Used Diesel Truck Recommendations

[Stein]

That's not a bunch of weight to tow:

1300  side by side atv
1200  dog box
1500  trailer
500  misc extra junk

4500 pounds which is less than half the tow capacity of an ecoboost 1/2 ton before you even jump to 3/4.  You would have to watch tongue weight, but 4,500 is a very manageable load.

$150 a year maintenance is a pretty rosy prediction even if under warranty.  Everything with a diesel is more expensive, both the engine as well as the heavy duty suspension.  Brake rotors alone are what $500?  The suspension seems to require much more frequent replacement.

Great rigs that can pull the world, but at a cost that goes well beyond initial sticker shock.

My primary concern is the tongue weight as I want the dog box close to the hitch and depending on the trailer that could be reasonably distributed but pulling that amount of across country I'd think would burn up a 1/2 pretty quickly. No?

In my mind, there are two ways to tackle the beast if you are doing something where the rig is a daily driver that occasionally pulls. 

You can size it to be perfect to pull or you can size it to be adequate to pull.  The first requires a bunch more money up front, to maintain and to fuel.  The second is much more affordable and comfortable to drive but you may have some compromises in pulling, although this has really narrowed recently.

You can get a half ton ecobost that would be pulling less than half the rated capacity.  They are clearly built to pull that load as long as the tongue weight is fine.  I don't have one, but know several people that do and they all pull stuff in that ballpark and with 100% consistency say they perform excellent.

So, going that route you are going to get much better mileage all year, better comfort driving all year and very acceptable towing capacity in a rig that is cheaper to buy, cheaper at the pump, cheaper to insure, cheaper to license and cheaper to maintain. 

Some people really want a big truck and it's America, so if that's the deal then by all means a guy should get what he wants.  I only looked from a utility perspective and it just didn't make sense.

I was in a similar position, we are considering upgrading to a big boat in several years and decided 1) 5-10 years is a long time and that may never happen and 2) diesel trucks are a bunch of money and I ended up with a 1/2 ton that pulls my existing boat just fine.

My next truck just may be a used ecoboost, they seem to have an incredible following.

[Woodchuck]

That's not a bunch of weight to tow:

1300  side by side atv
1200  dog box
1500  trailer
500  misc extra junk

4500 pounds which is less than half the tow capacity of an ecoboost 1/2 ton before you even jump to 3/4.  You would have to watch tongue weight, but 4,500 is a very manageable load.

$150 a year maintenance is a pretty rosy prediction even if under warranty.  Everything with a diesel is more expensive, both the engine as well as the heavy duty suspension.  Brake rotors alone are what $500?  The suspension seems to require much more frequent replacement.

Great rigs that can pull the world, but at a cost that goes well beyond initial sticker shock.

My primary concern is the tongue weight as I want the dog box close to the hitch and depending on the trailer that could be reasonably distributed but pulling that amount of across country I'd think would burn up a 1/2 pretty quickly. No?

In my mind, there are two ways to tackle the beast if you are doing something where the rig is a daily driver that occasionally pulls. 

You can size it to be perfect to pull or you can size it to be adequate to pull.  The first requires a bunch more money up front, to maintain and to fuel.  The second is much more affordable and comfortable to drive but you may have some compromises in pulling, although this has really narrowed recently.

You can get a half ton ecobost that would be pulling less than half the rated capacity.  They are clearly built to pull that load as long as the tongue weight is fine.  I don't have one, but know several people that do and they all pull stuff in that ballpark and with 100% consistency say they perform excellent.

So, going that route you are going to get much better mileage all year, better comfort driving all year and very acceptable towing capacity in a rig that is cheaper to buy, cheaper at the pump, cheaper to insure, cheaper to license and cheaper to maintain. 

Some people really want a big truck and it's America, so if that's the deal then by all means a guy should get what he wants.  I only looked from a utility perspective and it just didn't make sense.

I was in a similar position, we are considering upgrading to a big boat in several years and decided 1) 5-10 years is a long time and that may never happen and 2) diesel trucks are a bunch of money and I ended up with a 1/2 ton that pulls my existing boat just fine.

My next truck just may be a used ecoboost, they seem to have an incredible following.

Nailed it. 

[Colin]

That's not a bunch of weight to tow:

1300  side by side atv
1200  dog box
1500  trailer
500  misc extra junk

4500 pounds which is less than half the tow capacity of an ecoboost 1/2 ton before you even jump to 3/4.  You would have to watch tongue weight, but 4,500 is a very manageable load.

$150 a year maintenance is a pretty rosy prediction even if under warranty.  Everything with a diesel is more expensive, both the engine as well as the heavy duty suspension.  Brake rotors alone are what $500?  The suspension seems to require much more frequent replacement.

Great rigs that can pull the world, but at a cost that goes well beyond initial sticker shock.

My primary concern is the tongue weight as I want the dog box close to the hitch and depending on the trailer that could be reasonably distributed but pulling that amount of across country I'd think would burn up a 1/2 pretty quickly. No?

In my mind, there are two ways to tackle the beast if you are doing something where the rig is a daily driver that occasionally pulls. 

You can size it to be perfect to pull or you can size it to be adequate to pull.  The first requires a bunch more money up front, to maintain and to fuel.  The second is much more affordable and comfortable to drive but you may have some compromises in pulling, although this has really narrowed recently.

You can get a half ton ecobost that would be pulling less than half the rated capacity.  They are clearly built to pull that load as long as the tongue weight is fine.  I don't have one, but know several people that do and they all pull stuff in that ballpark and with 100% consistency say they perform excellent.

So, going that route you are going to get much better mileage all year, better comfort driving all year and very acceptable towing capacity in a rig that is cheaper to buy, cheaper at the pump, cheaper to insure, cheaper to license and cheaper to maintain. 

Some people really want a big truck and it's America, so if that's the deal then by all means a guy should get what he wants.  I only looked from a utility perspective and it just didn't make sense.

I was in a similar position, we are considering upgrading to a big boat in several years and decided 1) 5-10 years is a long time and that may never happen and 2) diesel trucks are a bunch of money and I ended up with a 1/2 ton that pulls my existing boat just fine.

My next truck just may be a used ecoboost, they seem to have an incredible following.

Nailed it. 

All good points! I may be ordering more food than I can eat right now with the thought that I will want more in a few years. Would it be cost effective to buy a used 1/2 ton Eco and then transition to a 3/4 ton in 3-5 years or buy the 3/4 ton to start?

[Woodchuck]

I would buy the 1/2 ton now and try it out, you may very well find out you weren't ever that hungry at all. 

[JKEEN33]

I went from a 1/2 ton gas to a 1 ton diesel last year. I have a commute car so only use the truck for towing or my off-road trips. Best thing I ever did. I towed with the half ton for 18 years. It does not come close to what the 1 ton can do. Gas you are constantly adjusting for the road conditions diesel, I set the cruise and let it do it’s thing. Over the pass, flat long haul stretches or whatever are easier driving. You also have the added stopping power. I will admit the maintenance and around town driving can get expensive. I wouldn’t go back to a 1/2 ton unless it was just a driving vehicle. Just my current, couldn’t be happier with the performance of my truck opinion.

[BDildine]

Owning a 7.3 myself, and working on diesel stuff daily, i can tell you that diesels are awesome motors for longevity and torque/pulling power. the flip side is they are A LOT more expensive up front, look at a used gasser vs diesel, same year, mileage etc, the diesel will demand more $$. Also, when something goes wrong on a diesel, it can get expensive fast. In this age of all the EPA crap with DPF's, DEF, EGR etc, you can get into the thousands for repairs easily. My boss has a Duramax at the stealership currently, and the part (DEF tank heater) is like 2 week backlog at the factory (earliest eta).
Gas rigs are pretty straight forward, especially if your someone that likes to do any of their own maintenance.
I drive a diesel because i haul a 28' TT, boats, tractors, dump trailers loaded with * insert project of the week* so i use it, but dont drive it daily.

just some perspective for ya

edited for clarification* The def tank is under warranty (so luckily its not on his dime), but with all the computer controls, the truck derates (and is worthless) until he gets the part

[mtn muley madness]

Just because something is rated for 'X' amount doesn't mean I'd necessarily feel comfortable hauling or towing anywhere close to that for long periods of time. It's all relative. 3/4 ton and 1 ton rigs are plain and simple built better and better equipped for hauling and towing. Suspension, brakes, calipers, rotors, frame, weight, engine, tranny, stock tranny coolers, etc. are going to typically be bigger, better, more capable. If you are talking about towing as long of distances as you are talking about I'd go 3/4 ton at least. Unless you like being hard on and replacing stuff more frequently. Most half ton's are quite capable, yes, but aren't built nearly on the same level for towing, pulling, hauling, stopping with a load, etc. That's why it's a half ton. I'd rather have slightly more truck than I 'need' just for the piece of mind alone. Sounds like what your end goal is in a truck suitable for your needs would be asking a lot out of a half ton. Couple of my buddies have 1/2 tons and tow things less frequently than I do with my 6 liter 2500HD, but still pull things. We've owned our trucks roughly the same amount of years (6-8) and have roughly the same amount of miles (120k-140k) and I haven't done brake pads on mine yet... they aren't even really close yet and they've about gone through 2 sets.  And 1 has had to rebuild his tranny (3rd gear went out-the workhorse gear towing/pulling hills) and the other has a tranny that is starting to slip. Also, My 3/4 ton is the oldest of the 3 trucks by 3 years, (03'). Just stuff to think about. 3/4 ton duramax with an allison and you'll never look back. Rides like a sedan in town and pulls like a pissed off baby semi up the pass. Lower mileage 06' I would suggest.  Just my opinion. Happy hunting!

[jmscon]

That's not a bunch of weight to tow:

1300  side by side atv
1200  dog box
1500  trailer
500  misc extra junk

4500 pounds which is less than half the tow capacity of an ecoboost 1/2 ton before you even jump to 3/4.  You would have to watch tongue weight, but 4,500 is a very manageable load.

$150 a year maintenance is a pretty rosy prediction even if under warranty.  Everything with a diesel is more expensive, both the engine as well as the heavy duty suspension.  Brake rotors alone are what $500?  The suspension, steering, etc seems to require much more frequent replacement.  Essentially, the cost to maintain an F350 is nowhere near that on an F150 or even 250. 

Great rigs that can pull the world, but at a cost that goes well beyond initial sticker shock.

That’s because you are talking about Ford’s! 

Look out of state as well. I bought a Dodge two years ago and flew to Colorado to get it because the trucks are that much cheaper. Long boxes are harder to come by and because of that more expensive. Utah, Idaho and Colorado seemed to have the trucks I was looking for when I bought mine. If you’re patient you can find trucks with under 100k for under $25k.
3/4 ton is the same suspension and brakes whether it’s gas or diesel.

[Wanttohuntmore]

I went from a 1/2 ton gas to a 1 ton diesel last year. I have a commute car so only use the truck for towing or my off-road trips. Best thing I ever did. I towed with the half ton for 18 years. It does not come close to what the 1 ton can do. Gas you are constantly adjusting for the road conditions diesel, I set the cruise and let it do it’s thing. Over the pass, flat long haul stretches or whatever are easier driving. You also have the added stopping power. I will admit the maintenance and around town driving can get expensive. I wouldn’t go back to a 1/2 ton unless it was just a driving vehicle. Just my current, couldn’t be happier with the performance of my truck opinion.

I did the same thing last year as well.   The heavier duty trucks just handle loads so much better.  My 2008 Tundra would do fine up to about 7500 lbs but got plain scary after that.   My 2500 Ram pulls 10.5k easily.   Is my 5th truck since high school.   If i could go back i should have started with a long bed 1 ton...

[Mudman]

1999-2007.5 cummins.

[Special T]

Owning a 7.3 myself, and working on diesel stuff daily, i can tell you that diesels are awesome motors for longevity and torque/pulling power. the flip side is they are A LOT more expensive up front, look at a used gasser vs diesel, same year, mileage etc, the diesel will demand more $$. Also, when something goes wrong on a diesel, it can get expensive fast. In this age of all the EPA crap with DPF's, DEF, EGR etc, you can get into the thousands for repairs easily. My boss has a Duramax at the stealership currently, and the part (DEF tank heater) is like 2 week backlog at the factory (earliest eta).
Gas rigs are pretty straight forward, especially if your someone that likes to do any of their own maintenance.
I drive a diesel because i haul a 28' TT, boats, tractors, dump trailers loaded with * insert project of the week* so i use it, but dont drive it daily.

just some perspective for ya

edited for clarification* The def tank is under warranty (so luckily its not on his dime), but with all the computer controls, the truck derates (and is worthless) until he gets the part

This is some great advise from a mech with nothing to sell you on. PAY ATTENTION!

if you have cash to burn and a commuter car have at it if not... buy a gas rig...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Mudman]

Sounds like gas is what ya need.  That said if $ is concern a Dodge is the ticket.  The cheapest rig to maintain I ever owned.  Granted when a injector or pump or auto trans or turbo goes bad it is very expensive to repair.  Like an Ecoboost Ford will be!!  I wash my air filter, change fuel filters and oil change and tires.  That's it for miles and miles.  6speed.  Autos are icky..

[stlusn30-06]

Gonna throw an option out there that I doubt will be very popular, but it's what I personally did. Because reliability and cheap maintenance over everything else for me.

If your budget is 30K, and your heart is set on diesel, find a low mileage, manual transmission, 94-981/2 Dodge 2500 from a no rust state. 12 valve, no emissions crap, mechanical injection, Bosch P7100 injection pump. Minimal maintenance, cheap injectors, minimal parts to break over time. The motor is good for a million miles. If you want additional power and torque you can get that in gobs for cheap as well. Some say the best diesel set up of all time. That said, you're buying a work truck. Not a Cadillac with tow capacity.

At that budget you could get a prime rig, upgrade the suspension/front end to compete with modern rigs, and be good to go the rest of your life with some cash left over to fix cracked dashboards and double sided tape down your door panels (the truck will fall apart before the drive-train does). Oh yeah, and make sure the dowel pin issue has been taken care of. 

I had to scour the country for a year to find the one I wanted at the price I wanted, but I found it, and I have zero regrets.

[huntnphool]

 521k miles on one of my 7.3's, drive it almost daily and it still pulls my boat over the pass and everywhere with no problem.

 Replaced the pads yesterday, took me 30 minutes and $44

[blackveltbowhunter]

Gonna throw an option out there that I doubt will be very popular, but it's what I personally did. Because reliability and cheap maintenance over everything else for me.

If your budget is 30K, and your heart is set on diesel, find a low mileage, manual transmission, 94-981/2 Dodge 2500 from a no rust state. 12 valve, no emissions crap, mechanical injection, Bosch P7100 injection pump. Minimal maintenance, cheap injectors, minimal parts to break over time. The motor is good for a million miles. If you want additional power and torque you can get that in gobs for cheap as well. Some say the best diesel set up of all time. That said, you're buying a work truck. Not a Cadillac with tow capacity.

At that budget you could get a prime rig, upgrade the suspension/front end to compete with modern rigs, and be good to go the rest of your life with some cash left over to fix cracked dashboards and double sided tape down your door panels (the truck will fall apart before the drive-train does). Oh yeah, and make sure the dowel pin issue has been taken care of. 

I had to scour the country for a year to find the one I wanted at the price I wanted, but I found it, and I have zero regrets.

Great advice! Truly a workhorse drivetrain and tough as nails. The caveat is if you want the truck to haul anyone besides yourself and/or one other person. For cross country trips you will not have enough cab space to make it comfortable for the third wheel even  with the extended cab. It's not a fun time getting kids in and out of car seats either if that's a concern. If your daily and car seats it gets old.