Need a bigger truck to tow with (Page 1 of 2)

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/index.php
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjtrrSgABnc

Go to the above sites and you will find the info you ask as well as anywhere else.

The early 6.0's had issues.
Head gaskets and EGR coolers could fail and could lead to total loss of the engine.
I think Ford sued Navistar on this.

Now the later6.0's were better but you still had to keep on top of maintainence and watch your EGT's!
Installing APR head studs, a EGR cooler delete and a couple of other mods made for a much better and reliable engine.

Duramax Silverados not looking so bad now, thanks for the info!

How about the Cummings diesel Ram 2500?

I love my Cummings.  I hate my Dodge.

The engine is pretty close to bullet proof, but the rest of the truck falls apart alarming fast.  I bought my 2500 three years ago with about 120k on the clock.  It is a 2000 model (24V, a year or two before the common rail stuff).  The auto transmission is notoriously weak - mine died after 10k of towing near the rated limit.  I replaced with a Revmax rebuild and have been happy it.  The front suspension ball joints were shot and I finally replaced them.  The famed "death wobble" in the steering went away.  Pretty sure the "death wobble" complainers have never raced a NSF car...
The diesel injection pump (VP44) is known to go bad on them.  It is an expensive part (2k new, 1k rebuilt), but they are almost always damaged by a bad lift pump.  It is a problem you can monitor and prevent with a pressure gauge.
The interior is total crap.  All the plastic is cracking and falling apart.  A mobile car wash guy came to the office one day, so I let him wash it for $20.  Better him than me.  I felt really bad for him - he put his hand through the dash when cleaning it and was afraid I would make him pay for it.  It was that brittle.  It is pretty amusing now with most of the dash completely missing.  I'll grab a piece to throw at people when they annoy me.

For all that, it tows great, but is a bit under powered under a large load.  I would find a 6 speed manual with a 410 rearend, put a fuel pressure gauge in it, and tow forever.

Edit - If you daily drive it (I do mine), you will never use a drive-thru again.  At idle the engine to is too loud to hear anything less than a full yell.

The hierarchy of diesels is Cummins, Ford 7.3(Navistar 444)...small gap, Chevy Duramax....unknown gap...Ford 6.4...huge cliff...Ford 6.0 and GMC 6.5.

The Cummins w/6spd is a bog standard commercial truck driveline to 26k lbs.  They do tend to lose 2nd gear because drivers want to start in 2nd because 1st is a granny. 

The Dodge or Ford V10 trucks are a good alternative if you don't pull through the mountains a lot.  S/F.....Ken M

I like this for the money
http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detai … /overview/

Someone else mentioned it but don't discount gassers. My V-10 F350 was thousands cheaper than the comparable diesel. MPG isn't great but 87 is a lot less than diesel. I just averaged 11.4mpg pulling a trailer 2400 miles @ ~70mph. Maintenance is as easy as any other 4.6/5.4. The modulars like to rev, but it pulls like the big block it is. My only complaint with the Super Duties is the solid front axle. Its unnecessary for what I use the truck for and the bumpsteer sucks.

Diesel is $.65 more here in Florida

I just bought a 2000 F250 with a 6 speed manual and 7.3 Powerstroke.   Truck had 165,000 miles and I got it for $6500.

WHY didn't I get one sooner?   I absolutely love this truck.  Haven't gotten to hook it up to anything substantial and I can't wait!   I need a big trailer!

I would think those police beatings every time you get caught near a school or park qualify as a downside, right? 

It hasn't been mentioned yet, so here it is. 

Do NOT buy any diesel made after 07.  The emissions bullshit is awful; living proof that government hates business and the American public.  If you do, immediately make arrangements to rip all that garbage out.  Approx 30% of disabled commercial trucks I deal with have something to do with the completely unnecessary emissions crap causing a de-rate or shutdown.  Even when it does work, it's extra costs and maintenance.

Ugh, now I'm angry('er) after thinking about work.  Pardon me, I have to go take a chainsaw to the rainforest or burn a stack of tires or something.  S/F....Ken M

I bought a 2001 Dodge 2500 Cummins automatic, new.  It's now got about 115,000 miles on it, probably 80,000 of them involve pulling my trailer.

The truck has not been bad, replaced front ball joints once.  Curiously, I must have gotten the one bad Cummins that came off the line.  Nothing major, but I have had to replace the front seal, the water pump, and the injection pump.

The big HP and torque race seems to have come a couple of years later.  Mine has 240 hp and 450 ft-lbs of torque, and actually gets pretty fair mileage.  I've seen as high as 16-17 towing if I keep the speeds reasonable, but I like to drive everywhere at 75 mph.  Oh, I got the 4.10 rear end, didn't feel I needed to go hog wild as the enclosed Featherlite, Alfa, and spares probably rarely tops 8,000 Lbs.  I've probably towed 10,000 - 12,000 once or twice.

No transmission issues.  I change the fluid every 15,000 miles, I was told that is the trick with the Dodge autos.

HTH,

bs

If you do not have an overactive HOA and you are not daily driving it, I still think this is the way to go...

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/cto/4730316312.html

It may only have 100K miles but ambulances, like police cars, have hundreds of hours more on them than their mileage implies.  But they run the E450 chassis which means upgraded everything from suspension to brakes, etc. The ambulance bodies are usually AL so the weight over an extended cargo is not that much more.  You usually get dual alternators or single holy crap 150 amp monster.  Finally...fleet maintained.

room for two to sleep comfortably and still have something of a kitchen.

Current owner of a 7.3, a year 2000 model F350.  I had the unfortunate luck of every known weak point on the 7.3 happening to me in the space of about a year.  Injector harness, CPS, glow plugs, front suspension, you name it.  Turbo needed resealing, various oil leaks, etc.  Ended up dumping about 5000 into a truck I paid 9000 for.  Still, for 14,000, I have what runs and drives like a brand new truck- it has about 160,000 miles on it now.  I installed a 6 position chip, and the performance increase was astounding.  Fuel econoy is anywhere from 11 to 18, depending on what I'm towing and how fast I'm going, but keep in mind I have the quad cab, automatic, 4x4 model.  The truck tips the scales at a hair over 8000 pounds with just me in it. 

Previously I had a 12V Cummins in a 92 Dodge, with a 5 speed and extended cab, 4x4.  Best truck ever, but it was very much an "old school" type of ride.  Air conditioning was as far as the luxury went in that truck.  Rode like it had no suspension at all.  But I loved it.  Were I to get another diesel truck, I just might go looking for a 91-93 Dodge again.