicle onto a trailer.

cfabe · #6 07/28/09, 07:22 AM

The tow dolly and trailer will fit a compact pickup but may not fit a full size. Since you said it's only 2400 lbs I presume it's a S-10/ranger size. Around here the dolly is $40/day and the trailer $50/day last time I rented one, which was a few years ago. I agree the trailer does haul nicer and it has surge brakes which would help you out. If you do use the dolly, be sure to tow it with the front wheels on the dolly. If the truck is an automatic you will have to remove the driveshaft.

**Cabin Fever** · #7 07/28/09, 07:42 AM

I believe you can only tow certain 4wd trucks with all 4 wheels on the road. The manual 4wd shifter has to be in neutral to do this.

If it's an electronic 4wd (without a neutral) or a 2wd, I'd tow the rear axle on a dolly.

mnn2501 · #8 07/28/09, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirquack

We think it is the alternator, but have decided the best option is to drag the old beast home behind my truck. The distance is not much, only Minneapolis to Des Moines.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Why not just replace the alternator in Minneapolis? it would be cheaper, easier, faster.

PNP Katahdins · #9 07/28/09, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnn2501

Why not just replace the alternator in Minneapolis? it would be cheaper, easier, faster.

And you will be replacing the alternator anyway when you get the truck home, if that's the actual problem.

We had the same problem happen last year leaving the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival but it's closer to home than your truck is. Got another alternator for Paul's Ranger, put it in, and had the neighbor follow us back home just in case. Easier than a tow.

Good luck.

Peg

sirquack · #10 07/28/09, 10:08 AM

I agree with everyone that says just buy an alternator and fix it and bring it home. The problem is the Mrs thinks it is a better idea to tow it home. I have replaced alternators before and this is on a 96 Ranger so it is front and a little off center in the engine compartment.
But my wife does not want me trying to fix it in the street in MN and if there is something else wrong, we have to scramble to get other plans made. And I have been married long enough to know if I try to fix it up there and there is something else wrong I will NEVER hear the end of it.
It sounds like my best option is the U-Haul car trailer. But I will do some checking and make sure they don't have an issue with my current truck hauling the load.

cfabe · #11 07/28/09, 10:22 AM

I think Cabin Fever is right about the 4x4 trucks, the towing requirements can vary so check in the owners manual. But regardless of that you definately don't want to tow on a dolly with the front wheels on the ground. It will sway like crazy. I've tried it once and had to drive 200 miles at 45mph, any faster and it got real scary. Couldn't turn it around because the towed car was inoperable.

**Cabin Fever** · #12 07/28/09, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cfabe

....But regardless of that you definately don't want to tow on a dolly with the front wheels on the ground...

You have to make sure that either the steering wheel is locked or tied down to eliminate the sway.

michiganfarmer · #13 07/28/09, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirquack

My old truck my son had been driving has broken down on him and he is now going to college so he can no longer afford to keep the truck anyway.
We think it is the alternator, but have decided the best option is to drag the old beast home behind my truck. .

why do you think it is the alternator? what is the truck doing or not doing? What was it doing right before it quit?

cowboy joe · #14 07/28/09, 11:38 AM

The timing belt went in my Ranger a few years so I had little choice but to tow it home. I tried to rent a dolly from Uhaul but it was a no go so I ended up making the ~60 mile trip with a tow bar similiar to the one below and my Jeep.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/I...=group_listing

I paid <$100 for a similiar rig at pepboys but that was a few years ago.

Rockpile and a few others had the best advice about replacing the alternator, then driving it home. That said, I think I'd have a back up plan just in case Plan A didn't work. A tow bar doesn't take up much room. I spent 10 minutes taking the front bumper off the Range which allowed me to bolt the tow bar directly to the frame. There were lots of hills & highways between the FORD (found on road dead) pickup and home but the trip was uneventful. Then again, I took my time and stayed off the highway when I could. Don't forget about a light kit to run on the towed vehicle if your planning on going this route. Good luck.

Wis Bang · #15 07/28/09, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cabin Fever

You have to make sure that either the steering wheel is locked or tied down to eliminate the sway.

When they towed my S-10 [4x2] he picked it up from the rear, centered the steering wheel & locked the ignition and then he extended the seat belt 100% & tied it around the wheel 'cause 'GM steering locks stink'...

We were on the PA TPK & I found out why; he said they cops didn't bother them until they went over 85 & he did 85 the whole way home...he didn't want the steering wheel lock to let loose at that speed...It was some ride!

I have also towed it on a dolly [5 speed] after blowing the clutch using a full size chevy 1/2 ton. It towed fine but I wasn't on interstate highways, the dolly belonged to a co-worker who said it flipped over on another guy when MT so I took it easy...

fantasymaker · #16 07/28/09, 12:40 PM

Id just put a freash battery in it and go. Also take another spare with ya and when the first goes weak swap them out and charge it from your pickup as you drive. So you can keep swapping them out.
Of course this will work better if ya leave there in the AM in good weather!
If ya have to tow on all four wheels and its not 4-wd then its best to pull a axle or driveshaft, But if your going to do that you working as much as fixing the altanator.

Beeman · #17 07/28/09, 12:55 PM

If you think she'll ride you about botching a repair just wait and see what happens if the tow job goes bad.

**GREENCOUNTYPETE** · #18 07/28/09, 01:27 PM

trailer with a winch for loading is your best tow but we even had one of them go bad , rented a crap trialer was fin till you loaded it with 7500 pounds it was a 10000 pound trailer but ir swayed all over the place anything over 45mph it was a long trip at 40

seriosly for what you will spend towing it home to iowa from mineapolis it would be cheaper to have it fixed in a shop in MN if you don't want to just bring the alternator and do it in the street

i had to replace my alternator in my ford van 2 years in a row at the tractor pulls , i would charge it up enough to drive to the nearest auto parts and buy one then go back and change it on the infeild

may i suggest never being without a battery charger and a few hundred feet of extention cord , yes most of the outlets on the front of stores and light posts do work helps to have an outlet checker to walk around and test them before running 200 feet of extention cord over

by the way most small generators have a 12 volt output for charging batts , let that run in the bed of the truck while you drive

sirquack · #19 07/28/09, 03:40 PM

I think the more you all talk the more I might just take a friend with me to MN and do the work to replace the alternator. I had him take the alternator, on the bus, to an auto parts store and they confirmed my opinion that it was the alternator.
At most I see this as a 25-30 minute repair. And if I take a buddy and he follows me home, I think that is a better option that trying to rig something up just for the one trip. Even putting it on a car trailer seems like a waste. But with gas prices what they are, it might be a wash either way. Driving it home and renting a trailer will be about the same money it seems.
I guess I will poke a buddy or two and see if they wanna make a trip to the twin cities.