If you're cool with towing at 65-70 in the slow lane, they're pretty robust. I'd want something with overdrive, which means a 1991 from the factory.

 

Soo 4l80e then? Or did they offer another auto Trans in them?

 

4L80 or NV4500 for a manual, mine is a 4L80, works fine, has 205k on it

 

What are you towing and where to? Are you going to use it for anything else?

A 1991 V2500 or V3500 is going to be rare as hen's teeth if you want one without speed holes under $20k.

 

That's why I have an OBS big block truck WITH speed holes 😂

 

Mainly my offroad stuff, my MJ weighs roughly 5k pounds. Currently have a bumper pull trailer but id like to get into a 5th wheel setup eventually.

Typically wheel all over MI from RnV to Drummond island regularly, but do venture out to badlands and most recently Windrock in TN.

We are planning to hit the rubicon in 2 years and id like to haul my own for that trip.

 

Sounds like you're like me... I like towing with my 6.7 Cummins lol.

I can hold any speed, merge at speed, get around traffic, and genuinely drive like anything under 8,000 lbs really isn't there.

My big block truck struggles to hold speed with 8k on hills, struggles to get up to merge speed, would be a nightmare to drive around Dayton, Cincinatti, etc...

But it does fine towing up M66 or 131.

 

Nowadays big blocks are for either boats or racing, not towing. Id be looking for something newer. Who knows what the brakes and suspension are like on the truck, and how well they actually work compared to modern trucks while towing. My 2016 gmc sierra 1500 with a 5.3 is rated from the factory to tow more than my 2008 silverado 2500 6.0 truck was.

 

The issue is have with all the more modern trucks is the price tag vs condition and mileage. Now days all the 99+ trucks are clapped out - 200k+ miles and the speed hole are everywhere to include the frame. (Im looking for 5k and less).

2007+ trucks can easily have 210k+ miles and folks still want 7-8k for them. Gee that sounds like a great investment to just dump another 2-5k into within a year or 2 for a junkyard engine and a trans rebuild.

 

More and more, I find my self hopping in Papa Smurf as I run around, He is just fun to drive. My old mans 2013 F250 is just sitting there, we use it for the long trips but, for the shorter ones Papa gets the job done.

RBB

 

This 99 was under 5k, rusty AF, runs fine, severely neglected front end, brakes, and rear end, obvious rust, 200k on it when I bought it.

No real problems, runs up and down the road fine, goes to Menards, the dump, the mulch and gravel stores.

But hook 8k to it, hit the interdstate near a city, and the little 410 ft/lbs and only 4 forward gear limits become quickly known.

Get's the job done though.

A Squarebody, 454, with overdrive, in nicer condition than this, for under 5k, not a thing today though.

 

This was my tow rig until fall of 2021. 1989 V3500 TBI 454, TH400 and 3.73 gears.

Honestly it was fucking miserable. 8mpg empty or loaded, and gutless as hell. 65 towing was realistic, it doesn't even like 70 empty. I love the truck, but that powertrain sucks for modern towing, speeds and fuel costs. I was asking a lot of it when I did the camper + Jeep, but on flat land it was OK. I'd lose speed with my foot to the floor climbing the Zilwaukee (just towing the jeep even). Furthest we took the setup was Drummond Island.

You have to remember these were built for a 55mph speed limit, and 65 highway maybe.

If you want the V3500 with an overdrive, it is 1991 only, and the holy grail. They are $$$$$ even this truck is almost 20k if I sold it, and the market has softened a little. 89-91 are considered holy grail trucks with the 91 being the crown jewel.

I want to fix the paint and re-power it, but I struggle with re-powering as it only has 52k original miles.

 

Honestly, this is true of all the 90's trucks.

5.9 Cummins, 7.3 Ford, 460, 454... All that, tow a house! Talk by the boomers, needs some perspective lol.

If you're good with getting where you're going eventually, at 60 mph with an arm out the window, yep, no problem.

But merging in a city, keeping up with city interstate traffic, you're in a rolling hazard lol. Not a problem for me in my 99, I stay off 75 in it lol. Will run down a 2 lane all day long.

if I'm leaving the state though, we're taking the Cummins truck, and never ever thinking twice about making a lane change or on ramp.

 

Honestly, this is true of all the 90's trucks.

5.9 Cummins, 7.3 Ford, 460, 454... All that, tow a house! Talk by the boomers, needs some perspective lol.

If you're good with getting where you're going eventually, at 60 mph with an arm out the window, yep, no problem.

But merging in a city, keeping up with city interstate traffic, you're in a rolling hazard lol. Not a problem for me in my 99, I stay off 75 in it lol. Will run down a 2 lane all day long.

if I'm leaving the state though, we're taking the Cummins truck, and never ever thinking twice about making a lane change or on ramp.

Not old enough to be a boomer...lol

But a 2ng gen 12 valve with 4k springs, fuel plate and timing worked great, all while burning waste oil... lol But not as comfy as 4th gen.

 

I really appreciate the view points, while ive been planted on the old 454 setup i think im leaning back towards the 6.0 setup and as ryanw10 has encouraged - be patient

Eyeing these 2 currently if the marketplace gods Will shine down on me as that sales outlet aint what it used to be smh

 

Alright fellas, im a bit of a sucker for a red GM pickup...

This one is standing out far more than the others (both yellows are seemingly gone)... its high mileage (300k) 6.0 auto

BUT feel free to make me aware of anything out there. Preffer under 200k and 5k or less

 

 

GMT800 had the best seats.

I like my 2015 K2xx. Tows anything I want with a ball (I do have bags and a Hellwig rear sway bar) and when it's not towing it's pretty fast. It's going to start getting cancer this winter though. In the middle of the door panels the paint is starting to lift like the hood did 5 years ago. I have been hoping someone would smash it and I could keep the L86 for a swap. The problem is I still don't like the new trucks. Pretty much all of them are a step down from peak truck on all the manufacturers from around 2013-2020.

 

I did like the seats in my GMT800 and most of the truck in general. It was generally a good truck all around but was a turd with the 6.0L and the cooling system sucked. My 6.2L 1/2 ton K2xx with helper bags towed circles around my 6.0L 3/4 GMT800.

 

delete, double post....

 

just found this little guy

good luck

RBB

 

The 8.1 is a beast, it will tow like a modern truck.

 

Funny, I just came to share the same truck Bob did.

 

Thanks for the share, im looking at something this Sunday, we'll see how that goes and pivot from there

 

Methinks we pay more attention to the engine and not enough to the transmission. I just (beginning of the year) went from a 2016 Ram 1500, 3.6 Pentastar, 8 speed auto, 3.21 gears, to a 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT (blinged out Avalanche) with 6.0, 4l65E, 3.73 gears. Every year I tow my IH Scout to Eastern Tennessee for a Scout shindig down there. I towed WAY over the limits on that Ram....1971 IH 1200 Camper Special, 392 automatic, from South Carolina to Northern Indiana on a 20' steel trailer for one, and the Scout to Tennessee every year. I got a screaming deal from Carvana who wanted the Ram, and I bought the EXT for half of the Ram money. 150k, 2 owners, out of North Carolina. Rust free and babied. Added a set of Timbren and a 40k Tru Cool trans cooler, let's tear down the world!
My trip to Tennessee this fall was really not much different than in the past, except when the 6.0 drops a gear on the hills it's not winding as tight as the little V6 did. Pentastar got around 13 mpg loaded, Escalade about 10. Still get the gear downs on hills, but with 4 vs. 8 gears to choose from they're harsher. I definitely feel that if I had that Mopar 8 speed in the Escalade, it would be a sweet towing machine.
A friend towed down from Maine in a Ford Expedition, 3.5 Ecoboost with a six speed automatic. He said it towed great, Ecoboost probably has a little more guts than the 6.0 but I think the extra gears makes a bigger difference.
My buddy has had two Ford 5.0 trucks, 2012 and 2016. We've towed twice from Southern Indiana/Northern KY, one a 99 Ford F150 4x4, the other a 49 Ford shoebox. It acted like the trailer wasn't back there, and we had some decent hills. Again, six speed automatic.
Personally, I like the GM trucks....the LS is simple, no turbo or any of that, on the older ones like mine no DOD or any of that nonsense. But if I found the right deal on a mid 2010's Ford or GM pickup with the six speed auto and good miles, I'd be on it like a fat kid on cake.

 

Tow rig = diesel.