How Long Do You Trust an Older Tow Vehicle For Long Trips?

[agallant80]

I had the engine blow out on my 2000 excursion while towing my boat back from Wilmington. I was about 150 miles from home. I think the tow back for the truck and boat was about $800

 

[SDSeville]

I had the engine blow out on my 2000 excursion while towing my boat back from Wilmington. I was about 150 miles from home. I think the tow back for the truck and boat was about $800

Ouch. How many miles were on the Excursion? This is what I worry about. I know we cannot see into the future, but is there anything we should be testing (compression,...?) to get a better idea when catastrophic failure is imminent?

I do have AAA and Vessel/trailer assist, but that would not solve the problem of the family sitting in the middle of nowhere for hours (in 120+ degree temps where I tow) waiting for the tow.

 

[bruceb58]

I had the engine blow out on my 2000 excursion while towing my boat back from Wilmington. I was about 150 miles from home. I think the tow back for the truck and boat was about $800

And how long did you have this truck before this occurred. If I remember correctly, you had just bought it.

 

[Scott Danforth]

if a vehicle sits because you use it only for towing, you will have issues like JimS123 did. the best thing you can do is maintenance and use it. alternators and things fail, however if they sit a long period of time, corrosion internally starts to become an issue. your truck with only 116k is barely broke in.

 

[oldjeep]

if a vehicle sits because you use it only for towing, you will have issues like JimS123 did. the best thing you can do is maintenance and use it. alternators and things fail, however if they sit a long period of time, corrosion internally starts to become an issue. your truck with only 116k is barely broke in.

Not sure it would have anything to do with sitting - alternator out at 80K isn't unheard of. Expecting that a dealer is going to have a part (any part) without calling first especially for a 30+ year old car is a little silly though.

 

[ssobol]

I would say that if you are comfortable enough with it to take the wife and kids some distance, it is ok for towing your boat. If you are nervous driving the truck when not towing anything, then towing will only make things worse.

Mechanical things break, often without warning. Your brand new truck can have problems just like your old one. Plus with a newer truck things are much more likely to be computer controlled electronics. You can fix a broken alternator belt almost anywhere. If the controller on the electrical system breaks there's not much you can do expect replace it with the right part.

 

[SDSeville]

I would say that if you are comfortable enough with it to take the wife and kids some distance, it is ok for towing your boat.

Good point. If it weren't for the crappy mileage, I would just as soon drive the family across country in the Sierra as I would in my wife's brand new Toyota. I was just thinking maybe the extra load in high temps could cause trouble on an older vehicle. But from what I am hearing, the load isn't very much and the truck isn't very old.

 

[mattb100]

Other than the basics; plugs, wires, belt, idler pulley, the brake lines on these trucks become rusted out at this age, inspect these. Gm sells a pre-bent kit that isn't too pricey. I expect to run my 03 for another 100k, although it hasn't hit its first 100k yet.

 

[JimS123]

Not sure it would have anything to do with sitting - alternator out at 80K isn't unheard of. Expecting that a dealer is going to have a part (any part) without calling first especially for a 30+ year old car is a little silly though.

That's precisely the problem - parts availability for an old car. If you travel where ANY parts are not readily available, you better reconsider using an old car that you already know has a lot of obsolete parts.

In our case it was just a coincidence that there was a Chevy dealer just 5 miles down the road. Eight years ago the car was only 27 years old. Calling would have been the smart thing to do but with no phone or phone book it would have not been possible. AutoZone had the parts, and probably still does, but that was hundreds of miles away, and therein lies the dilemma.

 

[chrome dome]

l used to worry about the head gasket on my '92 landcruiser,
l wouldn't tow a 21 ft caravan on hot, windy days or long distances,
l either put off the departure date/time or waited for a cooler time frame,
ya can't always do that though admittedly,
in the end it was the clutch that 'killed' it

 

[bruceb58]

the brake lines on these trucks become rusted out at this age, inspect these. Gm sells a pre-bent kit that isn't too pricey.

He lives in Oceanside, CA so not an issue.

 

[Teamster]

I tow with a 99 Suburban that has over 300,000 miles on it,...................

 

[bspeth]

Maintenance. If you would have a problem selling it to a friend,then you need to get on top of the maintenance or look for another rig.

 

[MTboatguy]

Hi Everyone. My tow vehicle is a 2001 GMC Sierra 1500, Extra cab, 4.8, 2wd with 116,000 miles. Runs great and had all scheduled maintenance. My boat (see sig.) weighs 2500 lbs. plus another 1200 lbs. for the trailer. Even though I only have a 4.8, you can hardly tell the boat is back there.

Most of our trips are 5 miles to the local lagoon or 40 miles to the local lake. Once a year we go to Lake Mohave which is 320 miles each way (avg. temp 120+ degrees for most of the trip). This year, we are thinking of doing more of the long distance trips, including a trip to Lake Tahoe (500 miles each way). My question is -- at what point does an older truck get sketchy on the long trips? I really don't want to get a new rig, but I also don't want to break down with the family in the middle of nowhere.

I tow my 28 foot 5th wheel trailer with my 14 foot boat behind that with my 84 Ford f250 diesel and don't worry about it at all, been all over Montana with that set up, we can double tow here, but I can't go out of state because it is illegal to double tow in the states and Canada which surrounds me, I would not hesitate to go cross country with it.

 

[jayhanig]

I've always considered the transmission to be the weak point in any towing vehicle. I'm pulling my 17' Galaxy with a 2007 Ranger 2WD with the 3.0 liter engine and automatic transmission. Because I'm running close to its limits, I added on a Scangauge which allows me to monitor transmission fluid temperature in real time. Stop every now and then to be sure your tires and hubs aren't getting hot and you're good to go.

 

[agallant80]

Ouch. How many miles were on the Excursion?

It was a 2000 or 2001. I had my mechanic check it out. The clock had a little bit over 120K on it when it happened. From what we can tell the oil pump lost pressure, a head gasket blew and that was all she wrote. Its a very interesting sound. Any ways if you are thinking of an older tow vehicle to keep costs down the maintance on two vehicle pluse the risk of something going wrong on the older one is not worth it. All in all when I look at what I ate on the truck, the money I put in to it and the tow back home it was about a $7,000 lesson. The truck that I paid 6K for was pretty much worthless with a blown V10 that cost 3K just for the engine.

 

[milehighjc]

This is a question that is weighing on me a little bit too. I bought my boat (18' crownline) last fall. I didnt have an appropriate tow vehicle then, and started watching for a truck. A few weeks ago, I found this:





Its a 2000 Silverado 2500, with 83K on it. I had VERY bad luck with a 2002 Trailblazer. Transmission failed at 77K. It went through multiple instrument panels and ignition switches by 100K (fortunately these were under warranty at around $800 a pop). It had electrical problems throughout the time I owned it. I said I would never buy another Chevy product after that experience. I've read good things about the Silverados, and am hoping I have a reliable truck.

Initially, it will go to the lake (40m each way) most weekends this summer. But ultimately I want to be able to take it to Lake Powell (600+ miles). I think I will try a few weekends of my short trips, then try Lake McConaughy (200+ miles) trip to see how it does. I feel like Im rolling the dice a little with a truck this old (not so much the miles). Im already having some electrical issues (only multifunction switch and trailer lights so far), so I am watching carefully.

 

[muskyfins]

I wouldn't worry a bit with that truck. Especially if that truck has the 8.1 liter. Should have a towing capacity of 10K pounds and the crownline weighs about 3500, so you're about 1/3 of the total. Truck won't even know the boat's back there.

 

[bruceb58]

8.1 didn't get put in trucks until 2001 so it likely has the 6.0. Fortunately, the 3/4T transmission is a way better tranny than what is in the 1/2T.

 

[SDSeville]

Fortunately, the 3/4T transmission is a way better tranny than what is in the 1/2T.

That reminds me -- should I be running a transmission cooler?