Looking at buying another truck - your thoughts?

[Fordtrucktexan]

I'm in a dilemma. The ol' F250 is getting long in the tooth. Right now, it needs the following maintenance:

- Air conditioner works intermittently
- Brakes spongely/soft, pulls to the right on braking
- Steering is loose
- Automatic 4x4 hubs inop., 4x4 works in manual mode perfectly
- transmission shifts harsh/hard when cold. Could be just a shift solenoid problem, but who knows.

Obviously, none of those problems are vehicle killers and with a wad of money and a wrench, are fairly moderate fixes.

However, the truck is still a rolling mystery as to what other problem it will throw my way next. The motor has been fully bulletproofed a year ago, but how long does the hpop have left? fuel pump? injectors? - All of these are common F250 fail points that haven't happened to me yet.

Get my point?

The truck is fortunately paid off.

As much as I'd love to keep it, I'm afriad of what can go wrong next.

So I've been looking at 2011+ F150's. I read that the Eco Boost motors had issues with the timing chains, which explains why I keep finding 11' 3.5 EB trucks for cheap. Honestly, I'd gladly consider a 5.0 or even a nicely loaded 3.7 for the right price.

What do you guys think?

 

[Olas]

I think you could fix all those faults for the cost of 1 or 2 payments on a new car.

Think about how much you pay in interest on top of the new car..

If you own it, take care of it and show pride!

 

[hpb]

If you can afford it, I say why not? You only live once

 

[michaelluscher]

Those problems are no reason to throw away a time tested and self maintained truck.

Your 2-3 new payments away from restoring full functionality.

Give the brakes a once over, could be a sticking caliper or air bubble. A fluid change isn't uncalled for.

Trans needs a service, see where that takes it.

Scan for codes, may give you hints to the A/C and Trans problems.

 

[RamFan]

Originally Posted By: michaelluscher
Those problems are no reason to throw away a time tested and self maintained truck.

Your 2-3 new payments away from restoring full functionality.


X2

 

[svhanc]

Ultimately the decision comes down to whether the truck is right for you. An F250 is not really a family machine, so if this is an opportunity to change vehicles to something that fits better, go for it.
If you love the truck, it will pay to fix it and keep it forever.

I agree on the Ecoboost engines. I want to see some clear history for a while before I trust them. You don't get something for nothing and they may have traded mileage for longevity.

Toyota Tundra?

 

[Oil Changer]

It's always cheaper to fix what you have. You have a good truck. The body should be rust free. Fix what's broke then have it detailed. Detailing will restore some pride of ownership.

Take a step back and it will look and run almost as new. Drive it for another ten years knowing it is a man-made machine that will break. New stuff breaks too.

 

[Dallas69]

If you like your truck just spend $1000 and fix it up
It's paid for
You will be surprised how good it feels not to have a payment each month
Just take what a new payment would be each month and spend that on fixing this one-do a little each month
Before long it's all fixed

 

[Pop_Rivit]

It sounds like you want a new(er) truck and are trying to justify the purchase.

It wouldn't take much to catch up on the neglected maintenance, and as far as what it will "throw my way next", that holds true with any vehicle. You may well be throwing away a known set of problems for a brand new set of unknown problems.

Since your signature describes it as a "tow pig" and it's a 3/4 ton diesel, I'm assuming you do actual, real towing with it. Swapping it for a 1/2 ton gas pickup is going to be a real disappointment. Of course, if you don't really tow much more than a boat then it's irrelevant.

Of course, if you've saved enough to pay for a new(er) truck and can do it without payments, then by all means find a nice one and enjoy your purchase. But if you have to go into debt just to keep up with the Joneses with a new(er) pickup, then sit down and think twice about why you really want one.

 

[eljefino]

If your truck were up here it'd be in a parade with a hot chick in a tiara in back. Just sayin'.

 

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: Fordtrucktexan


The motor has been fully bulletproofed a year ago, but how long does the hpop have left?


What was done to bulletproof the motor?

 

[Bud]

Cheaper to keep, unless you just really want a newer vehicle.

 

[dlundblad]

Your reasons for buying a new truck don't justify the new truck expenses IMO. As said, its cheaper to keep than to buy newer.

Wanting a new truck is a whole new ballgame and if its really what you want, go for it. As said, you only live once.

 

[Silverado12]

Ford makes a nice truck (I know, that's blasphemous coming from a Chevy guy). A friend of mine had a 2011 150 w/5.0 and it was a good, reliable truck and got good mileage (almost as good as the six in my Chevy but with power when you need it).

 

[CKN]

Don't know how often you tow-but a new(er) half ton rides a lot better than what you have now. If you buy a Ford find one with the 5.0 V8. That's a good motor.

I own a 2011-1500 Silverado w/the 5.3. I used it to tow all around the USA two years ago for a total of 8,000 miles.

So while your truck is more powerful, a bigger truck isn't needed to tow depending on how heavy the trailer is you have.

 

[TiredTrucker]

Well, I'll add a little fuel to the buying fire.... Can't speak to Ford, but GM dealers in my area are offering up to 20% off the cost of new 2500 pickups right on their website. That is even before haggling. Just looked at one a dealer was offering. MSRP was $47,105, and they had their "buy it now" price at $37,999.

 

[Fordtrucktexan]

Guess I should've thrown in some more background on this truck.

Powerstroke thread from when I bulletproofed the motor: (bullet proofing is when you basically machine the heads, install new head gaskets, and ARP head studs into a 6.0 Powerstroke)

http://www.powerstroke.org/forum/general...nture-pics.html

It's an 06' F250 6.0 (diesel) XLT FX4 crew cab - bought used with 101k miles for $19k in sept. 2012. That seems high now, but back then, for a clean F250 that didn't serve ranch/oil field duty (this one was close to showroom new in appearance), that was the going price.

I'm wanting to get rid of it for a multitude of reasons:

1. I don't need a truck this big any more. I used to buy, fix, and sell blown up cars for extra cash and this was my tow rig.

2. It's high maintenance even when nothing is broken. Oil changes? $100 to do it yourself. $200 at the dealer. You have to drain the water separater every two weeks, which requires crawling under the truck and removing an 8mm allen head screw, and getting drenched in diesel in the process. Even though the truck gets a not-that-bad mpg of about 18, diesel fuel still runs about $1,00 more per gallon than gas, and still needs additive to be 'right'. These trucks were designed when diesel still had nice lubricants in it - which the federal gov has been kind enough to remove. Hence the need for additives.

3. Guess what? Stuff is always breaking. In my ownership, I've replaced a radiator, 5 brake calipers, 2 sets of radiator hoses, a shift solenoid, repaired the turbo up pipes when they blew, and repaired the fuel injection computer. I've also added items needed for reliability, such as: coolant filter kit, EGR delete, blue spring fuel pressure regulator kit, and Edge CTS monitor to watch engine parameters for trouble. Not to mention all the updated parts thrown in during the bullet proofing process.

4. It still needs stuff fixed - see original post.

5. I want a newer, more 'civilized' truck to drive.

I will be honest, with the custom tune, this truck is by far the most fun to drive I've ever owned. That's the only reason I could justify spending the money I did on maintenance and repairs, because it was such a joy to cruise in. The power and acceleration is ridiculous compared to the vehicles I've owned in the past.

Like all fun things - I'm over it. My life has changed and a modded diesel truck with a hot tune doesn't really fit into the master plan right now. Today, I looked at a 14' F150 XL Supercrew with 19k miles, and the 3.7l engine for $26k. During the test drive, it got around 23 mpg, was nearly dead silent on the inside, and was comfortable. I forgot how nice that is. (I've since found a few leftover new ones online for the same price that I'll be checking out)

 

[hpb]

You've answered your own question - you're tired of this particular vehicle and want another one. So go for it! You don't need a bunch of strangers on the internet to give you permission... Post pics of the new rig when you decide on one!

 

[TiredTrucker]

Wow! Oil changes at a dealer for $200 on that? I can get a Detroit 60 semi truck engine with two oil filters, fuel filter, and 10 gallons of oil done for that same price! And the government did not cause anyone to remove lubricity in fuel. The process to remove sulfur in diesel also took lubricity with it. No, sulfur was not the lubricity. Biodiesel has more lubricity than you could ever add from a can and it contains no sulfur. Your engine is not older than mine. My Detroit was built in 2000 and is on 1st rebuild now at 364,000 miles. It does just fine on the fuel today. ULSD fuel was already at the pumps when you bought yours.

 

[roadrunner1]

You should be able to change your own oil for less than $60 in a 6.0, I did so for years, and why are you draining your water-separator every 2 weeks? I drove a 6.0 from 2003 until a month and a half ago and never cracked the water separator unless I was changing filters, 15,000 mi. intervals per the manual.

Not that any of this matters you sound like your mind is already made up to trade. If you don't need a large truck anymore theres no need to keep the one you have.