DeTomaso Mailing List: March 2001, Message #178

At 21:43 -0500 4/3/01, Jack Tunnell wrote:
>RESALE  All these trailers depreciate to about 50% - 60% of their new cost.
>When it comes time to sell, would you rather lose 50% of $10,000 or 40% of
>$20,000.

Which is why those used ones look soooooo good!

>TRUCKS VS SPORT VEHICLES with BEDS   With all due respect to Kirby, Michael
>and those of you who have decided to buy high center of gravity sports cars
>instead of trucks, my $.02 says you have made a mistake if you want to tow.
>Tom Upton knows what I mean.  My dually diesel will get 19 mpg unloaded and
>got 13.3 mpg towing that monster Haulmark back from Louisiana.  I'll bet you
>have to baby that Lightning or that Dakota to get 14 mpg unloaded.

:-))))
Jack, I never really bought the Lighning to be specifically a tow 
truck, but I plan to use it as such when I need to. I wanted a pickup 
(have missed my turbo Bronco for years now) and something I could 
have fun in when I wasn't driving the Pantera. And yeah... a diesel 
will always do better on the mileage end of things. And actually, the 
first tank of gas through the Lightning netted me just over 16mpg and 
I was most definitely NOT babying it. ;-)

I looked at it this way... John Taphorn and I drove all the way to 
Pocono and back with my car on his steel open trailer being pulled by 
his old Explorer. It was interesting at times, to say the least. But 
it worked. The Lightning is heavier, has tons more power, better 
brakes, but not as much room inside.

When I want to go with a real towing rig, I'll go with an F-250 
crewcab like Mike Trusty and John Taphorn have. And the diesel most 
likely, although I sometimes I think I could do without the noise the 
make...

>WEIGHT  On an open trailer you will start with about 1200# with an aluminum
>trailer.  Add 4000# for your car, spare wheels, gear, etc.  Now you are
>towing 5200#.

Just what I had been figuring. Hey... call me a beginner!  ;-)

>My next $.02 is save that aluminum money and spend it on a real truck that
>you can sling 10,000# on to the bumper pull or 15,000# on a gooseneck.

Don't need that now. Don't have a place to park it... yet. As you 
said... Patience...

But good info, Jack! I'm sure I'll be green with envy when I see your 
trailer all kitted out. Personally, I prefer Tom Upton's towing rig. 
Makes your Dodge dually look a little uncomfortable and small, 
doesn't it, Jack?

:-)))))))))))))))))))))

Later,

Kirby