Buying Advice What to look for in buying a pickup.

[grsthegreat]

While i have only diesel engine rigs myself, there all for towing (flatbeds, horse trailers, etc). With the price of diesel and a diesel rig nowdays, and the fact that you stated this rig is for occasional hauling only.... id stick with a small v8 gas rig myself. There are many nice used ones on the market.

I lucked out with my last 2005 f350 purchase as i got it when diesel was nearing $5/gal and this used rig sat for 6 months on the lot. they gave it away to get rid of it. Other than great deals.... diesels are not a cheap investment. I needed f350 to tow, but maint is way more expensive.

 

[Mark Page]

After problems with Ford & Dodge I bought a Tundra. My neighbor has one with 275,000 miles on it without a problem and a second one with 175000 miles same story.
With a 400 hp 5.7 gas engine and a 6 speed trans it will pull just about anything. I've hauled 2,000 lbs. of fertilizer in the bed with no problem.
The one thing I would not do without is the double cab. Gives you room for 3 passengers, luggage, firearms, my Lab and groceries, secure and dry.
I only have 12,000 miles on it so it's too early to tell what it will be like 80,000 miles down the road.
It is hard on gasoline but it's a heavy truck. When I bought it 3 years ago it was the least expensive out of the big 3.
If Ford or Dodge would stand by their products I would have bought another American truck in a heart beat.

 

[miramadar]

I bought a 1994 Ford F-350 last year to haul my 4000# tractor. It has the 7.3 IDI diesel. Great truck. Had a few minor issues to deal with at first, but now it's great. The IDI engines are relatively easy and cheap to work on (compared to turbo models). My truck gets 18 MPG unloaded. Not bad for a hoss of a truck.

 

[Jay4200]

In the near future we will looking for a pickup to use for various tasks: hauling 4x8 plywood, drywall and some lumber, etc.; towing a couple different type trailers (rv/camping, utility trailer and possibly a small dump trailer); and general transportation on and around new piece of land purchase (dirt, mud, snow).

Buy a Tundra. If you buy from any of the "American" companies (made in Mexico or Canada), you'll ultimately regret it - I know I did.

JayC

 

[Johnp33]

At one time when the car and truck magazines would show a vehicle they would have a list of prats and their costs. Price out things like brake ads callipers a starter light pigtails. Got to a parts store you use and ask them what the prices are and if they are dealer only pieces. I needed a pigtail for a Rav4 front right turn signal and the marker light both were dealer only.
GM You can get at any parts store, Toyota not so much. Go to a Toyota dealership and look at their boards and ask about the price of a full service on the transmission.
Knowledge is KING.
I only have 80,000 Kilometers on my 2008 GMC Duramax 3500, I have not spent a penny in repairs. I do have an interior light out. I have a couple of people that come to me with their Toyota's the Pick-ups with the 5.7 gets atrocious mileage. parts are almost always dealer only, and the comment I can order that for you is very common.

 

[kenmac]

I would buy a gas motor, before you ever think about a Dodge go to a transmission shop and ask them what transmission they work on the most..

Please ask !!! Another dodge has bad transmissions thread !!!!:confused2: I have owned 2 my current.. 2007 2500 5.9 auto never a tranny problem !!!!

 

[Johnp33]

I deal with a retired guy and he is by far the best anywhere around hear, he does 75% dodge, 15% ford and 10% GM gas units. He has never seen a stock 1000 Alison with a problem.
If you are right he will get the information you are talking about.

 

[kenmac]

A client of mine owns a tranny shop here. He says he sees no more dodges than any other. Most of the dodges he sees , the owner has added xtra power to a stock tranny

 

[silvertramp]

At one point Dodge did have tranny problems. I had a '96 1500 that would eat trannys every 35-40K. It's still on the road. I dumped it in '04 for an '02 1500, and now have an '06. No problems with the '02 or '06.
A bad reputation lingers forever. Dodge fixed the problem, at least in my gasers.

 

[Johnp33]

Dodge runs a 5 speed in most of their units and it has no second gear if you look at the ratio's.
It costs nothing to go and ask. The hemi is a good engine, the front end was very poor for a long time the newer ones that I work on are OK.