|
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 460
 
| Good morning everyone!! So, I am not mechanically inclined, I have never had a "preference" in any sort of truck brands...so I really don't know much about vehicles! For the last year, I have just been towing my 2 horse straight load with my daily driver, which is an 04 F150. Sadly, I am having tranny issues already just pulling my 2 horses. This coming spring, I will be buying a newer 3 or 4 horse trailer, so I am starting to look for trucks now! I am putting my truck up for sale this week =] I know that I want a diesel, I don't care if it's a 3/4 or full ton! What do you guys suggest for a decent truck to haul that load? My budget is around 20-25k. Thank you very much for your help =]
Edited by Katielovestbs 2018-01-26 4:58 PM
|
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 5293
| I'm a dodge guy myself. Just for the cummins engine. Nothing else.. If I could get the cummins in a ford, I would do it. |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 217
| Flit is right. They do sell them as Fummins but you have to worry if they did the conversion properly. Only advice I have is stay away from a 6.0 engine. A lot more people have bad luck with them then good. With a budget such as that, you should get a decent, newer truck |
|
| |
|
Unable to Live Without Chocolate or Coffee
Posts: 1849
 
| get a used duramax! we love ours! |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 1440
Location: Texas | Good luck finding a good one at that price point that doesn’t have over 100k miles on it. |
|
| |
|
Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| camocowgirl - 2017-10-31 11:38 AM
get a used duramax! we love ours!
Ditto, we are a Duramax neighborhood - there’s 6 or 7 of them inside a county mile. Never had any diesel related issues with them, or any issues really that we didn’t create ourselves (my husband should change his brakes more often and they shouldn’t have been drinking beer when they installed my FIL’s remote start...).
My ‘08 tonner dually has a great ride even without a trailer on it. We have a 2007 and my in laws have a 2004 3/4 tons that are hard to find the bottom in while towing. The ‘07 has been deleted but the ‘04 is all stock.
They’ll be priced higher than the others but there’s a reason for that. |
|
| |
|
 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| I think you need to consider the tonnage based on what type of 3-4 horse trailer you are looking at. GN or BP? Living quarters or tiny dressing room? You can have a 2 ft shortwall or a 14 shortwall. Huge difference on what you need to pull with.
3/4 ton will pull a 3 horse with a small dressing room just fine, loaded with 3 horses. Will PULL that with LQ, but stopping can become an issue, which is just as important, if not more so than going forward. If you are only pulling your 2 horses, you might get a small LQ trailer and be OK.
There probably isn't a ton of terrible news on any of the motors currently, other than the 6.0 Fords. I've heard bad things there. An older Cummins or Duramax is usually a good bet. Just depends on your funding for how old you want to or can go. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 460
| Thank you for all the great advice so far!! Yes, I was going in to shopping knowing that with my price point, I'm nowhere near getting a newer truck haha. Good thing 100k is a broken in diesel, not broken down! Ok, so cummins and duramax seem to be the popular options here...and not the 6.0! The trailers that I have been looking at are not LQ. I'm still undecided if I want a BP or GN...I've been looking at both =] I'm thinking either a stock trailer w/ tack GN, or a 3 horse slant w/ tack BP. Thanks again =]
|
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
Location: on the fine line between insanity and geniusness | We are a Chevy and GMC family. I will say this though- but one old enough that it doesn’t require DEF fluid. My 14 1-tin Denali has been in the shop twice this year for emissions issues, never had trouble before now!! My husband drives a dodge and it will pull mine in a circle- BUT is also the most rough and uncomfortable thing I’ve ever ridden in. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 883
Location: Southern Indiana | With that then you would be just fine with a 3/4 ton but if you find a nice 1 ton then I'd go with it in case you want a bigger trailer later. It never hurts to have a bigger truck!
We have had a bunch of issues with our 03 duramax. It's had heads replaced about 3 times now. I think it was just a lemon year tho. I think the 11s had problems too with the fuel filters.
Fords you want to stick with 12s and up. Rams you don't want this years model. Personally I like the ram over the gmc/Chevy. But both are nice. I've never had a Ford, nor has my fam so I can't speak on them much but I have heard the new ones haul great! |
|
| |
|
I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Katielovestbs - 2017-10-31 12:26 PM
Thank you for all the great advice so far!! Yes, I was going in to shopping knowing that with my price point, I'm nowhere near getting a newer truck haha. Good thing 100k is a broken in diesel, not broken down! Ok, so cummins and duramax seem to be the popular options here...and not the 6.0! The trailers that I have been looking at are not LQ. I'm still undecided if I want a BP or GN...I've been looking at both =] I'm thinking either a stock trailer w/ tack GN, or a 3 horse slant w/ tack BP. Thanks again =]
We ranch and have a construction company (road, utility, etc.). My dad who is 86 and still going, doesn't mind buying a diesel with a 100,000 miles on it, he says it's just broke in good at that mileage, lol. He has never bought brand new and doesn't quit a truck until it is completely worn out. So far, we have found that that is generally around the 400,000 mile mark. Heck, we inherited his 3/4 ton gas Chevy ,from him and it didn't quit pulling until the 400.000 mile mark. I will say we are VERY strict on maintenance though. The newest truck we have is his 09 Dodge. Without a LQ the 3/4 diesel should be fine, that is what we have and we have pulled a 24 and 32 foot stock trailer full of weaners/cows/bulls with no problem. We don't go much over 65 mph, though and mostly flat land with some hills. |
|
| |
|
 Peecans
| Katielovestbs - 2017-10-31 11:26 AM
Thank you for all the great advice so far!! Yes, I was going in to shopping knowing that with my price point, I'm nowhere near getting a newer truck haha. Good thing 100k is a broken in diesel, not broken down! Ok, so cummins and duramax seem to be the popular options here...and not the 6.0! The trailers that I have been looking at are not LQ. I'm still undecided if I want a BP or GN...I've been looking at both =] I'm thinking either a stock trailer w/ tack GN, or a 3 horse slant w/ tack BP. Thanks again =]
My opinion is a bit different than everybody else's on the 6L, And I do know people who have had and hated them, just my personal opinion.
Our 6L has been ok, any big issues we have had with it are a direct result of a mechanic that has no idea how the 6l actually works, and saying everything is injectors because its a 6L when its not actually injectors and then do botch injector job (still better over that)... But we did a lot to it when we first got it to prevent a lot of the know issues. We have had it I cant even remember (the first year there was 6L), its long since paid off lol, 260+K I believe, I hate the sound of its turbo though its quite loud, I actually hate that about it. I not saying go buy one, I doubt id buy another, but id look if it was a good price from the right person. My one uncle had great luck with his too, my other uncle, welp, he's back in a 7.3 lol
Of all the trucks we have had though one of the best has been a 2001 V10 gas dully, We would still be daily driving and hauling her if she had not been recently stolen. She was so cheap to maintain and could pull really well, Its for sure was not the torque of our ford diesels but it passes every duramax we hull cattle with. I miss our old black gas truck. :-(
Dad test drove for a weekend fords new big gas and it was really nice I want one. But he decided to go with the new diesel, thus far it gets horrid fuel mileage and my old 6L keeps up just fine.
Please don't eat me alive because I said I don't hate my 6L lol |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1314
Location: North Central Iowa Land of white frozen grass | I have a Ford 6.0 and 7.3. There is nothing wrong with the 6.0 from it engineering standpoint. It is that ford put in the wrong antifreeze in them. That is what started all the problems with them. And let me tell you. ALL Diesel trucks have their problems. And they are all expensive to fix. You will never recoup the cost of owning a diesel if you don't know how to mantain them. For what most people do with their trucks and for as few miles as they use them for pulling trailers they would be far better off with a big gas engine. Horsepower is horsepower. But stopping a lot of weight is everything. Get your trailer first then figure out what you need for a truck. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1695
Location: Willows, CA | BS Hauler - 2017-10-31 5:24 PM
I have a Ford 6.0 and 7.3. There is nothing wrong with the 6.0 from it engineering standpoint. It is that ford put in the wrong antifreeze in them. That is what started all the problems with them. And let me tell you. ALL Diesel trucks have their problems. And they are all expensive to fix. You will never recoup the cost of owning a diesel if you don't know how to mantain them. For what most people do with their trucks and for as few miles as they use them for pulling trailers they would be far better off with a big gas engine. Horsepower is horsepower. But stopping a lot of weight is everything. Get your trailer first then figure out what you need for a truck.
This ^^^^^^^ |
|
| |
|
| Buy your truck first since most people do some financing on a car or truck ..
if you are paying on a trailer and then buying a truck financing at a low rate
of interest may be impossible .... or even qualifying might be tuff.
<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
BUY A 4X4 ... front wheel drive is always in trouble or been abused
BUY AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ... most have problems past 150,000
and can easily run 6k to repair and still not be fixed. Also comes with
less engine horse power and torque.
BUY ONE that has been MODIFIED .... nothing worse than a diesel engine
that has been revved up by an idiot to make some noise ...
BUY ONE THAT has had a 5th wheel hitch in it ... it has spent its entire life
dragging it around ..
BUY ONE that has lived on a ranch/farm or with too many owners
VERY IMPORTANT ... HURRICANE flooded vehicles will be showing up
as clean and clear all over the country ... happens every time we have
flooding somewhere
NOW FOR THE GOOD POINTS
*******************************************************
BUY YOU A DODGE FOR THE CUMMINS DIESEL ...
working trucks are not supposed to ride like a Cadillac
Learn to drive a 6 speed manual ... you can replace an entire clutch system
for less than $700 and it will be good for another 150-200,000 miles
You can change gears to go up a mountain with no effort and gear
down to help your brakes coming down a mountain or to slow down.
BUY A 4X2 rear wheel drive dually and enjoy 20-22 mpg empty and
16 mpg dragging a 3 horse trailer .. and will be the correct height
for a BP or GN trailer..
ALWAYS BUY A CARFAX to see where truck has lived ... and when
it was there .. and number of owners ... etc etc I think $39 will
enable you to look at 5-6 trucks ..
If you can find an old man selling a truck in the 125,000 mile range
that lives in a larger city ... buy it... lol
Work the large dealerships in cities that are on the net ... city slickers
have to keep up with the Jone's next door and some clean low mileage trucks are
hidden there.
NEVER REVEAL YOUR SALARY OR WHAT YOU WANT YOUR PAYMENT TO BE ..
and remember ... the dealership has a price they want and then add on
the salesman's commission ... so what you are dealing with is getting the
salesman to lower his commission in order to sell the truck ..
they get bonuses for the number of units they sell so making a deal
at the end of the month may work in your favor ..
If pestered for your salary etc ... just say your grandmother is helping
you pay cash for it ... if you have a credit union where you work use
them for financing ... financing at a bank will rob you .. lol
After you agree on a price ... pretend to call grandma ... and tell them
she spent the money on buying you a horse trailer and then talk financing
if you aren't already pre-approved by your CU or bank ...
Here are a couple that look like good deals ...
but both are automatics .. HA HA ..
THIS white one has a dealer that sounds like the FBI is after him and the
truck is in Florida .... RUN BABY RUN ..
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2003-Dodge-Ram-3500-Dually-Diesel/152767653...
THIS RED ONE has been lugging a 5th wheel around all of its life ..
RUN FOREST RUN ...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2003-Dodge-Ram-3500-SLT-2WD-Quad-Cab-5-9-Cu...
GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN LOOKING ..
|
|
| |
|
 Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12708
| We bought one of the first 6.0's in 2003. It's one of the first 500 off the line. We had just met up with a diesel mechanic who was trained at Ford for the 6.0 and he helped us bullet proof it as well as could be. In 2013 we had two injectors go bad and chose to replace them all with a benched set and also added a fuel bar. The injectors are a known failure point - they are flawed, period. I've heard the technical reasons but I didn't retain that info. Other than that the thing has performed awesomely. I finally went over 100K miles this year and there are a few parts we are planning on changing out. This truck has a plastic propeller in the water pump and we are going to replace with a metal unit, and there is some electrical generator doohicky that is not working up to snuff and that's getting replaced. But for an almost 15 year old model we're still talking chump change in.
A friend just bought a 2004 6.0 with almost 250K on it for $4000. That's a steal, especially considering it passed state inspection yesterday and has already successfully hauled twice to shows. The friend knows she will have to spend some on it, but considering what most used diesels (or especially NEW diesels) go for she done good.
The 6.0 is not always a losing proposition. Find a good diesel mechanic who actually knows what they are doing with one, then find a cheap one (because of the fear surrounding the used ones) and still have a good truck that will haul you for years. |
|
| |
|
Location: in the ozone | If you want to avoid the added anti pollution stuff & DEF, get 2012 or before in Duramax or Cummins. Duramaxes had issues with earlier 2000's - many had injector issues but later 2006 & 2007 are rated very high. (and tough to find and more expensive in comparison to some other years). Dodge Cummins are definitely good trucks BUT if you go with an automatic, make sure it has the ASIN transmission in it. I just don't like FMC, period, so not even going there. ;) |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 5293
| BARRELHORSE USA - 2017-11-01 3:45 AM
Buy your truck first since most people do some financing on a car or truck ..
if you are paying on a trailer and then buying a truck financing at a low rate
of interest may be impossible .... or even qualifying might be tuff.
<<<<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
BUY A 4X4 ... front wheel drive is always in trouble or been abused
BUY AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ... most have problems past 150,000
and can easily run 6k to repair and still not be fixed. Also comes with
less engine horse power and torque.
BUY ONE that has been MODIFIED .... nothing worse than a diesel engine
that has been revved up by an idiot to make some noise ...
BUY ONE THAT has had a 5th wheel hitch in it ... it has spent its entire life
dragging it around ..
BUY ONE that has lived on a ranch/farm or with too many owners
VERY IMPORTANT ... HURRICANE flooded vehicles will be showing up
as clean and clear all over the country ... happens every time we have
flooding somewhere
NOW FOR THE GOOD POINTS
*******************************************************
BUY YOU A DODGE FOR THE CUMMINS DIESEL ...
working trucks are not supposed to ride like a Cadillac
Learn to drive a 6 speed manual ... you can replace an entire clutch system
for less than $700 and it will be good for another 150-200,000 miles
You can change gears to go up a mountain with no effort and gear
down to help your brakes coming down a mountain or to slow down.
BUY A 4X2 rear wheel drive dually and enjoy 20-22 mpg empty and
16 mpg dragging a 3 horse trailer .. and will be the correct height
for a BP or GN trailer..
ALWAYS BUY A CARFAX to see where truck has lived ... and when
it was there .. and number of owners ... etc etc I think $39 will
enable you to look at 5-6 trucks ..
If you can find an old man selling a truck in the 125,000 mile range
that lives in a larger city ... buy it... lol
Work the large dealerships in cities that are on the net ... city slickers
have to keep up with the Jone's next door and some clean low mileage trucks are
hidden there.
NEVER REVEAL YOUR SALARY OR WHAT YOU WANT YOUR PAYMENT TO BE ..
and remember ... the dealership has a price they want and then add on
the salesman's commission ... so what you are dealing with is getting the
salesman to lower his commission in order to sell the truck ..
they get bonuses for the number of units they sell so making a deal
at the end of the month may work in your favor ..
If pestered for your salary etc ... just say your grandmother is helping
you pay cash for it ... if you have a credit union where you work use
them for financing ... financing at a bank will rob you .. lol
After you agree on a price ... pretend to call grandma ... and tell them
she spent the money on buying you a horse trailer and then talk financing
if you aren't already pre-approved by your CU or bank ...
Here are a couple that look like good deals ...
but both are automatics .. HA HA ..
THIS white one has a dealer that sounds like the FBI is after him and the
truck is in Florida .... RUN BABY RUN ..
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2003-Dodge-Ram-3500-Dually-Diesel/152767653...
THIS RED ONE has been lugging a 5th wheel around all of its life ..
RUN FOREST RUN ...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2003-Dodge-Ram-3500-SLT-2WD-Quad-Cab-5-9-Cu...
GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN LOOKING ..
This made me laugh... There is so much wrong with it but Oh well. And CARFAX means absolutely ZERO!!!!!! Carfax only reports what has been reported to them, which is dealer only stuff.. If someone buys a truck and modifies it and blows it up.... that doesn't get reported to car fax. And I have always been a 6 speed manual guy BUT the newer transmissions ( Autos) can be shifted just like a manual if need be.. ANDDDDDDDD...... what if you live in an area where you NEED 4x4????? Going to tell a barrel racer pulling a big LQ in Montana in the winter to " Enjoy" 22MPG as they are plumiting off the road cause they don't have 4x4?
Edited by FLITASTIC 2017-11-01 3:03 PM
|
|
| |
|
| FLITASTIC - 2017-11-01 2:57 PM
BARRELHORSE USA - 2017-11-01 3:45 AM
Buy your truck first since most people do some financing on a car or truck ..
if you are paying on a trailer and then buying a truck financing at a low rate
of interest may be impossible .... or even qualifying might be tuff.
<<<<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
BUY A 4X4 ... front wheel drive is always in trouble or been abused
BUY AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ... most have problems past 150,000
and can easily run 6k to repair and still not be fixed. Also comes with
less engine horse power and torque.
BUY ONE that has been MODIFIED .... nothing worse than a diesel engine
that has been revved up by an idiot to make some noise ...
BUY ONE THAT has had a 5th wheel hitch in it ... it has spent its entire life
dragging it around ..
BUY ONE that has lived on a ranch/farm or with too many owners
VERY IMPORTANT ... HURRICANE flooded vehicles will be showing up
as clean and clear all over the country ... happens every time we have
flooding somewhere
NOW FOR THE GOOD POINTS
*******************************************************
BUY YOU A DODGE FOR THE CUMMINS DIESEL ...
working trucks are not supposed to ride like a Cadillac
Learn to drive a 6 speed manual ... you can replace an entire clutch system
for less than $700 and it will be good for another 150-200,000 miles
You can change gears to go up a mountain with no effort and gear
down to help your brakes coming down a mountain or to slow down.
BUY A 4X2 rear wheel drive dually and enjoy 20-22 mpg empty and
16 mpg dragging a 3 horse trailer .. and will be the correct height
for a BP or GN trailer..
ALWAYS BUY A CARFAX to see where truck has lived ... and when
it was there .. and number of owners ... etc etc I think $39 will
enable you to look at 5-6 trucks ..
If you can find an old man selling a truck in the 125,000 mile range
that lives in a larger city ... buy it... lol
Work the large dealerships in cities that are on the net ... city slickers
have to keep up with the Jone's next door and some clean low mileage trucks are
hidden there.
NEVER REVEAL YOUR SALARY OR WHAT YOU WANT YOUR PAYMENT TO BE ..
and remember ... the dealership has a price they want and then add on
the salesman's commission ... so what you are dealing with is getting the
salesman to lower his commission in order to sell the truck ..
they get bonuses for the number of units they sell so making a deal
at the end of the month may work in your favor ..
If pestered for your salary etc ... just say your grandmother is helping
you pay cash for it ... if you have a credit union where you work use
them for financing ... financing at a bank will rob you .. lol
After you agree on a price ... pretend to call grandma ... and tell them
she spent the money on buying you a horse trailer and then talk financing
if you aren't already pre-approved by your CU or bank ...
Here are a couple that look like good deals ...
but both are automatics .. HA HA ..
THIS white one has a dealer that sounds like the FBI is after him and the
truck is in Florida .... RUN BABY RUN ..
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2003-Dodge-Ram-3500-Dually-Diesel/152767653...
THIS RED ONE has been lugging a 5th wheel around all of its life ..
RUN FOREST RUN ...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2003-Dodge-Ram-3500-SLT-2WD-Quad-Cab-5-9-Cu...
GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN LOOKING ..
This made me laugh... There is so much wrong with it but Oh well. And CARFAX means absolutely ZERO!!!!!! Carfax only reports what has been reported to them, which is dealer only stuff.. If someone buys a truck and modifies it and blows it up.... that doesn't get reported to car fax. And I have always been a 6 speed manual guy BUT the newer transmissions ( Autos ) can be shifted just like a manual if need be.. ANDDDDDDDD...... what if you live in an area where you NEED 4x4????? Going to tell a barrel racer pulling a big LQ in Montana in the winter to " Enjoy" 22MPG as they are plumiting off the road cause they don't have 4x4?
If you would read it instead of making noises ...
You would see the Car Fax was to see where the truck has been living due
to the flooding vehicles that will turn up all over the nation ...
Where the truck was tagged is in the Car Fax and loan info too ... it takes
only a few minutes to figure out how many owners it has had ...
Your automatic takes all the power away from the engine when compared
to a 6 spd manual .... and auto's will not withstand the torque of a diesel
engine and are unfixable ... trucks power is totally controlled by your
torque converter in the automatic transmission ...
4x4's do not have the pulling power or the load capacity of a standard 4x2 ..
and is just an awkard fit for pulling anything ...
If you are going to fall off a mountain in bad weather ... my advice is to
move or stay at home ... nothing is worth risking your life or your horses
lives ....
If an engine blows up ... the odometer is reset to zero miles and you can use
any dealer inputs to verify the mileage on the truck is probably true or false ..
This was meant to help this young lady make some decisions ... and not to create
any drama laden posts ...
|
|
| |
|
Location: Not Where I Want to Be | amazing as it is ole BHUSA followed up one completly wrong statement/post with one that is even more wrong.
I wonder where it will end? |
|
| |
Folks on-line