60k Budget truck and camper

adamis wrote:
Something worth considering that I don't believe has been discussed is that IF you are going used, don't overlook the cost of SMOG repair bills if your used truck ends up without a warranty. I'm not an expert and others will have better suggestions but when I went shopping for my truck, I initially started looking at used trucks ranging from 2009 to 2014. What I found was that most of the trucks in that range (and were in my budget) had between 120k to 200k+ in miles. The mileage didn't bother me at all but it seemed that the newer engines with the more complicated smog requirements could be costly to repair / replace (especially the catalytic converters). The thing about Smog repair is that even if the truck is running just fine, if the check engine light is running, the nanny state won't let you register till it's fixed.

I ended up going with a 7.3 specifically because it was pre-smog. I don't have all of the bells, whistles and power the newer trucks have but I'm not worried about future smog repairs either. (I believe in 30 years the 7.3s will be sought after similar to how the 60s and early 70s muscle cars because of the lack of smog equipment). I ended up going with a 7.3 specifically because it was pre-smog. I don't have all of the bells, whistles and power the newer trucks have but I'm not worried about future smog repairs either. (I believe in 30 years the 7.3s will be sought after similar to how the 60s and early 70s muscle cars because of the lack of smog equipment).

Back to the camper section... If you are full timing and plan to put a LOT of miles on the road, don't underestimate the benefit of simplicity and light weight. Trucks today are built to handle the heavy loads pretty well but the stress put on your truck from a 3000lb camper versus a 5000lb camper will eventually show up. Also, though slides are nice and give lots of extra space, they also introduce failure points and areas for water penetration to occur. Again, this comes down to the number of miles your putting in on the road. A couple of hundred miles a year, no big deal, but full timing consider the use of those mechanical components and the exposure to the elements the seals will have to endure.

These considerations led me to conclude that I wanted a fiberglass camper because I anticipated being on the road a lot and though I really liked the space a slide(s) provided, I was concerned about how long it would last with the mileage I intended to travel.

You said a mouth full there for sure. My 1997 7.3 OBS is appreciating in value every year. In 10 more years it will sell for more than it cost new. Me, I like that black smoke when I put my foot on the fuel pedal.