Pickup needed

[DixieReb31]

Holy Moly, have you seen the prices people are wanting for a used 3/4 ton pickup?  If it's a diesel you will probably pay more for it than the original owner paid for it new!!!  Insane!  
What 1/2 ton pickup would you guys recommend for hauling logs?  

[mudfarmer]

What kind of loads are you looking to haul? I used a SRW F-250 v-10 for a few years and now a DRW F-350 v-10 and would not definitely not have wanted anything smaller than the F-250 for the pine I was hauling back then. Have hauled trailer loads of various hardwoods, white pine and hemlock with the 350 and it is way less stress (me) and strain (truck).

[sawguy21]

Same situation here in western Canada, the lots are empty and decent used pickups that can be found are going for a premium. Forget an F-150/1500 for hauling logs, it won't (legally) carry enough to make it worthwhile. Keep looking for something  more suitable and have the credit card ready to pounce.

[Patrick NC]

I don't recommend any half ton for hauling logs. Or anything else for that matter.  I did it for awhile with a 2017 ram 1500 5.7 hemi. Plenty of power,  no stability.  The soft springs and passenger car tires that they use these days are for comfort only. They may try to bluff you with big impressive towing capacities,  but you have to read the fine print. I bought a 2500 right before the madness started and I'll never go back. 
 I suppose if you could find an older regular cab long bed, add helper springs and lt tires, you might get by. Stopping could still be an issue though. 

[SawyerTed]

I tow a travel trailer that weighs 7,500 pounds loaded with a Silverado 1500.  It does fine BUT I don't want to tow anything bigger.   With electric brakes it does fine stopping.   Towing capacity is supposed to be 9,600 - I don't want any part of that.  Just because they say it can doesn't mean it is safe or a good idea.

My truck has a payload of around 1,500 pounds.  That's one log if hauling on the truck. 

With a trailer hauling logs, you might get a few logs and be 8,500 pounds.  That's a lot of stress on a half ton truck.

I just don't believe the claims of 12,000 pound towing capacity on some half ton trucks. 

Look for an older ton truck for log hauling and log trailer towing. 

[moodnacreek]

What is really needed is dual rear wheels and  low  gears. Stick shift with creeper. Now more than ever one size does not fit all with fuel prices .

[DixieReb31]

Thanks for all the replies. All of you pretty much said what I was thinking. I guess I'll be looking for a early 2000's model truck. I refuse to pay someone more than they paid for it new. I'll be looking for a dually gasoline most likely, but I'm probably going to wait until these prices come down. Gas and vehicle. 

[sawguy21]

Pretty well everybody that has a dually one ton here runs diesel for the torque and fuel mileage, gassers are scarce. Work trucks that age tend to be rode hard and put up wet.

[ScottCC]

If trying to be legal in New York without CDL you need to stay below 26,000 pounds.  To max out hauling of board feet that weight needs to be on trailer.  So big GVRW trailer low GVRW truck.  That's an F250 diesel with special geared rear for hauling the biggest load possible for a certified trailer that keeps total package under 26,000 pounds.  I have had great luck running this setup,  14,000 pound trailer.  Runs 75-80 on Maine highway without a care in the world.  Real trouble is trailer tires in Massachusetts.  Pop bang pow every trip.  Ordered all steel 14 ply yesterday all the around.

[Patrick NC]

Don't be afraid of a gas engine.  That's what I have and I pull a 7 ton deck over with no problems.  I even pull my 11,000# cat mini excavator with it. 

[snobdds]

I purchased a F350 in 2018, for a price I thought at the time was stupid pricy.  I just recently looked at trading that in on a new F350, same trim level.  

It is now 25K more expensive.  A 64K truck in 2018 is now a 89K today. That is about a 10% YOY rate of inflation, which is baffling when 2018-2020 had very low inflation.  

I just can't bring myself to make such a dumb financial move on a depreciating asset. 

Crazy times. 

[Oddman]

I use a 1989 F-350 2wd dually with either an 18' 10k rated flat bed trailer or a 14' 14k gooseneck dump trailer. Its an old gasser but for $1200 it has served us really well. Granted I've only put about 6k miles on it in about 2 years of ownership and the fuel mileage is ridiculous but it gets things moved when i need them, insurance is cheap and it is paid for, so no stupid truck payment. I wouldn't hesitate to go back in time and buy it again. Hauled 6 ton of wood pellets with it today with my brother, we think the next step up for us/the farm would likely be a single axle road tractor or something similar.

[Joe Hillmann]

Holy Moly, have you seen the prices people are wanting for a used 3/4 ton pickup?  If it's a diesel you will probably pay more for it than the original owner paid for it new!!!  Insane!  
What 1/2 ton pickup would you guys recommend for hauling logs?  

One you rented from U-haul for $20 a day plus mileage, that way when you destroy it it is their problem not yours.
I spent last summer moving about 70,000 pounds of logs for my home with a 20 year old 2wd e-150 with the smallest Triton V8 they make.  I wouldn't recommend it but it got the job done and was a mostly complete van by the time I was done.  Although most of the visible damage was done by taking it to places no 2wd should be.

[MattM]

Just thought I'd add my two cents seen as how everyone seems to be against half ton trucks.
I have an 06 Sierra 1500 that I regularly tow a 10500lb rated dual axle dump trailer with. The trailer is almost always at max capacity for for half the trip.... And a few times the tires may have been squished almost flat from weight.
06's have a towing capacity of 8700lbs. I have never had trouble towing with mine.
If you have a good trailer that is properly balanced, brakes on all the axles then you just need the power to pull the load (within reason).

If your only going to be hauling a few logs every once in a while then you don't need the added expense of a 3/4 or 1 ton. If your towing a pile of logs everyday to make a living then it would be worth the expense for the bigger truck just to reduce wear and year.

One last thing, don't buy a Dodge 1/2 ton. They are essentially a van chassis with an oversized truck body. If you get under one you'll quickly realize that they are not built as a truck anymore. I'd recommend Ford or Chevy/GMC .
If you are going to be using the truck in dirty sandy conditions then go with a Chevy/GMC. The Fords vacuum 4wd is terrible and notorious for ADMIN LANGUAGE EDIT  Even with just highway use. It's very common to replace Ford vacuum hubs multiple times within 5--6 years.

[Tom K]

If your looking for early 2000's gas trucks I would highly recommend looking for a GM with the 8.1L. I've got a '07 with that motor and the 6 speed Allison and it's a solid puller. I've pulled similar loads with my truck and a buddy's '04 diesel and they pull the same. They are getting hard to find in decent shape now though. Later models have the 6 speed ('05+??) and the earlier models have the 5 speed Allison.

As for gas vs diesel, everyone has their opinion. All the research I've done point to if your not pulling heavy (20k lbs +) on an almost daily basis gas is the better option. We've got 40+ trucks in our fleet at work, all the 1 tons and less are gas, 1 1/2 ton and larger are diesel. We run our 3/4 ton trucks 175k+ miles and the gas is just more economical in terms of operating costs.

[Texas Ranger]

Widow down here has a 2018 3/4 ton duelly diesel ford with 38,000 on it an dealers offer low balls.  The higher price seems to come with private sales, cannot blame the dealers for maximizing profit.  And this is not an advertisement, a commentary on the used car/truck atmosphere.   Blue book says $50,000, dealer $40,000.

[rusticretreater]

Dealers have to make a profit too, so buy low sell high.  Their sales are in the gutter right now.  It costs a lot to run those places and the fat cats never stop eating.

One of the posts above recommended against buying a Dodge.  I love Dodge trucks.  They have a high pull rating as the engines are real good.  I know that Ford sells a lot of trucks, they are essentially a truck company now.  

But when I drive past a used car lot, you see a line of Ford trucks, a few Chevys and maybe one Dodge on the end.  Who knows where the trucks come from(fleets, leases, demo's, people)?  My thought is that Dodges are tough to come by for a reason.  Maybe folks hang onto them.

[D6c]

I use my 2018 GMC 1500 to pull a 20+6 gooseneck and an 11,000# skid steer without problems.  That said, the truck has the heaviest tow rating I could get in a 1/2 ton.  It has what amounts to the old style 3/4 ton rear end and I replaced the junk P-series tires for LT's.  I don't generally pull it very long distances which makes a difference too.

When I bought the gooseneck I upgraded the axles to 8000# (singles) with 17.5" 16 ply rated tires.  16" tires would be marginal for weight and the 17.5's will far outlast them.  A 20k tandem dual trailer would be nice but would need more pickup and trailers with duals pull harder.

[snobdds]

Just thought I'd add my two cents seen as how everyone seems to be against half ton trucks.
I have an 06 Sierra 1500 that I regularly tow a 10500lb rated dual axle dump trailer with. The trailer is almost always at max capacity for for half the trip.... And a few times the tires may have been squished almost flat from weight.
06's have a towing capacity of 8700lbs. I have never had trouble towing with mine.
If you have a good trailer that is properly balanced, brakes on all the axles then you just need the power to pull the load (within reason).

If your only going to be hauling a few logs every once in a while then you don't need the added expense of a 3/4 or 1 ton. If your towing a pile of logs everyday to make a living then it would be worth the expense for the bigger truck just to reduce wear and year.

One last thing, don't buy a Dodge 1/2 ton. They are essentially a van chassis with an oversized truck body. If you get under one you'll quickly realize that they are not built as a truck anymore. I'd recommend Ford or Chevy/GMC .
If you are going to be using the truck in dirty sandy conditions then go with a Chevy/GMC. The Fords vacuum 4wd is terrible and notorious for ADMIN LANGUAGE EDIT  Even with just highway use. It's very common to replace Ford vacuum hubs multiple times within 5--6 years.

I have ran two Fords concurrently, a one ton and a 1/2 ton for the last 15 years on the ranch.  I also use them to go to my cabin each summer.  All dirt roads.  I have never once had a 4x4 vacuum hub problem. 
Fords have been the only truck to hold up to the sever conditions I put them through.  We have tried GM and dodge, but they have had serious problems holding up in the front end department. 

[woodman52]

It's been mentioned that a f250/350 cost more than a f150. Not my experience. I bought a new f250 in 2019. I was looking for a f150 with a tow package. The best tow package for the 150 required the 6cyl with twin turbo. (that is what I was trading in with 100K on it). The base f250 with a v8 and locking differential (and other goodies) would tow and carry more for about the same price as a 150 with the super tow package. I think the super duties are a lot tougher truck and I plan on keeping this one for awhile. They have a rougher ride but that is to be expected with a heavier suspension and heavy duty tires. 

[wkf94025]

I have too many trucks (just ask my wife), including '05 F150 gasser, '97 F350 dually Powerstroke, and new F350 SRW Powerstroke.  I've hauled quite a few loads the past few years with all three, and agree that half ton is too light as your regular log/heavy hauler.  As to fuel prices and truck prices coming down, I'm not holding my breath.  The Ford salesman I bought my 2022 F350 from said to hold on to my '97 F350 for a while, that it's only appreciating.  Paid $17k for it 15 months ago, and hoping I get that and a bit more when I decide to pass it on.  A tree buddy said "Never sell a Powerstroke 7.3".   Probably not bad advice.  

[sawguy21]

We have a funny situation. F-250/2500 are classed as pleasure and subject to a provincial luxury tax if over 60 grand as most are. F-350/3500 are not so similarly equipped trucks are somewhat cheaper, nobody stocks the lighter vehicles.
<

[Cornerstone]

I need a heavier truck also. I've been towing my 9500lb skid steer with a 1500lb brush cutter attachment with my 2001 1500HD 2WD Silverado crew cab short bed and it's a white knuckle ride. I'm planning on selling it and a 2005 GMC Sierra 1500 regular cab short bed truck to get an F250 or bigger. My brother has a 2002 F250 4wd with the 7.3 and that'd be cool if I could find a decent one like that. He says the later 6.0 powerstrokes have notorious engine problems and I've read that elsewhere. Does anyone have any experience the 6.7 powerstroke diesels? I found a 2011 F350 4WD service truck with only 150K on the meter for 13k. I'd also consider a Duramax or Cummins. 

[Iwawoodwork]

I need a hd pickup about 3 yrs ago when my 1999 dodge diesel dully started knocking so I started looking at Ford and Dodge diesels. I my reading on different forums I found that in 2007 when ford went to the 6.4 they fixed most of the 6,0 problems and the 6.4 main issue was the egr (exhaust gas regen) would plug and crack creating internal engine issues. I found a 2008 6.4 that had been deleted and so far has been great. I have put about 30,000 mi on it. I tow a 12 ton goose neck and various loads up to 13k excavator.    so what I am getting at is to look at the 07 to 2010 Ford 350 but factor in the delete cost if not already done.