Thinking about something new to me

[rustyshakelford]

I have been off injured for a month so far and have had way to much time on my hands. I currently have a 2017 f450 that痴 loaded and stickered at 80k. Has 15k miles and is great, pulls my tractor perfect and has all the bells and whistles I could ask for. That said, I haven稚 been having to haul my tractor to much lately and will be working hard to push my UTV with sprayer in 2018. Total weight for that trailer is less than 7k worst case.

I have a 35+5 30k gooseneck, 14 dump trailer and 18 car hauler for the sprayer. I drive 72 miles for work 10 times a month and average about 12-1300 miles total per month.

What I’m thinking is to sell my truck and buy a single axle day cab and leave it hooked to the gooseneck. Register everything as Farm use only which it will be. Next is to find a daily driver. Wishes are diesel and 4x4 with the capacity to pull my sprayer. Saw a Colorado with leather and duramax for 41k. No idea about these little trucks. Not opposed to something older either.

What do y’all think about this plan? Sell expensive truck and pay cash for semi and maybe pay cash for run around car or have a small note. Hard justifying having such a big truck and trying to downsize and not needing to haul as much

Brett

 

[MossRoad]

You listed all the stuff you have... but I can't read what's new that you're thinking about? :confused3:

 

[rustyshakelford]

You listed all the stuff you have... but I can't read what's new that you're thinking about? :confused3:

Something to pull a 7k Trailer with. Wish list would be 4x4 and diesel but open to other ideas. Just going from a do it all truck to a big truck and commuter vehicle that can pull light

Brett

 

[Redlands Okie]

He is thinking of selling the high dollar newish F450 and buying a single axle 18 wheeler type truck and a used 4 x 4 diesel pickup for day driving if I read it correctly

 

[rustyshakelford]

He is thinking of selling the high dollar newish F450 and buying a single axle 18 wheeler type truck and a used 4 x 4 diesel pickup for day driving if I read it correctly

Exactly. I know it’s not a super common combo but just wondering is people think it’s crazy. I would maybe put 1500 miles a year on the big truck too

Brett

 

[frugalangler]

Folks I know that have the baby D'max are dissapointed, they just don't pull as well as expected. A couple traded for the Ram Eco-diesel and were amazed at the difference in capability. I'm not surprised, as my Eco-diesel is surprising - I've pulled right at max tow load with it (about 7200#'s net using my 18' hauler) and it had no issues (yes, I have a very good brake controller) and the truck has about 1,000# more tow rating. Real world highway not towing is about 33mpg if I run 67mph, about 30 at 71mph, and pulling my 20' Ranger bass boat brought in about 19.5mpg running some 60 2-lanes and 75 on turnpikes for a 2,000 mile round trip. Friends that have the Ram get about 2 mpg less empty and 1 mpg less towing.

I downsized from having a fleet, had a daily driver Honda, a Blazer to pull my jon boat, and a big D'max for all my other towing, max I ever tow is about 7,000# so switching to the Jeep was the best thing I ever did, it's for me a great compromise vehicle that has enough grunt to do the work, but cushy ride w/ the air suspension and all the other bells.

I know the Eco-diesel is not being sold right now, scheduled to be re-introduced in '18 as I understand, but there are some lightly used on the used market.

Just offering some real world experience, my opinion is you'd be better off w/ the Nissan Titan HD w/ the diesel - I've not herd one bad thing about them other than they are a HEAVY truck, they weigh in only a few hundred #'s less than a 3/4T D'max, but they are supposedly a 1/2T HD

 

[bdog]

Brett,

You and I are a lot alike in our equipment. I have a 17 450 KR, a 32’ tandem dual, etc.

I often struggle with this type of decision. I have 19 things here with Diesel engines. Sounds cool and in some ways it is great having the tools you need for virtually anything but it becomes a major pain to maintain everything. On road stuff needs inspections, registrations, insurance on top of oil changes and such.

In 2015 I bought a peterbilt 379 and a 53’ step deck. I have one machine that weighs close to 20k and while I have hauled it behind the 450 it is a lot of weight for it and I go out of state and the IFTA/IRP stuff is a nightmare on a daily driver. I have never taken the 450 out of state with a GCWR over 26k I always use the semi. In state I use the pickup whenever possible.

While my semi is a tandem and you are looking at a single they are both great and very capable but they are pains in their own ways. Insurance and registration is higher. Farm registration will obviously be a lot cheaper but insurance I don’t know. I pay about 5k a year to insure the Pete for liability only. The other pain is they are difficult to maneuver. A pickup and gooseneck can go pretty much anywhere a semi not so much. You also lose 4wd. Also semis can pull anything but unless you get something over 500hp you won’t be doing it in a hurry. My Pete has 430hp and can run down the interstate at 80 but it has very little passing power and slows down a lot on hills. My F-450 with the 20k machine on the gooseneck does better on hills than the semi with the 20k machine and my pickup on the trailer. Not an apples to apples comparison but my point is coming from your 450 you will likely be disappointed in the power. Saftey margin, stopping, will be better though.

As to other vehicles I too am getting to where I dislike driving my 450 everywhere everyday. Nearly have 30k on her now. Great truck but it is a pain parking in a lot of places and the mileage isn’t great. Not that the mileage really matters if we are buying 80k trucks who cares about 12 vs 18 mpg unless you were driving 500 miles every day. I think about getting a half ton to cruise around in or maybe even a car but I haven’t. One more thing to insure, maintain and register.

 

[rustyshakelford]

Brett,

You and I are a lot alike in our equipment. I have a 17 450 KR, a 32’ tandem dual, etc.

I often struggle with this type of decision. I have 19 things here with Diesel engines. Sounds cool and in some ways it is great having the tools you need for virtually anything but it becomes a major pain to maintain everything. On road stuff needs inspections, registrations, insurance on top of oil changes and such.

In 2015 I bought a peterbilt 379 and a 53’ step deck. I have one machine that weighs close to 20k and while I have hauled it behind the 450 it is a lot of weight for it and I go out of state and the IFTA/IRP stuff is a nightmare on a daily driver. I have never taken the 450 out of state with a GCWR over 26k I always use the semi. In state I use the pickup whenever possible.

While my semi is a tandem and you are looking at a single they are both great and very capable but they are pains in their own ways. Insurance and registration is higher. Farm registration will obviously be a lot cheaper but insurance I don’t know. I pay about 5k a year to insure the Pete for liability only. The other pain is they are difficult to maneuver. A pickup and gooseneck can go pretty much anywhere a semi not so much. You also lose 4wd. Also semis can pull anything but unless you get something over 500hp you won’t be doing it in a hurry. My Pete has 430hp and can run down the interstate at 80 but it has very little passing power and slows down a lot on hills. My F-450 with the 20k machine on the gooseneck does better on hills than the semi with the 20k machine and my pickup on the trailer. Not an apples to apples comparison but my point is coming from your 450 you will likely be disappointed in the power. Saftey margin, stopping, will be better though.

As to other vehicles I too am getting to where I dislike driving my 450 everywhere everyday. Nearly have 30k on her now. Great truck but it is a pain parking in a lot of places and the mileage isn’t great. Not that the mileage really matters if we are buying 80k trucks who cares about 12 vs 18 mpg unless you were driving 500 miles every day. I think about getting a half ton to cruise around in or maybe even a car but I haven’t. One more thing to insure, maintain and register.

I’m glad you replied! It would be much cheaper to just pay to haul when I need it but I don’t like relying on other people and working around their schedule. I need to check my truck and see how many miles I’ve pulled the big trailer this year but it’s got to be less than 2k. Those single axle day cabs are about the shortest I could get and might miss 4wd. Have to drive smarter though. Who do you recommend for insurance? Strictly be Farm use and not leave probably 100 miles from Home. I love the 450 but not using it enough to justify all the negatives that come with it. Mainly trying to slow down and be home more.

Selling it and buying another truck for similar money but less capabilities wouldn’t make sense though so I’m wanting to do something where it actually make sense. We’re already paying $300 a month for insurance for it and my wife’s 18 tahoe. All these natural disasters has been killing this area and state for insurance the last couple years

Ideally I’d like an older dodge or duramax but those are getting harder to find that haven’t had the tar drove out of them and then the ford has spoiled me to incredible Bluetooth, auto highbeams etc

Brett

 

[bdog]

Depending on what you need to do and where you are paying to haul might not be a bad idea. I did that for a year back around 2010 or so. It worked ok but my problem was when I haul stuff to jobs I often take my 5 man crew with me and it was very tricky scheduling things where I didn't have people standing around waiting. If I was doing stuff by myself and only hauling 2k miles a year I would look hard at it. Particularly if you are in an area where there are lots of people doing hauling. $2.50 a mile seems to be a average going rate. At 2k miles a year you could get all your hauling done for $5,000. If everything is 100 miles from home or less you may even be able to drive your machines to close jobs. I have driven my tractor over 100 miles before when I first bought it to bring it home. I wouldn't recommend going that far but 10-20 miles isn't a big deal in a rural areas. We drove both my backhoe and tractor about 10 miles each way to a job a few months ago as it was quicker than getting the trailer and tieing them down.

State Farm was the cheapest I found on insurance. They will insure a semi but not if you have a MC number (hauling authority) You don't need a MC number for what it sounds like you are wanting to do. We have an MC number and had to switch to Progressive. Costs more but we had to make the change to get the coverage we needed.

What is your main dislike on the 450? Just the size and parking? With only 15k miles on it over a year the fuel economy isn't a big factor. You might have spent around $3,000 in diesel for those 15k miles over the year. If you got something that got twice the mileage you would save $1500 a year in fuel. Thats not significant enough to justify the cost of trading. If just trying to save money I am not sure replacing your 450 with a a smaller pickup and a semi will do that for you once you figure in insurance costs for both, maintenance costs for both, etc. not to mention you would be driving around in a lesser truck

 

[rustyshakelford]

Depending on what you need to do and where you are paying to haul might not be a bad idea. I did that for a year back around 2010 or so. It worked ok but my problem was when I haul stuff to jobs I often take my 5 man crew with me and it was very tricky scheduling things where I didn't have people standing around waiting. If I was doing stuff by myself and only hauling 2k miles a year I would look hard at it. Particularly if you are in an area where there are lots of people doing hauling. $2.50 a mile seems to be a average going rate. At 2k miles a year you could get all your hauling done for $5,000. If everything is 100 miles from home or less you may even be able to drive your machines to close jobs. I have driven my tractor over 100 miles before when I first bought it to bring it home. I wouldn't recommend going that far but 10-20 miles isn't a big deal in a rural areas. We drove both my backhoe and tractor about 10 miles each way to a job a few months ago as it was quicker than getting the trailer and tieing them down.

State Farm was the cheapest I found on insurance. They will insure a semi but not if you have a MC number (hauling authority) You don't need a MC number for what it sounds like you are wanting to do. We have an MC number and had to switch to Progressive. Costs more but we had to make the change to get the coverage we needed.

What is your main dislike on the 450? Just the size and parking? With only 15k miles on it over a year the fuel economy isn't a big factor. You might have spent around $3,000 in diesel for those 15k miles over the year. If you got something that got twice the mileage you would save $1500 a year in fuel. Thats not significant enough to justify the cost of trading. If just trying to save money I am not sure replacing your 450 with a a smaller pickup and a semi will do that for you once you figure in insurance costs for both, maintenance costs for both, etc. not to mention you would be driving around in a lesser truck

The mileage doesn’t bother me. It’s an operating expense. It’s makinf the note once a month on a truck I’m not using to pull with. I hauled a lot more with my old 250 and 25+5 than I do know. I was thinking I would be continuing down that path and upgraded everything. Now it takes twice as long to chain things down, constant look for the law since I stick out much more now and don’t want to go thru that hassle and the wear and tear on such a nice truck. If I cut my note in half and my insurance in half that would cover my tractor payment. That’s a bunch of extra money in the bank every year and all I’m giving up is some creature comforts. I have a 5year old and it’s finally sinking in that I’m not going to have Years with him like I do now and we aren’t having anymore kids. I’d rather be home with him than in the tractor seat 50miles away mowing all day. I can easily pay all my bills with my day job, reducing my truck note would just be extra money in the bank and I’ll only do local stuff. They have some old day cabs for 6-7k. As long as they are decent on brakes and wear items I think it would be safe to buy it.

Brett

 

[JESSE1]

I've been thinking about doing this for quite a while. I have a '15 F-450 that is paid for, also have an extended warranty good for the next three years. I've been on the lookout for a good farm truck that I could put a flatbed on, license it for farm use and keep it long term for my heavy hauling jobs. Problem is finding a good truck that hasn't been used up. Most likely and probably the best choice would be a pre-DPF International 4300 or 4400 with a DT 466 with at least 240hp. I'd prefer a seven speed manual trans but a five speed Allison would work. Seems to be quite a few tractors used to haul beverage trailers available. One that's come off lease would be best but they're higher in price.

 

[bdog]

Makes sense. Just be aware semis can get expensive in a hurry. I bought mine in late 2015 and have only put about 20k miles on it. I have had nothing major go wrong with it but have spent close to 7k in repairs for little things here and there - tires, air bags, replacing all coolant hoses, this that and the other.

The DT 466 is a good motor. I currently own two Internationals both 4800's. One has the 466 and the other the 7.3 powerstroke (444E I think?) Aside from these two I have also owned two other Internationals a 4300 with the 466 and another 4800 with the DT360. They are tanks and run and run but they are all dogs. I was pulling my backhoe on a pintle trailer behind my 4300 with the 466. On moderate hills that the cruise maintains 70 with my F-450 and the backhoe the international slowed to 40 MPH. Again it works but is miserable to drive. I actually traded that 4300 in on the peterbilt. 240 HP in a truck that weighs around 15k can't compete with a F-450 with twice the HP and 2/3 the weight.

 

[JESSE1]

My '15 F-450 has been the best truck I've ever had. With the extended warranty I have no reason to get rid of it any time soon. I'm not sure about keeping it past the warranty. I haven't had any problems with it in three years but if there's any major powertrain problems out of warranty they can be real expensive. I've been very satisfied with the power and the way it handles a trailer. Best alternative would be a pre-computer medium duty truck but most all of them are worn out by now.

 

[rustyshakelford]

I've been thinking about doing this for quite a while. I have a '15 F-450 that is paid for, also have an extended warranty good for the next three years. I've been on the lookout for a good farm truck that I could put a flatbed on, license it for farm use and keep it long term for my heavy hauling jobs. Problem is finding a good truck that hasn't been used up. Most likely and probably the best choice would be a pre-DPF International 4300 or 4400 with a DT 466 with at least 240hp. I'd prefer a seven speed manual trans but a five speed Allison would work. Seems to be quite a few tractors used to haul beverage trailers available. One that's come off lease would be best but they're higher in price.

I had the perfect truck and sold it to a buddy when he was in a bind. This was about 18 months ago. 01 F350 CCLB 6 speed 4x4 7.3 with 170k miles. Truck was nearly mint. I’m kicking myself. I could sell my 450 and pay cash for a big truck with some money set aside for repairs and not have any truck note. Live and learn but man I miss that truck. It was a unicorn and nearly immpossible to find. The 450 is great but I hate chaining stuff down and really hauling and only do it if I have too.

Makes sense. Just be aware semis can get expensive in a hurry. I bought mine in late 2015 and have only put about 20k miles on it. I have had nothing major go wrong with it but have spent close to 7k in repairs for little things here and there - tires, air bags, replacing all coolant hoses, this that and the other.

The DT 466 is a good motor. I currently own two Internationals both 4800's. One has the 466 and the other the 7.3 powerstroke (444E I think?) Aside from these two I have also owned two other Internationals a 4300 with the 466 and another 4800 with the DT360. They are tanks and run and run but they are all dogs. I was pulling my backhoe on a pintle trailer behind my 4300 with the 466. On moderate hills that the cruise maintains 70 with my F-450 and the backhoe the international slowed to 40 MPH. Again it works but is miserable to drive. I actually traded that 4300 in on the peterbilt. 240 HP in a truck that weighs around 15k can't compete with a F-450 with twice the HP and 2/3 the weight.

That’s what I’m worried about. I’m hoping a fleet maintained truck would be pretty solid and only sold because of years or miles and not impending doom! I honestly don’t know what to do. I guess I don’t have to do anything but hate driving this truck so much for no other reason than taking my boy to school. I would much rather put miles on something else that won’t kill the value

My '15 F-450 has been the best truck I've ever had. With the extended warranty I have no reason to get rid of it any time soon. I'm not sure about keeping it past the warranty. I haven't had any problems with it in three years but if there's any major powertrain problems out of warranty they can be real expensive. I've been very satisfied with the power and the way it handles a trailer. Best alternative would be a pre-computer medium duty truck but most all of them are worn out by now.

Repairs on just about anything out of warranty can be brutal!

Brett

 

[JESSE1]

This is the type of truck I'm thinking about. Just need to add a flatbed. Pull more than any pickup could and still be small enough to maneuver. http://www.vttrucks.com/inventory/?...national-4400-sba?dlr=1&pcid=2000835556&sfc=0

 

[rustyshakelford]

This is the type of truck I'm thinking about. Just need to add a flatbed. Pull more than any pickup could and still be small enough to maneuver. http://www.vttrucks.com/inventory/?...national-4400-sba?dlr=1&pcid=2000835556&sfc=0

Man that is sharp. Chrome wheels too! Have them toss on some new headlights and I think you’ll have something real nice. I need to check them out and see what else they have. Liability insurance only was quoted at 90per Month on a bigger Volvo and my Trailer. How would you register it? Farm use only?

Brett

 

[JESSE1]

I'd register it for farm use. I've seen those trucks pulling Coca Cola trailers delivering to stores. If my truck was closer to being out of warranty I'd definitely check it out.

 

[rustyshakelford]

I'd register it for farm use. I've seen those trucks pulling Coca Cola trailers delivering to stores. If my truck was closer to being out of warranty I'd definitely check it out.

Man you’ve really got me thinking. I was looking at wore out Volvo’s for 7-9k. For a little more money I could buy a real nice tractor from them

Brett