Am I crazy? 80 Series Tow rig (1 Viewer)

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[quote author=MTNRAT link=board=2;threadid=3986;start=30#msg30005 date=1059839838]
I just got back from towing my 4000lb boat to Powell River(north of Vancouver B.C.)
[/quote]

Sean, I just did the Vcr to Powell River with my 2,500 lb boat. Temperature guage never moved. Of course I didn't have to pass over the coquihalla, I'd be scared to do that with no trailer behind me in this weather! I talked to some people who came over from Kelowna last Wednesday and they said it was pure mayhem with cars overheated everywhere and tow trucks like vultures.
 
I am surprised nobody said "checkout what Yomama pulls???). Been gone for a week. Just had a little addition to the family tree and it's a boy. Oh yes I'll teach him right, like it is ok to pull 7000lb with an 80, if you take care of a few things and have trailer brakes.
P0001409.jpg

At 33 feet from tongue to prop and I guess around 7000, not to mention the Cruiser it has to be around 13000 -14000 total. I have no problems what so ever. The only time I got scared was just after pulling the boat out of the water (brakes wet) and I had to make a emergency stop.
I bought the boat, not realizing the 5000lb Cruiser limit. After doing some researching on other vehicles (for instance the Dodge Durango, the 318 motor setup is said to pull something like 4800lbs and the 360 setup they claim 7700lbs). When I pull up along side a Durango I feel like a giant. The wheel base on the 80 has to be better then the Durango, so if the Durango could do it, then my Cruiser with some mods (blower, stonger bumper/hitch, slotted and cross drilled rotors, OME) should do the trick. The Cruiser is the ultimate all around vehicle. No doubt.

Yomama
 
Yea, Yea I know Big picture. Wide angle lens!! Big rig, needs more pic space. Ok, truth is that is the size of the photo's on my website, which I linked to and of course it carried over to here.
Sorry :'(

Yomama
 
Hey, 80 guys - with a bunch of cutesie little icons, no less. Just found this forum by chance today. I'm the bro mentioned above who tows a 6k trailer all over the place. You won't be the first over the pass, but the 80 is a nice stable tow platform. Put the third full set of wheel bearings in the trailer last month, so we get our share of towing miles and there are mountain passes everywhere here. Toss on a set of AirLift bags, keep your cooling system in good knick, lube the shafts, don't forget your REAR wheel bearing repacks step up the quality and timing of fluid changes, and the 80 is a fine tow rig. Once pulled a 9000lb trailer from CA to ID. What makes the 80 a solid all around performer also shows through when it's under the stress of a heavy trailer. Someone on another list said it best by pointing out they'd rather drive the 80 every day and accept the fact that it's not the perfect heavy tow rig, vs driving a large piece of domestic junk every day just so you can be first over the pass a few times a summer.

IdahoDoug
 
Hey Bro, thought you'd never get here! You're an example of a well
maintained rig with a cautious driver being far more capable than the
biggest capacity rig driven by a knob. For the knob example, when I first
started pulling a ~3000# trailer for my construction job, I had just
bought the 80 to tow it. No trailer brakes, worn OEM pads, unfamiliar
truck, hit a deer at 60 mph. I don't think I could've avoided it with
everything right, but I was shocked at how long it took to stop with
max braking. Of course I got an ARB bumper with the insurance $,
and my wife was on board for it and the 100 series pads, nice
brake controller, air bags. Darwin would not be pleased. I towed
about 100 miles/day through 1-1/2 winters, very cautiously, through
lots of highway, mud, snow, and Michigan weather. It's a great tow
rig when setup and driven mindfully.
 
Yep, you're a living example that Darwin was wrong by adapting away from being eliminated from the gene pool. Since you started at the shallow end of the gene pool, that's quite an accomplishment, bro :D! heh.

The 4.5L 80 is rated at 7700lbs in the rest of the world, so I believe it is simply a conservative rating for the litigious US market that set it at 5000lbs here. Overmaintain, drive overvigilantly, and it will get the job done.
 
Luckily I got plenty of learn-from-your-mistakes genes. I just
wish I didn't need them so often! ???
 

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