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Pickup Truck nerds needed


Teddy KGB

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What pickup truck is the best for longevity and gas mileage while towing 5-8,000 pounds ? 

 

I see all sorts of random info all over the web.

 

Dodge Ram 1500 sounds like the guy but I feel like i trust the Toyota Tundra on longevity ? 

 

Someone school me on what to get.   

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8 hours ago, Teddy KGB said:

What pickup truck is the best for longevity and gas mileage while towing 5-8,000 pounds ? 

 

I see all sorts of random info all over the web.

 

Dodge Ram 1500 sounds like the guy but I feel like i trust the Toyota Tundra on longevity ? 

 

Someone school me on what to get.   

 

21 minutes ago, Teddy KGB said:

 

10 foot trailer with work equipment. 

i used to tow a construction trailer all over gods creation. the 2001 Dodge Ram i used to do this had three transmissions installed. the original, had that torn apart and rebuilt, then put a Jasper in it. it was a good truck and i didn't think it owed me anything, i put a lot of wear and tear on it and it did after all, make me a lot of money. if your going to be doing a lot of towing, the best thing you can do for your tranny is to make sure it is properly cooled, i would install a secondary transmission cooler.

 

transmissions today are quite a bit different than they used to be. most are either 6 or 8 geared now, depending on which truck you have.

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8 hours ago, Teddy KGB said:

What pickup truck is the best for longevity and gas mileage while towing 5-8,000 pounds ? 

 

I see all sorts of random info all over the web.

 

Dodge Ram 1500 sounds like the guy but I feel like i trust the Toyota Tundra on longevity ? 

 

Someone school me on what to get.   

wow, calling Mr. ags a nerd. He doesn't like it when people call him a nerd.

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Dodge is only good if you're going to Cummins route.  Avoid them. Their gas motors are *****.

 

If you're looking top of the line you go GMC right now. Their features and trucks are the best.  Hands down. My dad just sold his f150 for a GMC 1500.  The f150 never had enough ass for hauling. The Toyota I've driven are between the two but I'd take a Chevy over Toyota right now, but it'd be close.  

 

If you can find a deal on a f250 or 2500 it may be worth it. They're not too expensive used and pull that much more efficiently.

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What sucks about the truck buying experience is there's no "towing test drive" and a lot of the time, it's the "feel" of how it's going on the road and whether you can back the trailer up ok and you're not white knuckling it up an incline, especially in bad weather.  It's not like "Jared" is going to hook up the dealership boat so you can drive it all around the block.  They should, however.  

 

I've used pickup trucks as work vehicles and I use one for a personal vehicle.  I've towed mostly heavy equipment (Bobcats, small backhoes, etc.)

 

Dodge RAMs always look the sharpest but their reliability is very suspect.  I really don't like them in northeast United States weather whatsoever.  They seem to corrode a lot faster than the other brands.  

 

Ford will tow more but Chevy, while it'll tow a little less, will tow it more comfortably, especially if you are towing plus you've got the AC on, fully loaded cab of people, etc.  

 

I love the Tundra for its look, drive and bed capacity but don't like it for towing.  IMO, Toyota made that truck for bed hauling only.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Boyst62 said:

Dodge is only good if you're going to Cummins route.  Avoid them. Their gas motors are *****.

 

If you're looking top of the line you go GMC right now. Their features and trucks are the best.  Hands down. My dad just sold his f150 for a GMC 1500.  The f150 never had enough ass for hauling. The Toyota I've driven are between the two but I'd take a Chevy over Toyota right now, but it'd be close.  

 

If you can find a deal on a f250 or 2500 it may be worth it. They're not too expensive used and pull that much more efficiently.

 

Whats wrong w the gas motors ?   Found a mossy oak outdoorsman lifted one w 60k miles that I kinda dig the pricing 

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2 minutes ago, Teddy KGB said:

 

Whats wrong w the gas motors ?   Found a mossy oak outdoorsman lifted one w 60k miles that I kinda dig the pricing 

Lifted trucks can't pull *****.  And you need to have a good enough trailer to have it drop enough to pull efficiently.

 

Gas motors are not as good as diesel obviously.  But, if you're going to get a gas motor make sure you find one that's not been toyed up or tricked out. Just means Joe Dirt drove it around until repo'd or already been down to the Walmart burning out tires to impress Brenda May SueEllen his girlfriend (and sister).

 

The towing package is a must, imo. It takes the burden off turning off overdrive.

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2 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

Get a diesel. My recommendation would be a Ford w/ the 7.3l or a Dodge, any year is pretty good for the Cummins as Boyst62 says. I drive a 2000 F350 w/ about 300,000 miles on her and haul a lot of weight both in the bed and on trailers. 

A Cummins mechanical before it went all fancy or an 80s diesel would just be so much fun. You have to cover the tailpipe to get enough of a vacuum, let it turn over for an hour before it starts, hope it's not too cold and keep kerosene in the fuel ... But, boy they're reliable

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6 minutes ago, Teddy KGB said:

 

Whats wrong w the gas motors ?   Found a mossy oak outdoorsman lifted one w 60k miles that I kinda dig the pricing 

Don't get a lifted truck if you're trying to tow...they build em to be able to work straight off the floor, any mods you do are going to impact capacities and performance. 

 

Diesels just are overall better for doing the stuff you need a truck to do. They're generally more reliable engines, last way longer, and as far as towing they generate a ton more torque so if you ever need to do a bigger job than you thought you'll be glad for the extra muscle.

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1 minute ago, GoBills808 said:

Don't get a lifted truck if you're trying to tow...they build em to be able to work straight off the floor, any mods you do are going to impact capacities and performance. 

 

Diesels just are overall better for doing the stuff you need a truck to do. They're generally more reliable engines, last way longer, and as far as towing they generate a ton more torque so if you ever need to do a bigger job than you thought you'll be glad for the extra muscle.

And in any stop and go traffic in these neighborhoods and small towns you'll need start and go power. My f350 has tow mode which allows it to basically make a engine brake.

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1 minute ago, Boyst62 said:

And in any stop and go traffic in these neighborhoods and small towns you'll need start and go power. My f350 has tow mode which allows it to basically make a engine brake.

The guy said he's going to be towing 5-8,000 lbs which is kind of right in the midsize wheelhouse for capacity...the new F150s are rated for like 5000-13,000 , I think the Tundra (which I like overall as a truck, Toyotas in general make good pickups but for a pure work truck they don't have a diesel so ehhhh) can do 10k...the thing is, if you're consistently putting 8,000 lbs in the trailer there's going to come a time when you need to haul 15-20,000lbs for some job and regardless, I would rather have a little too much truck than be constantly close-to-maxing out my capacity especially on a gasoline engine. 

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2 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

The guy said he's going to be towing 5-8,000 lbs which is kind of right in the midsize wheelhouse for capacity...the new F150s are rated for like 5000-13,000 , I think the Tundra (which I like overall as a truck, Toyotas in general make good pickups but for a pure work truck they don't have a diesel so ehhhh) can do 10k...the thing is, if you're consistently putting 8,000 lbs in the trailer there's going to come a time when you need to haul 15-20,000lbs for some job and regardless, I would rather have a little too much truck than be constantly close-to-maxing out my capacity especially on a gasoline engine. 

And those Lil boy MrAgs trucks only are made for consideration of occasional hauling. Not as a workhorse.  Heaven forbid a tiny Fergy truck get sucked in to having to do work, it'd break down and wait for a Chevy

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4 hours ago, Gray Beard said:

Because of this horrible commercial, I would hesitate to buy a Chevy (actually, I think most Chevy commercials are awful, but this brings it to a whole new level).

None of them hold a candle to the Chevy commercial from the late 80s, with Country Clem, and his granny cackling “Don’t you buy no ugly truck!”

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These are always tough questions and decisions because it's not easy to find one that meets all the needs. If your looking for a truck that will be a daily driver with the occasional weekend hauling and towing, the Toyota and Nissan trucks are nice for that.

 

If it's going to be used as a work truck hauling and towing equipment daily, then one of the big 3 NA brands are probably the best choice. With most vehicles, if properly maintained following all routine maintenance, they should last for a long time. I did have one mechanic try to steer me away from Dodge a few years ago when I talked about buying one, he said it's the one they see the most of in the shop. Ford or GM seem to be used most often in fleets or for work trucks. The F250 and 2500 lines are typically better options for work vehicles, the F150 and 1500 series are more for the regular Joe. The models like the Outdoorsman series are usually more of an offroad package series with lifts and body protection. They arent usually that much better for working/hauling then the regular models that arent as expensive. The hauling they are expected to do would be for a small boat, ATVs and Snowmobiles.

 

Suspension, brakes and overall truck size are factors that affect towing and hauling just as much if not more then Motor size depending on the size of what you are hauling. A small/midsize truck may have a motor that is strong enough to pull  a heavy trailer, but because of the size of the truck and its length, it cant haul it because it isnt as stable.

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1 hour ago, Teddy KGB said:

 

Lmao.   I’d roll with the ford lightning over that 

i had a friend that when the kids graduated from high school, his parents bought the kids a car.  anything they want within a price range.  the splash is what he chose. we still to this day don't let him live that down.  on top of that, he put a disgusting amount of money into it so he could, "race it".  tens of thousands of dollars completely flushed down the toilet.  

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Never had a chance to jump into this thread.  So looking at full sized half ton trucks.  I'm down to Ford & Chev/GMC.  But for this question it really doesn't matter.  What's the best way to get that truck?  So expensive and drawbacks in every choice:

 

BUY:  New but Holy Cow $$$$$$$$$$

Lease:  OK less money but you're in for $300-$400 a month for forever, lease after lease

Buy off-lease:  3-4 years old.  Less $$$ but what's the history?  Someone towing 10,000# around.  Plus might need immediate maintenance

 

 

Thanks for any inputs!

 

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26 minutes ago, MarkyMannn said:

Never had a chance to jump into this thread.  So looking at full sized half ton trucks.  I'm down to Ford & Chev/GMC.  But for this question it really doesn't matter.  What's the best way to get that truck?  So expensive and drawbacks in every choice:

 

BUY:  New but Holy Cow $$$$$$$$$$

Lease:  OK less money but you're in for $300-$400 a month for forever, lease after lease

Buy off-lease:  3-4 years old.  Less $$$ but what's the history?  Someone towing 10,000# around.  Plus might need immediate maintenance

 

 

Thanks for any inputs!

 

Depending on your options, newer trucks arent that bad, until you start going into the upgraded packages..... 

 

The only worry going used is get it looked over real good cause you dont know how the previous owner used it. Today, many people who own trucks dont need to, they just want it because they are big and think they need one, but it's never been truly used for anything other then hauling themselves around. But there are some that use them like they are supposed and more that may look great but can be well worn.

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2 hours ago, Teddy KGB said:

I’m getting the 19 Ram and hoping I can squeeze 250,000 miles out of it. 

 

Ford’s are dead to me after being 17k upside down on my 2016 F150.   Not gonna do that again 

I think the Rams have the best look to them, I have heard that their reliability was an issue though.

 

I know my friend whos family has always been Ford for everything has said he wouldn't buy one again after they have had a bunch of problems with their current Fords.

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21 hours ago, Teddy KGB said:

I’m getting the 19 Ram and hoping I can squeeze 250,000 miles out of it. 

 

Ford’s are dead to me after being 17k upside down on my 2016 F150.   Not gonna do that again 

Ha, you dont think you'll be upside down on a new dodge?

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Shop, shop, shop. Buy a used truck, loaded to the max with under 100k from an old guy.

 

In 2004, I bought a hard loaded 2001 V-10 F250 Lariot with 85k for half of blue book. Old man gave it to his middle age son, who didn't need it and was supposed to give it to his own son but decided 16 yr old grandson didn't deserve or need a truck of that class.

 

I sold it 6-7 years later for exactly what I paid. If not for 4.00 gas prices at the time, I would've kept it.

 

I miss that madmofoin truck!

Edited by BUFFALOKIE
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On 1/14/2019 at 12:06 PM, GoBills808 said:

The guy said he's going to be towing 5-8,000 lbs which is kind of right in the midsize wheelhouse for capacity...the new F150s are rated for like 5000-13,000 , I think the Tundra (which I like overall as a truck, Toyotas in general make good pickups but for a pure work truck they don't have a diesel so ehhhh) can do 10k...the thing is, if you're consistently putting 8,000 lbs in the trailer there's going to come a time when you need to haul 15-20,000lbs for some job and regardless, I would rather have a little too much truck than be constantly close-to-maxing out my capacity especially on a gasoline engine. 

Completely agree.  Also concerned with fuel mileage.  If you know you are towing then at least a HD 250/2500 with diesel.  Fuel mileage fluctuation is minimal between loaded/unloaded relative to gas engines.  I drive a 2500 HD and haven't found anything I couldn't move yet.  Would drive an F450 if I could get my wife to agree.

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22 hours ago, apuszczalowski said:

I think the Rams have the best look to them, I have heard that their reliability was an issue though.

 

I know my friend whos family has always been Ford for everything has said he wouldn't buy one again after they have had a bunch of problems with their current Fords.

 

How current was the Ram you heard this on ? I have a few friends that have 14-16ish ones and say it’s been all good 

3 hours ago, BUFFALOKIE said:

Ha, you dont think you'll be upside down on a new dodge?

 

Hope not.     Motortrend wants to make sweet love to it 

 

https://www.motortrend.com/cars/ram/1500/2019/ram-1500-2019-truck-of-the-year/

 

Is motortrend reliable ? Or a hack ?   They are the go to no ?   

 

 

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