Truck fever

[William]

I have been looking at new TV I currently tow 28dsbh and I pull it with a 08 Tahoe with 83000 miles I have been looking at 2011 &12 F150 with the Eco boost but some of the issues they have been having with them scare me for the longevity. I also found a ram 2500 with the 5.7 Hemi I have not found any issues with the Hemi on line. Don't know what to do. Might be winter blues I should take a cold shower and keep what I got.

[clubhouse]

It's very difficult to justify the purchase of a vehicle, it is almost always a want. Vehicles are expensive and depreciate, therefore maximizing the use of what you already own is always the best financial decision. An '08 with 83k still has lots of life in it. However if it isn't getting the job done, or you are overweight to a point that it isn't safe, changing TV might be reasonable.

That said, get a 2500 if you are going get to something. The towing experience is so nice with a HD platform and it gives you future options so you can keep it for its entire usable life and extract the most value possible from the vehicle.

Buy used.

[wwsmith111]

I travel Coast to Coast in a big truck and I usually notice RV rigs, pickups etc. Since you live in Nebraska and have Winter weather take a look at late model pickups going down the road. You might be surprised at what you see. Some brands (not mentioning any names) have been famous in the past for certain things. I can tell you that not much has changed over 50+ years. The same "rust buckets" from the past are still with us today. Not mentioning any names, but I would never buy certain brands just because of that! If you don't believe it just go look...

[clubhouse]

Originally Posted by wwsmith111

I travel Coast to Coast in a big truck and I usually notice RV rigs, pickups etc. Since you live in Nebraska and have Winter weather take a look at late model pickups going down the road. You might be surprised at what you see. Some brands (not mentioning any names) have been famous in the past for certain things. I can tell you that not much has changed over 50+ years. The same "rust buckets" from the past are still with us today. Not mentioning any names, but I would never buy certain brands just because of that! If you don't believe it just go look...

This message is bit to cryptic for me to understand -- are saying certain brands rust out faster than others? Something other deficiency for winter driving? Or is this you way of saying all Non-Toyotas are inferior?

[Blue Deuce]

If you do buy another TV, step up to a 2500. Nothing wrong with the Ecoboost either, fine truck and more than capable but again, a 2500/250 series will give you the room to upgrade TT later or allow for a more enjoyable towing experience now.

...and yes, he is saying anything not a Toyota is inferior. Me personally, I'd never even consider one when looking at trucks. One man's opinion over another man's opinion.

[wwsmith111]

Originally Posted by Blue Deuce

If you do buy another TV, step up to a 2500. Nothing wrong with the Ecoboost either, fine truck and more than capable but again, a 2500/250 series will give you the room to upgrade TT later or allow for a more enjoyable towing experience now.

...and yes, he is saying anything not a Toyota is inferior. Me personally, I'd never even consider one when looking at trucks. One man's opinion over another man's opinion.

Not what I said at all! I was specifically responded to the original poster's post. Only one brand that I know of has a notorious history for being a rust bucket. As a matter of fact my next pickup will likely be a Chevy Duramax. I have also owned Ford diesels in the past with no problems living up North in bad Winter conditions.

[bcmorr]

I recently just traded in an 08 Ram 2500 5.7 hemi for a 2015 ram 2500 6.4 hemi. My 08 has just about 90,000 miles, great pickup, but the incentives to trade up were great. The dealer worked with me and I got a great deal. That 5.7 motor was very reliable with plenty of power. I towed close to 11,000 pounds loaded with it, handled the load quite nicely. Hope the new 6.4 holds up as well as the 5.7, going to get it next weekend and am looking forward to it. I noticed you mentioned the 5.7 in your post so thought I'd share my experience with it. Hope this helps.

[Blue Deuce]

Originally Posted by wwsmith111

Not what I said at all! I was specifically responded to the original poster's post. Only one brand that I know of has a notorious history for being a rust bucket. As a matter of fact my next pickup will likely be a Chevy Duramax. I have also owned Ford diesels in the past with no problems living up North in bad Winter conditions.

Guess I'll let you know then when my Ram rusts out...

[xtruckerbob]

We just upgraded from a Tahoe to a 2500 Duramax 4x4 and it tows so much better than the Tahoe. No matter what brand go with the HD.

[wwsmith111]

I guess a picture is worth a thousand words...

[nwminnesota]

If your thinking of move up to a 3/4 ton plate form. Then I would get a diesel. Buy a slightly used one that will cover the diesel upgrade cost compared to a new 1/2ton ecoboost with the max payload and max tow. The price should be close to a wash.

[jeffdee]

I believe moving up to any 3/4 ton from a Tahoe is going to mean a much longer wheelbase. That alone will provide a dramatic improvement in towing stability. I briefly towed a 28' TT with an Expedition before I moved up to an F250 Super Duty. Difference was night and day. The diesel motor alone provided much more towing power than the gas burner.

[Ustabslim]

Originally Posted by wwsmith111

I guess a picture is worth a thousand words...

That would be under the 10 year no rust thru warranty. I assure you the truck was wrecked at some point and an after market fender used to repair.

[clubhouse]

Originally Posted by wwsmith111

I guess a picture is worth a thousand words...

I'm perfectly clear now. Living in California rust is not a significant issue, therefore I had no idea certain vehicles/brands had reputation to rust out quicker than another.

[bcmorr]

Salt/sand from the highway will do that to any vehicle. Even if you seldom wash the underside of vehicle during the winter time, that won't happen. At the highway department where I work, truck boxes, sanders, and loader buckets will see rust if not rinsed now and then, and that's heavy duty steel. When you don't take care of equipment that's bound to happen, no matter what machine make or model it is.

[Flyrotor]

Originally Posted by clubhouse

I'm perfectly clear now. Living in California rust is not a significant issue, therefore I had no idea certain vehicles/brands had reputation to rust out quicker than another.

They don't, like anything, you have to maintain things to make them last.

One day during a group conversation with a old firefighter friend of mine, we were giving him a hard time about how clean the fire trucks were even in the winter, someone asked him, "why clean them up so much, they're just going to get dirty again?" his quick and witty reply was "Why wipe your a$$ when you take a sh$t, it's just going to get dirty again?... Except it sure keeps the sores away"

[TCNashville]

Just get one of these. The 6.7l PSD is the Honey Badger and doesn't give a sh** what it tows.

[Bookemdanno]

Here's the original TV and the new TV.

[namusmc65]

Great looking ride. I am actually looking at the 350 version of that truck now. I have the 2007 ram 2500 diesel but the "wants" have kicked in. Found a beautiful 2012 on a dealers lot with all the options. That 350 is a beast. The Dodge dealer is trying to locate me a Ram 3500 so we will wait and see what he comes up with.
Happy trails to all.

[xtruckerbob]

Nice looking truck, you will be glad you got the HD.