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  Semper Fi
    
Location: North Texas | barrelrider - 2015-01-06 8:45 AM We just made this decision recently. We went with a new GMC dually. The good used big trucks run around $60,000 - 80,000. We bought a new loaded one ton truck for $60,000. It has warranty and is less maintenance. Several friends have Petes and Freightliners. When they go to the repair shop, which is pretty often, it costs several thousand dollars. I'm not interested in paying that much for repairs, tires or insurance. We also didn't want that large of a payment for a rig that we only haul with. I drive the dually daily. The new GMC duallys have much heavier suspensions, heavier duty breaks and a stronger frame. We really wanted a big truck, but went with a one ton and love it. We have a 4 horse, 14ft short wall with a 4 ft mid-tack that we haul with a one ton. It does great. We also make 10-12 mpg hauling, which I'm tickled with.
Used Over The Road (OTR) Semis can be found for much much less than 60k and still have plenty of life left in them. Smart Shopping and compenent understanding of the equipment being purchased and maintained is in order when dealing with OTR Semi(s). For OTR Trucks pulling lighter type horse trailer will not strain them like a dually. Being oversized in relationship to the trailer means less wear 'n tear on the tow vehicle which equates less shop time...................................... |
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | our mini cost 17000 and the freightliner cost 19500..both were in great condition...and up here a plain nothing fancy 1 ton is 60+ and if you want a few extra then you are pushing the 100+ range..........thats nuts imo
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | foundation horse - 2015-01-06 12:00 PM barrelrider - 2015-01-06 8:45 AM We just made this decision recently. We went with a new GMC dually. The good used big trucks run around $60,000 - 80,000. We bought a new loaded one ton truck for $60,000. It has warranty and is less maintenance. Several friends have Petes and Freightliners. When they go to the repair shop, which is pretty often, it costs several thousand dollars. I'm not interested in paying that much for repairs, tires or insurance. We also didn't want that large of a payment for a rig that we only haul with. I drive the dually daily. The new GMC duallys have much heavier suspensions, heavier duty breaks and a stronger frame. We really wanted a big truck, but went with a one ton and love it. We have a 4 horse, 14ft short wall with a 4 ft mid-tack that we haul with a one ton. It does great. We also make 10-12 mpg hauling, which I'm tickled with. Used Over The Road (OTR) Semis can be found for much much less than 60k and still have plenty of life left in them. Smart Shopping and compenent understanding of the equipment being purchased and maintained is in order when dealing with OTR Semi(s). For OTR Trucks pulling lighter type horse trailer will not strain them like a dually. Being oversized in relationship to the trailer means less wear 'n tear on the tow vehicle which equates less shop time......................................
We just bought a low mileage basic double axle Freightliner for $6500. I think it was an 04 model, but went through a bankruptcy and sat for a while. We have bought others that were OTR trucks with sleepers for $12,000 and under. All these for farm use. We usually run them for several years before the maintenance needs become cumbersome. |
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 More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | foundation horse - 2015-01-06 12:00 PM barrelrider - 2015-01-06 8:45 AM We just made this decision recently. We went with a new GMC dually. The good used big trucks run around $60,000 - 80,000. We bought a new loaded one ton truck for $60,000. It has warranty and is less maintenance. Several friends have Petes and Freightliners. When they go to the repair shop, which is pretty often, it costs several thousand dollars. I'm not interested in paying that much for repairs, tires or insurance. We also didn't want that large of a payment for a rig that we only haul with. I drive the dually daily. The new GMC duallys have much heavier suspensions, heavier duty breaks and a stronger frame. We really wanted a big truck, but went with a one ton and love it. We have a 4 horse, 14ft short wall with a 4 ft mid-tack that we haul with a one ton. It does great. We also make 10-12 mpg hauling, which I'm tickled with. Used Over The Road (OTR) Semis can be found for much much less than 60k and still have plenty of life left in them. Smart Shopping and compenent understanding of the equipment being purchased and maintained is in order when dealing with OTR Semi(s). For OTR Trucks pulling lighter type horse trailer will not strain them like a dually. Being oversized in relationship to the trailer means less wear 'n tear on the tow vehicle which equates less shop time......................................
This ^^^^ |
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More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | One more thing, you can run a semi for a million miles without thinking twice about it. A dually can't touch that. |
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 Miss Positive
Posts: 3554
Location: Crowder, OK | I've always pulled with a one ton pickup because I like having 4x4 & don't want to get a cdl. I will say that I upgraded last year to a f450 & what a difference. Bigger truck but better milage because its not having such a strain because its built & geared specifically for bigger loads. I absolutely love it. Rides & drive of a pickup but pulls like a big truck! And it turns tighter than a normal 1 ton! |
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Boot Detective
Posts: 1898
| This is a good thread. My question is this: if you are pulling with the mini Freightliner or a full size semi, do you have to keep up with log books and do you have to have permits for each state you travel in? I have noticed several years ago almost all the "big dogs" went to the trucks like the mini Freightliner but now the majority of them have went back to the 1 ton dually's. Why is this?
Personally I pull a 4 hs LQ with a 1 ton dually and I am very happy with it. With the new engine brakes, that has helped the stopping situation considerably and that was my main concern in the past. |
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 Texas Lone Star
Posts: 5318
Location: where ever my L/Q trl is parked | i've been looking and I'm shock on the prices of used sports chassis....  I"ve been looking for semi too and found a few but I'm not sure about the fuel mileage... 5 to 9 mpg with or without trailers is not that great. My DuraMax diesel gets better mpg than the semi's. Just crusing around town with the GMC I get 14-17 and on the road with out trailer 16-20 mpg. I get average 7.2 to 10 mpg with trailer depending on weather and hiway or hills. What kind of mileage are any of you getting with your rigs like the sports chassis or semi's? |
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