Sold my last Ford diesel today. Replace with........?

[dodge man]

With my 04 Dodge I went through the rust battle. Had the rockers replaced, some repair work above the rear wheels, it’s a losing battle. Someone I use to work with had an 07 D-max and it rusted out worse than my Ram did. It also had a puny, maybe 24 gallon, fuel tank.

Im not sure if people like the nostalgia of the old diesels or what, but my opinion is they aren’t that great, other than maybe the engine. My 04 Ram had terrible wind noise for example and some kind of nasty vibration at the speed you drove down the interstate. It had 4.10 gears and even with an overdrive 4th gear it reved to high going down the highway. My 04 Ram had no DPF, no egr, no exhaust fluid to worry about but that’s the only advantage it had. In spite of that it was my favorite truck I owned but I don’t want to go back.

 

[5030]

Up here with all the salt and brine treatments, they all rust. Don't matter much what it is. Fords rust out in the wheel arches, Gm's and Dodge in the rockers and both are prone to flaking paint.

One of the 'advantages' in living in the rust belt....rust. Why my 97 F350 long bed 4x4 diesel stays in the heated tractor shop all winter. Don't need a farm truck in the winter anyway. Has no rust on it and I plan on keeping it that way.

new trucks are just too expensive. especially considering that you don't get anything 'new and improved' except emissions junk and electronics that eventually fail.

 

[Hay Dude]

Up here with all the salt and brine treatments, they all rust. Don't matter much what it is. Fords rust out in the wheel arches, Gm's and Dodge in the rockers and both are prone to flaking paint.

One of the 'advantages' in living in the rust belt....rust. Why my 97 F350 long bed 4x4 diesel stays in the heated tractor shop all winter. Don't need a farm truck in the winter anyway. Has no rust on it and I plan on keeping it that way.

new trucks are just too expensive. especially considering that you don't get anything 'new and improved' except emissions junk and electronics that eventually fail.

I could dispute a little on the "you dont get anything new and improved". The Rams have improved noticeably in the last 3 years and vastly since 1997. Power differences are improved. The Aisin transmission has been tested versus the Allison and Torqshift and generally comes out on top. Its a great transmission. Also, now have 2 stage exhaust brakes. And much higher legal GCWRs, Navigation systems. Even the aftertreatment equipment is better than when it first came out. I hauled 870 tons of hay this year with the Ram and it was much better than the 5000 tons I hauled with the 2008 F-550. In fact, it blows the Ford away.
Never thought Id see the day when a truck I can park in a residential home garage could pull 17-18 tons legally, safely and comfortably. That does save money over the older trucks and lowers the stress doing it.

 

[5030]

Be patient. When it breaks (and it will), get your wallet out. I wonder how the quality of them will fare with Peugeot running the show now. Stellantis is a strange name for a vehicle manufacturer.

I don't want (or need) all that lowest bidder electronic stuff anyway. I like simple. The more complex it is, the more chance of failure and, you cannot do much with them (new trucks) but change the oil and filters. You need a very expensive scan tool just to decipher the trouble codes now.

Kind of like your NH bailer. Have to have a NH scan tool to trouble shoot them and NH ain't selling you one. All you get is that little round plastic plug in the harness to plug into. I know, I have the same bailer you have. Same with your Kubota's but worse. Kubota uses a proprietary port and you have to have a Diagmaster to read the codes and like NH, you cannot buy one. Not sure about your other 'Fendt' but I imagine it's the same deal.

All good when operating properly but, when they aren't your options are pretty limited. You get to 'pay the lady' at the dealership x dollars an hour for a technician to download the codes and then remedy the issue. Always in the back of my mind when running hay, what if?

I have an exhaust brake on my 97. Had Ford SVO redo the E4OD as well. Truck is stone simple and has no emissions hardware whatsoever, Just how I like it.

Neither of my Kubota's are T4. In fact both are pre 4 entirely. One has 6000 hours and the other 3000 hours and they both run like sewing machines. Had the 6K hour machine in the shop last winter for the overhead to be run and the injectors spray tested and the guy who owns the shop asked me if I would be interested in selling either. Not interested. I fully expect both of them to log at least 10K hours with no issues but regular maintenance. Pre 4 units are becoming very sought after.

 

[Hay Dude]

Patient...Get your wallet out? BTDT....repeatedly. Been dealing with Tier 4 for 9 years! haha
My 550, 350 and 250 were tier 4 nightmares. Lost sensors and DPFs. 350 lost rockers at 170. 250 had oil cooler on its way out when I sold it. 550 had the infamous turbo seal leak ($2,000 to replace a $2 gasket) when I sold it. 350 oil pan leaks a little, but will be out of here this week.... then I can breathe again.
Bought the Ram with the factory 5/100 powertrain warranty (Ford is only 5/100 on the 6.7L engine, rest is 3/36-what a joke), extended RAM powertrain to 7/125 and extended the 3/36 bumper to bumper to 7/100.
I'm DONE with repairs for 6 years. When the timer goes off, I'm going to another truck. Screw that. I got enough to wrench....

Anyway, got to find a smaller truck for plowing and hauling smaller loads. Pre-4 sure would be nice, but tough without the rust. Buddy of mines son does a nice job welding in GM replacement rockers and cab corners, so if rust not too bad on rest of truck, I may head in that direction. Maybe a tier 4 Ford 6.7 if priced right, but no 6 & 6.4.

 

[Rustyiron]

I'm curious you're not mentioning fiat, don't you have a new 5500?

 

[groundcover]

Good thinking, order up a new Ram / Cummins, SRW, reg cab 8'bed. Plow/sander winter, fuel tank / toolbox summer.

 

[Hay Dude]

I'm curious you're not mentioning fiat, don't you have a new 5500?

Fiat, yeah, what does fiat have to do with it? Other than that they are the parent company of Chrysler, New Holland and a bunch of other companies?
On edit: hah, I gotcha. Yeah Im not super impressed with the Dodge trucks of 10-15 years ago, before Fiat owned them Prefer GM and Ford, as long as not 6 & 6.4.
If I came across one properly equipped, I might consider.
Fiat takes a lot of heat, but it seems like theyve injected some new ideas into Dodge. Seems like a better truck now.

 

[Rustyiron]

Honestly I had forgot that you were looking 10+/- years used. I was worried that you were not happy with your new rig.

 

[Hay Dude]

Honestly I had forgot that you were looking 10+/- years used. I was worried that you were not happy with your new rig.

No problem. I like the Ram a lot so far. 3,4,5 years from now, who knows? I knew I couldn’t keep going with the 08 550 & 350 and run a dependable business.