OK, I'll through my 2 cents in.
First of, i don't own a 34' nor a Ford.
I know of one confirmed owner who tows is 92 or so 34' with a Chevy Astro Van. I know i didn't belive it at first either. This fellow is also planing a trip to Alaska this summer with that TV. So with that titbit of info here I go.
I would recommend something large F250, F350 or Excursion, it by now means has to be a Diesel. V8 or V10 Gas engines will do just fine. If this was my story I would not get the 6.0 Ford Diesel engine unless the caracter is supposed to have numerous unsceduled stops and meet nearly every Diesel Mechanic between the east and west coast if it has to be a Ford with a diesel go with the 7.3. Now there is the fellow with the Astro van, that vehicle is only rated for 5000 pounds and based of a S10 pickup. If one would compare that to Ford we would look at Explorer or a Ranger, again to me that would mean meeting alot of mechanics. Then again that could make for an interesting story
Diesel engines in general have a longer life expectancy then gas engines, the torque comes on much lower in the rpm's and fuel economy is better. That seems to be why most people choose Diesels for tow vehicles.
Come on people. This is a fictional woman who bought a classic airstream. Let's give her something interesting to drive. Her landscaper had a beautiful 69 F100 Pickup that his deceased wife and he bought when they were young. He drives it on sunny days and spends his free time polishing it and taking it to car shows. He named the truck Yolanda after the wife he missed so much. Like all good hispanic men, the gardner had Yolanda painted in script on the rear truck window.
Our heroine didn't know much about pick-up trucks. When the gardner gave her Yolanda (she saved his youngest daughters life) she had a friend check it out to see if she could use to tow her precious airstream. "Have you ever heard of a Ford Shelby Cobra?", her friend asked her the next day. "No, but I am pretty sure it is a type of snake", she replied. Our heroine was very pleased to find out that back in the early 70's, when Shelby GT500's were just another used car, the gardner had replaced the original 390 big block with a salvaged Shelby 427 engine. With a few transmission and suspension upgrades, and a top of the line PullRite hitch, she had a towing vehicle that was deserving of the honor of towing her beloved airstream. All was right with the world. The End
"Ah have awl-ways dapend-ded awn the kawndness of awthuws..."
Roger
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AIR 2053 “A generation which ignores history has no past and no future.” Robert Heinlein 2006 Bigfoot 25B25RQ towed by a 2001 Born Free 23RK moho
Roger - Why not just go all the way? "To the moon, Alice!"
Susie is a prodigious reader of mysteries. I reminded her and she can't remember a small series she read in the late 90s where a family had to deal with plot issues as they traveled the West in their ... I seem to remember about a 24-26' Airstream being involved. Anyway, Susie told tales of so many things they used on their adventures that were stored inside that Airstream. As if ...!
M in Michigan -- Why a 34 footer? Yes, you might want the mostest of the bestest if you are writing glam (à la Judith Krantz). Are you looking for a unit that is fast-moving/new or vintage? You might have more variety of tow vehicle if it was a little smaller. There can be a lot of live-in space in a 28-footer for instance. Choose the V-10 only if your characters are rich enough to own their own oil well.
We purchased an '05 F-350 to tow our 1987 '34 Excella and it works great. Just so I could hot rod around town, we added the Banks Power package to the truck and it runs like a race car now. The best part is my fuel economy jumped by roughly 4 MPG, so at today's prices that will pay for the cost of the system pretty quickly. Here's the link to the Banks website. Enjoy
F-250 diesel or excursion diesel. 350 if you like a real stiff ride.
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Michelle
I'm not afraid I learned to drive in Washington, DC
Sarah
Ruby, (05 BMW R1200RT) serviced and put to bed for the winter
Daisy, (06 Diesel F-250 w/Tow Command)
Butter Cup, (06 Classic 31 w/dinette, solar) http://Michelles-Adventures.US
Ive pulled my 34 Classic with a F250 Power Stroke Diesel over Colorado passes in the rain to the Davis Mountains and to Yellowstone. With the Jordan brake controller it pulls like a dream.
I haven't towed with it yet because I'm doing some brake work on the 25" Classic and I have to buy a new hitch. (Hensly?) The truck is great, I like everything about it. The towing mirrors, the tow command,the leather heated seats and of course the diesel engine. Trucks have come a long way. Doesn't ride quite like the Suburban, but it's by no means a rough ride. Another big plus is the leg room in the back it's great for my 6' 3" 14 year old son. I expect I'll have it for quite awhile. It just turned 1000 miles.
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