Worst tow vehicle you have used !!!

[kenmyfam]

What is the worst tow vehicle that you have owned / used ?????
Mine has recently become the Ford Windstar.
Towing package equipped.
Tranny cooler
oil cooler, etc
Second transmission just failed miserably at 140,000 km last weekend.
Warranty expired (just) and they have refused any concessions whatsoever.
Time to buy a tow vehicle.
This will not be a minivan again. (or a Ford for that matter)
By the way I tow no more than 1,750lb

What are your stories ?????

 

[eriediver]

Re: Worst tow vehicle you have used !!!

I towed a heavy 18' Renken from my Dad's in Pittsburgh to home (250 miles) with a 1994 Chevy Corsica. Used 3/4 of a tank of gas driving down & a little over 3 towing that thing home

 

[Terry Olson]

Re: Worst tow vehicle you have used !!!

I towed my very-used '67 Larson runabout with matching 60 hp evinrude with a late-70s Ford Courier (compact 2wd pickup, 4 cylinder, 5 speed manual transmission built by Ford / Mazda as a joint venture). Not that it was a bad little truck, but way overmatched for towing that load. It was a $250.oo beater and a damn site more reliable than the brand new Chevrolet pickup I bought some years later.

Might explain my reluctance to jump on the "it's gotta be a 3/4 ton or better for any and all towing" bandwagon that is heard here so often. Then again, I wouldn't even consider towing a rig like that with a truck like that today either.

 

[JB]

Re: Worst tow vehicle you have used !!!

Probably a '72 Toyota Hi-Lux and a '82 Toyota SR5 pickup. I towed about 1800lb with each. Though rated for 2,000lb neither could stop the load well or pull it up a slick ramp.

That is where I got my "70% of rated load" rule and switched to AWD tow vehicles.

 

[scrobo]

Re: Worst tow vehicle you have used !!!

1990 Chrysler LeBaron convertable 2.5L automatic.

Great for bombing around town to the local launch.

bad for towing up north

It is now for sale. I bought a 2000 GMC Jimmy SLT. Bye bye Red baron.

I think I may have won the "Worst Tow Vehicle Ever" award. Unless someone is using a golf cart out there....

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Worst tow vehicle you have used !!!

85 Ford F-150 with bad brakes.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Worst tow vehicle you have used !!!

Maybe the title of this thread should really read "I made a poor decision thinking these vehicles could tow anything".

 

[dubge]

Re: Worst tow vehicle you have used !!!

I think I may have won the "Worst Tow Vehicle Ever" award. Unless someone is using a golf cart out there....

I think I have you beat! I used a similar car, 1989 Chrysler sedan, dull gray color and was my mother in laws......at least your was a convertible

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Worst tow vehicle you have used !!!

Towed my current boat with my 2000 FWD Buick Regal. I now firmly believe that if the towing capacity of your vehicle is 1000 pounds that means don't tow. I now also think my boat weighs a good deal more than 1000. I have a truck now and will never tow with a FWD car again. Regal still going strong though and the trailer hitch was removed and given away.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Worst tow vehicle you have used !!!

Many moons ago I towed a pontoon with a 1969 Ford f-100. 3 speed on the column with no power brakes or power steering. No A/C, no power nothing. It did have the 390 in it, but the steering was so loose you could hardly keep it on the road. Real fun on the backroads, little alone the highway...

 

[Mike722]

Re: Worst tow vehicle you have used !!!

1981 Luv diesel. Enough said if you have ever driven one.

 

[WaterWitch2]

Re: Worst tow vehicle you have used !!!

1981 Luv diesel. Enough said if you have ever driven one.

I thought diesel trucks were good for towing. LOL

 

[Terry Olson]

Re: Worst tow vehicle you have used !!!

1981 Luv diesel. Enough said if you have ever driven one.

That's the "worst vehicle" ever used nevermind the towing part.

 

[Mike722]

Re: Worst tow vehicle you have used !!!

I do not know if it is the worst vehicle ever. The Luv Diesels were alot of fun to drop into fourth gear and fog out a tailgater. The 81 is still running and I believe it will never die, because I have tried. It's working well as a play truck for the 14 year old.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Worst tow vehicle you have used !!!

Desperate to get on the water. Used Chevy Cavalier 4 cyl to tow an 18 foot Renken with 125 engine. It did it, but I wouldn't want to go more than the 17 miles each way.

 

[scrobo]

Re: Worst tow vehicle you have used !!!

Wow.

4cyl cavalier.

You've taken my title away

Although I should not jest. I own a 6 cyl cav for a winter car... but it is now for sale along with the conv.

Funny. I have had 6 calls on the cav. none for the convertible. And as for a Chevy Luv...

Well...

I'm glad to see someone is getting SOMETHING out of them. We owned one to haul around band equipment years ago. It was a 1977 with a 3 speed and a 1.8liter. Someone took off the bed and built a box and made it like a cube van. That thing was having trouble pulling 3 guys and a load of band equipment on a level surface Of course... with over 400,000kms on it...

Sold it for $40. Fellow who drov3e it home had it die out on the highway. ou get what you pay for

I can;t believe I saw someone mention a "Light Utility Vehicle" in this day and age THose were some truck. Weren't they supposed to be competition for the Datsun pickups or something?

(Being even more frightening... my grandfather had a yellow datsun pickup and pulled a 5th wheel camper with it. Talk about gutsy.)

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Worst tow vehicle you have used !!!

Ford Ranger Pickup - 4cyl, 5spd. Towed a 14 foot row boat with a 10 HP Johnson. That rig could not get out of its own way. I towed two snowmobiles with a 72 Vega Wagon with more gusto than the Ranger.

 

[redfury]

Re: Worst tow vehicle you have used !!!

not me personally, but I saw a guy yanking around a 14 ft 20hp boat behind a Geo Metro. I didn't know they even manufactured a trailer hitch that would bolt onto one of those things!

There's a great video online of a guy pulling a HUGE boat with a late 80's Dodge Minivan ( either that, or he was riding the brakes as the boat pushed him down the road ) The boat has to be some 20 + ft as it's on one of those non bunk/roller trailers ( just a big Y with carpet roped to it ). It's pretty hilarious to watch, and then he hits a parked car with the boat.

Ah, here's the video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl96QpAyips

 

[QuadManiac]

Re: Worst tow vehicle you have used !!!

Although it wasn't towing a boat, I think I may deserve the 'Stupidest towing vehicle' award.

When I was in my early 20's friends wanted to go desert riding but had no tow vehicle. I towed a 14' trailer with 3 motocycles, up and over the mountains east of San Diego to the desert, and back, using a U-haul strap-on bumper hitch on my '66 Austin Healey 3000.

What do I win?

 

[QuadManiac]

Re: Worst tow vehicle you have used !!!

Then there's this, borrowed from the Stupid Human Tricks forum here.