reelfishin
Captain
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2007
- Messages
- 3,047
Re: What can I tow with this?
I had an older 300D years ago, it had a simple flat bar type of hitch on it when I got it. It was a non turbo, and had about 90,000 mi. on it when I got it. I had gotten it needing an oil cooler and oil filter housing and was in it cheap.
I really had no intention of towing anything with it, but was about 400 miles from home one day with that car and found a van for sale real cheap that I couldn't refuse that needed some minor work. My options were to either leave it and find someone to drive me up there who had a vehicle that could tow it back, or to go to the local U Haul place and buy a tow bar. I went the tow bar route with the thinking that so long as I took it slow and stuck to the back roads where I could it would be fine and far cheaper and easier then having to beg a favor and waste a weekend getting it home later. I hitched it up and headed home, a 300D flat towing a Dodge van. My biggest concern was steep hills, but surprisingly it did fine, another concern was having the van push the towbar up or down when stopping, but it seemed fine. It made it all the way home with no ill effects on the car. I didn't go much over 45 mph and saw lots of friendly hand gestures the whole way home down the turnpike, but it only cost me the $65 for the tow bar, and the cost of the van, I spent the next weekend rebuilding the van's transmission and the 300D never had to do tow duty again. I was actually pretty amazed at how well it handled the task. Once I got it rolling, it was fine but I didn't push it. I didn't want to become an accidental hood ornament on a Dodge van. The van easily weighed over 5,000 lbs. I am not sure however if I'd want to try dragging that sort of weight up a steep or slippery ramp.
I was even more amazed at how well the cheap flat bar hitch did, but there was no tongue weight with a tow bar. I still have the tow bar, it was well worth having to buy one back then, it's towed all sorts of truck home and saved me loads of towing bills.
I had an older 300D years ago, it had a simple flat bar type of hitch on it when I got it. It was a non turbo, and had about 90,000 mi. on it when I got it. I had gotten it needing an oil cooler and oil filter housing and was in it cheap.
I really had no intention of towing anything with it, but was about 400 miles from home one day with that car and found a van for sale real cheap that I couldn't refuse that needed some minor work. My options were to either leave it and find someone to drive me up there who had a vehicle that could tow it back, or to go to the local U Haul place and buy a tow bar. I went the tow bar route with the thinking that so long as I took it slow and stuck to the back roads where I could it would be fine and far cheaper and easier then having to beg a favor and waste a weekend getting it home later. I hitched it up and headed home, a 300D flat towing a Dodge van. My biggest concern was steep hills, but surprisingly it did fine, another concern was having the van push the towbar up or down when stopping, but it seemed fine. It made it all the way home with no ill effects on the car. I didn't go much over 45 mph and saw lots of friendly hand gestures the whole way home down the turnpike, but it only cost me the $65 for the tow bar, and the cost of the van, I spent the next weekend rebuilding the van's transmission and the 300D never had to do tow duty again. I was actually pretty amazed at how well it handled the task. Once I got it rolling, it was fine but I didn't push it. I didn't want to become an accidental hood ornament on a Dodge van. The van easily weighed over 5,000 lbs. I am not sure however if I'd want to try dragging that sort of weight up a steep or slippery ramp.
I was even more amazed at how well the cheap flat bar hitch did, but there was no tongue weight with a tow bar. I still have the tow bar, it was well worth having to buy one back then, it's towed all sorts of truck home and saved me loads of towing bills.
