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

   / Keep current truck forever or try to afford a new one every 5-10 years? #51  
Why do you need a new fuel tank? Ive never seen a bad one. I would imagine you could braze any holes, if it has any. If it's rusty, pea gravel and a shop vac in these modern times.
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My spare truck is a 1991 F250 4x4 that had a leaking rear tank. While removing it, I found lots of grit/small pebbles etc. between the tank and skid plate that had worn lots of tiny holes in it. Not likely repairable as this covered more than half of the bottom of the tank. I installed the new tank with a layer of sound deadener on the bottom.
 
   / Keep current truck forever or try to afford a new one every 5-10 years? #52  
I bought a brand new Ram Power Wagon in 2018. Plan on keeping it forever. I DO NOT like the mechanics of the newer Power Wagons. I didn't think it could be possible - the newer Power Wagons are even more electronic and computer controlled. After four years - still learning about all the "features" on my Power Wagon.

As a senior in high school - worked in the summer for the forest service. They had the old military style power wagons. No electronics or computers. Everything was mechanical and worked every time.

We had a great trip in the mountains with a couple of those old Power Wagons. I loved them. I toyed with buying an original at one point, but decided that I would need a backup vehicle to it, just because of unexpected items breaking just due to age. I'm still toying with the idea...

All the best, Peter
 
   / Keep current truck forever or try to afford a new one every 5-10 years?
  • Thread Starter
#53  
I have owned more trucks than I can count.. Probably 20 or 25 of them. Some would last a year or less and get traded. Swap it out for about 7500.00 and drive a new one. These days my truck isn't a daily driver as we have several other vehicles. Current trucks are a 202o F450 Limited dually that i bought used with 800 miles on it. Currently has about 12K and really only gets used when I'm pulling the camper. Also have a 17 F450 4x4 dump that I bought new..Has about 13K on it now. And a 1999 F150 that I bought used from a friend...And have dumped about 15K into it at this point..It has 185K on it now and if I can get it to go to 250K..Ill call it a wash. Cars, trucks etc.. Basically you are going to have a car payment or a repair bill..Pick your poison.
Hmm, I don’t pay for repairs. If it is broken and I can‘t fix it, then it stays broken. I agree that is harder these days than it used to be. But I am ok at wrenching so I will keep doing it. I have never found any job that I thought when I paid for it, it was done better than I could do. And the last few things I paid for I had to redo.

I think I am not hard on anything, other than myself. So I keep things in good shape. My 350k 01 dodge 2500 has the original clutch in it still. The last 2 vehicles I have purchased have never seen inside a dealership or repair shop, 2016 3500 and 2014 Jeep(sold). No nothing, no recalls, no “free” oil changes. And my 01 hasn’t seen a repair shop in 10 years, and that is only because an injector went out too far from home to bring it home.
 
   / Keep current truck forever or try to afford a new one every 5-10 years? #54  
Hmm, I don’t pay for repairs. If it is broken and I can‘t fix it, then it stays broken. I agree that is harder these days than it used to be. But I am ok at wrenching so I will keep doing it. I have never found any job that I thought when I paid for it, it was done better than I could do. And the last few things I paid for I had to redo.

I think I am not hard on anything, other than myself. So I keep things in good shape. My 350k 01 dodge 2500 has the original clutch in it still. The last 2 vehicles I have purchased have never seen inside a dealership or repair shop, 2016 3500 and 2014 Jeep(sold). No nothing, no recalls, no “free” oil changes. And my 01 hasn’t seen a repair shop in 10 years, and that is only because an injector went out too far from home to bring it home.

Im pretty easy on my vehicles..Dont abuse any of them. ..That said..My 17 F450 with 13K miles is on its 3rd set of manifolds.. Done twice under warranty.. Not in 100 years would I entertain doing those myself. . Its also had rotors and callipers done under warranty.. Im a hard no at pulling those rear ends off myself as well. The 2020 F450 limited.. Not a chance in hell I'm wrenching on that truck. .. Which means once its out of warranty.. I will likely move it on. We have a couple vehicles that I can do basic repairs on..One is a 1985 CJ7. Its fairly simple.. The 99 F150... I have done several repairs myself. But repairs like from end work, transmission rebuild, heater core replacement.. Goes to the shop. We have a Porsche Macan that's out of warranty.. Needs brakes .. It has some funky electric brake system that need to be calibrated via Porsche software.. Back to the dealer for that one too... Like I said.. Car payment or repair bill.. Its a fact of life these days
 
   / Keep current truck forever or try to afford a new one every 5-10 years? #55  
My 2004 Chevy Silverado W/T 1500 in 2020 with 93k miles on it.

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Now with 101k miles on it.
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I don't really put lots of miles on my truck, but I mostly haul my tractor around to work sites now and then. Else I have a 2014 Chevy Cruze TD i use for work commuting. New vehicle prices/interest rates are just unobtainable these days.
 

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   / Keep current truck forever or try to afford a new one every 5-10 years? #56  
   / Keep current truck forever or try to afford a new one every 5-10 years? #57  
As a senior in high school - worked in the summer for the forest service. They had the old military style power wagons. No electronics or computers. Everything was mechanical and worked every time.
I think you misremember how much maintenance vehicles of that era required. Carburetors needed constant fiddling, plus regular tune ups, etc. And man, those old power wagons rode like a bulldozer.
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.
Aside from you, me and a handful of other TBN'ers, I'm not sure there IS the demand for a bare bones truck today. People say they want a "basic" truck, but can't do without the creature comforts & the tech-y stuff. Even I don't want a standard cab, an extended cab is so much more useful, likewise carpeting and a good stereo are on my list. A 6.5' bed is enough for anything I'll do today (though I wouldn't want one much shorter). A lot of people seem to want capability to integrate a cell phone with the stereo (I'm not one of them, but a USB port for a flash drive would be nice). Not even sure I'd want a manual transmission anymore, though at one time that was a "must have" with a truck.
 
   / Keep current truck forever or try to afford a new one every 5-10 years?
  • Thread Starter
#58  
I think you misremember how much maintenance vehicles of that era required. Carburetors needed constant fiddling, plus regular tune ups, etc. And man, those old power wagons rode like a bulldozer.

Aside from you, me and a handful of other TBN'ers, I'm not sure there IS the demand for a bare bones truck today. People say they want a "basic" truck, but can't do without the creature comforts & the tech-y stuff. Even I don't want a standard cab, an extended cab is so much more useful, likewise carpeting and a good stereo are on my list. A 6.5' bed is enough for anything I'll do today (though I wouldn't want one much shorter). A lot of people seem to want capability to integrate a cell phone with the stereo (I'm not one of them, but a USB port for a flash drive would be nice). Not even sure I'd want a manual transmission anymore, though at one time that was a "must have" with a truck.
Aside from a phenolic spacer I put on my 69 dodge, I haven’t touched the carb in years. Every once in a while something will die. Last time it was the ballast resistor. But it is pretty straight forward. Gas and spark…. Go…

I agree, in CO you can‘t find a “Tradesmen” Ram. They are all white colored to be work/company truck, and get sold quickly. If you wanted one you have to order and pay…
 
   / Keep current truck forever or try to afford a new one every 5-10 years? #59  
Thing to remember is that "easy to repair" doesn't apply to any new vehicle, if anyone is contemplating buying one. I have to laugh at those guys who tell me they won't buy a turbocharged V6 because they want that good 'old V8 like daddy used to drive. If they'd done their research they would know that the newer V8 are NOTHING like the old Ford 302 or the small block Chevy 350 or the Dodge 360. Ever heard of cam phasers? Water pumps that are internal, inside the engine? Cylinder deactivation? I heard the new 3.0 GM diesel is a great little engine...until I found out the oil pump is belt driven and needs to be changed periodically, which entails splitting engine and transmission and then dismantling the back of the engine. All engines, regardless of the brand, are electronically controlled now. If it begins "throwing codes" you'll need a laptop and appropriate software to find out what needs replacing - not repairing. Even simple servicing isn't so simple. Does anyone make a new vehicle with a dipstick to check transmission fluid anymore?

And now I hear that GM and Mercedes are going to charge "subscription" fees if you want your heated seats and heated steering wheel and other amenities to continue working in their new vehicles...................

My 2000 7.3 isn’t what I would consider easy to work on. A 2000 gas burner is better but it’s still computer controlled. They went to computer controlled injection in the early 90s. Vehicles have been hard to work on for way longer than people want to admit. And the “easy to work on” vehicles aren’t half as good as more modern vehicles. Those same era vehicles were done with 100k miles.
 
   / Keep current truck forever or try to afford a new one every 5-10 years? #60  
I bought my 2002 Duramax new, I got it for 0% down and they gave me 5 years to pay for it at 0% interest. When I took delivery it had 5 miles on the odometer, and I put them on during the test drive. They had to peel the plastic off the windshield so I could drive it.

It's got 345,000 miles on it now. Still runs good, tows great, but had lot of parts repaired and replaced over the years - but every time I have a problem and hear what is costs to fix I say "cheaper than a new one" and bite the bullet and fix it.

I think I paid around $38K for it new, and it will cost me at least $75K to replace it, so I figure I'll just keep on fixing it. I don't use it much these days, just farm use mostly, especially in hay season, and hauling the gooseneck trailer(s) with horses and sometimes tractors to the UP and back.

Got the cab corner delete option kicking in, and the Wisconsin winters have played havoc with the rocker panels, but I figure less metal means less weight and better fuel economy, right?
 

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