Need help on what truck to get.

[backcountry_hunter]

I have or have had Multiple fleet vehicles in all three both gas and diesel. The 6.2 Ford is your best gasser followed close by 6.0 gm. Dodge will be your $$ friendliest diesel although a 6.7 Ford is decent too. I would not own a diesel though if I did not NEED one. My Dmaxs have been consistently the worst from a repair standpoint..... but they’ve also had the cheapest sticker price so.... that said, I’ve had major issues with all 3 diesels, very few in the gassers.

 

[Billy Goat]

I have run Cummins for the past 20 years. If you are going gas I'd get a Ford in 3/4 ton. I also recommend gas to almost everyone. Diesel is expensive for maintenance and upfront cost, you really need to use it a lot to pay for it. The ride in a 3/4 ton sucks, especially without the weight of a diesel in the front, if ride quality is an issue go Chevy with the ifs front.

I don't think the reliability of diesel over gas is there like it used to be. Diesel has gotten hammered with emissions just like gas did in the late 70's and 80's. They finally got it figured out, now working their way through the Diesel's.

 

[Cowbell]

Chevy with duramax due to much better ride, more durability, less recals, and much better fuel mileage. I have owned a lot of ranch trucks in the last 10 years and have put them to the test. My current and last 2500 both get over 20 mpg on highway.

 

[180splitg3]

Can you define "some hauling?" I'm only asking because if you don't need a 3/4 or 1 ton truck you will be more comfortable in a half ton. If you need an HD truck for towing then that answers that question. I'm a Ford guy (my last 7 trucks have been Fords) and currently drive a 2015 F-150 EB. Two trucks ago I bought a 2003 F-350 diesel crew cab because I felt I needed it for work/towing. I drove it around empty (not towing) 99% of the time and then decided to sell it. I will be in the market for a new one within the next few years and plan to stay with Ford. I really like the aluminum body here in MN. My wife drives a 2019 Chevy (10k miles) and it already has surface rust in places...

 

[come2elmo]

Can you define "some hauling?" I'm only asking because if you don't need a 3/4 or 1 ton truck you will be more comfortable in a half ton. If you need an HD truck for towing then that answers that question. I'm a Ford guy (my last 7 trucks have been Fords) and currently drive a 2015 F-150 EB. Two trucks ago I bought a 2003 F-350 diesel crew cab because I felt I needed it for work/towing. I drove it around empty (not towing) 99% of the time and then decided to sell it. I will be in the market for a new one within the next few years and plan to stay with Ford. I really like the aluminum body here in MN. My wife drives a 2019 Chevy (10k miles) and it already has surface rust in places...

Good point in the towing. The 2020 half ton gassers are rated just shy of 10k. Just where my 2500 6.0 is.

 

[blackdawg]

I have given the half ton a try for 2 years. It’s time to get back in a 3/4 ton. Leaning towards the Ford gas engine also, how many miles would a person expect out of the gas engines Ford builds? Fuel mileage not towing on hwy?


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[Billy Goat]

I have given the half ton a try for 2 years. It’s time to get back in a 3/4 ton. Leaning towards the Ford gas engine also, how many miles would a person expect out of the gas engines Ford builds? Fuel mileage not towing on hwy?


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Hard to know for certain on an unproven drivetrain. I suspect well over 300k. Certainly 200k without any issues. I know of a good number of older trucks 275k-350k these are mid 2000's. I suspect the newer ones will do the same, unless they have engineered them to not last as long. Which wouldn't shock me

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

If you want to stick with gas go for the Chevy 6.0. Fantastic motor with decent towing power. If you decide to go diesel do yourself a favor and go with the Ram and Cummins motor. I’d also recommend finding a model with the Aisin transmission.

We’ve hauled at max capacity for a lot of years and put 150,000 miles on a brand new truck every year from 2014-2017. We owned two brand new chevy 3500s in 2014 and 2015 and two brand new Ram 3500s in 2016 and 2017.

We have officially made the switch to Ram from now on after being a Chevy and GMC hauling family since the late 90s. The Ram is an all around better hauling truck. Less needy on maintenance and you only have to change the oil and service it every 15,000 miles which is great when you are hauling as many miles as we do.

Oil changes and fuel filter changes every 15,000 miles and just drive the thing. It’s like it wants to be worked hard and never gives us any issues. Unfortunately cannot say the same for the 2015+ Chevys. They changed their turbo design and we had two turbos go out on us on our 2015. They are also notorious for injector and fuel pump issues which is very expensive repairs.

 

[magnum44270]

If you want comfort go Chevy or gmc .. if you only haul on occasion stay with a gasser, if you tow a bit go diesel.

 

[5MilesBack]

I always hear people talking about this comfort thing with the Chevy's, but I drive a 2001 F-350 cc lb with the 7.3L PSD and my whole family considers it very comfortable. Not once have I ever thought to myself "man, this thing rides bad". On the highway it's smooth, which is where its used 95% of the time.

 

[BugleMeTimber]

Really like my 2012 Dodge 2500 Diesel. If you don't plan on towing much I'm not sure it is worth the money for a diesel. Stock I was getting 13mpg and after deleting the emissions went to 20-22mpg. If you don't delete the emissions and use it around town without towing much you can guarantee the exhaust filter will plug up which can get expensive to get cleaned at a shop. I've driven some Silverado 2500 Gas trucks and I find them to be a nice ride and plenty of towing power if I was to go that route.

 

[Skerhunter]

I always hear people talking about this comfort thing with the Chevy's, but I drive a 2001 F-350 cc lb with the 7.3L PSD and my whole family considers it very comfortable. Not once have I ever thought to myself "man, this thing rides bad". On the highway it's smooth, which is where its used 95% of the time.

I don't notice a huge difference on the highway between a ford/dodge/GM either. Very noticeable difference once you leave pavement though. Most of our daily miles are off pavement though.

 

[5MilesBack]

I have a buddy that bought a Chevy a couple years ago, within 2 years of new that thing was like a rattle can with all the constant squeaks and rattles. I can't even ride in it........I'd be ready to drive it off a cliff.

 

[HH393]

I think I have owned every type of domestically made truck over the years as I run equipment. If you perform the scheduled maintenance on any of them they all seem to work relatively the same. Each manufacturer does have certain advantages over the other for example.

Duramax can have injector problems but the transmission is bulletproof

Cummins has a great engine but the transmission isn’t as robust

Currently I drive the Dodge 3500 with a 6.7 Cummins. This truck has overall been very good and reliable. If you live somewhere where you can cut out the DPF and EGR they run even better but not legal everywhere. The maintenance on a diesel is far more expensive. 12 quarts every oil change for example. If you have decent mechanical ability this isn’t an issue as they are pretty easy to work on but do require some serious tools at times. Being able to park a diesel inside will extend the life but I also live in Alberta so its cold here a lot, might not be an issue for everyone. I made sure to replace all the fluids, transfer case, differentials, and transmission with the highest quality fluids I could find and do it more regularly. Furthermore a truck with less electric options will simply have less to go wrong, a manually engaged 4 wheel drive is easier to fix than push button.

I would suggest if you are not towing a lot of weight to go with a 1/2 ton. I have had Dodge, Chev, and Ford and they are all comparable. I know a lot of people have brand loyalty when it comes to trucks and everyone has a friend who had a lemon, but they all seemed to perform similarly. They only caution I would have would be the max tow on the 1/2 ton means that it can physically do it and sometimes barely if you weigh it down close to max. I would find out who has the best deal from all three manufacturers and weigh it out from there. I think any truck can work very well if you maintain it.

 

[Coastiecreation]

Bought an 09 Dodge 6.7 3500 new still have it today. 145,000 miles today. I think I have given this truck the torture test. Hunting in all extremes of weather and terrain and towing boats and a mini excavator. I’m sure my luck will be running out with the transmission but love my truck now. Goes without saying truck rides like in the woods but dual leaf springs in the rear and air bags will do that. 20+ MPG

 

[Billy Goat]

If you want to stick with gas go for the Chevy 6.0. Fantastic motor with decent towing power. If you decide to go diesel do yourself a favor and go with the Ram and Cummins motor. I’d also recommend finding a model with the Aisin transmission.

We’ve hauled at max capacity for a lot of years and put 150,000 miles on a brand new truck every year from 2014-2017. We owned two brand new chevy 3500s in 2014 and 2015 and two brand new Ram 3500s in 2016 and 2017.

We have officially made the switch to Ram from now on after being a Chevy and GMC hauling family since the late 90s. The Ram is an all around better hauling truck. Less needy on maintenance and you only have to change the oil and service it every 15,000 miles which is great when you are hauling as many miles as we do.

Oil changes and fuel filter changes every 15,000 miles and just drive the thing. It’s like it wants to be worked hard and never gives us any issues. Unfortunately cannot say the same for the 2015+ Chevys. They changed their turbo design and we had two turbos go out on us on our 2015. They are also notorious for injector and fuel pump issues which is very expensive repairs.

How you putting that kinda miles on in a year? Just curious, I thought I was doing a lot at 60k. Must be your business is covering a lot of ground. That's almost 3k a week or 48 hours a week at 60 mph. Hot shot?

What is your fully loaded? Max Gvwr or just the 26k?

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

How you putting that kinda miles on in a year? Just curious, I thought I was doing a lot at 60k. Must be your business is covering a lot of ground. That's almost 3k a week or 48 hours a week at 60 mph. Hot shot?

What is your fully loaded? Max Gvwr or just the 26k?

Professional rodeo. Anywhere between 150K and 200K per year.

The 4 horse living quarters trailers we hauled are really heavy. Especially with 4 horses and full water tanks we are def over the 26K. Luckily with the living quarters is classed as an RV trailer so we skip scales and keep on rolling.

 

[Danny Hoey]

I'm looking at 2013-2017 Chevy or Fords. In full size crew cab and long bed. I do some towing and hauling but not anything that would warrant a diesel but I would get one for reliability if thats the best bet for those years. I would like an F250 or 2500 but would go to the 350 or 3500.
Pretty much I just would like to know what years and engines I should stay away from.
Thanks guys my 1500 dodge is rotted out and on its last leg and its only an 09!

Have you thought about the GM 1/2T baby duramax?

 

[Fullfan]

I have a 2018 3500 Mega Cab SRW w the Cummins, wife has a 2017 2500 high country w the Duramax. Her’s is a very nice smooth ride. I have towed with both, the Cummins seems to have more low end grunt where the duramax has more mid/top end.
Both have similar gearing 3.73 with automatic transmissions.

 

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

2015 ram diesel 2500 bought new and use the crap out of it daily driving, towing mules, hunting offroad, fishing boat, and going to dinner all dressed up. 19 mpg avrg and now has 140,000 miles on it with no issues. did have 3 minor recall deals but no big deal there. Im looking to buy the wife one real soon. Other than the really thin body on it its been great. Only burns def while towing heavy and not enough to be annoying.