I will soon be moving from virginia to washington (over 3000 mi.) I have a 1997 4.2L V6 Manual. and I need a little advice. I will be towing a '95 probe. Should I spend the money on a hitch or just put a ball on the bumper, use a trailer or tow dolly (wieght issue) can the small engine handle it or just sell them both and get a 2002 s crew (ha ha) don't think my wife will go for that.

 

Go to Radio Shack and get a pair of those 2 channel radios for $39.95

Call your wife every 200 miles and tell her how much you love her.

 

With the tow dolley, there would be little or no weight on the hitch, just pulling weight (pull on the ball, no verticle weight) Sice the probe if probably front wheel drive, the dolly would work fine. I would go ahead and buy the reciever hitch, It will give you a stronger connection, not to mention look better. You should be able to buy a nice, cheap one at U-Haul.

Or, Buy the Screw, or even a 350 dually, would handle the wind in the plains better than the 97!!

Or better yet, a Freightliner (pic below) that the Probe will fit in the bed!!!!

 

Well, here are some specs from my 97 owners manual.

For a v6-manual 4x2 w/3.08 gears, you can pull 2100#'s max. W/3.55 gears, 3400#'s max. 4x4 w/3.08 is 1800#'s or with 3.55 gears, it's 2200#'s. Most car trailers weigh this much empty. You'll only be able to consider a dolly.

Now those are Maximum weights. And probably rated that way if you have the tow package already.

For a short distance, I'd say you could do it, but cross country, you'll have lots of hills/mountains to go over between here and there. Plus it's winter, and the roads will not be the best.

Are you going to be using a moving truck? They can usually handle a car trailer in addition to all your stuff.

 

that's kind of what I was worried about. How do I tell the gear ratio? Is it on the inside door panel? thanks

 

There's a post in Other Drivetrain that lists what the axle codes are.

https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...threadid=57798

Then just find the code that is listed on your door jamb and you'll know what you have.

 

I do a lot of long distance towing and I like a trailer. One it puts no wear and tear on the car you are pulling. You have better control over a trailer that a car on a dolly if it is to get to fish tailing. Know this from experience.

As for the hitch. A hitch is always better than bumper pull so go with that if you can afford it.

 

but, whether the V6 pulls the Probe or the Probe pulls the V6, one of them is going to suffer.

Instead of spending the money on hitch parts/trailer rental and heavy strain on drivetrain components, what's wrong with my original post?

Either vehicle would get at least 20 mpg highway (not towing 2 tons).

3,000 miles / 20 mpg = 150 gallons X $1.10 per gal = $165.00

(Tolls would be a wash, if any as you usually pay by the axle)

 

koehnje
You can also find your gear ratio by crawling under the differential and looking for a little silver tab. On this tab, it will tell you 3 08 or 3 55. Real easy to find. It might be a little dirty though, mine was. Just as a side note, I pull my dad's 18.5' ski boat all the time and it doesn't even struggle. I don't have any idea how much the boat weighs but I would imagine it wouldn't be too much different from a probe. Oh, I have the V6 with 3:55 gears. Hope this helps.

Justin

 

The bumper isn't rated as high for towing as a receiver hitch is. Get a cheap one, put it on there, then when you're done towing, you can put one of those cool little hitch plugs in that says "FORD" or "I'M FANTASTIC IN DARK PLACES" or some other cute saying that can really make your truck stand out.

 

But I think the best thing to do is go with Raoul and get the radios and drive em.

 

The engine will be fine. The big problem with your truck is the manual tranny. It was not designed for towing and the clutch is soft and easily burned.

I've said this before. If you know how to double clutch and know when and why you would double clutch, then chances are you can tow a heavier load with your pickup than Ford spec's. Anybody who knows the ins and outs of double clutching knows how to maximize the life of a tranny and clutch.

If it were me, I'd do the tow without hesitation. Of course, I learned how to double clutch when I was in grade school...

BTW, if your bumper height doesn't cause a problem, you won't need a frame mounted hitch. The bumper hitch is rated to handle 5,000 lbs. Yours could be different, though. The height is more of a problem with 4x4 trucks like mine. The 4x2 bumper height is fairly low in comparison. So, it really depends on your truck and the tow apparatus.

 

I would go with the dolly. I agree with Dennis, the engine will be fine. I don't think the transmission or clutch will be a problem either. I tow a 3,000lb bassboat in the summer through the hills here in Arkansas without any problems. If the Probe is front wheel drive you don't have to worry about any wear and tear on the car since the front wheels will be on the dolly and the back wheels are just rolling. The important thing to remember is to take your time. Don't get in a big hurry when you start from a dead stop and remember to leave extra space in front of you for stopping. As for the ball, the bumper will be fine, but if you plan on towing anything after this I would go with a receiver hitch. To me a receiver seems to "feel" better when towing, plus they look better.

 

I'm with Raul. If it's possible, just drive them both. Your milage on the v6 is going to be really bad, because it has to work really hard. And you take the chance of blowing the tranny like Dennis stated. A couple of walkie talkies and you'll do fine.

After 21 years in the USMC, I have moved a couple of times. A few tips:

1. Plan your move. Fuel stops, rest stops and overnight stays.

2. Should you get seperated, have a plan for getting back together.

3. Make sure the wife has money, a credit card, or someway to pay for emergencies.

4. Before you load that last little bit of stuff, in your truck, put in the emergency supplies first. ie, water, oil, blankets, etc.

5. Write everything down and give the wife a copy, include phone numbers for family along the way.

6. Figure up the amont of driving time needed and then add a couple of days to that for a cushion.

I could wright a book on this stuff, but that's the basics. Good luck and enjoy your trip.

 

well I figured it out. I called around and found a car carrier that will do it for $900. Which sounds like alot but U-haul wants $600 for the dolly, the hitch is a couple hundred and the extra gas and wear on my truck just isn't worth it. Thanks for the advice it helped my decision alot.