Towing vehicles with 5000lb capacity for under $3500?

[Onizuka]

While i am still exploring the use of a 98 voyager for a towing car, i have my doubts that it will be able to make it very far with a full car trailer and car behind it (2500-2600 + weight of trailer) because its max tow capacity is 3500 lbs. I will not dolly my car.

Can anybody recomend a cheap towing vehicle with a 5000 lb tow capacity? Right now im looking at 91-94 pathfinders.

[TurboKA37]

how about an old toyota pick-up? if they can handle what it did in the other thread it should prolly be able to tow 5000 lbs

[Onizuka]

hehe, yeah i was looking, they arnt very cheap though...

[Rex]

Old (pre-emissions) K5 Blazer, as long as it's not rusting away, it's got tow power and ease of work/maintenance. Look for the ones with the transmission coolers.

[Rex]

Here's one for $3500 near Philly. Okay, not really close, but it's near PA.

[tex240]

early 90's chevy with a 350. runs forever and tons of torque

[Onizuka]

nice, thanks guys, i want to stay nissan if posible, but it looks as if they dont have the best towing vehicles.

[Rex]

Late 60's Nissan Patrol should do the trick, found one in NM for <$1000, but "runs - motor needs work".

[dr!ft]

Oh, I was gonna mention the Patrol! And on good ol' ebay they have one that actually runs. (in CO though) Not the prettiest looking Nissan I've come across...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...=6392

[Rex]

Yeah, that ones a 6 cyl, I think they also came with a V8, he might need an 8 to tow 5,000 lbs??

[andrave]

older nissan are cheap around here.. and they are easy to work on. specially the 2wd ones.I don't know what the rating is on the older 4 runners but there are lots of them out here for 1000 and under... might want to look into that. Even more interesting is that for another 1200 bucks you can get a jdm front clip with a diesel and a 4 speed auto... lolyou could prolly find a 4 runner for 200 bucks with a blown engine and have a diesel tow ***** for 1500 bucks.

[lessthanjakejohn]

How about an muscle car, or big V8 sedan?

[dr!ft]

U-Haul truck?

[TurboKA37]

horse & carridge?

[Rex]

It says he's in Philly not Lancaster??

[TurboKA37]

omg, the amount of amish people in there horse & buggies in lancaster is insane. and you kno that every single guy that u pass in one wants to drive a car so badly. sorry for jacking the thread

[91rs13]

Chevy S10 / GMC Sonoma with 4.3 Liter V-6 or Chevy Astro with 4.3 Liter V-6

Dodge Dakota with either the 3.9 Liter or a V-8( if you can afford one with the 4.7 Liter--Do it!)

Any full size pickup with a V8 and most of the V-6 motors

[andrave]

oh **** I forgot about the astro.. dude get the astro. they are the cooolest ****ing cars on earth. My first car was a 93 astro, I'd buy another. not the newer ones, and make sure you get that 4.3 liter goddamn its powerful. Yeah mine had the towing package. I loved it.. not a straight panel on it, inside or out, you could haul anything, on the roof, inside it, room for an airmattress and...lol. I wanted to keep it but my mom used as a trade it when she got her vitara.

[reggiegsd]

My wife is on her 4th Astro (Safari). I have a '95 with 160K, it is beat, the mechanics are 100% sound, And I couldn't get $2000 for it with a gun. Her new Safari is now her every day car and this thing is the cargo hauler, trash hauler, dog food hauler, and such. I am not trying to sell it. I'm just trying to point out how effective it is as a cargo vehicle and for light towing (this thing has towed my Zs on an open trailer for many thousand of miles).

If you shop well and insist on well maintained mechanicals, you can have the best cargo box on rubber wheels.

5000 pounds is its max tow weight. Get the weight of your car down, find the lightest trailer you can, and put any spares or other cargo in the van.

[andrave]

yeah and try and find one with the towing package... it included a limited slip, stiffer springs, a transmission cooler, as well as some other obvious stuff (the receiver and the trailer harness)

[sultan]

here's two near you price range. these things aren't cheap ya know, but it will have plenty of hauling power.http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...97413h ... rs...43468

[SmithSR]

Dood, get a pre-95 Toyota PU with V6. They are good for 300k if you find one that was decently maintained, or has had prior rebuild. For the dollars you're considering spending, I can't see a better deal that will offer a level of reliability and good towing/utility use. The smaller import trucks are great for what you have in mind. The domestics will require a greater deal of upkeep as well as running costs(think fuel mileage) and won't age as well as a nicely kept Yota.

[Nathan]

I tried to buy an 86' Nissan 4x4 PU for basically the same needs (hauling a boat, not a car...similar weight though). My opinion is that as long as it's a standard you can pretty much tow as much as the engine has power for, you just might not go all that fast. I wouldn't hesitate to tow with a smaller truck but I also was looking at late 80's, early 90's chevy and ford pickups. V8 fullsize is hard to beat for towing. Also, I like the idea of an old toyota pickup too, they are just hard to find in reasonable condition.

[Onizuka]

Its something i plan on destroying with use and abuse anyways :thumbup

[James @ ID-M]

Old Nissan pickup with a T28! That should do the trick.

[Mayhem_J30]

If you'll be trailering long distances make sure you have a quality trailer. Don't skimp and use the ball hitch. And make sure the brakes of your tow vehicle is up for the job.There's no way a Chevy S10 (4.3L or not) could SAFELY tow 5000lbs. Whatever you get make sure you get load-equalizing hitch with the anti-sway kit

[Onizuka]

the nissan pathfinder with 3 liter V6 and auto transmission is rated for 5000lbs. Im not going to be towing a full 5000 pounds, maybe 3750-4000 max with the car and trailer combined.

[Mayhem_J30]

Pathfinder may be a better setup then small trucks. Try to find one with a good wheel base. Just make sure to balance the trailer load well.