Opinions on older diesel trucks

[Lineman North Florida]

Just missed a 2017 3500 Duramax with a flatbed yesterday off of Marketplace for $9k, the lady said it ran but had an emissions light come on and she was tired of it and was going to buy a gas truck, I was the first one to message her and told her I wanted it and would be there in just a little bit to make the deal as it was about 50 miles from me and she says okay, well before I get there she sent me a message that it was sold, which pizzed me off but that's just how things work sometimes anyhow I told my wife I bet the truck would show up on marketplace in a day or two for sale for a much inflated price, sure enough today the flipper had it on there for sale. Did I say I hate flippers? LOL.

 

[Snobdds]

I bought my 6.0 for price I was willing to throw away when it did 6.0 things. That truck never did anything except run the whole time I had it. I sold it to my brother and he’s still driving it with zero problems. That truck has 370k miles. My 6.0 experience was apparently not average. View attachment 3569305

We had close to 25 6.0 over the years. During the winter the workers would do fluid maintenance on them. We never had a problem, ever.

 

[newbury]

Kinda been looking for an older model 3/4 or 1 ton diesel truck, I would prefer a Duramax and would love to find an 06-07 model but they are pretty scarce and pretty pricey when you find one so I may wind up with an 01-05 or possibly a Ford 6.0 if it's been studded and bullet proofed. What have you guys had good luck with?

I've a 2002 F350 diesel Dually, 7.3, currently on loan to one of my sons. Bought it with 115K, now approaching 200K. Got to replace the steering gearbox, gets 15mpg around town, 12 mpg when towing a 8K trailer to Mississippi. Really like it but it's too big for a daily driver in the DC area.

 

[WM75Guy]

I wouldn't hesitate to buy an older one if I needed it. I have multiple GMC diesels with very few problems. Started with a 1995 1500 with the 6.5, then went to 2500HDs with the Duramax 6.6 in a 2003, a 2008, and a 2017. Currently have the 2024 3500HD with the Duramax 6.6 and the 2024 Yukon with the Duramax 3.0, both with the 10 speed Allison. The only big issue was the 2003 did have some injectors replaced under warranty not long after we got it, then it went 150,000 miles with routine maintenance before trading it in, still with the original brakes, for the 2008. The 2008 was at 230,000 miles at trade in.

 

[Tomtint]

I had 5 or 6 Ford 6.0s.. Never kept them past 90K miles and had no problems.. Has a few 7.3s and they were low on power compared to the 6.0. Have a couple 6.8s now and they are great.. If I were to get an older diesel.. Id probably look for a 7.3 somewhere out of the rust belt areas.

 

[Paystar]

Everyone is going to be brand loyal, but I used to have an RV Logistics business and had pickups delivering RV trailers all over Canada from the factories in Indiana. So I was putting on minimum 5500 KM's a week. I had a Dodge 3500 with a Cummins and Ford Superduty's with 6.0 Powerstrokes. All in the 2007 model years. The Cummins was reliable, but I found it harder on fuel than the Ford's and I got sick of the front ends falling out of the Dodge every 50,000 KM.
I preferred the Ford chassis, and if left stock and you GET RID OF the Motorcraft Gold coolant my 6.0 Powerstrokes were trouble free. BUT, as soon as I added a bunch of power to them, they blew head gaskets. My F550 was studded and tuned and no problems other than one time I had it towed because the IPR valve failed.
One negative I have on the older Ford's is their steering system has always been kinda of.......well not the greatest.

But anyway, here's my take on it. The current new pickups have way nicer interiors in them now and I like the newer body styles. But I would take ANY old diesel over the new emission motors.

 

[Hay Dude]

Everyone is going to be brand loyal, but I used to have an RV Logistics business and had pickups delivering RV trailers all over Canada from the factories in Indiana. So I was putting on minimum 5500 KM's a week. I had a Dodge 3500 with a Cummins and Ford Superduty's with 6.0 Powerstrokes. All in the 2007 model years. The Cummins was reliable, but I found it harder on fuel than the Ford's and I got sick of the front ends falling out of the Dodge every 50,000 KM.
I preferred the Ford chassis, and if left stock and you GET RID OF the Motorcraft Gold coolant my 6.0 Powerstrokes were trouble free. BUT, as soon as I added a bunch of power to them, they blew head gaskets. My F550 was studded and tuned and no problems other than one time I had it towed because the IPR valve failed.
One negative I have on the older Ford's is their steering system has always been kinda of.......well not the greatest.

But anyway, here's my take on it. The current new pickups have way nicer interiors in them now and I like the newer body styles. But I would take ANY old diesel over the new emission motors.

I have 60,000 on my emissions RAM and haven’t had any problems.
60K miles not a lot, but wait, there’s more.
Low miles or short trips is actually what gives today’s diesel trucks problems. I do both. Usually it means not enough time to heat-up the emissions system. So I should have/should be experiencing a failure, but I haven’t.
What probably saves me is the heavy towing we do really gets the after treatment system heated up.
Today’s diesel truck emissions system has had 15+ years to be perfected and I think they have done the job.
However, it’s an additional layer or system that could break that is not on an older diesel. But an older diesel is more prone to have worn injectors, head gasket failure, etc.

Pay your money and take your chances.

 

[4570Man]

One negative I have on the older Ford's is their steering system has always been kinda of.......well not the greatest.
.

The newer wide axel Fords are probably the sharpest turning trucks on the market. The old leaf spring trucks are laughably bad. I have no idea how the engineers screwed that up so bad. The medium duty trucks turning sharper.