buying a truck, need advice

[frankmako]

had a 7.3.  ran the wheels off.  then i pickup a used 2004 with the 6.0 three years ago.  i knew of the problems with the motor.  the main problem is the antifreeze that ford uses. they call it ford gold.  ford used car antifreeze and not diesel motor type antifreeze, the red color. the factory antifreeze after some time will plug the oil cooler and in turn this will over heat the motor oil, motor, and egr valve.  it is a easy check to see if the truck as the problem with a cheap scan gauge.  you check to coolant temp and the oil temp while driving at 55 on level ground.  you want the two temps not to be more that 15 deg between the two.  lower is better.  high is no so good.  i dropped about $1,800.00 to fix the problem in the truck along with some other small unrelated things.  i plan the cost of the oil cooler fix when i made an offer for the truck.  the good thing is you can show the seller the temp numbers and the ford recall/fix papers when you make an offer.  dealers know of this problem when they sell a used 6.0, but they will not tell you. it is the "buyer be ware" with some dealers.  the 6.0 motor runs like a rocket and will snap you back on take off.  not like the 7.3 that is slow.  the turbo in the 6.0 give you snap no matter the speed you are driving.  i have seen some 6.0 that has not had the work and the temps are good.  the owners told me that they changed out the factory antifreeze to a diesel antifreeze early on.  i don't know anything about the 6.4, but if it has the ford gold antifreeze then it will have the same problem.  so do not over look a ford f250.  there are good deals to be made on a used one if one has the info.

[tnguy]

Have you got the famed 7.3 diesel, the 6.0, or the newer 6.4? The 6.0 diesel they have had a ton of problems out of with heads warping or something like that. I know it involves the heads in some way. In a lot of f250 ads that have the 6.0 they will state that an egr delete and arp head studs have been put in, which solves the problem i guess

 

It's not just about the economy with a diesel either. The torque rocks on a per-liter basis. I have a TDI jetta and I've towed all sorts of things behind it (within its limits) and hardly noticed the drag.

[Grunt67]

 Stick with the F series, you'll be a happy man.

[McGarrett]

Here's the truck you need; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8P5vGcf-NU. Will you be hauling a lot of knick knacks?

 

On a more serious note, a lot of good advice from the other guys posts. I can't help you much on "newer" trucks, my truck is an '86 F250 and I also have a '79 F150 4x4 that me and my son share. +1 for old Fords.

 

Check over the trucks closely and stay away from the diesels unless you are willing to potentially spend some big money on repairs and maint. I have a 6.0 F350 company truck but we have been lucky with it, we changed out the coolant when it was really new and added a coolant filter. I have seen several of the guys a work with the diesel pickups get into some big money repairs. I have noticed a lot of the diesels have been rode hard and put up wet and the good trucks that have been taken care of have a high price on them. 

[Lumber_Jack]

Does the Tundra have a front end leveling kit? If so I'd take it to the local dealer for an inspection. Leveling kits are fine but can add some stress to ball joints and wheel bearings. PS those tires are gonna be loud on the road.

[Guest TankerHC]

Yep, 600 bucks at the dealer and 900 for a 2 inch lift. Was just there this morning.
Cheaper at Big 10. Leveling kit there i believe they said around 300

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[Guest TankerHC]

Just noticed your talking about one already on. Was told it would cause no problems on these. The Tundra is built with a forward tilt and leveling would lift it an inch but would cause no problems with the truck. They are built to be leveled if need to be. Have been told leveling or lifting will give you worse and better and no change in mileage. Can someone confirm their experience. Im debating getting a leveling kiit

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[reed1285]

Went to capital toyota this morning here in chattanooga. Found this there.

 

Drove it and fell in love. It rides so much better than my f150. It has 91xxx miles. Has the 5.7 v8. I wanted to take it home today but im gonna look for just a bit longer.

Edited March 13, 2014 by reed1285

[10-Ring]

i would go with a ford.  i would go with the f250 diesel.  with the diesel you get better mpg.  i get around 21 mpg with my f250 diesel driving 75 plus on the freeway.  around town i get 19 mpg.  drop a 20 foot  trailer behind the truck and i can not tell it is there.   yes i know diesel fuel is higher than gas, but i get better mileage.  my f250 get better mileage than my f150. 

 

When you figure that diesel costs around 50 cents more per gallon the increased gas mileage mostly negates itself there.  Add to that $100 DIY oil changes, fuel filter replacements, a two battery system, injectors going bad, and all the other common diesel issues you will be hard pressed to ever come out ahead.  If you have a need to tow heavy loads on a regular basis, drive a whole lot of miles, or just want to drive a diesel just because then they can work out.  Full disclosure:  I drive a Tundra as my personal vehicle and a 7.3 F-250 as a company vehicle.  As for a personal vehicle I'd take the Tundra over the F-250 100 times so long as you aren't towing large loads often.  I also seem to get 16 MPG in the F-250 regardless of how it's driven (I drive it really easy) or what it's hauling.

[Mike.357]

Unless you haul for a living or have a giant ass camper I see no point whatsoever in buying a diesel.  To do the daily drive it seems folly to have a super duty truck.

 

And I am also not sure of the point to a leveling kit unless you worry about penis size and your truck has to look big.

 

As for that video, while aimed at humor very few truck owners use their truck for work . Most are like me and need a truck on occassion but basically use it as a daily driver.  I need a truck to haul the yard tractor to Granny's to mow her grass and to throw trash bags in for the ride to the dump, or haul mulch or gravel for home use.

 

Wishing you nothing but luck in your used truck purchase.

[Luke E.]

 I have owned 5 Ford Super Duty's and one F150 and all but one F250 were great trucks. I have a chevy Z71 now because I bought it for around 1/3 the trade in value but would not have bought it if not for that. If you were weighing out domestic options I would say to go with Ford simply because they were the ones that accepted no bail out money and I've had good luck with them. I haven't owned one of the newer Toyota's with the insanely large cab but I have two friends that have them and I can't comment enough on the room, even in the back seat. I'm almost 6'2" with really bad knees so being able to completely straighten my legs out is a must and I had no problem with that is the Toyota. 

 How big of a camper are you looking at?

[nightrunner]

I have a buddy that works at a Dodge dealer and said they are having consistent problems with the new diesels emissions equipment. They arent being worked enough, just driven around town and its clogging everything up, gotta blow them out every now and then.

[tnguy]

As for that video, while aimed at humor very few truck owners use their truck for work . Most are like me and need a truck on occassion but basically use it as a daily driver.  I need a truck to haul the yard tractor to Granny's to mow her grass and to throw trash bags in for the ride to the dump, or haul mulch or gravel for home use.

 

That can all be handled with a small trailer though.

 

Besides, I though SOP for disposing of trash in trucks was to leave it in the back and wait for it to blow out driving down the road...

Edited March 14, 2014 by tnguy

[reed1285]

well I sold my f150 today. Taking a trip down to the Sugar Hill, GA area tomorrow morning to look at this

 

http://showroom.auction123.com/jw_truck_sales/inventory/8612/2007/Toyota/Tundra/5TBEV54117S458489.html

[Mike.357]

That can all be handled with a small trailer though.

 

Besides, I though SOP for disposing of trash in trucks was to leave it in the back and wait for it to blow out driving down the road...

 

 

what would I tow with, a sedan?  I am way more manly than that.  ;)

[TMF]

[quote name="Mike.357" post="1124824" timestamp="1394854878"]what would I tow with, a sedan? I am way more manly than that. ;)[/quote] Yah. I've had my truck for 10 years now and can't imagine living without one. Back when I drove a car I can't count how many times I've asked for help from a buddy with a truck. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Mike.357]

yeah,  I dunno how people who have a house get by without a truck.  If you don't have one you gotta have a best buddy who does. I have been driving one since the early 80's.  I can't see myself not owning ( or paying a bank for) one.

 

The only real downside is if you have one, people who don't, think you are in the moving business.  

[reed1285]

[quote name="Mike.357" post="1124836" timestamp="1394856962"]yeah, I dunno how people who have a house get by without a truck. If you don't have one you gotta have a best buddy who does. I have been driving one since the early 80's. I can't see myself not owning ( or paying a bank for) one. The only real downside is if you have one, people who don't, think you are in the moving business. [/quote] Same here. I cant see myself not having one. I would hate relying on other people every time i needed to go pick something up that required a truck.

[10-Ring]

Agreed I've had a truck since I've had a drivers license, with the exception of about the past two years.  See, my truck broke down and I was without a truck for those two years.  A person may be able to get by without a truck if they've never had one but once you have had one it's much harder to not have one, I hated it.  Funny how the people that say things like "Oh, you don't really need a truck" are always the first to call someone with a truck when they need something moved or hauled.  Used to not be a big deal but the last couple of times I've done a favor I haven't even been offered gas money.  That sucks after you burn $40 worth of gas running around town doing someone a favor because they don't want t buy their own truck.  I'm not bitter though...

[nightrunner]

I owned a truck since i had a drivers license till a couple years ago also. It wasnt feasible to drive a truck 1000 miles a week for my new job, so got a car. Several times i needed a truck and didnt have it and it bothered me. Got a suburban next thinkin it would be alright. Nope, not good enough, not big enough. Next will be a truck no matter what

[TMF]

I owned a truck since i had a drivers license till a couple years ago also. It wasnt feasible to drive a truck 1000 miles a week for my new job, so got a car. Several times i needed a truck and didnt have it and it bothered me. Got a suburban next thinkin it would be alright. Nope, not good enough, not big enough. Next will be a truck no matter what

 

Yep, it's why I bought a quad cab when I did, long before having my first kid.  Figured I'd be hanging on to the truck for a while and might need it to fit the family in there.

[nightrunner]

Heck, im not married nor have kids but wanted a big truck and thought the extra cargo capacity of a suburbanwould be enough. Its just not tall enough. Crew cab truck is next though.

[tnguy]

what would I tow with, a sedan?  I am way more manly than that.   ;)

 

I was replying to the things you had said you had towed which would easily be towed with such a vehicle.

 

Yah. I've had my truck for 10 years now and can't imagine living without one. Back when I drove a car I can't count how many times I've asked for help from a buddy with a truck. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Lesson from that, know a guy with a truck :)

 

Look, if you need a truck, that's fair enough (and if you just want a truck, I ain't gonna argue with you) but it's rarely been an issue for me. Considering the hit on the gas mileage (I get 45 to the gallon and drive 90 miles each day), if I needed a truck, renting one would be an option. Heck, buying one for the period I needed it and then reselling would be an option.

 

My trailer is a 6x4 that I converted to hold up to two motorcycles. It's been sufficient for nearly all my needs so far. It's easier to load the motorcycles on to it than it would be a truck also.

 

When I see a truck, I see one of these with the top down...

 

Edited March 15, 2014 by tnguy

[Mike.357]

I was replying to the things you had said you had towed which would easily be towed with such a vehicle.

 

  and I was joking,  hence the winky thing.

 

and as for people not owning their own and wanting to borrow mine.  There are about two or three people I would hand my keys over to. Maybe ten people I would help by using my truck.  All others get the canned response that I'd be happy to lift and tote to help but my truck is not part of the deal.  Go rent one.

Edited March 15, 2014 by Mike.357

[tnguy]

and I was joking,  hence the winky thing.

Oh, I just figured that was attached to the "manly" part.

We also towed a fair bit with out 3.8L Windstar but that felt the drag a lot more than the Jetta and I think it may have contributed to the blown head gasket. Which is a little worrying as I believe it had the same engine as the F150 (?) Edited March 15, 2014 by tnguy