64osby
Admiral
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2009
- Messages
- 6,799
Quite often here I see posts saying can I tow this or questioning weight capacity, someone that doesn't really want to get a proper vehicle for towing their boat.
I didn't really have that issue, but my old tow vehicle is a 1992 Caprice wagon with 250K on it. It still did the job but was becoming a pain. Every time we wanted to use it I had to unload my tools, I'm a carpenter. The wagon works great for hauling my tools and the boat but not at the same time.
I finally convinced the Admiral that we should get a "family" vehicle. It's use is towing the boat, the camper and family trips and outings. Not a daily driver.
Having looked online at many many vehicles I decided that a Suburban was the best option for our needs. Good towing capacity, big back seat (my 14 year old son is 6' 1"), can seat 8 with the third seat and gas mileage is seemingly similar for most SUV's and crew cab pick-ups.
After searching many months and many states and convincing the Admiral we found a Suburban that fit.
A one owner 1997 1500 2WD, cloth interior, most options, a little paint fade and basically rust free. Found it in central Indiana. Most vehicles in Michigan this age are plagued with rust on the doors, rockers and wheel wells.
The big issue it had was it had been home to a more than a few mice over the last year.
The first thing I did was cut out the rear portion of the head liner.
More than enough to make the eyes water.
A couple trips to the local auto recycling yards and $65 poorer I was able to get a new headliner, 2 rear speakers, upper brake light, 2 sets of interior cabin lights, 3 upholstered panels for the rear interior, 2 plastic rear corners, a jack holding bracket and nut, upper front console, 2 sun visors and a few other small plastic pieces.
We spent about 20 hours removing most of the interior, cleaning, spraying everything with a vinegar/baking soda/water mix and replacing all the interior parts.
The drive train has 190K and appears to be in excellent condition. No drips or leaking gaskets. Brakes will need some work before winter, the bearing were greased and the oil changed. It is rated to tow 6,500# and has a brake controller and a 7 prong plug
One week later we hauled the boat up north for vacation, a little over 200 miles.
We arrived safe sound and almost rested ( well the kids were).
During the week of vacation we put just over 800 miles on it, we averaged 15.7 mpg which included 450 miles of towing.
Last weekend we traveled to Northern Indiana where I picked up 4 Michelin tires with OEM rims and 75% tread for $120.
The A/C compressor is leaking, I charged it before vacation and it worked good but is now dead. I bought a rebuilt one on line and it should arrive later this week. I already plugged the rear A/C lines.
The total investment for the "Turd" to make it smell better, look good and travel safely in comfort has been $2,120.00.
I know this is not for everyone, some will buy a newer TV. For us this fits the bill perfectly. Small investment with no payments. Hauls and tows what we have and very family friendly.
Thought I would share my idea of a dedicated tow / family outing vehicle. Thanks for looking.
I didn't really have that issue, but my old tow vehicle is a 1992 Caprice wagon with 250K on it. It still did the job but was becoming a pain. Every time we wanted to use it I had to unload my tools, I'm a carpenter. The wagon works great for hauling my tools and the boat but not at the same time.
I finally convinced the Admiral that we should get a "family" vehicle. It's use is towing the boat, the camper and family trips and outings. Not a daily driver.
Having looked online at many many vehicles I decided that a Suburban was the best option for our needs. Good towing capacity, big back seat (my 14 year old son is 6' 1"), can seat 8 with the third seat and gas mileage is seemingly similar for most SUV's and crew cab pick-ups.
After searching many months and many states and convincing the Admiral we found a Suburban that fit.
A one owner 1997 1500 2WD, cloth interior, most options, a little paint fade and basically rust free. Found it in central Indiana. Most vehicles in Michigan this age are plagued with rust on the doors, rockers and wheel wells.
The big issue it had was it had been home to a more than a few mice over the last year.
The first thing I did was cut out the rear portion of the head liner.
More than enough to make the eyes water.
A couple trips to the local auto recycling yards and $65 poorer I was able to get a new headliner, 2 rear speakers, upper brake light, 2 sets of interior cabin lights, 3 upholstered panels for the rear interior, 2 plastic rear corners, a jack holding bracket and nut, upper front console, 2 sun visors and a few other small plastic pieces.
We spent about 20 hours removing most of the interior, cleaning, spraying everything with a vinegar/baking soda/water mix and replacing all the interior parts.
The drive train has 190K and appears to be in excellent condition. No drips or leaking gaskets. Brakes will need some work before winter, the bearing were greased and the oil changed. It is rated to tow 6,500# and has a brake controller and a 7 prong plug
One week later we hauled the boat up north for vacation, a little over 200 miles.
We arrived safe sound and almost rested ( well the kids were).
During the week of vacation we put just over 800 miles on it, we averaged 15.7 mpg which included 450 miles of towing.
Last weekend we traveled to Northern Indiana where I picked up 4 Michelin tires with OEM rims and 75% tread for $120.
The A/C compressor is leaking, I charged it before vacation and it worked good but is now dead. I bought a rebuilt one on line and it should arrive later this week. I already plugged the rear A/C lines.
The total investment for the "Turd" to make it smell better, look good and travel safely in comfort has been $2,120.00.
I know this is not for everyone, some will buy a newer TV. For us this fits the bill perfectly. Small investment with no payments. Hauls and tows what we have and very family friendly.
Thought I would share my idea of a dedicated tow / family outing vehicle. Thanks for looking.
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