Keep current truck forever or try to afford a new one every 5-10 years?

[plowhog]

I am wondering about the same question. But slightly different.

I have a 2011 GMC quad cab duramax. About 230k miles. Originally I figured, as it got older, I would greatly reduce my usage by driving something else and only using the truck when I tow. Except I tow all the time. My truck is my daily driver.

My biggest concern is diesel availability. There is such a mad scramble, including regulatory, to push toward electric that it makes me more motivated to lock up a new diesel while they are readily available. Not that I'm wanting to spend that kind of cash, of course.

Trying to use an electric truck, hauling a load over high mountain passes on a regular basis is just not practical right now. So if I bought anything, it would be a diesel.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

My old co worker neighbor friend, my dad's age, drives a 97 f250 super cab, 4x4, 7.3, and had 500,000 on it a decade ago. Dallas TX is probably 5 hours away. If he goes to see his daughter in Dallas, they go in that truck. Only thing ever happened, he had to put a vacuum pump on it. Besides normal wear and tear things. Truck looks new. He does cat around in a 97 4x4 reg cab truck, just saw him in it an hour ago. My dad has a 96 7.3, 147k I think, that he keeps parked but when we haul calves to the sale, it gets used. Still very good trucks. I have a 2001 4x4, F350, 97k idling in the background because I don't use it any more, I just crank it now and then. My brother has an 02 7.3, 4x4 reg cab, still runs good. Only had a clutch put in with over 20 years of use. Lives a mile from me. You may can tell, we like Ford. But if I had to buy a newer truck, no Ford, it will be a Dodge. 6.9 and 7.3 Ford's were good. I don't want any of the newer ones. I have actually seen newer Ford's driven across the scales at the scrap yard. It was running rough. Man said he done fixed it twice, not again. Seen people spend 20,000 getting the newer trucks repaired because of engine trouble. Ford and GM. I've taken dodge's apart and rebuilt those diesels. They ain't so bad.

 

[dodge man]

I have a 2017 F150 with 38,000 miles. I can’t see buying a new one anytime soon. One problem is I don’t see any big improvements in the new ones.

 

[Sigarms]

I'm a cheap a$$ who's debt free and would like to stay that way if possible

Perhaps I'm cheaper than you LMAO (and debt free).

I've NEVER owned a new vehicle in my life.

My boss was telling me it must be nice to have money because we have 5 vehicles. 3 we bought used, one is my sons car which he bought (since he bought it himself with his own money when he was 17, his insurance is under us though) and one is my fathers car he left me when he died (I don't think I'll ever sell it unless it goes to family).

I asked my boss how many vehicles he owns. He tells me two. I ask him how much he paid for those 2 vehicles. He tells me about 100k for the two. I tell him my Toyota T100 cost me 16k (68K on it at the time), our 2008 Pilot cost us 15.5K (74K on it at the time) and our 2001 Honda 4 door accord cost us 4.8K (92K on it at the time). That's 3 vehicles bought with cash on our end for a total sum of under 37K, less than 40% of what he paid for 2 new vehicles.

I've never bought new, and I've NEVER sold a car I own. Always get at least 300K out any I buy used (generally buy under 100K on the odometer) and had two had pushing 400k before I took them to the graveyard.

Sorry, when cars can hit 40K and trucks 70K easily, I'll never buy new.

I hold fast to the rule that if you pay 40K for a brand new vehicle for cash, once you drive it off the lot you're going to lose money. That said, perhaps with cars going like homes and land, perhaps my philosophy will change.

 

[ponytug]

I am wondering about the same question. But slightly different.

I have a 2011 GMC quad cab duramax. About 230k miles. Originally I figured, as it got older, I would greatly reduce my usage by driving something else and only using the truck when I tow. Except I tow all the time. My truck is my daily driver.

My biggest concern is diesel availability. There is such a mad scramble, including regulatory, to push toward electric that it makes me more motivated to lock up a new diesel while they are readily available. Not that I'm wanting to spend that kind of cash, of course.

Trying to use an electric truck, hauling a load over high mountain passes on a regular basis is just not practical right now. So if I bought anything, it would be a diesel.

Growing up, "in the olden days", diesel was routinely cheaper than gasoline, and you could expect better mileage out of a diesel compared to a gasoline engine, all things being equal. (Diesel has an energy density about 12% higher than gasoline.)

However, with shifting global patterns of consumption, and changes in refinery catalytic streams, there isn't a profitable export / import market of "excess" European gasoline coming to the US in return for "excess" diesel. That has meant higher US diesel prices compared to gasoline for most of the country. For the last decade plus, diesel prices around here has been priced more than the difference in energy, i.e. more than 12% higher than the cost of gasoline. That means that for most owners there is not an economic return on paying extra for a diesel engine that uses more expensive fuel per mile compared to a gasoline engine. That's definitely a YMMV item depending on local pricing, but diesels tend to be sold with an add-on of $5-7k to MSRP.

I did replace a 90s vintage V8 diesel pickup over a decade ago with a gasoline V6, and I got better hill climbing, better towing, and better mileage. At the time, I had to really hunt around for a truck that wasn't gussied up with fancy sounds systems and inlays. I couldn't find a local dealer willing to sell one in fact. I flew a couple states over, bought one, and drove back 850-ish miles for less than the local dealers wanted for a truck. Nicer folks, too.

Yes, there is generally better peak torque and low end torque in diesels compared with a gasoline engine. I think that with improved engine specifications and transmissions that difference is overrated, but YMMV. (BTW: I do own several diesels; I'm just pointing out that in newer pickups, there may not be many advantages for most users.)

All the best,

Peter

 

[Hay Dude]

So what are you all thinking about the cost of new trucks? I am thinking that I am going to buy “disposable” vehicle. Something used that I don’t mind putting miles on that I can replace with something else if it gets to expensive to repair. I would only drive my 1 ton Cummins Ram for hauling etc. No trips to the store or running to the city. Try to keep my current truck literally forever. Since it seems that the replacement of a similar truck is $75k+ today, and probably more in future. The current truck will always suit my needs.

Probably a wash in the long run for cost. But I am not sure when I see new truck costs.

What is everyone else thinking on this?

I think it’s a decent philosophy. Just remember, Cummins trucks with DPF/DEF need to be run HARD fairly regularly or they will suffer issues. Pre-emissions, not so much.

Also depends on how old you are, how much longer you intend to drive.

 

[5030]

I despise payment books in general.

 

[Torvy]

Oddly enough, we noticed gas prices along I30 this weekend were often higher than same store diesel. I remember when diesel was always cheaper.

 

[JasperFrank]

When the marketing people get their collective heads out of their butts, and make a simple, durable, 25-30 MPG, easy to repair, no frills truck, two door, with an 8 foot bed, that can tow 6,000 LBs, I'd be back in the market to buy one.... But no one is making one. They aren't even trying to.
Its amazing that there is, from what I can see, a huge demand for a bare bone PU, by people that just buy cash, and this market goes un-served. And by bare bone, I mean No AC, No Nav, Roll Down windows, No extraneous electronics of any kind aside from what is required, like air bags and stuff.

I'm stuck, in the sense that after 1993, - my arbitrary date to pick, the big three US manufactures gave up on utility as any sort of market. New Trucks are all, over engineered, Luxury Vehicles.

When I see a F-250 or similar class of truck, I do look in the back to see if its ever been used. And mostly, I see that that it has not been used.

 

[Jstpssng]

When I see a F-250 or similar class of truck, I do look in the back to see if its ever been used. And mostly, I see that that it has not been used.

There's a difference between being used and beat to crap.
Before bedliners were common I used to place a sheet of plywood in the back. I don't believe in throwing things into the bed, and tie everything down because I can't stand to have things rolling around in the bed. At 150-200k miles it looks like new, but has certainly been used.

My last new truck was a 1984 F150. I was working for a landscaper and we were loading firewood from a job for her. When my coworker tossed the first piece from about 10 feet away I laid down the law. He bragged "My uncle's truck still had the temporary plates when he broke out the back window"
Exactly!! That's why we are going to take time to be careful with my year old truck.

My father wouldn't even load over the side of the bed... and made it very clear that's what the tailgate was for.