Which Truck should I buy

[Tikkamike]

I have decided im tired of driving my old 97 gmc 2500 around and I am going to take the plunge and buy a newer (used) truck. I dont want to spend over $30k

I cant decide.. Gas or Diesel, little afraid of the day injectors go bad if I buy a diesel. However I drive a diesel all the time and I love the smooth power, sound etc.. However at the moment I dont do a heck of a lot that requires all the power so a gas would be fine.

I am definitley getting a Crew cab 3/4 ton or 1 ton. If I do gas I will go GMC if Diesel im going back and forth between GM and Dodge (ram now I guess it is) what do you guys drive and what do you like or not like about them?

Dont even try to convince me that I need a Ford cause there is no way!

 

[300 ultra]

2001 Ford F350 Lariat crew cab with 7.3 diesel.

 

[HARPERC]

I hear Ford has an option for a heated tailgate.....handy when you're pushing it on those cold Wyoming mornings. I have a Chevy gas crew cab. I don't have any heavy work to do so its a passenger vehicle with a box, very nice ride. One friend with a business uses the heavier trucks with diesel. A lot of heavy loads over lots of miles and they've held up well. I haven't cared much for the Dodges-evrything seems roughly put together to me, and they haven't held up well. Engines and drive trains seem ok, stuff seems to rattle loose or break off in the cab. Not a very comfortable ride by comparison.

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

I went threw this a few years ago, went with the wife's choice over mine, just like last time and could not regret it more! Truck is for horse trailer and road trips, I wanted diesel she wanted gas. End result 11 mpg on average, now I love the truck but the motor, oh the motor how I wish it was a diesel!

In comparison our friend has same year dodge with Cummings and she is getting 24 mpg around town and 30 on the highway. At about a dollar more a gallon you really cant argue that at all!

My truck 04 GMC 2500 ex cab

 

[Korhil78]

You know what I drive but I will put it up here anyway. Toyota Tundra Crew Max 5.7 liter. It will haul a trailer with 2 ATVs into the mountains into the middle of NM and get about 13 mpg round trip which is about a 6 hour trip.

It gets about 17mpg on average. Not great but better than some. I like it because it has a crap load of room in the back cab (Crew max) to store all my gear and guns. You can take two people hunting and literally store everything that you need in the back cab except for coolers which I wouldnt put inside anyway.

If I was going to go diesel, I would get a GMC anyway.

 

[C.O. Shooter]

Ford all the way mike! You won't go wrong!

 

[300 ultra]

You know what I drive but I will put it up here anyway. Toyota Tundra Crew Max 5.7 liter. It will haul a trailer with 2 ATVs into the mountains into the middle of NM and get about 13 mpg round trip which is about a 6 hour trip.

It gets about 17mpg on average. Not great but better than some. I like it because it has a crap load of room in the back cab (Crew max) to store all my gear and guns. You can take two people hunting and literally store everything that you need in the back cab except for coolers which I wouldnt put inside anyway.

If I was going to go diesel, I would get a GMC anyway.

My wife has that truck also. There cute

 

[Korhil78]

My wife has that truck also. There cute

Yeah they are nice looking. You would have one too if they made a triple XL crew max cab for it. As of right now, I guess they could take out the divider from the front seats to the back cab and make it a one seater for you. I guess the one friend you have could ride in the bed of the truck but I thought your pet pig always rode up front with you.

 

[Tikkamike]

Yeah they are nice looking. You would have one too if they made a triple XL crew max cab for it. As of right now, I guess they could take out the divider from the front seats to the back cab and make it a one seater for you. I guess the one friend you have could ride in the bed of the truck but I thought your pet pig always rode up front with you.

300ultra... dont make fun of him... its a big truck to him cause he has to use a rope ladder to get in and out.

 

[Korhil78]

300ultra...You do know that Mike will be on vacation and out of town during your elk hunt right?? ..... He didnt tell you?

 

[CB11WYO]

Bought one just a year ago and had the exact thought process you do.

Don't want "new", gotta be 4 door 3/4 ton or better, diesels are sweet but do I really need one etc etc...

Ended up with an '09 Chevy 3/4 ton, 4 door with the 6.0 gas V8. Man I couldn't be happier!

It was 3 yrs old with 90,000 miles (mostly highway as far as I could tell), got it for $22,000. Closest thing to it I could find in a diesel in my neck of the woods (same year, size, mileage etc...) was $30,000 or more!

Pros:
4 door cab has plenty of room and 2 pc back bench seat folds up for extra room back there.

I didn't get to pull with it much til this summer. Went campin' with my dad and took my in-laws new camper ... 9,000 lbs. Got some pretty steep uphill switch-backs to navigate and it pulled awesome! Dad was following with his '98 Cummins and camper. He was super impressed, got him sold on buyin a newer gas pickup when his wears out. Coming home from that trip we took a backroad with some dang steep, narrow downhill switchbacks. The transmission is amazing, not an Allison, but it did awesome! Put it in 1st gear with the "tow/haul" on and it held to 20 mph for 4 miles of steep, steep highway. Only touched the brakes once, no joke... I was tickled pink.

Also came with the tow-package, integrated trailer-brake controller etc... works great

Cons:
Gas mileage was as expected - 15 or so avg (not pulling). I did get 18 on one trip to Salt Lake City but it's mostly downhill and I was really babyin' it. 10-12 mpg with a light load and less than that towing 8,000+ lbs. But I was ready for this so no biggie...

Low... ride... -er... Might look into bigger tires/ crank up the torsion bars or somethin... unless you like huggin' the ground

Mine's the basic LT model with the black rubber/plastic floor instead of carpet. It cleans easy but sometimes I wonder if it isn't just a cheap cop-out on their part. Oh well...


One other thing:
If you don't mind the bad gas mileage, look into the older (like '07-ish) chevy 1-ton gas pickups. They've got an 8.1 Liter V8 with a genuine Allison tranny, I believe. My father-in-law ran one for work the last 5 years (company bought the gas of course), he LOVED it. I mean LOVED it... They just took it from him this year and gave him a '13-6.0L chev and you'd have thought they castrated him to hear him talk ha ha He pulled snowcats and all sorts of stuff all over the place with that 8.1... uphill and down... never an issue. Just FYI...

Happy shoppin'!!!

 

[Korhil78]

Oh you dont have to worry about Mike ghettoing his truck out when he gets it. Once he buys it, he will take it straight to "Bumpin Customz" and get shiny rims and have everything chromed out like he likes it.

 

[snox801]

I know you said no ford but hear me out my father just went through this. He had 3/4 ton 7.3 l diesel. He has triple axle dump trailer, 36 foot gooseneck with d7 dozer on it. Thought he was stuck spending extra for the diesel. He ended up with the 3.5l ecoboost and he swears he will never go back. I will be the first to say he drives like a dick always hauling ***. He also will never lie about fuel mileage." He got 12.8 with his diesel". At 80 mph cruise set 19.8 mpg. Avg. And as far as power it will pull more than u should wi th a pickup. I just got over 10,000 lbs of sugar beets in the dump trailer and it had no problem. Just a thought.

 

[CB11WYO]

Oh you dont have to worry about Mike ghettoing his truck out when he gets it. Once he buys it, he will take it straight to "Bumpin Customz" and get shiny rims and have everything chromed out like he likes it.

Would do that myself if I had the $$ and a kitchen pass...