I'm interested in purchasing an Amigo as a tow rig. I've always liked the body styling, now I have an excuse to get a truck.

I'm a big fan of 80s amigos, troopers, and p'ups. (My dad had a trooper since 1989, which I always loved.) I had my heart set on getting a 1st gen amigo, but they're all beat to snot. I need a reliable daily driver. So, I'm forced into getting a second gen.

I'll probably be getting a 1999ish Amigo. Are there any factory shortcomings/gremlins/etc. I should be aware of?

Will this vehicle make a good tow rig? The car I plan on towing is 3650 lbs with me in it. So figure 3450 without me, plus the weight of the trailer.

What size are the stock tires on a 1999ish Amigo? Will the rims off an early trooper/amigo bolt on? (What size were the stock tires on a trooper, I can't remember if they were 30, 31, or 32) In any case, will the stock trooper tire size fit on a new amigo (or will I need to trim), and how much will it throw the spedometer/odometer off?

My dad has an extra set of those rims floating around. I need to convince him to lend them to me for an extended period =p

Thanks again!
Bill

JMHO, but I'd be looking for something bigger than an Amigo if you're looking for a tow rig. The only common 'gremlin' I can think of with the 2nd gens are bad intake manifold gaskets (easily replaced). They are good trucks, just not the best choice for a tow rig.

X2

For a pop-up or (very) small travell trailer it would be alright. But IIRC the MAX tow rating is ~4500# on the Rodeo Sport (Amigo) combined with a short wheelbase they just aren't the best option for towing a car. (or anything else long/heavy for that matter.

I've done it with a '94 Amigo pulling a ~12' pop-up <1500# and with a '01 Rodeo Sport pulling a ~14' aluminum travel trailer <2000# or so. These 2 were OK but I personally wouldn't care to do it with anything bigger.

I agree. The Amigo's capacity is 4500#, but the short wheelbase can be squirrely at high speeds. There are not a lot of issues with the 2nd gen, except the intake manifold, which is not too expensive to fix.

Pete

are you guys saying to go trooper or rodeo? I really had my heart set on an amigo. 4500 should be enough to tow my car plus a trailer, right?

Thanks again!
Bill

Go with a Trooper/Rodeo. Like everyone has said, the 4500# tow rating is just that a rating. The Amigo can handle it, but it is not recommended. The short wheelbase means that the Amigo is much more likely to be dragged around by the trailer, then by it being in control of the trailer.

The Trooper/Rodeo (93+ on Rodeo, 92+ on Trooper) would pull the load you are talking about much better. It would still be high on their tow rating of 5000#. The rating is just a number....I have always heard a good rule of thumb.....the true towing capacity is roughly 80% of what they list for anything over the highway for long distances, and 90% for short distances.

[EDIT] When I say Trooper/Rodeo, I mean they will tow better because of their wheelbase....however like Jeff says below, they are not the fastest when they are loaded down

On other small issue that crops up from time to time is oil usage. Not a huge deal, but some engines use more oil than others...

As far as towing, if you are on flatland for 95% of your towing, you *might* be able to get away with the Amigo from a power and pull basis (but still have the short wheelbase to consider).

My 1999 amigo has dutifully hauled our popup camper (about 1600 pounds or so) around Colorado and over to Moab with very little problems. It slows down on the hills, but still pulls 40 - 45 on most of them.

However, last November, I hauled a samurai to Moab on a tow dolly. I figured the combined weight of the sammi and tow dolly to be under 2500 pounds (sami had some of our equipment and gear in it). My amigo was noticeably slower on all the uphill stretches between Denver and Vail. On the final approach to the Eisenhower Tunnel, it was in second gear at about 3500 RPMs. While not 'struggling' it was definitely working harder than it ever did with the popup behind it...

Unfortunately, both the rodeo and trooper have basically the same engine (newer troopers have a little more HP and torque). I don't think I would recommend either to haul 3500 pounds anywhere but the low elevation flatlands...