New to Powerstrokes and Towing.

[St3alth]

Hey guys, I just bought myself a 2003 E350 Powerstroke Cargo with 145k on it for $2800 (Did i get ripped off? or good deal?) to tow my 2 cars on a trailer. The van didnt come with a hitch so I was wondering if there is a certain hitch I should buy to tow the weight of 2 cars and a trailer?

Like I said Im a complete nooby when it comes to towing and powerstrokes. so please bare with me heh.

[St3alth]

no Econoline love? lol.

[Xphobe]

$2800 seems great for a diesel van. I cannot tell you if you got ripped off though because I do not know the condition of the van.

I am not sure the weight you will be pulling, but any class IV (10-12k) hitch should work just fine. If you want the best, Reese makes a class V (12-14k) hitch which is even stronger.

The very first thing I would recommend would be to install a Pyrometer when towing heavy loads. The stock muffler on diesels are very restrictive and it is very easy to overheat the pistons,exhaust valves, turbo, etc. You can run 1200* all day, just do not exceed 1250* for more then a few seconds (according to Hypermax).
Right after an extended haul you also may want to keep the engine running for 5 min or so before turning it off to allow the turbo to cool off.
Make sure you check the entire suspension including the ball joints and tie rods. If your steering is loose your ride may be a bit stressful to say the least.

.....That is all I can think of right now. Usually it is your first road trip pulling is when you really know what you like and what your issues are.

[St3alth]

I see. How much would you say this would be worth? (Just curious)

Its got pretty lose steering. I had a old 1990 E150 with a V8 gas that I had a long time ago, and it seems to drive just like that.

Everything seems to work on the van, even the a/c is cold. only things I can say is that it needs new tires, a alinement, and new valve cover gaskets. And its slightly banged up but nothing you wouldn't expect from a Used Cargo van.

It also smokes for about 5 seconds when I start it up for the first time in the morning. is that normal on diesels?

If I did a straight exhaust would it help with keeping the pyrometer low?

Here are a few pics I snapped of it when I got it.

[theplumbingmedic]

$2800 seems like a great deal to me congrats

[bluline]

thats definitely a good deal! I have seen them in so cal for 5500 or more...

[ToMang07]