car hauler question

got a chance to buy a possible car hauler... just need a little input... here's the skinny

1999 International 4700 Truck, DT466 engine, 230+hp, 250K miles, 5 Speed Manual, single axle of course, Short wheel base with a tow body on it. miles out at about 72mph, super clean interior and body is 8 out of 10.

according to the guy it was a 'single owner' lease truck and the only company to have used it was a delivery company. it drives out really nice and seems to be a good truck... but i've never bought a 'big' truck before? $8,500 will buy it.

btw... i'm just pulling about 8K pounds in a 24' tag. i usually pull with a suburban locally... but road trips kick the burbs ass. thanks

 

Well here is my two cents worth.
Buying any used truck is the same regardless of the GVW. Make sure that the engine, trans, rearend, tires, etc are all in good shape. Has this truck been serviced on a regular basis, and do they have the records to prove it. Has the engine, trans, rearend been rebuilt, and if so how long ago. Is the truck registered as a motorhome, or a commercial vehicle. If it registered as a motorhome, than you should not need a CDL. If it is registered as a commercial vehicle, then it should have to be inspected every year, by an authorized inspector in accordance with your state laws. Regardless of how it is titled, I would recommend having this truck inspected by a DOT inspector before you buy it, as this is a very detailed inspection, and will tell you a lot about its condition. A commercial vehicle can be retitled as a motorhome, if it has things like a bathroom, a stove, a generator, heat and A/C, etc. You should be able to find out about what is necessary at your DMV, or your local county clerk.

I would also recommend that you get a CDL booklet from your local DMV and read it if you are thinking about getting a truck this big. The CDL booklet is very informative and will tell you things like how to inspect the wear on your brakes, wear on your tires, how to check if your brakes are working correctly, etc.

You may have noticed that when racers use these kinds of vehicles to pull their trailers they put decals on the side that say " Not For Commercial Use". This is because if the truck is titled as a commercial vehicle or if it is for commercial use then by law you have to stop at all check points, and fill out a log book, etc. By putting a decal on your vehicle it is a way to let the cops know that your are not using this vehicle for commercial use, and therefore you are not required to stop at the check points, etc. Sometimes you will be pulled over even with this decal on your truck. If you have a sponser, no matter how small of a sponser it may be, then you are being compensated for taking your car to the racetrack, and therefore by law your are using the truck for commercial use. This applies even if you're using you suburban, however how this would be enforced, I have no idea.

There was a good article in the May 10, 2002 National Dragster that I keep with me in my race trailer.
Brian

 

I have 3 trucks, all similar to the one you're describing. Buy it and you'll never look back. Ten to twelve MPG and will pull anything. That is considered very low mileage. If it looks good and drives good, probably is good.

 

thanks for the input guys.

capt: it's a 25,500# truck so it's just under CDL and i am licensed to drive everything but CDL as well as have my air brake cert. didn't realize the loopholes about the 'not for hire' and 'rec vehicle' stickers though.

fogrt: what kind of ring and pinion gearing does a truck like this need to have to get that kind of mileage?

will: yeah i drove this truck and it drives out really nice. not something you'd want for a daily driver hahaha... as it's a bit cumbersome intown. luckily i have a great little 30mpg run-a-round car. that's the only reason i'm really looking for a dedicated tow rig.

to all of ya: is the 260K miles too many or is that a number i can live with? i think i'll only put about 15-20K on it a year.

thanks for all the input

 

You should be able to put another 250 k on this truck without any major expense.

 

I agree nitro, Our Int'l toterhome had 650k on the chassis. Unfortunately the DT466 is more like 200 hp but buying it was the best move we've made. I hope our freightliner will be as reliable as that one was. Other than the living quarters the biggest improvement over the dually was the braking.

Shannon

 

I'm not sure of the gear ratio in any of my work trucks. They all top out at about 70 mph. That's at about 2,600 RPM. One,I Haul logs on is 33,000gvw,13,700 empty and I typically haul about 11-12 tons on it. It averages 10 mpg loaded one way and empty coming back. My personal vehicle is a 97 F-350 Powerstroke with a 60 hp upgrade. My trailer is a 43' goose. It gets 10-12 loaded and about 18-24 empty, depending on how fast you run. It definitely is more versatile. I made my previous comment because that sounds like a really good price for that truck. If you don't want to buy it let me know. I can always use another good truck, in fact I'm looking for a couple more.

 

You could have an oil analysis performed by a detroit mechanic and know exactly where the engine is at.

 

MOST OF THE 4700-DT466 HAVE A 4.10 GEAR, GIVE THE LAST 8 DIGITS OF THE VIN NUMBER TO A PARTS HAND AT YOUR LOCAL INTERNATIONAL DEALER HE CAN TELL YOU FOR SURE, AND THE HP ALSO.