Just can't get a good basic truck, like the old days!

[paulsharvey]

For the cab and chassis side of things; a "medium" duty, cab and chassis, for $67,400. Nope, thats not cheap, but there are Ford Rangers going for the same price.

 

[paulsharvey]

North Carolina, here's a new, 2024, CV 4x4, dump body, for $89k. This specific one is GVW of 23k. I believe you can configure them up to a GVW of 33k.

Although, strictly as a dump truck; its got a high curb weight, a low GVWR, and a pretty limited payload; of about 3 tons

Edit: it doesn't look like it can be configured for GVWR over 26k, so i was mistaken on that

.

 

[Jstpssng]

I find it ironic (Enviro today.... allegedly), as AFAIK, most of the plants/animals where road-brine is used are not Salt Water versions....

I think it started in the cities (like many things)..... if you put down Sand (works well, much of the time), then it can shorten the cleanout-cycle for storm-drains. So, flood the road with brine instead.... just washes away later, as does your vehicle-body/frame......

Rgds, D.

The difference is that with brine, two days after a storm people can go back to driving like it’s sunny and 70.
Sanding still leaves the ice until spring.

 

[paulsharvey]

Here is a chart i had AI make, showing 1975-2025, and Household income vs average 1 Ton base model truck sale price. Things seem to track around 50% of annual household income buys a 1 ton, until the year 2000, and shoots up pretty fast to currently, nearly 5/6th of the average household income for a new 1 ton.

 

[RB5]

Here is a chart i had AI make, showing 1975-2025, and Household income vs average 1 Ton base model truck sale price. Things seem to track around 50% of annual household income buys a 1 ton, until the year 2000, and shoots up pretty fast to currently, nearly 5/6th of the average household income for a new 1 ton.View attachment 4071771

Mid 2000s is about then they all started adding more and more tech and sensors to the trucks. After that the EPA under Obama started adding more and more restrictions. That confirms what we have all been talking about. It is stupid to add $10k or more to the price to get one or two more mpg. Government regulations are killing the middle income families. I get it that some people like having a loaded out truck, but not everyone does.

 

[Oaktree]

The difference is that with brine, two days after a storm people can go back to driving like it’s sunny and 70.
Sanding still leaves the ice until spring.

And all that sand's gotta be cleaned up in the spring. Road dept in my town just uses a rotary broom to sweep it off to the side...into everyone's yard. Bad enough cleaning up what got plowed there.
The section of road my property's on gets zero sun 6 months out of the year, so no solar melting at all. On the plus side, the town uses very little road salt, just sand.

 

[Hay Dude]

For the cab and chassis side of things; a "medium" duty, cab and chassis, for $67,400. Nope, thats not cheap, but there are Ford Rangers going for the same price.View attachment 4067361View attachment 4067362

Not everyone can own/operate a truck like that, but everyone can own/operate a Ford Ranger. That’s why the price is so comparably high.

Mid 2000s is about then they all started adding more and more tech and sensors to the trucks. After that the EPA under Obama started adding more and more restrictions. That confirms what we have all been talking about. It is stupid to add $10k or more to the price to get one or two more mpg. Government regulations are killing the middle income families. I get it that some people like having a loaded out truck, but not everyone does.

You are so correct my friend. Making trucks with the DPF/DEF system was a failure. (And don’t gorget cooled EGR from 2004.5)
It added a $10,000 layer of expense to the purchase price and added my cost to operate with DEF fluids and reduced reliability/more repairs.
#Nanny State.

 

[paulsharvey]

Not everyone can own/operate a truck like that, but everyone can own/operate a Ford Ranger. That’s why the price is so comparably high.


You are so correct my friend. Making trucks with the DPF/DEF system was a failure. (And don’t gorget cooled EGR from 2004.5)
It added a $10,000 layer of expense to the purchase price and added my cost to operate with DEF fluids and reduced reliability/more repairs.
#Nanny State.

Im not arguing that, but I do have a question. Yall remember Class-D driver's license; I think from 9,999 to 25,999. When I was younger, you needed a D in Florida for a lot of the non-CDL box trucks, service vans, the International CV, Ford 550, ect. So, the stupid question part, do Class E licenses, in All states cover upto 25,999, or does that vary by state?

Guess when I read the statement, my first thought was; yeah, of coarse everyone can drive that, its 23,000. Then, I realized that you weren't meaning gov regs, it might be space, maneuverability, parking, and operator skill...

 

[paulsharvey]

Heck, im assuming a basic passenger vehicle license is a Class E everywhere, and maybe thats not the case?

 

[Eagle1]

Heck, im assuming a basic passenger vehicle license is a Class E everywhere, and maybe thats not the case?

Not the same everywhere.

Missouri driver's license classes include Class F (the standard license for most vehicles), various Commercial Driver's Licenses (CDLs) (A, B, and C for specific heavy and hazardous material vehicles), a Class E for certain passenger or for-hire vehicles, and a Class M (or M endorsement) for motorcycles. The Class F license, often the one people refer to as a regular driver's license, allows the holder to operate most motor vehicles but not motorcycles or vehicles that require a CDL or Class E license

 

[paulsharvey]

For those longing for the "good old days" here's a Ford ad, bragging that their HD gas engines would make it to 100,000 miles. If you have an engine rebuilt/replace/heck, engine repair at 250k, you'd be mad.

Their 100,000 mile warranty (or 24 months/3000 hours), covers actually engine mechanics, but the fine print says the labor is covered for the first 50k, and after that, the labor is probably rated.

 

[Jstpssng]

I was looking at a clean 2009 F250 4wd last weekend that wouldn’t break the bank. It was at a dealer which used to have an outstanding reputation, although that may have changed.
270k miles on it. I decided to pass.

 

[Renze]

For those longing for the "good old days" here's a Ford ad, bragging that their HD gas engines would make it to 100,000 miles.

We never had gas engines in commercial trucks above 5 ton, here in Europe, but in America gas was cheap and V8 gas engine parts abundant. The 1960s/70s trend of making high rpm short stroke diesels to replace gas engines, therefor never caught on in Europe. Cummins Darlington (UK) first products were the VIM/VIN/VALE short stroke V6 and V8 engines, which were unsuccessful in the British market. The European branch didnt become succesful untill it started building the L10 for Europe, and later the B series.

 

[Hay Dude]

For those longing for the "good old days" here's a Ford ad, bragging that their HD gas engines would make it to 100,000 miles. If you have an engine rebuilt/replace/heck, engine repair at 250k, you'd be mad.

Their 100,000 mile warranty (or 24 months/3000 hours), covers actually engine mechanics, but the fine print says the labor is covered for the first 50k, and after that, the labor is probably rated.View attachment 4081894

To be fair, those gas engines were being used in tandem axle dump trucks, not pickups. Those trucks should have had diesels in them.

I worked for a guy who had a CDL sized Ford dump with a gas engine and it was the biggest pile of crap I have ever driven.

 

[paulsharvey]

To be fair, those gas engines were being used in tandem axle dump trucks, not pickups.

I worked for a guy who had a CDL sized Ford dump with a gas engine and it was the biggest pile of crap I have ever driven.

I know, but being heavy trucks, you would assume the engines are More reliable than a light truck of similar time frame.

Neighbor had a gas L8000 dump, I honestly dont think it would make it to 60 mph loaded, and getting upto even 45 took time

Edit; apparently the gas L8000 trucks are actually labeled as L800, to distinguish the engine option

 

[Hay Dude]

I know, but being heavy trucks, you would assume the engines are More reliable than a light truck of similar time frame.

Neighbor had a gas L8000 dump, I honestly dont think it would make it to 60 mph loaded, and getting upto even 45 took time

most 70’s-90’s diesel vocational trucks were underpowered EMPTY.
210HP was the normal power rating for a 33,000LB dump truck.
That’s absurd.

 

[QRTRHRS]

To be fair, those gas engines were being used in tandem axle dump trucks, not pickups. Those trucks should have had diesels in them.

I worked for a guy who had a CDL sized Ford dump with a gas engine and it was the biggest pile of crap I have ever driven.

Yeah, I drove a GMC tandem dump with a 427 gas engine, 5x4, shift, shift and shift some more.

Ford had their 534 gasser which if I am correct, they "dieselized". That's what was in the L8000 that I drove. Talk about smoke when you fired them up.

LOL, I also drove an L8000 with a 238 Detroit, 13spd, double overdrive to get the road speed up to 62mph. Good thing that it was easier to shift then a 5x4 because that was all I did.

Drivers that have never been there and done that don't know how good that they have it today.

 

[ultrarunner]

It was constant evolution as very dump bodies and grain haulers in the Ford line all used the same 40 hp engine nearly 100 years ago…

One engine platform for all applications.

 

[RobertN]

most 70’s-90’s diesel vocational trucks were underpowered EMPTY.
210HP was the normal power rating for a 33,000LB dump truck.
That’s absurd.

When I was volunteering at the local fire station, we had a couple of Ford 7 and 8 series cab chassis based Beck and Van Pelt buildups(one was '86, the other '89 if memory serves...). They both had CAT 3208T's. They worked well, but best you could get was 58-60mph on the freeway. One was covered by paid staff and used a lot. It just never got anywhere on the highway very quickly. Funny thing is, that Engine is now a taco truck...

 

[deserteagle71]

When I was volunteering at the local fire station, we had a couple of Ford 7 and 8 series cab chassis based Beck and Van Pelt buildups(one was '86, the other '89 if memory serves...). They both had CAT 3208T's. They worked well, but best you could get was 58-60mph on the freeway. One was covered by paid staff and used a lot. It just never got anywhere on the highway very quickly. Funny thing is, that Engine is now a taco truck...

40+ years ago when I was a fireman in a small town we had two fire trucks. One was a cabover Ford similar to what is in your picture but it was power by a Ford Industrial gas engine. The other was a GMC - and it had a huge GM V6 gas engine.