To your specific question on age of tow vehicle:
Prior: 2001 2500 Suburban 8.1 - Towed to 135k
Current: 2012 F150 Max Payload (8200 GVWR) - At 50k and intend to go 150k+
You have a good engine. How is the rest of the truck? I only let my 8.1L go around 135k miles when other issues were piling up (electrical, etc.). If I had wanted to keep it I would have ponied up and repaired, however a truck was a better match for me than a Suburban so I sold and moved on.
You mention the tax difference is $250 a month. What about insurance? Even if insurance is only another $50 per month in savings you have $3,600 per year for preventative maintenance and you are not making payments on a new rig. Do you have a mechanic you really like? There are some good private shops out there and a good mechanic is valuable.
New trucks break too, and there is more on them to break. If you like the truck expect to invest in maintenance. Anybody can pull into the camp with a new rig. I think it is pretty cool to see an older rig that is well maintained. BenK is running a cherry 1996 2500 Suburban.
Good luck,
Stu
