Need some truck buying help!
 

I assume since I will be towing a fishing boat with it I am not breaking our new rules....here is my post from TF, you guys hopefully can help me

OK Guys, need some help...I currently tow my boat with my Sequoia. It tows just fine but squats a little. I'd like to keep my Sequoia for a long time so I'm a little leary since I'm now on a trailer 100% of the time. Looking at buying a truck to tow my boat and a Sailfish 2660 WAC (which is a lot heavier than my boat). Looking used...used to have a Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel and LOVED it...

questions I guess are:
we may only tow 1000-2000 miles per year, maybe as much as 5000 miles depending on how many trips to NC we take, is there a huge benefit to buying diesel over gas for this little towing. When the truck is not towing it will get very little to no use.

Any recommendations on what to look for? I know very little about trucks and have not towed a boat 100% of the time in 5 years and then my Ram was way more truck than I needed for my boat...

Thanks
Mark

Mark,

About how much does the 2660 weigh? - A really heavy boat, you'll like having the diesel a lot in my opinion.

Where are you towing? - Long distances, you'll like the diesel. Up hills and mountains (if you leave MD essentially), you'll really like it. I towed a 26ft boat for work a while back with a chevy PU with 454 and it towed nice, but used a lot of gas.

Also, I think a tow vehicle with a diesel will hold it's value more. Also make sure you get appropriate suspension and transmission, not just the motor. If you don't plan to do anything other than tow, why wouldn't you get a diesel?

Mark; gave you my answer on the "other" board. However; did you see the website that kieth posted. Some sweet looking trucks. 5th (Marty)

Hopefully Martin knows for sure, I'm thinking about 9000 lbs but not sure. We will be towing mainly to OC, CBBT and NC, cant imagine going anywhere else. As far as value we are buying a beater anyway so we'll drive it till it dies...we are both leaning toward diesel, but we can get a newer truck with less miles obviously with going gas....

Thanks!

Marty, saw your response, thanks for the help :rolleyes: didn't see any website keith put up, where?

I would go with diesel no matter what. I know with the Ford Powerstrokes (I'm sure you can get one for the Cummins too) you can get the programmer chips. That allows you to tweak your engine for either better fuel economy or more torque. Personally, I'm in the market for a good Excursion with the 7.3 diesel but they're not plentiful.

I think Marty (5th) is talking about this site. www.warrentonselect.com.

They do have a nice selection!

Keith

They do, but we are not looking to spend that much...just a beater, those are too nice for a bumpkin like me...I want something that is at least 35% primer :D

As far as the programmer chip, you are talking about two guys that can barely work a screwdriver :)

You have to meet certain prerequisites to drive a truck like that. Study this picture well..If that's you, then you qualify.

Attachment 134

Hey Mark,
My dad "owns" a 2500 Suburban with a gaint 8.1L motor and I "own" an F-250 with the 5.4. I say "own" because I drive his Suburban as much as he drives my truck. We both have second vehicles (hondas) that we commute in so they are pretty much only used for towing or hauling.

I would not recommend my 5.4 Triton for any serious towing needs. I have towed both my boats as well as several other boats (up to a 28' Mako) with it and any time there is a hill. it's brutal. I ordered my truck new with a 4.10 rear end to make it better for towing and it still only marginally gets the job done. With the truck, I get 9-10mpg towing and 13 not towing. I can say that braking in this truck is a dream. I never feel pushed by the boat.

My dad's Suburban has the largest production gas engine Chevy has, the 8.1L. It's bigger than a 454, I think it's like a 503. Anyway, it is WAY better at towing that my truck, and I do feel somewhat comftorable, but it still downshifts and sounds like it's working really hard climbing hills. It get's 8mpg towing and 11mpg not towing. Braking is OK but not as good as my truck.

Having said that I have a buddy with a diesel F-350 and the difference is literally NIGHT and DAY. You won't even notice my boat behind a diesel and even the 28' Mako or 25' Parker is hardly a strain. It's like. . .amazing. He gets 18MPG without a boat and around 15 with my boat.

Now, when I get an oil change it's 40 bucks. When he gets one, it's 80 bucks. He has filters that need to be changed every so often which are espensive and a whole host of other maintence items which are more expensive. He savings in gas mileage makes up for the maintence when gas is expensive, not when it's cheap. When my truck is ten years old and has 150,000 miles on it, it will be on the last third of it's life. His will be unphased. There are several people who have 500,000 miles or more on diesel trucks and they are still ticking.

My dad and I both had to buy gassers because of extranous reasons (his job pays for his gas and they only have a gas tank) but we both agreed if we were to do ti over again, we would get diesels.

Mark,

After seeing this, I figured you had bought one and was taking it for a spin already... :D

http://cache.jalopnik.com/assets/res...0a%20truck.jpg

Seriously, towing that far with that weight, I'd go diesel (just run it to the store every once in a while when you aren't fishing). I'd look for a 90's powerstroke ford (good years, should be able to find one with not too many miles). Read up on powerstrokes, at some point in the 2000's I think, they started to go to crap. The construction company I worked for before college had to replace something like 70% of the engines of the trucks bought between certain years. I can't remember which years though. I know there was a thread on the "other" board that covered it. I'd stay away from Dodge, but I may be biased.

Good luck,

bob

if you get an older powerstroke.. get the 7.3... it is an international harvestor motor found in the ups trucks.. bulletproof!