Best Truck for value?

[1_pointer]

Currently driving a 2009 3/4 ton dodge hemi at work...lots of power for sure. Mileage is better than the F250 diesel, at least empty...at around 16-17 mpg. Towing its about 13-14. I dont like the ride much, real rough. So far, with only 10K miles on it I'd give it a 8/10.

In my experience, this is putting it mildly for the 3/4 Dodge diesels. I think the only more uncomfortable thing I've ridden in is an '85 CJ5.

For my use, I'd have to pull stuff alot heavier and a lot more often than I do now to justify a 3/4 ton or a diesel. My Avalanche pulled a full size car on a dolly 1700miles without a hitch. Don't know how that compares to others towing, just my limited amount.

 

[----]

My 01 1/2 ton Chevy is turning in to a money pit, but it's a great truck when it's not in the shop.
The 5.3 makes way more power than I would've expected, but also gets worse mileage than I expected as well.

 

[Goldtip]

I have an 05 dodge 3/4ton with the cummins. Ride is not good, it's rough and interior is not as "finished" as in my Buddies GMC 3/4ton duramax of the same year. I get better mileage by about 4-5mpg, his drives nicer. When both of us have hooked to my 13-14k loaded toyhauler, my Cummins still gets better mileage and even he agrees has slightly more power when pulling a grade. Only complaint I have against his truck is the turning radius, it sucks badly, you can't turn the thing around in a walmart parking lot, he agrees. His only complaint with my truck is it rides like a lumber wagon. Both of us are very happy with what we've got.

 

[NChunter]

I have a 2007 chevy 4X4 diesel and have had no problems whatsoever with it. It gets pretty good mileage, about 16 around town or highway and 12-15 towing, depending on weight of load. Offroad the suspension is pretty stiff, so the ride is a little rough. I have only been stuck in it one time and that was in soft sand on the beach at Cape Hatteras. It does well in rock and mud. My son has a Toyota Tundra 4X4 with the big engine that gets great mileage. We used it hunting in Colorado and it does great offroad, and it has not been stuck in sand either. The suspension on it is perfect for offroad. My son has a 21' boat that it does great towing also. Unless I needed to tow heavy loads all the time, I would go with the Toyota Tundra.

 

[upper deck]

I will start by saying I was always a chevy fan loved the 350 and the 5.3 engine also thought the chevys rode the best and gave me the best MPG.

I have to say now days I have grown to Like the Ford F150 I had a 07, 09 and now an 11. The 07 I would have stayed with a Chevy but the 09 truck changed me. The MPGs were great hwy always over 17.5 usually closer to 18.5 and not just off the computer.

I put about 95000 to 100,000 on them in 2 year give or take a couple months. The 09 F150 (96,000) is still very quiet and smooth riding in fact my dad just bought that truck from me.

If I was buying one personally today it would be a Ford F150 09 or newer when they made the last major changes.

 

[BirdDogWebb]

Sytes, just curious, what do you drive or tow with now?
How many miles are you towing on those 6 or so trips ?
Are you hawling any weight on your other trips ?
Do you think you will ever need to haul more horses or get a larger trailer ?
What kind of mileage are you looking at on the truck to buy ?
What kind of mileage or how long do plan on keeping the new truck ?
Is your trailer bumper pull or goose neck ?

Sorry for all the questions but there is a lot to consider when buying a truck to put to use other than commute. Especially when towing.

 

[Sytes]

Sytes, just curious, what do you drive or tow with now?
How many miles are you towing on those 6 or so trips ?
Are you hawling any weight on your other trips ?
Do you think you will ever need to haul more horses or get a larger trailer ?
What kind of mileage are you looking at on the truck to buy ?
What kind of mileage or how long do plan on keeping the new truck ?
Is your trailer bumper pull or goose neck ?

Sorry for all the questions but there is a lot to consider when buying a truck to put to use other than commute. Especially when towing.

Boy, this thread has turned into a wealth of great information! Tons of great points and opinions shared via experience to consider! Draftstud's post and many others hit home pretty solid.

Good questions:
What do you drive or tow with now?
1. Haul my boat and hunt trailer with my Chevy s-10 4wd (4.3l v6 vortec)
1b. Haul horse trailer with friends F250 '88 model on the one occasion (back country fishing trip) since I sold it to him a year ago.
1c. If 1 horse and trailer on non mtn roads (local mainly), I have used my S-10... not the greatest choice though it is doable - think the weight is around 4.5k + another 1k for the horse... Max for my 4.3l
How many miles are you towing on those 6 or so trips ?
Hmmm - 100-300 round trip max?
Are you hauling any weight on your other trips ?
Johnboat and hunting storage transport trailer.
Do you think you will ever need to haul more horses or get a larger trailer ?
No. I don't see any heavier weight than discussed above.
What kind of mileage are you looking at on the truck to buy ?
14+ would be great! I would like to see 18+ commuting though not bound to that #.
What kind of mileage or how long do plan on keeping the new truck ?
Want to see it stay around for at least 5 years.
Is your trailer bumper pull or goose neck ?
All my trailers are bumper pull.

Looking forward to what you compute from this info.

Think I am leaning towards a 3/4 ton though some of these newer 1/2 tons seem to have much higher rated tow capability. As for gas or diesel - leaning towards gas... I can poke slower uphill - and they seem to have a smoother ride along with quieter engine noise. Though even this is on the fence - that diesel torque is darn nice to have when desired...

Sweetnectar can vouch for how well a Ford can withstand a rifle blast through the cab at point blank.

Haha! Something I should seriously consider... haha! Sounds like a pretty interesting story - road hunting reach for the rifle wedged between the seat and center console? Never popped a round off though could see it happening... haha! - Yep, I admit - I road hunt... I have done a slow roll along a back country road... doe freezer meat simplicity...

 

[mdunc8]

I'll never by a Chevy again. They're nothing but giant pieces of #%@. Either a Ford or Yota from now on.

 

[BirdDogWebb]

Sytes
"What kind of mileage are you looking at on the truck to buy ?
14+ would be great! I would like to see 18+ commuting though not bound to that #."
I should rephrase that.. How many miles are on the truck wish to buy ? 50k to 100k or over 100k.

 

[Sytes]

Sytes
"What kind of mileage are you looking at on the truck to buy ?
14+ would be great! I would like to see 18+ commuting though not bound to that #."
I should rephrase that.. How many miles are on the truck wish to buy ? 50k to 100k or over 100k.

Ahhh,
Diesel - up to 75k would be okay.
Gas - as low as possible... maybe up to 35k.

 

[wgiles]

My F350 is 7600 lb. empty weight. I would rather have a truck that weighs around 6000 lb. empty. All that extra weight has to be hauled around all of the time. You can kind of judge a truck by its weight. My light F150s weigh about 5400 Lb empty. They aren't built to handle a heavy trailer, but I pull a 1500 Lb tool trailer all the time with a 4.9L straight 6 and 5 speed manual transmission. I can feel the loss of power when I pull the tool trailer up a decent grade. When I pull my 16' flatbed with a 3000 Lb load, it's hard to maintain 65 MPH on the interstate on flat ground.

 

[BirdDogWebb]

“Best Truck for value”
Every one has their own opinions on trucks. There are good and bad in all of them.
If you are leaning toward a diesel I would suggest Dodge 2500 with 5.9 cummins. The 6.7 seem to have more problems with the emission system while driving around on shorter trips. The cummins will be relatively cheaper to work on, being a str 6 instead of v8.
Just my opinion the cummins is more durable, being a str 6 instead of the v8.
The valve covers on a 96 power stroke will cost $250. To replace the head gasket on a dmax can cost you up to $6000 at the dealership- the body has to be lifted off the chassis to pull the heads.
I would recommend replacing injectors around 200k miles. Diesel fuel lubricates the cyl walls,. With bad injectors you get bad fuel supply to the cylinders resulting a shorter engine life.
You might check around to see what is involve in changing injectors on ford, dmax and cummins. The newer models may require lifting the body to be able to replace the back injector. That could be very costly if you are not doing it your self.
Like wgiles said, oil changes can be very costly.

On a diesel I would have it scanned (not at the dealership) to see if there are any engine trouble codes.
On a diesel look for any signs of sticky tape, velcro or bracket of some sort around the dash or a pillar- from after market chip or box. Stay clear if signs are present.
On a diesel you will wear your tires more - even without doing burnouts, lol, just from the foot in the pedal to feel the torque because you can. (loaded or not)
On a diesel look for blow by- drive it until it is hot, take the oil filler cap off look for oil/smoke blowing out or place something flat over the fill hole(to see if it blows off)
If you go diesel you will always want to add something to it get more torque and power….that can be costly

On a gaser with 35k you should get 5+ years and 100k + miles.
On a diesel with 75k to 100k you should get 5+ years and several 100k miles.

The maintenance on a gaser is much cheaper but the durability on a diesel is much longer.

With what you are used to towing with, along with the distance and weight, you will probably be satisfied with a gaser ½ or ¾ ton. (¾ ton should have slightly larger brake pads rotors and wheel bearings) You probably won’t be satisfied with mpg on the V10. Try to stay with 3.55 gears or higher, to help mpg.
With that amount of weight the GVWR shouldn’t be a concern - if you ever have to scale.

With having a bumper pull trailer, the height of the truck shouldn’t be a problem- on a short goose neck behind a truck that sits higher you would have problems.

I had a 2000 dodge 3500 and delivered rvs out of Indiana. Having a dually while towing on long hauls running with heavy traffic, big trucks and wind, realy makes a difference. Made a few trips to your state and south of you really enjoyed that truck.
It had 171k miles when I let it go. I now have a 96 Ford F350 powerstroke 4dr long bed (school bus) - with a few mods. @ 246k miles and still running strong. 1 degree a few weeks ago and started fine. But man I miss that cummins.

You didn't realize I was going to write a book....
Good Luck on your purchase/decision.

 

[idnative1948]

BDW-
Very informative post with good info from a use standpoint. Many points to consider. Thanks.

 

[wgiles]

BDW

I'll go along with everything that you said.

 

[2rocky]

BDW has some good points. To me the question comes down to whether you want a 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton. The last vehicle I bought was in 2003 so I have not looked at the latest innovations.

Remember the 3/4 ton in addition to having more power, sturdier suspension and a bigger transmission will also have bigger braking surface. Sometimes getting stopped is more important than how fast you get up the mountain. Especially with a trailer. I've never felt like I had too much truck to tow, and you will find that you will buy as much trailer as your truck can handle when the opportunity arises.

If I were to go back to a 1/2 ton there are some non USA models I would check out, in addition to my GM's that have been dependable. The truck on the ranch is a 3/4 ton Ford and has been NOn-opped for the last 3 years.

 

[tarheel]

I'm a Chevy person myself; here are some that I keep around for spares.

 

[Sytes]

Good pics there, Tarheel... You restore - or is that more the ~ Chevy garden historical museum?

Think I am down to a 3/4 ton gas truck. Was going back and forth on diesel or gas. Diesel gets a bit better mpg though cost of the diesel itself (and the additional cost for the vehicle) I believe will exceed the value for my use. Along with the comfort factor and quieter use (especially during hunting).

Now - it is a decision of what make of gas 3/4 ton truck.

Along with all the great info shared here (A TON! Thanks!) I came across a few articles / reviews:

The down side. Diesels can cost over $4000 more. If you keep them a long time, or pull trailers constantly, the cost of the diesel option will be minimized. You know diesels are louder than gas engines. If you buy a diesel with a manual transmission, it will require more skill to shift. In very cold conditions you will need to plug in block heaters and be sure you are using blended fuel, #2 and #1. And the ever popular if you get diesel on your hands while filling your tank you will smell it for a few days option. Oil changes will cost twice as much or more than gas trucks, and in area's where you are required to have an emission test on trucks, the diesel costs more.

1/2 ton, 3/4 ton or 1 ton? Rear Axles ExplainedThe size of the truck you need depends of course on your needs. ½ tons and light duty ¾ tons are for light duty work, loaded part-time. Heavy-duty ¾ tons, 1 tons and above are designed to be loaded all of the time. They have twice as many tapered bearings in the rear axle. It’s called a full floating axle, similar to semi-truck eighteen-wheelers. While ½ ton pickups have a semi-floating axle similar to a car, with just 2 bearings. ½ tons and light duty ¾ tons will have a flush axle housing matching the wheel. With the heavy duty ¾ ton, 1 ton trucks and larger, the rear axle housing will actually stick out past the wheel and have an additional 8 bolts on the end of the hub holding the axle into the wheel hub with the axle "floating" between between the wheel hub and differential. Rolls Royce invented the "full floating" axle before WWII.

My point is diesels don't save you dramatically over a gas engine as they once did. The underlying reason folks buy diesels is power. The diesel side of the debate gets championed more than the gas side. I like to show more than one viewpoint. If you tow heavy trailers the majority of the time, the diesel makes sense as with over-the-road semi-trucks. But the majority of truck owners now use their trucks as a car and pull trailers less then 25% of it's life. Sometimes I get email from folks telling me how shocked they were at their first oil change cost of $75 to $100 for their diesel. Back when our choices in the late eighties where the new Dodge Cummins diesel in 89 or a just fuel injected Ford 460 or GM 454, then diesels could get twice the fuel mileage of a gas engine. Now we have gas engines that without a load can get 14-16 mpg verses a diesel 17-19 mpg highway miles and loaded pulling a trailer at 10-11 verses a diesel at 14-16 mpg. Bottom line, not everyone who pulls a trailer would save money with the diesel option. My mission is showing the strengths of the minority view.

http://www.mrtruck.net/sub1.htm

Leads me to these choices:
2007 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Crew Cab / 2007 GMC Sierra 2500HD Crew Cab

http://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/silverado-2500hd/2007/?sub=crew-cab&features=4-wheel drive,Transmission - automatic,

What Edmunds Says
With major improvements in build quality and cabin refinement to go along with its incredible work capabilities, the all-new 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD is a strong candidate for top honors in the full-size heavy-duty pickup segment...

2007 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Quad Cab
http://www.edmunds.com/dodge/ram-pickup-2500/2007/?sub=quad-cab&features=4-wheel drive,Transmission - automatic,

What Edmunds Says
The 2007 Dodge Ram 2500's powerful engines, precise steering and well-built and functional interior make it a solid choice for hard-core truck users.

2007 Ford F-250 Super Duty Crew Cab
http://www.edmunds.com/ford/f-250-super-duty/2007/?sub=crew-cab&features=4-wheel drive,Transmission - automatic,

What Edmunds Says
High payload and towing capacities and a wide variety of configurations and special-edition models help make the aging Ford F-250 Super Duty a viable option for those who need a hard-core pickup civilized enough for everyday use.

2008 Toyota Tundra CrewMax Cab
http://www.edmunds.com/toyota/tundra/2008/?sub=crewmax-cab&features=4-wheel drive,Transmission - automatic,

What Edmunds Says
A top choice for a full-size pickup, the 2008 Toyota Tundra gets it right in terms of performance, work ability, road manners and available configurations and equipment.

 

[wgiles]

I can't argue with anything that you just said. Another thing to consider is that gas and diesel fuel prices don't necessarily track each other. Diesel seems to go up and stay up. My average diesel price has gone from $2.70 to above $3.30 in the last year. I haven't bought any for a while and I'm afraid to look. Fuel mileage is important, but depends on how many miles you drive and how much you paid for your truck. The higher the price, the better the mileage needs to be. I try to buy cheap and not worry about the cost of fuel, but it keeps getting more expensive.

 

[nylogger]

I don't know how much of impact the latest emission changes have made on performance and mileage of today's light-trucks. It has always been a good idea to let the other guy be the guinea pig. If things check out in a year or two than buy in. With big trucks, fuel mileage is down ,reliability is down and cost is up. I'm getting about 5 mpg with my 99 truck . Some of the newer trucks in the same HP are getting 3.4 mpg. This is a huge difference especially as fuel pushes $4 and than ? Cat gave up on its new lower emission truck motors when they became unreliable. Cat no longer is building truck engines. The cost of this regulation has raised the cost of a new engine by over $20,000 .
If you look under the drivers side on the new chevy diesel their is a large box . I don't know what the box does but if you offroad than the box is going to be expensive to replace.

 

[tarheel]

Answer to Sytes

No museum; just threw those out as a breather, as the thread was getting pretty intense. All good info and experiences though! The pics were actually of the boneyard on a ranch in Wyoming. That will be the topic of a future post.