Truck Decision UPDATE: Decison Made (pending)

martyn8677 wrote:
Here is the deal. I have an 08 GMC 2500 diesel and LOVE it. However, I would like to upgrade to a camper with a slide which I believe will need a one ton to carry. So, I believe I can sell my current truck for about $25-26K. I would love to buy a one ton for about $15k and use the other $10k to upgrade my camper (trading or selling my Outfitter also).

Looking at diesels in that price range, the GMC/Chevy's would have higher miles than I am comfortable with (150k plus). Lots of Ford Powerstrokes available, but I have read all of the issues with those motors. I am not a mechanic, and I am concerned about reliability. I have generally heard great things about the Cummins diesel, but have never been a big Chrysler fan. While the motor might be good, I hear the quality of the rest of the truck is not great. So, here are my questions:

1. Lots of Ford owners on here. I have been reading there are certain mechanical fixes that can "bulletproof" these engines? True, and can I expect to find any used trucks that have already been bulletproofed?
2. Lots of Dodge owners on here. Is my perception wrong about Dodge quality. Can any of you convince me otherwise?
3. Should I consider a one ton gasser? I am not convinced the better mpg of the diesel will offset the higher purchase price, maintenance, and price per gallon. But will a gasser struggle to carry the weight?

As always, I really appreciate any input you all would like to share.

Thanks, Marty

Ok, to close the loop on this.........I did finally sell my truck, for $24,900. As someone else mentioned, it was for sale a long time, and that was the market for it. I did sell it to a private party. The best offer I had from a dealer was $21,000. So my target was $25k, and I almost made it.

In buying a truck, I was targeting spending $15k for a one ton. No Dodge or Chevy/GMC in that price range that weren't too old or had way too many miles. That left me looking at Fords. Lots of Powerstrokes available in 2004-2007 with 120-150,000 miles on them. But, I just wasn't comfortable with the reliability of those. I then focused on gas engines and was looking at the older V10. (see the other thread I started). As it came down to decision time, there were several available, but they were all in the $13-15,000 price range if they had less than 100,000 miles.

Soooooooo, I found a 2011 Ford F350XLT 4 x 4 Supercab. It has the new 6.2 gas engine, which I believe will provide better gas mileage than the V10 or even the 6.8L that was available. The bad news? It has 120,000 miles on it. I am assuming they are mostly highway miles and it looks to be in pristine condition. Buying from a dealer tomorrow morning after a test drive and visual inspection (about 3 hours away). Brand new tires. Paying $17,500, so a little above my target, but just felt better about a 2011 with the 6.2L.

Finally, significantly upgrade my max payload for a heavier camper in the future. More bad news? I have had almost NOBODY interested in my Outfitter, and need to sell it at a reasonable price in order to upgrade.

Thanks again for all of the input. I feel good about the decision, but have not yet seen or driven this truck. That could put me back to square one if it is not as has been represented to me.