Is it time for a new truck?

cockeyedMFer · May 19, 2014

Well my trusty 96 GMC K3500 left me stranded again last night...Pulling a car trailer home, the serpentine belt idler pulley seized up and fell off. Fortunately it didn't damage the threads and I was able to wake my wife and kids up, have them pick me up to run me back home for spare parts. Over the winter it was tire problems. Before that, it was a broken brake line, towing a 17' uhaul box truck in the rain. And a starter...and a belt tensioner...and bad trailer brake wiring. All this with only 90k on the clock.

I'm 36 and have never owned a new, or even remotely new truck. I do all my own repairs. All my equipment is in fair shape, but used. If it wasn't for my side business which involves a lot of driving and hauling cars/equipment/parts, etc, I'd just have some old beater farm truck.

But I'm getting frustrated with maintenance and upkeep, and 10mpg from the 454, and trips more than an hour or two from home always have me thinking "ok, what if something breaks". A lot of times I end up borrowing a company truck from my FT job - Ram 3500 diesel - so it seems like I'm just cheating when I say I'm getting by just fine with the old truck.

I don't want to buy a newer used truck because it seems like I'd just be inheriting someone else's problems, and used trucks aren't really that cheap compared to new. I can afford new -it would end up being a business expense as well...but its never been in the budget and would probably slow me down on some other plans I have in mind. The thought of paying sales tax on $30 or 40k alone gives me the heebie jeebies!

Should I suck it up and just spend more money on preventative maintenance? Or start shopping around?

What can I even get that will tow 12-15k lbs, preferably with 4wd and manual trans? Would consider a chassis cab/flatbed as well.

dodge man · May 19, 2014

You could get into a 3rd gen Cummins for around 15k to 30k depending on years and mileage. You could and still can get a stick shift behind the Cummins. The 3rd gen Cummins is 2003 to 2007. A stick shift isn't common but much more common than anything else. It will tow the weights you are looking at and they are fairly easy to work on. They can get expensive though if you get a bad one. Like so many things, its important to know what you are looking for when buying used.

cockeyedMFer · May 19, 2014

The company I work for has an '07 with the 6.7/auto/crew cab/SRW. Nice truck - truth be told it can work circles around my old truck. We paid $30k for it a few years ago with 10k miles on it, now its got 30k miles and is probably worth more than we paid for it.
Maintenance cost has been oil changes and tires. Fluid changes are expensive though...All that and its still an almost 8 year old truck.

That much money would buy a new 6.4 hemi 4x4 chassis cab rated to tow 14k. But still, $37k plus tax for a stripper model truck. Geez! Maybe I'm not grown up enough yet for a real truck

How do you guys make a decision like that?

RobertN · May 19, 2014

I made the decision after my old truck was at 225k miles and odd little things starting to go bad. When I did, we got the new truck as 10 year/300,000 mile truck.

Well, ten years has gone by(it is an '01 Ram2500 with diesel), only at 172,000 miles. Overall it has been very reliable. I have had to do some ball joints, brakes, and a radiator, but all those add up to a small bill. Certainly less than the $4-600/month payments would be on a new truck that is similar.

I really really like the diesel. But... I do not think I would get one now. When I got this truck, diesel was less the regular gas. And the option in the truck was less. The truck/Cummins is great when towing our 5th wheel or my tractor.

Gas trucks are getting better mileage now, gas is cheaper than diesel, and the diesel option is really really expensive.

Unless you just "want" the diesel option or are constantly towing, I would consider a gas engine.

Diamondpilot · May 19, 2014

If you are serious buy new and use it as a business expense and don't look back. I don't buy used because I end up like you and your old truck unless it's a known vehicle.

Chris

hawkeye08 · May 19, 2014

I used to run used rigs until they broke, fixed them and kept going... I am older now and really don't enjoy breaking down somewhere so a couple of years ago, we bought a new 2011 GMC 2500 HD CCSB 6.0/6sp 3.73 4wd. We ordered the truck the way we wanted it, two things I would do different. 1) order the 5th wheel trailer/truck camper wiring (it was one the early quotes, just did not get it on the order, and 2) I wish I would have ordered the 4.10 gears instead of 3.73.

With the 6 speed transmission, I have plenty of gears, but with the 3.73, at posted speed limits, I am a few hundred rpms lower than I would like, and with a small hill or headwind, it wants to shift down which gives me higher rpms than I want for cruising... long story short, get the 4.10 gears if getting a gasser with the 6 speed.

cre10 · May 19, 2014

Time for a new LTZ Dmax :thumbsup:

handirifle · May 19, 2014

I ended up going diesel and for pulling it cannot be beat. Deals on used diesels are out there, but not as many as the gassers, I wonder why? No not nocking gas engines, there's more deals cause they probably sell 5 to 1 (or more) over diesels. If you want to know what I found out from these wonderfully helpful folks here, grab a beer, or soda or glass of tea and sit and read for a while, cause it ended up being a long thread. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...onest-suggestions-about.html?highlight=diesel

I gained a WORLD of information from these guys and it helped me make an informed decision. I have not regretted it one bit.

If you go gas, there is a guy that pulls his 5th wheel in our group with his Ford 6.0 (gas) and I THINK he has fairly high gearing, like 3.73 or higher even, for better empty MPG's, but if it will be mostly towing, go with Hawkeye's suggestion and gear it for the speeds and loads you will be driving. If you're hauling heavy with a gasser, it will be happier with 4.10's than 3.73's. I found that out a long time ago. The last new truck I bought from GM (2006 1500) had the 5.3 and 4.10 gears and it was superb in the power department. I hear guys complaining, but 8K or less was a piece of cake.

Honestly, if you will be hauling 15K very often, I would seriously consider diesel. That torque is flat out amazing.

WM75Guy · May 19, 2014

Everyone here likes spending another person's money. :thumbsup: It's your decision as to whether you need a new truck or want a new truck. Only you know your finances and how important reliability is for your needs.

We buy a new diesel pickup every 5 or so years so my wife has a better chance of not being stranded pulling her horse trailer around. We buy diesels for the towing power. I have not found maintenance or fuel to be a big cost difference for us over a gas motor. I buy new for the warranty. I always get the old truck, imagine that.

Let us know what you decide.

terryknight · May 19, 2014

Your truck is 18 years old. Things break. I will go against the crowd and sayn keep and fix your truck, stay on top of maintanence and drive it. It's paid for, simple to work on, and cheap to work on. I would buy an older truck (diesel) and fix what was wrong and keep driving it. I want to be able to work on my own things and don't like all the computers and complexities of the newer vehicles. I will agree with what people have said about diesel not be what it used to be.

My tow rig is 20 years old I wouldn't want another truck