Rockcrawler
Adventurer
hmm... :coffeedrink:
Hey Jefe,
Long time no chat... You still have your Scrambler? I'm CJ8Rockcrawler over on the Scrambler board.
Kyle
Best Fool Sized 4 Dr Truck for Expedition Use
- Thread starter Aggie
- Start date
hmm... :coffeedrink:
Hey Jefe,
Long time no chat... You still have your Scrambler? I'm CJ8Rockcrawler over on the Scrambler board.
Kyle
Aggie
Adventurer
Krebs is Right, I will only be using this to tow maybe once every tow months a load that is about 7,000 lbs. The rest of the time it will be towing my little Outlander trailer. My major concern is the off road factor but every trail i would be doing in this truck could most likely be done open open in any 4x4 truck with a little ground clearance. Sounds like Dodge seems to be a resounding choice from a lot of folks.
redthies
Renaissance Redneck
I guess it all comes down to what you feel you need. I have owned an 05 Dodge 3500 4x4 diesel, 03 Tundra with 4.7 done up, 35s, f+r lockers, a 96 F350 7.3 psd with 5spd and currently a 92 F350 crew with 7.5 gas with built e4od auto. I have towed a lot with them all. My no expense considered choice as a tow vehicle only... hands down the Dodge. $$ in mind, my 92 with 460 V8 is just fine as well and I tow my off road pop up toy hauler all over North America and Mexico with it. The main difference is price. The F350 is CLEAN and cost me only $4,000. The Dodge would cost $20,000 or so. $16,000 buys a LOT of gas. The 460 has plenty of torque and is easily and cheaply upgraded as well. New trucks are nice, but not always worth the extra $$$$.
redthies
Renaissance Redneck
I also should add that towing 10,000 pounds with a half ton just because there is a sticker on it that says you can is not terribly smart. Even with an equalizer hitch I could really 'feel' the weight of even my smaller 4000lb trailer behind the Tundra. The engine power is there for sure, but I would rather buy a vehicle that is MORE than capable of towing the load. The recent crop of 1/2 tons with 10-12,000lb ratings seems to me to be a bit of a pissing contest amongst car makers. If you tow heavy loads... get a heavy truck!
Rant over!:sombrero:
Rant over!:sombrero:
Jeje4x4 has some good points but I would never touch that year. I owned a high output 2002 Dodge with A 5.9 Cummins and the 6 speed manual.
The VP44 was replaced 3 times under warranty.:Wow1: The last time it was replaced I was 2000 miles past warranty but the dealer is nice to me and did it anyway.
Jeje has just been extremely lucky. Check the Cummins forums and you will find by hundreds and hundreds of stories like mine. I would never go back to that POS.
Aggie - From your comments you will not need the power of a diesel very often. So you have to ask yourself one big question. What kind of mileage do you want? Off road I get anywhere from 15 - 18 mpg lightly loaded. On the highway I consistently get 21 mpg. A gas truck can not touch that, even on the street. In a gas truck you will get half that mileage when off road.
I forgot to mention another important consideration. Weight. The diesel is very heavy on the front axle ( mine has 4800 lbs on front axle). Don't even look at mud or you will get stuck. If you plan to go where there is a lot of sand or it is often muddy stick with gas and eat the fuel.
The VP44 was replaced 3 times under warranty.:Wow1: The last time it was replaced I was 2000 miles past warranty but the dealer is nice to me and did it anyway.
Jeje has just been extremely lucky. Check the Cummins forums and you will find by hundreds and hundreds of stories like mine. I would never go back to that POS.
Aggie - From your comments you will not need the power of a diesel very often. So you have to ask yourself one big question. What kind of mileage do you want? Off road I get anywhere from 15 - 18 mpg lightly loaded. On the highway I consistently get 21 mpg. A gas truck can not touch that, even on the street. In a gas truck you will get half that mileage when off road.
I forgot to mention another important consideration. Weight. The diesel is very heavy on the front axle ( mine has 4800 lbs on front axle). Don't even look at mud or you will get stuck. If you plan to go where there is a lot of sand or it is often muddy stick with gas and eat the fuel.
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mdnky
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Is this the only use you'll have for the truck? Also, how often (miles/yr and day/yr or days/month) and how far on average? How much do the trailers weigh?
If you're only going to use it a few times a year for heavy towing, the diesel may not be justifiable (especially buying it new). I know some think everyone should buy diesel 100% of the time (even for grocery getters), but they're not always worth it. They've made a lot of advancements lately and the gas engines are much more efficient, more powerful and more durable than they were ten or twenty years ago.
If you're only going to tow say 3000 miles a year, the 11mpg you get with the gas might be cheaper than the 15mpg or 16mpg you get with the diesel. [3000/11=272 ; 3000/15=200] Since gas and diesel prices are relatively the same right now, we'll use $2.50/gal as an average. That is bound to change though. So while you might save $180 a year [72*$2.5) towing with the diesel, don't forget about oil changes that'll cost you twice as much ($30 to $35 for gas [6qts of 5w30], $75 to $90 for diesel [12-15 qts of 15w40]) and the addition premium in the purchase price for the diesel option (new about $6000 to $8000; used about $5000). A new diesel truck would require between 33 and 44 years to break even in that scenario, while a used one would be 28 years.
If you're not going to use it constantly for towing, you most likely will be better off with a gas engine (even in a 3/4 ton.) Also remember that the max tow weight the manufacturer specifies is almost always more than you should tow. You still have to calculate in the stuff (including yourself) that'll be added or in the truck/trailer. A good rule of thumb is 70% for everyday tow use. If your truck is rated for 10K pounds, don't tow more than a 7K pound trailer.
If you're buying used, brand will also be a factor in price. On the diesel side if you want low miles and somewhat new, at a low price; you're going to be buying a Ford. For HD trucks (3/4 & 1 ton) Chevy/GMC their value the most, followed pretty closely by Dodge. Ford trails by a decent amount here. On the gas side Dodge is the cheapest, with Ford and Nissan in the Middle, and Chevy/GMC & Toyota being the most expensive. ((It sucks being a Chevy guy, since you have to settle for a 6 year old truck with 100+K for the same price of a 3 year old Ford with 1/2 that mileage. Guess it's good if you buy new.))
Aggie
Adventurer
Si, Lifetime Powertrain warranty, that I hope I don't have to use that much... :Wow1:
Fireman78
Expedition Leader
Awesome! I don't have the lafetime warranty, they started offering it three days AFTER I bought mine. However, I have abused the living snot out of my Power Wagon and it just keeps wanting more. In fact, a workmate and best friend of mine just bought one too. Definatley the toughest truck out there. Congrats!