The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Tons 'o Fun Tow Rig Forums?

Okay I'll admit it right up front, though Stovebolt is the first forum I visit every day it is definitely not the only one.

Lately I've been looking for more information and perhaps a community around turning an old truck into a modern capable tow rig. I come to that process with a strong bias against Diesel but every forum I find that addresses the topic seems very Diesel centric. Often to the point where I see people who think gas is the answer are often bashed.

I'm aware of 4btswaps and dieseltruckresource and towrigs and pirate4x4 just to name the ones that come to mind. Pirate4x4 is probably the most gas friendly but the 4x4 emphasis means most the rigs they build are wrong for me and even though I own a couple 4x4 rigs I'm not remotely interested in rock crawling or other extreme 4-wheeling so its not my community either.

So all that to set up my next question. Does anyone have a link to a forum that serves the community of guys who build old trucks using gas power with the intent of pulling a trailer?

Maybe this community is smaller than I think, its possible its just me...

If I can't find a forum that serves this group my intention is to start one, but I don't want to replicate someone else's efforts if its already being done successfully. Running a forum looks like a lot of work and while it may be worth it to create a community, if that community already exists it would be stupid of me to dilute it.

However I'm serious enough about finding one that I have actually registered a domain name and acquired forum software. I've not set it up and am certainly not ready to open it up. If I can find an alternative that satisfies I'll just ignore the domain name and let it expire in a year...

Well I've posted a version of this question on several boards including towrig.com and have received zero responses on all but one of them. Those responses have all been from friends who would like to help but don't share my passion or have the information I'm looking for.

Maybe I really am nuts...

I for one am interested in doing same thing. Any ideas are appreciated.

I'm leaning toward creating a new forum though I haven't completely ruled out just doing a build thread somewhere and hoping to get the dialog I'm looking for.

The build thread won't be here because I'll want to include pictures. It could be at OldGMCTrucks.com though the sign-up just to see requirement works against me. 67-72 Chevy Trucks might be the right place for it though that community is mostly about hot rods not work trucks.

One of the Cadillac forums has an area set aside to discuss Cadillac swaps into trucks but its much more about 1/2-ton hot rods than tow rigs and it hardly gets visited. And that's a bad sign overall...

It definitely won't be on one of the Diesel forums. I don't want to poke them in the eye anymore than I want them criticizing my approach.

Pirate 4x4 would be a pretty good choice except I'm doing a 2-wheel drive and don't want to face the lifted finger icon every time I say no to a 4-wheel conversion.

There are at least three Diesel based swaps and one 6 liter Chevy based swap on the HAMB currently that suggest some openness there to what I'm doing. A '48 Ford with 4BT, both Deisel and gas Diamond T and an old Mack with an International Diesel of some sort. But it doesn't feel like the right place for truck help. And I've seen those Diesel guys on Diesel forums getting the truck side of the help they want.

I'm attracted to the idea of starting a forum but you and I might be the only members and maintaining a forum is a lot of work when we could just dialog in an existing forum...

So what do you think? Meet up on the best choice of the possible forums and have some dialog, or should I move ahead and start a forum just for old gas tow rigs?

Well why not just do it here?

Reasons to do here
1. You are a member
2. Dedicated to trucks
3. Trucks tow and carry
4. Many trucks here fitted with 5th wheel and I am sure that is not a spare.
5. There are all kinds of questions re speed power gear ratios for 60 mph so why is your question any different?


Dan Bentler

It's beginning to sound like you and a very few others are interested in a serious gas powered work truck.
I'm all for helping if I can even though I don't share your passion for gas engines I do know they work and can work well.

Diesel seems to be the most popular and I think often the best answer these days, must be something to it if you're having a difficult time finding other interested gas guys.

Honestly, you and my neighbor are the only folks I can think of that would prefer a big gas engine over a diesel in a working truck. My neighbor hauls a trailer to FL and back every week with a newish 8.something GM V8 and an Allison. I haven't talked to him about diesels much, but from his talking about gas engines I'm sure there is no use mentioning diesels...

Grigg

Two reasons really.

It seems most the people here who are serious about building an old truck to work are Diesel guys so much of what they do and think about doesn't really fit my needs. You may not have noticed but some of them are also very active on Diesel oriented sites and may spend more time on those than they do here.

And second but probably of at least equal significance to me, I really prefer the ability to include photos in a post. I'm not going to argue with the owners of this forum about that decision and I'm certainly not at all inclined to leave here, but I'm not going to create a build thread without photos in the posts. I know I can link photos all I want. I don't feel that approach serves either the poster or the viewer as well as inline photos. I think I understand the reasons behind the decision but if I start my own forum I'll make a different decision.

And I guess a third is that I think I'd like to see a community develop around old gas tow rigs and that might need a dedicated location to make it work. I'm not closed to doing it within an existing forum, but so far I'm just not seeing a lot of support anywhere.

If that's because there are only two or three of us around who are interested so be it, I'll accept it and post in an existing forum. If its because everyone who shares my passion has similar frustrations it may make a lot of sense to create a separate place for the maybe dozens or even hundreds who care.

I'm active on several Cadillac forums. They seem to be successful if success can be deemed sharing useful information and ideas with only a handful of users that post very regular and probably only dozens of users who are actually active. It may not take very many people to accomplish what I want and it certainly represents no threat to the ongoing success of this or any other existing forum.

Regardless of how I proceed it is very likely I'll come here and post links to my build thread anytime it is updated in a significant way.

But the photos thing at Stovebolt really is a deal killer for me.

do it Steve, I'd follow along, as I'm sure many others would - it's not a truck, but I'm aiming for either a 454 or 427 in daBus, along with a 4L80E that I can get cheapish - and it might have a 'toad' one day

although the vast majority of folks on the bus forums drool over diesels, I won't consider diesel for a number of reasons, #1 being the ridiculous costs, both initial and maint, and the noise and stink of the older versions .... torque is the need and gas torques fine if built right

Bill

I've found 454s are the most common and cheapest to acquire. I have one that I drove home for free. My initial plan was to use a 454 in my project but after some research decided the Caddy is a better motor and since I had a few it was a natural.

There is an old bus that appears most years at Hot Rod Arama that has a bumper sticker saying 'eat more roadkill' and has a Cadillac 500 providing motivation.

The project is already underway though on hold as I fight cancer. Getting the process online and the benefit of input from others is my priority while I can't be in the shop but can be online stirring things up.

Its clear that not many people are on the same page I am. That's okay I don't mind walking my own path. I so find it difficult to believe there are so few with similar interest.

In many cases Diesel is the right answer. I don't think the logic that concludes Diesel for many others comes up that way on my project. Its a combination of my bias (which I admit to) and the relatively low mileage I expect not just each year but over the life of the truck.

As a 53 year-old guy battling cancer I have to face that its unlikely I have 20 useful years left. Could be much less though my treatments are going very well and I've begun to believe I could have another 30 years. My dad is still kicking at 82 but he would not have any reason to use the truck I'm building.

But using 20 years as the trucks lifetime and looking at my use of other tow vehicles over the last 10 years, I think its unlikley I'm going to drive it even 60,000. I did most my math based on 10 years and 30,000 recognizing too many of the variables are unpredictable even a few years ahead (fuel cost, or more important in this case the differential between gasoline and Diesel).

If I were a healthy 30 year old some of the math might change.

From a dollars and cents standpoint doing a Diesel isn't going to pay me back but it is going to at least tie up if not burn capital that really needs to be part of my retirement funding.

I could not find a cheap Diesel in my area when I was researching for comparison. And I read enough threads about needing to rebuild the cheap ones that I see many thousands making sure I had a good one that make as much power as the Cadillac.

I've read that a Cummins swap is really a $10,000 commitment. I suspect many of the swaps are done for half that, and having looked at some of the threads using lots of aftermarket parts I'm sure many cost far more.

A crate Caddy cost maybe $7000 so if I were going that route my math may fall apart. But I'm using a low mileage motor that I expect to spend between $1,000 and $2,000 on some freshening and upgrading my Caddy.

I don't intend to rebuild this motor because I'm sure it doesn't need it. I have a second I don't know as much about that I might rebuild someday if needed.

That Chevy 8.1 seems to get mixed reviews. But its only found in trucks far newer than I've ever seriously considered buying. My neighbor has one is a motorhome and seems very satisfied with the performance. I was very surprised that he spent at least $250,000 on the thing but got a gas motor. Then I realized he drives his motorhome 50 miles and parks it. Maybe the cheaper motor really does make sense for him too.

I appreciate your willingness to be involved Grigg, I enjoy your insight and projects and follow along even though I couldn't choose your motor.

Likewise,
And no need to explain your engine choice math and reasoning to me, or anyone else for that matter. It's your truck, your engine, and your decision; just be happy with it and continue on.

For my engine choice I have no bigger reason than "I like it and it's what I want to see under the hood".

Grigg

I respect that.

I completely agree with those who say its your truck, do it the way you want.

I do sometimes feel the need to question choices but ultimately the owner doesn't ever need my approval or agreement on their plan.

I too tend to poke and prod and ask questions about other folks builds and plans.
The replies then provide more info on the project, and occasionally brings up ideas and problems they may not have considered or thought of.
Even if I don't personally like or agree with the whole project or idea by learning more about it I'm sure to learn something to help with my truck.

Grigg

Well I did it. I started a new forum devoted just to old gas tow rigs. You are invited to give it a look or ignore it as you prefer. As I write this I'm the only member and there is only one post. I am hopeful both those counts will increase, but lets be honest there may not be a lot of people who share my interest in this.

OldGasTowRigs

Beyond this announcement and perhaps adding one more URL to my signature I won't be promoting the new forum here so if you want more information you'll need to either join or ask me.

Steve,

Whatever you decide to do, you'll get all the help/support you need or want from us here. If you want to start that forum here, we can always tie it to a standing tech tip for the photos or put the photos in a special photobucket account.

Just let us know. Sounds pretty interesting, though.

Regards,
John

Thanks John I appreciate the support! It is started and hosted on the same server I host my other personal web sites on.