Got a decision to make, not too awful in a hurry, but still....
My Ford F-150 is getting up in miles and it's got it's fair share of problems. It's not meant to do what I ask it to do sometimes - lots of dirt roads, off-roads, hauling a heavy trailer, stops and starts, basically it gets abused pretty bad. Only seven years old but I need something different.
I have two options: Option one is to get a much smaller pickup with a cap, or a small SUV, to haul around my survey equipment and the occasional bit of tools or groceries. My wife has a Durango so I don't need to jam all four kids in the truck. To accompany the small vehicle, I get myself a beater old F350 or similar one-ton dump or stake body truck that can be used for weekend dirt and trash hauling, firewood, trailer towing, etc.
Option two is to get a brand-new one-ton pickup and gooseneck trailer and make it an all-in-one machine - job truck, work truck, family truck, goes everywhere and does everything. Of course, everywhere i go, I eat fuel. A big one-ton may not be able to squeeze up though the woods like I can now, or like a smaller SUV or compact pickup can do. But I don't need to swap vehicles (and register, and maintain) everytime I need to haul a big load.
Any thoughts? Any of you faced with that decision and what did (or will) you do?
You know, Jon, my trucks are OLD, cheap to fix and maintain, and didn't cost me much. The wife DOES complain when I get to bring home something NICE from work, however. There is something to be said for having no truck payments, too.
I'm with old BUT in good shape for the work truck, your F350 dump example. New or Late Model for the small SUV example....if it makes sense to your budget.
Captain.
Old & Older, I'm running a 92 gmc 1500 w/ cap to haul my saws,tools and fuel. 88 dodge d300 1 ton for cordwood deliverys and haul sawlogs home. July 3 the 92 spit the fan thru the radiator, now the 88s brakes a going south. Can't win ::).
It's a tough decision. I have 3 registered vehicles. None newer than '98. And a couple unregistered ones that I use on my property >> F350 4x4 dump...it's rusty but it runs good. I haul it with a 10k# flatbed and another F350 2 wheel drive deisel '90.
I drive a 4Runner or a Dakota 4x4 V8 xtracab that will haul the flatbed with a light load.
I really like my Dakota cap that has flip up side windows...very handy to get to tools and stuff. And they are all paid for !!!
If I could consolidate I'd get a used Tacoma quad cab 4x4 and a 1988-1997 F350 4x4 that was street legal and put a dumping flatbed on it .
I wouldn't even want a truck newer than about '98 . Can't even SEE over the bed rails and they make them way cheaper, now, IMO
;D
Joan, you sound like a real interesting character. Got the place decorated in late cree, grass growing around the old trucks. :D :D :D :D
1980 GMC half-ton diesel.
Blew the engine in '87 (DanG converted oldsmobile gas engine) and decided it was cheaper to rebuild it. Body was pretty much rotted away by '94, decided it was cheaper to buy new sheet metal and a paint job. Wore out a couple of tranny's, but still cheaper to get 'em rebuilt. As long as it pulls my mill, I reckon I'll stick with it ;D.
Too bad you dont live around here sometimes with the abandoned vehicle auctions you can get a 3/4ton or one ton for under 600. Bellingham auto auctions my sister went to last time 90s full size trucks where going for 5k to 6k. Just some fyi..
bob
I'm in a real similar sitiation. I would have to, well I am going with option #1. ;) For a few years now I have been trying to get down to just one do it all type truck, and have decided for me, at least, it won't work. I've got a '78 4x4 3/4 ton flat bed ,with a winch front and back, that I use the most i.e. abuse. ;) If I go after logs that are hard to get at, or way off the path, I use the ford. Drop the trailer, round up the logs, then rehook and load'em up with the winch. With the gin poles and the hay hook it's handy, but I wouldn't haul a heavy load very far with it. So, I'm buying a '95 chevy one ton 4x4 that I'll put a similarly built flat bed on, only it won't see as much abuse. I've got a little four cylinder car for most of my leg work that's on it's last leg, but I've more than gotten my money's worth out of it.
So when I get through with the one ton I'm selling the car and see how I do on fuel with the two trucks. ;D If I see I can get most of my logs with the one ton, I'm selling the 3/4 and getting a small truck myself. I just hate the thought of making a lot of extra round trips for the tractor, haven't had to do it with the 3/4 yet.
my poor old 86 ford. got a fresh 6.9 IH. i know very well its cheaper to have an ol reliable than payments. ive done both. for the few years ive owned it, i average about a grand a year to keep it on the road. not too much pencil pushin to figger out. i also know you can get by cheaper than that. whats the payment on a new truck....makes my head spin.
got the truck for 2k, a rebuilt (short block) diesel 4x4 dually with a flatbed, extendo cab. ive given it the bigger clutch, big brakes (exhaust), and a D60 front to replace that ind. crap they put in the 250s. body mounts, new front leafs, turbo, propane, ah i guess the list goes on and on and on..................
i got under five in the whole tuck. of course its not new and the cab is rusting off, but i dare price a comparable truck and i know i could get more back than invested, if i could part with her.
the extended cab is perfect for kids. the dually flatbed sucks in the woods, and id have it off if it didnt handle so nice on the road, specially with 5 roundy rounds (round bales). im sure youve owned lotsa trucks and you know whats right for you, just kinda tellin ya why i like my poor old 86 ford.
i guess a LONG one ton rides nice
If you do not need 4x4 on the job.
Most of the new reg. cab 2x4 trucks with the 4 cyl/standard tranmission get at least 25-28 mpg city. Most are in the $12k range. I like the Ranger best myself, but, there is not that much difference between the various makes on the lower end imo. I would buy from the closest dealer if you have no brand loyalty or the cheapest vehicle.
Then buy an old Ford 4x4 1 ton DRW, crew cab or super cab in case you need it for emergency family use, gas engine, with a standard tranmission, something over 25 years old so you have no emissions to pass, nothing in taxes to pay, and hardly anything in insurance.
problem in these parts, is the old ones rust up so bad.
I had to retire my '80 GMC 3/4 ton 4x4because the body was just plain rusted so bad, it was no long worth patching :(
I wish I could buy a new one of them. I replaced it with an '04 F250 5.4 std tranny. it took some getting used to, but I beleve this thing is tougher than my old GMC, the frame is probably 3" taller, heavier front axle, and the whole things weighs about 600lbs more.
if you can afford it, just get the new stuff, but if you like to piddle and tinker and work on old stuff, get an old one :)
My old 80 1/2 ton 4x4 Dodge has well over 300k...4 engines, 4 tranny's it's a $50,000 dollar truck :D. But I understand its inner workings. 2 yrs ago I got a ranger for a runabout...I have mixed feelings about it, the dog's feelings are very clear >:( :D. I really needed a 3/4 ton so I bought a $2500 90 Ford in Feb...I've put 69 miles on it and have put about $2000 more in it. It's left me walking twice and I don't have a good clue under the hood yet. But those payments on new ones are nuts. It's a roll of the dice.
a lot of the late 80's/early 90's are a nightmare to work on. lots of emmisions stuff, vacuum lines everywhere (back in the old days, you could just plug it all off), the new stuff isn't quite as bad, but I've been completely through a lot of the newer style engines too in my car racing dabbling...
you know what they say about opinions :)
I cheated, but just a little, tiny, weenie bit. ::)
I bought a new F-350 with the Power Stroke for an everday work truck, stuff that won't kill it too bad, then got a spiffy thing for goin' out all gussied up.
Then the sneaky part, I got a whack of old, ugly, cheap trucks, everything from a '89 Chebby plow truck, up to a single axle diesel dump truck. I figured I can only drive one at a time, so I got a dealer plate. ;D
Now I can drive any one I want, with just one insurance bill and only one licence fee. :)
Now that's pretty smart!
They beat us to it in NB Murf, you have to sell a certain number of cars a year in NB to get dealer plates and licence! Course the safety inspections add up too... :D
In Ontario they have two categories of 'dealer' plate, one if you sell cars and want to test drive one, and one for garages, etc., to road test vehicles or drive them around, dealer swaps, etc.
The second category only requires that you are an Ontario corporation and have proof of insurance.
Oh yeah, no safety inspection or emissions testing required for dealer plate either. 8)
Man, That's slick...I'll have to check into it. There's 2 of us and 6 plates, tags, insurance policies... :(.
Took the old tandem trailer in for inspection the other day and now mobile home tires are illegal, had to be replaced, between that and brakes it about doubled the value of the old thing :D.
Quote from: Don P on July 29, 2005, 06:53:31 PM
now mobile home tires are illegal,
What are we rednecks gona do for tires for our houses now. ;)
Hard to find 4 guys that spell "no huntin" the same way round here. I'll probably never have another matching set :).
Murf, how do you 'splain the load in that dump truck wiith the repair plate on it on the way to the landfill? Federales are kind of sticky about that here.