Truck advice

ellmoe · September 24, 2018, 07:01:35 AM

I have a 2013 F150 4 x 4 club cab that I bought at one year old with 10,000 miles. It replaced a chevy 3/4 ton 4 x 4 that could really pull, but was terrible on fuel mileage ( 11 mpg - hwy ) and was worse on quality. Everything went bad within three years. I don't need to pull as much or as often now, except lately I bought a bunch of equipment and have been pulling every weekend. I was looking for a truck with good fuel mileage, but could pull when needed. I can comfortable pull 13,000 lbs. with a bumper hitch and 16,000 with a gooseneck. I'll average 10 mpg with these loads at 75 mph. Unloaded I get 20+ on hwy and around town about 17. I have 70,000 miles now, the truck rides like a car, and I have had no issues. I look for a one - two old vehicle and pay cash. My son works at Enterprise truck rentals. They are now carrying 4 x 4's, are well maintained and sold at 1 -2 years. My son drives a new one every few months, Ford, Chevy, Dodge, seems to prefer the Fords overall, but he only puts a few thousand on them before they switch it out.

WV Sawmiller · September 24, 2018, 07:50:18 AM

We are driving Dodges. My wife has a 2003 SLT with the Hemi engine and I have a 2009 ST. We just replaced her bed with one we picked up down in South Ala and hers looks like a brand new one. She loves the extra height and her cab is 6" longer than mine I think. I just replaced the passenger rocker arm on mine few months back so they are rust magnets. Mechanically we have had pretty good service. We probably get around 13 mpg on hers around here in the mountains and short trips and maybe 15 on trips. I get a little better but not a lot. Both are gas. She runs high test and I run regular.

ellmoe · September 24, 2018, 09:07:43 AM

Coffee had not kicked in on my earlier post. The engine is a gas, Ford "eco-boost" (turbo ), with a tow package.

roger 4400 · September 24, 2018, 09:24:02 AM

In 2016 I bought a f150 supercab XLT , 4x4 , 8 ft box , 5.0 l v8 engine . I ordered that truck with the option : HDPP ( heavy duty payload package) my truck have 2603 pounds of payload that is as much as a F250 diesel and 800 to 1000 more than regular half ton truck ( heavier frame , axle, diff. suspension etc...) Before I had a 2000 f250 gasser and this F150 with the same load, and same trailer will pull a lot better, and handle better on the road ( more stable) it can pull 11,000 pounds.
I have the frame (steel) oiled every year ( I live in Québec) the rest is aluminum. Of course even loaded it will use a lot less gaz than my former f250 . This f150 is the best truck I ever drove. So if you need some payload this option ( only Ford offer this ) may suit you . Good luck in your search. Roger

alan gage · September 24, 2018, 10:41:30 AM

I'm a mechanic but can be a bit biased because we mainly work on broken vehicles. It's easy to focus on broken vehicles and pattern failures and forget there are many of those same vehicles with happy owners and 200,000+. Case in point is that you think the 5.3 engine is great and we tell people we don't recommend they buy them used due to the issues with AFM and oil burning. We've seen quite a few of them come in the shop with oil usage and spark plugs fouling with stuck rings and the dealer is repairing them left and right. GM was aware of this problem early on but continued to build the engine without resolving this issue. GM seems to be the worst in this regard.

That being said whenever people come in and ask us what we recommend we tell them buy a Toyota. Thankfully not many of them seem to take our advice or else we'd be out of business. On the average there are fewer breakdowns and some of them are simply ridiculous in how reliable they are. A friend of mine bought a new Corolla in '09. She has 230,000 miles on it and the only thing she's done other than scheduled maintenance and brakes was a water pump at 80,000 miles. Looking back over the years Toyota owners are certainly our least profitable. They often seem more friendly to work on as well.

I think many times people around here don't buy used Toyotas because they really seem to hold their value and are more expensive than the equivalent GM/Ford/Chrysler. Have seen a couple instances where people were looking at 2-3 year old Toyotas and ended up buying new because it didn't make any sense to buy used. It only cost a few thousand more and they got full factory warranty (as well as getting to choose color/options).

Alan

Jeff · September 24, 2018, 10:56:08 AM

Without taking a major local survey, how can you confirm that toyota's have less repairs perhaps other than the reason that there are less of them around? Here in Michigan I bet if I sat and watched the us127 expressway, you would see one toyota truck for every 100 of the big 3 going by. I've known only two friends that had Toyota trucks. One drove his for 2 years and went back to ford. I don't know why, he passed away so I can't ask him. The other, my old friend Lou's last truck was a toyota, and he was breaking it all the time, but that could have been because of the way he treated stuff. BAD.

I had (have) 3 5.3's but they were all 1999 engines so I have no comparison but to each other on those, and everyone got high marks. We have always used full synthetic in our trucks, so maybe that makes the difference from the rest of the world, The current truck, has 211,000 miles and seems to be the best of the 3 related to power, but that is probably because it is in a 2 wheel drive versus 4 wheel. Lots of variables to look at, but rust is rust no matter what the brand.

lxskllr · September 24, 2018, 11:07:05 AM

Just looking around at mine and other trucks, Dodge has issues with rust. Maybe it's better now? What I don't understand is Jeeps seem to do great with rust, and it's the same company. I have a 97 Cherokee sitting in the drive, and you'd have to really look to find a rust spot. It's always been outside, and I've literally never washed it. Once in a blue moon if I could be bothered, I'd hose the salt off the bottom after winter. Maybe Dodge should walk over to the Jeep division, and see what they're doing :^D

scsmith42 · September 24, 2018, 11:21:48 AM

Jeff, I know that you mentioned that you did not want a diesel but I have to brag on our 2017 GMC Canyon. It's 4 door, 4wd with a 6' bed and gets 30mpg on the highway (27.4 combined).

The Canyon is built on the Colorado platform, so it's smaller than a 1/2 ton. Ours is rated to tow 7,800 lbs and is easier to park than a full size pickup.

We try to put the most miles on it and leave the F450's hooked up to the trailers.

snowstorm · September 25, 2018, 06:18:28 AM

from what i read in one of the truck magazine. it says gm standard motor in a 1\2 ton will be a 4cyl turbo with afm.

Magicman · September 25, 2018, 08:52:45 AM

I am always a bit hesitant to jump onto a new product until the kinks are worked out, but the option will be there:

Chevrolet Puts a 307-Horsepower Four-Cylinder in Its Full-Size Silverado Pickup - ExtremeTech

Ford's "Eco-boost" has already proven itself.

Corley5 · September 25, 2018, 08:53:40 AM

When we started looking into a different truck last spring I talked to my friends at the local repair shop about what to stay away from in used ones. Their advice was anything in the 2005 to 2010/11 range was good to avoid. Trucks older and newer were much better mechanically. In the end we leased a new Ram 1500 4X4 with a Hemi. Very happy with it. Overall average fuel economy is around 18mpg. We decided on a two year lease rather than buying because of all the electronic marvels in these new machines. Having electronic gremlins repaired after the warranty expires isn't appealing. In two years when we turn it in or sell it out right it's still under warranty and we'll start over with another one. My wife's uncle retired from Chrysler so we got a deal on it. We looked at Fords, GMs, and Toyotas but with the discount it wasn't close. I do like the new F 150s. The Chevys and GMC seemed chintzy inside :-\. The Toyotas didn't appeal to me. We had a couple mid 90s Tacomas and they were great but something about the new ones.... Ram production is back in Detroit now 8) 8) 8) Still a Fiat :-\

Stephen1 · September 25, 2018, 09:22:09 AM

I like the Toyota's, after being a Ford man all my life, I bought a 4x4 07 Tundra new. I have 210,000 miles, tow all the time. I replaced the ball joints , 1 last year, 1 this year but I live on a back road with very poor maintenance summer and winter. This truck has never left me stranded.
I bought a 03 toyota echo to run around in and for fuel milage, it came with 180,000 miles, I now have 300,000 plus miles, I change the oil once a year, and put new snow tires on every december. This car will not die. Toyotas seem to use the same parts on a lot of their vehicles, proven technology, they are very boring, "plane jane".
My cousin runs a "vibra finnish" plant, he smooths stamped parts. The big three are always asking him for a discount, but requires him to cut back on quality control, Toyota and Honda only ask him to keep doing the same thing for the same price. Quality!
My SIL runs a tire/repair shop. This his opinion on vehicles-
Always buy used Toyota's as they are never in his shop for repairs.
Dodges-Fords-GMs are only good new - under lease or turned in after 3 years, especially with all the new technology in them. Turbo's are meant to blow up and then are so expensive to replace that you scrap the vehicle.

snowstorm · September 25, 2018, 10:08:14 AM

turbos are ment to blow i didnt know that. i have 17 turbocharged motors in 30 yrs i have replaced 1 turbo

69bronco · September 25, 2018, 11:20:48 AM

2013 Eco Boost F150 here, 70,000 miles. Not so much as a hiccup so far, 17-19 mpg. Pulls great, lots of power but the mileage goes in the toilet when turbos are running. Overall very satisfied. One thing maybe they have changed, you cant put a snow plow on mine.

Southside · September 25, 2018, 01:44:08 PM

I would want to see how those 4 cyl engines stand up at 200K with even a moderate amount of a work life history. Mid '90's when Chevy had the 6 cyl 4.3L in their 1/2 ton we had them as work trucks as they were the cheapest option, at least on paper. 30K and every one those things were dog tired.

Magicman · September 25, 2018, 02:15:52 PM

We have bought six Toyotas since 1991, and all six are still running and still in the family. Daughter has one, Son has two, BIL has one, and we still have two.

69bronco · September 25, 2018, 03:13:03 PM

I here someone else got a new truck!

LaneC · September 25, 2018, 03:20:06 PM

Can't help with the rust thing, but if you find something dependable (like you have in the past, with Chevrolet) stick with it. If it aint broke don't fix it. It is difficult to find anything reliable these days, so if you like reliability, I would stick with Chevrolet. I honestly do not see how any vehicle holds up to all that salt. Just my 2 cents. I also like the idea of the most Americanized truck in the U.S.. I have had Toyotas, and they were bulletproof, I have no experience with the v-8's, although I have heard good things about them.

Bruno of NH · September 25, 2018, 03:24:22 PM

I'm a Chevy GMC guy
V6 bad gas mileage /5.3 gets better
5.3 runs like a top pulls a 6x12 dump loaded with firewood 2 to 5 times a week.
6.0 runs good hard on gas/ i like the 5.3 better.
4.8 runs great better than the v6
But one of my favorite trucks was a Toyota Tacoma 4cly 4x4 regular cab plane jane.Never put a dime in it.
Loaded it more than it should've been every day.I would still have it but got rear ended in a snow storm and it got totaled.

John Mc · September 25, 2018, 03:58:28 PM

Quote from: Jeff on September 24, 2018, 10:56:08 AMWithout taking a major local survey, how can you confirm that toyota's have less repairs perhaps other than the reason that there are less of them around? Here in Michigan I bet if I sat and watched the us127 expressway, you would see one toyota truck for every 100 of the big 3 going by. I've known only two friends that had Toyota trucks. One drove his for 2 years and went back to ford. I don't know why, he passed away so I can't ask him. The other, my old friend Lou's last truck was a toyota, and he was breaking it all the time, but that could have been because of the way he treated stuff. BAD.

Funny, it's just the opposite here in VT - at least for mid-sized pickups. I see more Toyota Tacomas than every other mid-sized or compact pickup combined.

Further, almost every owner you run into is a complete fanatic about them. Even with their bout of frame rust issues (substandard quality from the company that was making their frames - Dana, IIRC), people are still fanatics. Toyota's response to the problem is one of the reasons they have such a following. They replaced any frames with issues free of charge - even on old, high-mileage trucks. A few months ago, I bought a 2009 Tacoma with 140,000 miles on it that had just had a brand new frame installed at no cost.

I've not really followed how the Toyota Tundra is doing. I do see a number of them in my area, but since I'm not in the market, I haven't really paid attention.

Jeff · September 25, 2018, 04:18:39 PM

Quote from: LaneC on September 25, 2018, 03:20:06 PMCan't help with the rust thing, but if you find something dependable (like you have in the past, with Chevrolet) stick with it.

Problem is, like I said, my newest to us trucks were built in the last millennium! This year they will be twenty years old. I don't know how I could compare that with the trucks of today.

GRANITEstateMP · September 25, 2018, 04:19:40 PM

Jeff,

I will start, I am biased, I've worked at a Toyota dealer for years! I like to get that out there. I have little experience with the big 3 1/2ton trucks. I've had 3/4 and now a 1 ton Chevy and GMC's, but not much in the 1/2ton stuff. As for the Tundra's, we see em' everyday, then again if we didn't I'd be scared!

The good, the bad, the ugly, the misunderstood: Toyota's hold their value, that's good as an owner, not as good if your looking to become an owner. If your going to keep the truck until it don't go no more, well, I'm guessing trade-in / retail value after the purchase doesn't mean that much! The Tundra's are kinda plain, that being said, there's less gizmo's to go bad. We had a customer get angry with another driver not that long ago, punched his factory display screen (radio, nav, sat) that was a $4,200 angry moment (we can get units refurbished for WAY less, but not with a damages screen, that was a call to insurance for him. Anyways, power train wise, the 5.7L is our go to motor. Motor wise, haven't seen too many problems. Air pumps (stupid emissions) and switching valves have been an issue, and an expensive repair. That being said the vehicles that have those problems have had their Warranty's extended to 10yr 150K miles, so most have been covered. We've seen some cracked manifolds, they are a pain to do but not impossible, and also radiators. When you have rear brakes done, the techs take the NEW rotors and turn down one of the lips where after a short period of time a rust ridge builds and creates a noise, again a minor issue once you've figured out what it is. Our biggest problem is RUST. The 07-08 Tundra's are part of a Frame recall. 2007 is the first year of the newer, bigger generation Tundra. Toyota is covering frame inspections done at the dealer in cold climate states. If the truck has no rust perforation, the bed gets pulled, frame gets needle gunned, then undercoated. If a perforation is found, then the frame gets replaced, again this is for 2007-2008 Tundra's only (earlier year Tundra's also had an extended frame coverage). Strange part is, we see frame issues, but the body's have been holding up pretty well.

I am a huge supporter of the Toyota Extra Care plan if your buying a new vehicle, heck, I've got it on my 2015 GMC 3500HD! It only takes two or three real expensive repairs to pay for the plan, I got the highest one I could with the $0 deductible, we did the same for the wife's 2010 Tacoma. An important note, you DON'T have to buy the extended warranty when you buy the new vehicle, the finance department would love you to, but don't. If buying new, your covered bumper to bumper 3yr 36K, and 5yr 60K powertrain, wait until the 3 yr 36K factory warranty is close to being out before purchasing the Extended plan, it'll be easier on your wallet.

Any other questions, let me know. I am sure I forgot a ton of stuff! I'm just a parts guy, I don't turn any wrenches, and I don't sell cars.

Matt

GRANITEstateMP · September 25, 2018, 04:23:08 PM

oh, one more thing. Jeff, whatever you buy, if it's new, either undercoat it, ziebart it, oil it, or some places have a wax coating for new frames, do any or all before the first salting of the year. It's by far the best way to extend the life of your rig against salt and brine.

Jeff · September 25, 2018, 04:31:31 PM

My biggest issue with considering a Toyota is that I don't even know where there is a dealer close. Just a second. Let me google.

The nearest dealer is over 50 miles and none in my usual travel corridors. There are big 3 dealers in every town almost.
I'm at the check mark.

snowstorm · September 25, 2018, 04:57:58 PM

Quote from: GRANITEstateMP on September 25, 2018, 04:23:08 PM
oh, one more thing. Jeff, whatever you buy, if it's new, either undercoat it, ziebart it, oil it, or some places have a wax coating for new frames, do any or all before the first salting of the year. It's by far the best way to extend the life of your rig against salt and brine.

every one in the snow belt should do this