Pintle Hitch? Do you have exp. towing a Blazer?

[harestream]

Hello airstreamers. I have been shopping around on the internet waiting for the right tow vehicle to come around in my price range. and i think i might of found it. Do any of you have experience towing rigs with a Blazer? I have a 25' Tradewind, and loaded it should weigh out at around 5,500 lbs. The Blazer we are looking at on Sat is a k10 4x4 Military "cucv" 6.2 Diesel Turbo 400. It has a Pintle Hitch, and I'm not familar with what exactly that is, but the current owner tells me that this car was made to pull cannons. Will I still need a receiver hitch? I have already a fixture/mount with an attached ball hitch that goes into a receiver. The current owner seems to think I'll need to buy is some sort of adapter which will cost me 50 bucks. Is this what I already have? Does this sound right?

Apparently the Military Blazer pulls an extra half ton more than the consumer version, so he seemed to think pulling the airstream wouldnt be a problem at all. My main concern is the size of the wheel base. I've been told to look out for this, because if its short then it's not suitable for towing. How do I know what is short. I asked the urrent owner about this and he didn't know what I was talking about. Is this something I can measure myself when I see it in person? In the research I've done online it seems like there is a c-5 and the k-10. I think the c-5 are the ones with a short wheel base? not the k-10s? Somebody please clarify this for me? Here are some photos attached to show the current hitch situation. I hope you are able to make sense of this. Thanks for all oh your help.
-Kelly

[S C Streamer]

Pintle hooks are generally used in construction equipment trailers,towable compressors,etc .

Pros; easy to hook up
very secure
articulation between the trailer and TV

Cons; Limited towing options
The loose connection that allows for articulation,allows the trailer to
bang and jolt the TV

For a travel trailer, stick to a ball mount.

Mark

[Holzarbeiter]

If you don't mind a bare bones vehicle with what I would call a short wheel base that more then likely works on a 24v verses a 12v system, then this is it. The pindel is mounted to the bumper from what I can tell in the Pic's. There are plenty of bolt on class III and IV hitches on the market that can be installed in under 1 hour.
Old military vehicles normaly have low miles and had regular maintance, at the same tolken there where used in field operations and other exercises. They are also bare bones, more than likely no carpet or insulation, basic seats and radio delete. I don't know but it is possible that the military version Blazers had the 3/4 ton pick up running gear.

[Holzarbeiter]

I forgot to add this, if the bolt pattern on the rims is 8 lug then that would be a good indication of the 3/4 running gear

[john hd]

or one ton.

john

[wahoonc]

The military blazers are more like 5/8ths ton they use the Chevy light duty 3/4 ton running gear, 8 lug wheels, heavier spring packs, etc. They are also geared very low. The bulk of military vehicles have a supposed speed limit of 45 mph. But they will exceed that. The pintle is a bolt on hitch, there is a large steel plate that runs across the end of the frame rails behind the bumper on that vehicle. Forget about getting parts for it from your local auto parts store or dealer. You will have to hunt them down from other locations. If you want the milspec blazer go for it, but I think you can get a better deal with more creature comforts for the same amount of money in the civilian side.

Aaron

[85MH325]

I'm with Aaron on this one. You can find a bazillion civilian early '90s Suburbans out there with low miles and excellent service records, only driven on Sundays by a little old Airstream owner for less than $5k now. I just saw two of them locally with less than 60k miles in near showroom condition for $3995 each. I'd pass on the MilSpec K5. It's a great hunting or backwoods truck, but it'd be a lousy Airstream tower.

Roger

[harestream]

I am going crazy trying to find a used car in good shape. I've looked on cars.com, autotrader.com, craigslist and I've been buying all those newspapers, I'm scouring all over the east coast. i want a diesel however..I can't find anything! I'm now looking for $6,000 or less. Thanks for the advice. I'll nix the idea of the military blazer, but i liked how raw it was. It not having a/c was a minor issue for us too. I need to find something by the end of the weekend. Unfortunately, If it more than $3,000 than I'll need to purchase it from a dealer. If anybody knows of anything in the NYC vacinity, or New England, please let me know.. thanks..

[Alumaholic]

Originally Posted by 85MH325

I'm with Aaron on this one. You can find a bazillion civilian early '90s Suburbans out there with low miles and excellent service records, only driven on Sundays by a little old Airstream owner for less than $5k now. I just saw two of them locally with less than 60k miles in near showroom condition for $3995 each. I'd pass on the MilSpec K5. It's a great hunting or backwoods truck, but it'd be a lousy Airstream tower.

Roger

I love the old CUCVs and have driven them many miles in the field, but 85MH325 really nailed it. While it would be a good truck for the hunting camp, there are better choices for the highway. For your budget, I would look for a gasoline powered 90-96 Suburban with a 454 engine and 3.73 axle(s) or 350 engine and 4.10 axle(s).

Hope this helps.

[Holzarbeiter]

If diesel is a must, look at the first gen Dodges with the cummins (89-93). These are stout trucks and don't fear the one with 200,000 miles on the clock for 3-4 grand. 2nd choice for me would be a 6.9 or 7.3 Ford all the way from the mid 80's to the mid 90's in that price range depending on condition.
I lived in your neck of the woods for 15 years and one of the problems when looking at older vehicles is the rust. Don't rush the purchase and look towards the southern states along the east coast or further south west towards AZ and NM. If you need to move the AS just rent a van or truck for now.

[Alumaholic]

No sooner had I posted my earlier post than I was out taking a ride and saw a nice '93 Chevy Suburban with Diesel for $5950;
Rust free of course, we don't do rust here in NM.

So don't worry. They're out there.

and I couldn't agree more with Holz (until he starts recommending Fords )

If diesel is a must, look at the first gen Dodges with the cummins (89-93). These are stout trucks and don't fear the one with 200,000 miles on the clock for 3-4 grand.

[Holzarbeiter]

I'm not looking to make this a bashing thread, I'm not brand loyal.
In regards to light duty diesel engines from 89 to 00, it is my opinon that the early Dodge cummins setup had the Chevy and Ford beat hands down. I also feel that the Ford is better in the 6.9 and 7.3 configuration then the 6.2 and 6.5 that Chevy had to offer.
Now from 00 up that changes. In my opinon the Cummins is still on top of the list but the Chevy Duramax is a damn close second. Ford is falling down hard with the intro of the 6.0 and we will see how they do with the new design.

Now as far as the wrapper, that is a different story. I like the older Chevy designs 80's to mid 90's better then the other two.
My perfect TV would be a late 90's early 00 Suburban mated on top of a Ford frame mated with the running gear of a 2002 1 Ton Dodge 4x4 and 12v Cummins engine with mechanical injection. Now Detroit if you please built my truck I'll be by next month to pick it up

My disclaimer;
I'm not a Mechanic, Engineer or Automobile Designer. Just a Consumer

[Tin Knocker]

Originally Posted by Holzarbeiter

My perfect TV would be a late 90's early 00 Suburban mated on top of a Ford frame mated with the running gear of a 2002 1 Ton Dodge 4x4 and 12v Cummins engine with mechanical injection.

You might want a later 24 valve engine. There were a couple of fairly expensive problems with the early ones.

Cummins 53 block

Killer dowel pin

And to keep my post on thread: military vehicles are a breed of their own. Some parts will be a nightmare to find. They aren't driven and maintained like your own. These conversions weren't particularly well suited for military use, and the fact they were "militarized" means they aren't all that well suited for civilian use. They are rough riding and noisy. You can do a lot better for your money with a true civilian vehicle.

[Goin camping]

Don't do it! Why? That diesel is a gas engine Chevy converted to diesel. The injection pump on those models is weak and expensive. Now the earlier Dodge M880's are a straight civilian truck with minor military add ons. A very solid gasser with all the comforts. If you do get it you can always get the parts you need from Memphis Equipment in Tenn. or Antelope Valley Truck and Equip. in Ca. Both places will U.P.S. you anything you need. I restore Military vehicles and as a general rule I don't recomend them for daily drivers.

If you can you should come out West for your tow vehicle. We don't usually have rust problems so there are a lot more choices which drives down the prices. Something else to consider is buying out West and having it transported back to you. The main thing I would point out is that when you buy in a hurry you will always see a better deal a week later. Good luck.

[Holzarbeiter]

Good point Tin Knocker.
The dowel pin is an easy fix. Less than an hour . Where it to come out, different story.

The dreaded 53 Block-Most 53 show up in 99 and 00 trucks built at ST Louis plant- I can relate to this one. I had the 53 Block and yes it cracked at a 131,701 miles. Cummins made good on it with giving me a new long block. Was it still a pain? Sure it was, but that is for a different thread. there are also plenty of these 53's with 200,000 plus miles out there that have'nt cracked.
Would I buy a Truck with the 53, probadly not but I would not shy away from any of the others, dowel pin or no dowel pin

[j54mark]

Originally Posted by Goin camping

Don't do it! Why? That diesel is a gas engine Chevy converted to diesel. The injection pump on those models is weak and expensive.

Not so. While never mistaken for a Cummins, or even a Navistar, the 6.2 was developed by Detroit Diesel, and was actually a pretty decent engine. There were several problems which arose when it was bored out to 6.5 liters, but they were worked out over the years and the 6.5 is still being built every day for use in Humvees.

On the other hand, it is a very low hp engine. 125 hp, if I remember correctly. Even with diesel torque, that is not a lot of umph for towing large metal boxes at highway speeds.

Mark

[scottanlily]

Hello everyone,

The only gas to diesel GM engine was the oldsmobile 350 ,it is not a chevy
design engine .GM took an olds 350 gas engine and put diesel heads on it
basically ,it was a pile of crap ,really was ,people would convert them back
to gas sometimes ,head changes etc. waste of good money.The 6.2 came along and was pretty good ,got a reputation for burning oil.The 6.5 came
after and a turbo on it .They are a good engine ,and if taken care of last
for a long time .That said ,the lift pumps ( a basic frame mounted fuel pump)
failed and the injection pumps sometimes ,usually misdiagnosed ,as the
fuel timing control motor and shaft (has a small tiny ball crimped on it)
would come off causing fuel timing to be all over the place.The module controller is a common replaced part.Alot of the 6.5 replaced parts are misdiagnosed as even the dealerships piled on parts trying to fix them.
A computor scan tool with data stream capability is a must to confirm
proper fuel timing ,injection pump timing and desired timing .Thats it in addition to glow plugs every 100k miles .NEVER EVER use starting fluid in
any diesel to try to start it .Major damage is almost always immediate.And
as was posted that 6.5 is still in use today.And most of the problems
have been worked out .They can really take it though.

Scott

[john hd]

good post scott

my '97 6.5 turbo diesel has been a pretty good truck, it is retired to snow plow duty now. every once in a while i tow the trailer with it.

other than changing the pump mounted driver it has worked flawlessly.

it pulls the trailer or any other heavy load very well.

john