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Thread: Opinion

  1. #1

    Default Opinion

    You guys know I've been thinking about starting a plow/wrecker/repo business up here. Trying to decide between buying a full-on wrecker or getting a 3/4 - 1 t and putting a wheel lift under it.
    Been looking at a bunch of F-250/350's and some Dodge's too. Then I thought - I happen to know of a truck with 4x4, d60/d70 axles, 5.87:1 r&p, that is rated at 1 1/4t cross country - An M715!!!!!!! lol And since I'd only be doing local business I could even live with the 230 until it blew up. Would need a better MC and upgrade to PS though. (not even thinking about turning my current toy back into a work horse - would need a different truck)
    Question - do you think the rear (un-boxed) section of the frame would be strong enough to live with a under box wheel lift?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Northern California
    Posts
    467

    Default

    It's pretty stout from the looks of it, but it might be smart to box it in, or at least make sure the mounting brackets spread the force out over as much of the frame as possible.

    --Randy

  3. #3

    Default

    Rated for..yes, but perfect... not really. They are heavy duty for the most part though.

    The 230 would bug me for pulling.

    Also, the single shear spring mounts would bother me too.

    As long as the frame was in excellent condition, it would bother me, but not as much as the 230 and spring hangers.
    This post is closed-captioned for the hearing impaired.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Rhoadesville, Virginia (five miles from no place)
    Posts
    5,125

    Default

    Could you do it? Yes.

    Should you do it? In my opinion, No.

    Why, you ask? You're talking about 40 year old tech, trying to be made both reliable and safe enough to use on a daily basis to earn a living with. For fun, sure, but for the $$$ to pay the rent, I'd go with something new enough that most of the work is done, and reliability is a non-issue.

    I towed my M715 home on a 12,000 lb trailer behind a '04 Dodge 2500 Cummins diesel, got 17 MPG, had the stereo, A/C and cruise set, used my toe on the brake pedal when needed, and never got below 65 MPH on I-64 through West Virginia, which if you've travelled it, you know its not an average interstate.

    Fast forward 2 years and I towed my M715 on a 12,000 lb trailer for only 45 miles behind my old '78 Chevy 3/4 ton 454 powered Chevy truck. It was struggling up some hills, running around 220 degrees, and the brakes were OK with the trailer set pretty high. All in all, it wasn't a great trip and the truck worked hard, and I felt beat after the trip.

    Moral to this story: Use the right tool for the job.
    "Free advice is worth what you pay for it."™

  5. #5

    Default

    Egads...the brakes suck too. Wasn't even thinking about that.
    This post is closed-captioned for the hearing impaired.

  6. #6

    Default

    By god this is America last time I checked! And if you want to make a tow truck out of your M715, go do it! Save the bed and put it back on if it doesn't work.

    It will do just fine in town if you know your limitations. Local law will probably require liability insurance, CDL, and be bonded.

    Sell coupons for a $20 Saturday night special where you tow drunks from the bar rather than the cops! Find out when closing time is make friends with the bar owners. Get creative!

    Save your cash for another rig when the time comes and stay out of debt regardless of what the economy is doing.

  7. #7

  8. #8

    Default

    That sneaker unit was one of the ones I was looking at. I actually liked the Sniper system better but it is more $$.
    I know a guy near me that has the wheel lift unit off of a tow truck and is electric/hydro and looks like it could be mounted under a truck. That is what I was thinking of.
    The big question is whether I want to be sneaky and have a truck that I can use as a DD, or just buck up and get a wheel lift tow truck.
    I think that I am going to go the tow truck route. Gets back to that same thing I always do - try to make 1 thing do it all rather than getting the right tool for each job.
    Buying a wrecker also lets me be a towing company to pull people out of the ditch and maybe get hooked up with insurance companies for their road side assistance. Plus if I break something I'm not out my DD, and considering how much I like to take my other trucks apart (and leave them that way) that's a good thing.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    West-central Ohio
    Posts
    689

    Default

    The M715 is a great hobby truck - one you can tinker with when you feel like it or leave it alone if you don't. I'd have real reservations about making it a "must have running" truck to support a business.

    Don't do it.
    "other peoples junk, is something or other" - Militarypotts 02/07/2011

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Alexandria KY
    Posts
    482

    Default

    We have upgraded/upfitted a few M715s for everyday use by landscapers and concrete contractors. Cummins, NV4500, diffs, brakes, steering, HVAC, etc...
    They coulda bought new trucks for less. Over the long haul the rigs we did were purpose-built so they have done their jobs better with less maintainence costs, lower tax rates, lower insurance premiums and a "wow" factor that helps highlight their businesses.
    For repossesion work I would think they stand out and create a very high profile, undermining the whole "stealth" thing.
    '67 M715 '42 GPW '45 MB

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