To Tow or not to Tow
#1
11-08-2018, 06:11 PM
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To Tow or not to Tow
Looking for fourm opinions.
When I bought my truck the plan was to remove the tow rig and to use the truck as Home Depot runner when needed. After a few weeks of ownernship I really started to like the ‘tow truck’ aspect and it adds a lot of character but it makes the truck mostly useless as a truck. When I take the truck to shows people really like the tow rig.
I’m taking the rig out now as the truck won’t fit in my garage with it on and I want to replace the bed wood. The tow rig is not easy to get on and off and space is limited at my house.
Should i I keep it or ditch it? As a side note, the tow rig is worth about $1500-$2000 so it would fund a few projects if I sold it.
This truck was a tow rig/ gas station truck since day one, I’m not sure if it was installed by Ford or not but this truck has a lot of history with the tow rig.
interested to hear your thoughts.
Chris
#2
11-08-2018, 06:13 PM
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#3
11-08-2018, 06:51 PM
Fleet Mechanic
#4
11-08-2018, 07:57 PM
I spent a few years in my younger days driving a tow truck, so they have a real soft spot in my heart, which of course makes me extremely biased. If it were me, not that that really matters, I'd keep it as a tow truck and get a little trailer to pull behind for the home depot duty. You have to do what works best for you, but with the history and all, it would be a shame to lose it, imho.
#5
11-08-2018, 08:06 PM
This might not be the answer you want to hear but I think that truck is way cool the way it sits and I would not remove anything from its history as a tow truck.
It might not be the truck you need, and you might think about trading it with someone with a F100 or 250 that would fit into your garage.
It might not be the truck you need, and you might think about trading it with someone with a F100 or 250 that would fit into your garage.
#6
11-08-2018, 08:13 PM
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#7
11-08-2018, 09:06 PM
I like it as a tow truck….very few were... is it a PTO unit off the trans? Put a receiver hitch on it and I'm with 52 Merc on getting a trailer, a 54 pickup bed trailer would look great behind it! I keep looking for a long bed or a short bed to replace my '80 Ch3vy PU bed on my trailer, maybe some day!
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#8
11-08-2018, 09:19 PM
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I like it as a tow truck….very few were... is it a PTO unit off the trans? Put a receiver hitch on it and I'm with 52 Merc on getting a trailer, a 54 pickup bed trailer would look great behind it! I keep looking for a long bed or a short bed to replace my '80 Ch3vy PU bed on my trailer, maybe some day!
-Chris
#9
11-09-2018, 03:00 AM
The winch has more stories to tell than the truck. The winch is a HLU-196D/E WWll bomb hoist, rated at 1,500 lbs. single line, and 3,000 lbs double line. It looks like a pretty decent fabrication job too. If it was my truck I'd mount the tow rig on a skid that could be easily attached and detached for shows. My dad had a '29 Plymouth pickup wrecker for his garage back in the '40's
Scroll down for your winch info. They also had a model with a small gas engine instead of an electric motor.
http://navybmr.com/study%20material/...4313B_ch09.pdf
Scroll down for your winch info. They also had a model with a small gas engine instead of an electric motor.
http://navybmr.com/study%20material/...4313B_ch09.pdf
#11
11-09-2018, 06:16 AM
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#13
11-09-2018, 07:48 AM
I vote for Mixerman's idea! Sounds like a good compromise.... if you have room to store the wrecking crane when not in use.
If you read the details on the vintage ad it says this crane's mechanism was proved in the grueling tests of war. And it has a special device that was developed for an important war time job! So it is very similar to the bomb hoist Mixerman was talking about.
If you read the details on the vintage ad it says this crane's mechanism was proved in the grueling tests of war. And it has a special device that was developed for an important war time job! So it is very similar to the bomb hoist Mixerman was talking about.
#14
11-09-2018, 07:49 AM
Lead Driver
#15
11-09-2018, 09:57 AM
If it was mine I would just leave it mounted and restore the truck back to the condition it was in it's glory days. Find someone who can hand letter the door the way it was with with the addition of my name and location. I can understand not wanting the tow truck set up on it all of the time but I wouldn't want to hassle with it taking it off and on. It is an awesome looking truck as is.