Where to start? I need a truck!
I know it's a contentious issue, but I'm feeling overwhelmed with how to select a truck. I know I need at least a 3-series to haul a TC at around 5000lb (AF990 loaded/wet should be around 5000lb) ...
Forum Discussion
Jefe 4x4 comment about skipping brand loyalty is a solid point though I might guess that most of us here have many of our opinions formed out of brand loyalty more than we would like to admit. I'm a Ford guy and the only reason why I'm a Ford guy is because my Dad owns a 72 Ford Custom 4x4 with a Big Block 400 in her. I grew up going into the mountains with a camper on the back and a lot of great memories of fishing with my dad. She still has just 72k original miles on her and I hope one day to make her my own classic vehicle.
When it came to truck buying I did't even consider a GM or Dodge even though for all intents and purposes they will get the job done just as equally. I ended up with a 1998 7.3 Dually 2x4. One of the first ones off the assembly line as it started life as a dealer show truck in Texas before being bought by the guy I bought it from. This guy happened to own a drag race car and used the truck to pull a 32 foot gooseneck carrying his car and tools. Needless to say, he liked tinkering on the truck as much as he liked tinkering on his race car. I still need to go back and have him write down all the mods he actually did...
That being said, if you don't have any brand loyalty then you are in good shape to maximize your dollar to vehicle ratio more than the rest of us that are stuck in our ways. The one thing that really swayed me towards the 7.3 was the lack of the modern emissions equipment that seems to cause more reliability issues than any other component. I looked at the expense of repairing or replacing a modern truck's emissions equipment and quickly realized I would leave saving planet earth to those with deeper pockets.
Now if money isn't an issue, the 2017 F350/450 Platinum looks awfully dang nice!
When it came to truck buying I did't even consider a GM or Dodge even though for all intents and purposes they will get the job done just as equally. I ended up with a 1998 7.3 Dually 2x4. One of the first ones off the assembly line as it started life as a dealer show truck in Texas before being bought by the guy I bought it from. This guy happened to own a drag race car and used the truck to pull a 32 foot gooseneck carrying his car and tools. Needless to say, he liked tinkering on the truck as much as he liked tinkering on his race car. I still need to go back and have him write down all the mods he actually did...
That being said, if you don't have any brand loyalty then you are in good shape to maximize your dollar to vehicle ratio more than the rest of us that are stuck in our ways. The one thing that really swayed me towards the 7.3 was the lack of the modern emissions equipment that seems to cause more reliability issues than any other component. I looked at the expense of repairing or replacing a modern truck's emissions equipment and quickly realized I would leave saving planet earth to those with deeper pockets.
Now if money isn't an issue, the 2017 F350/450 Platinum looks awfully dang nice!
