# What brand of truck?



## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

I'm facing a bit of a dilemma and I was hoping some of you could help.

I recently test drove a Ford F150, mostly because my parents got the best deal at the dealership in purchasing their new 2010 Fusion. Obviously, it was awesome - I was looking at an F150 Crewcab XLR 4 x4 w/ a 5.4L V8 engine, complete with tow package and chrome. After all is said and done, the price on that bad boy is around $33,000.

Now, in doing my research it appeared F150's were cheapest but they're not - the dealership is calculating them by taking the $10,000 in incentives right of the MRSP whereas other dealers are listing actual price. Which makes a Chevy Silverado with virtually the same details (4x4, tow package, chrome, etc.) around $25,000.

Obviously, the cheaper deal is looking more attractive. But WHY is it so much cheaper? What am I better off looking at for hauling horses AND as a personal vehicle? We're not big show riders, and the absolute max I would ever be hauling behind me is roughly 4,000 pounds in horseflesh and whatever my trailer weighs, so under 10,000lbs and that is a MAX situation that would happen VERY rarely, if ever at all.

Ford F150? Chevy Silverado? Dodge Ram? What's the difference and what do YOU prefer? I don't want brand loyalty, I'm a Chevy girl myself and I've been looking at ALL trucks. I want the brand that's going to get the job done and have me not regretting this 5 years later.


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## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

Not to confuse you even more and throw another hat in the ring...We have a GMC and I love it. Its not owner loyalty either, I hated that thing when we got it. I am a Ford girl through and through. The GMC is built bigger than fords and dodges and has more towing than the Chevy. The only problem is, they do get pricey. They are a favorite for work trucks in my area and they pull like a dream.


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## wyominggrandma (Nov 4, 2009)

If its a Ford diesel, the mechanics have to pull the cab to change the injectors. That is one issue with Ford diesels that the dealers will not tell a person, the whole cab has to be pulled off to work on the injectors.
I love my Chevy. Its a 4 x 4 3/4 ton crew cab and pulls great.


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## kslive4myhorse (Oct 10, 2009)

We have a GMC for towing our trailers and LOVE it!! I have driven other trucks and i really think that the GMC drives really well - also we never have to worry about hills, etc. it hauls great 
its a 2005 GMC Sierra 2500 Duramax Diesel


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## sinsin4635 (Dec 1, 2009)

I love my Ford F150 !


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

I should mention that price is a factor here then I think. I am a single person, and for all the showing and hauling we actually do, I do NOT have any need for some massive $50,000 monster.

The $33,000 quoted for the F150 is pretty much the maximum for me. I could technically afford it (probably up to around $35,000) but I'm going to be paying it off for many years to come. I plan to have a $5,000 downpayment, so $30,000 was the most I WANTED to pay for a truck.

I'm really not in the market for diesels, 3/4 tons, duallies, etc. I just need something that can safely haul my horses around locally, almost always within a 100 mile radius. Right now we haul with my dad's 90's era GMC Sierra and it hauls fine, but it's a pig on gas.


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

My only advice: Dont buy a Ford over the year of 2002. After the 02 they completely screwed it up. They don't last as long and the engines are completely effed up. However, if you get an 02 F150 they are the best truck you will ever find in your life. We have one and everyone in my family has one, and my
trainer is loyal to hers as well. She hauls her four horse trailer all over the place with it as well as her tiny two horse straight load. It does it all 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## mliponoga (Jul 24, 2010)

Well having towed with an assortment of vehicles I'd definitely recommend Dodge just from a reliability standpoint and the amount you'll be towing. I just sold my 2003 Dodge Ram with 190,000 miles on it, which a lot of were towing miles. The engine and trans were still running very, very strong. It was a truck I could jump in and tow 2,000 miles without any concern of breaking down. Now for my experience with other vehicles, my friend's Silverado has had nothing but problems with 130,000 miles on it. The motor is knocking, the trans slips, she's already replaced the rear end. And as for my friend's F150 with 100k on it, she had to replace the transmission ($1500) and the rear end ($1000) plus many other issues with it. The only thing I didn't like about my Dodge was the rear springs. It sagged quite a bit, but with airbags on it there was no longer and issue at all. I'm not sure how the prices on the Dodge Rams were but when I was looking at 2009's the prices were very competitive. Plus I mean, you can then say "I gotta Hemi."  Plus it was 2010's mototrend truck of the year.


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## mliponoga (Jul 24, 2010)

Also, any particular reason for buying new? buying a new vehicle is the most money you'll ever lose. I heard on the radio the other day this question "what is one thing that most millionaires don't have that middle class people do?" The answer was a new car. Millionaires became the way they did because of being money smart. They know that new cars are the biggest waste of money. You may be able to get a truck that's only a couple years older for $10,000-$15,000 less.


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Again, that's anther good thing about the Fords up to 2002. A couple years older and cheaper. I cannot urge you enough to NOT buy anything newer from Ford than the 02. They will all die on you after the first couple years. I am a Chevy chick for sure, but even I have to admit the 02 Ford can take out anything I've ever owned.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## barrelracer892 (Apr 3, 2010)

I'm a total Chevy girl, even though I work at a Ford dealership. My dad's '95 2WD Chevy Silverado has been THE BEST truck ever. It has somewhere between 190,000 to 200,000 miles on it, and has never once had any major problems nor has broken down on the side of the road. It's never even broken down, period! (Can't say the same for my S10, however. Haha). It gets great gas mileage, too. Pretty much the same as my S10, around 20 to 22 mpg (Without the trailer of course. With the trailer it gets around 16 mpg). One reason is probably because it's 2WD though. My truck is also a V6 Vortec and my dad's is a straight six. As much as I would love for my dad's truck to have 4WD, it gets out of sticky situations just fine without it. It hauls my 5,000 lb trailer with my 1,100 pound horse and sometimes another larger horse just fine. I would be scared to take that truck with that much weight somewhere up north of where I live over all those mountains, however. Oh, and like corinowalk said, GMC's are awesome too!
As for Ford and Dodge, totally don't compare :]. At least in my opinion, anyway. I like the older model Ford, but like SorrelHorse said, the newer ones have something wrong with them. My cousin has an '06 F150 and it's always in the shop. She had it here at the dealership yesterday getting her AC fixed ($400 estimate). I know of four different people that have a Dodge trucks and all of them have had some sort of transmission issue with them. The gears will go out or the transmission will drop. However, the Dodges get better gas mileage than Fords.


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## mliponoga (Jul 24, 2010)

Another reason to buy a Dodge, sooooo sexy!! haha 

This is my old truck!


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

I've looked at used, and quite frankly, saving $10,000 on a truck that has no warranty and no verification that the previous owner didn't abuse the hell out of it doesn't seem like huge savings to me.

There are so many colossal deals going on right now, it's a decent time to buy new I think. Between the employee pricing, delivery allowance and the beater program, I'm looking at close to $15,000 in savings off the list price. Trucks have never been so cheap - buying brand new for $25,000? Heck, my parents new car cost almost that much.

I was looking at used and they're pricing essentially what I was looking at for a 2007 w/ about 80,000km at $20,000. If I'm paying that much for a vehicle, I'd rather pay the extra for peace of mind. It gives me a couple years to ensure I HAVE the nest egg again to pay for potential repairs as opposed to buying something and having it konk right off the lot.


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## kmacdougall (Feb 12, 2010)

Actually nine times out of ten you're better off buying used. Get a Carfax report on it and check it out - if something major went in it, chances are it was replaced with something improved. Also remember that once you sign for that truck, sit behind the drivers seat and put it in gear, bang, it's depreciated between $6000-$10000. 

I am less a brand fanatic as I am a diesel fanatic. Diesel trucks are more powerful than gas and are far better for someone who is interested in doing lots of hauling. Gas trucks are more for drivers. 

At all costs I would avoid Dodge. My boyfriend's company had an entire fleet of Dodges (8 or 10) and every. Single. One. Had major, major headache problems before even hitting 100,000km. We're talking everything from transmission to frame to ball bearings to universals. 

I would buy some magazines (Diesel Power, etc.) and get an unbiased comparison of things that matter in the diesel truck world.


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## Tennessee (Dec 7, 2008)

Well, I'm a Chevy girl myself, but as far as reliability with pulling a Dodge is probably the best choice. I kill myself for saying that, but it's the only thing we use for pulling (besides my '03 F350, but it's my dad's old truck so it's mine now) and we've never had any problems. Neither has my uncle who has a Dodge.


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## mliponoga (Jul 24, 2010)

kmacdougall said:


> I would buy some magazines (Diesel Power, etc.) and get an unbiased comparison of things that matter in the diesel truck world.


Haha, magazines are about the most biased things you can read. They are paid to say good things about certain brands.


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## kmacdougall (Feb 12, 2010)

mliponoga said:


> Haha, magazines are about the most biased things you can read. They are paid to say good things about certain brands.


I'm not sure where you got your information on Diesel Power magazine but you are actually incorrect.
Good day.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

To be honest, I don't think which brand you buy makes a lot of difference. I have friends that tow horses with Fords, Chevys, and Dodges and they have had both good and bad experiences with all. Our son has a Chevy Silverado, we have a Dodge Ram and neither has ever had a problem.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

I may be wrong, but I think any 1/2 truck will max out at about 8,000lbs towing capacity and that's with the biggest engine and all the bells and whistles. If you're total weight is going to be over 7,000, you might want to consider a 3/4 ton instead. 

As for brand, everyone and their brother in New England is driving Chevy Silveraldo's. It's like a conspiracy. I'm hearing there are lots of transmission issues with the newer Fords, and Dodge's are nice but be ready for a bumpy ride. They drive like trucks, if that makes any sense.


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## spence (Nov 8, 2009)

MyBoyPuck, you're actually quite wrong. new 1/2 tons have got more oomph than ever. 10,000 is not unfeasible, however i don't do it.

i went diesel almost five years ago and won't look back. more on that later.

now, each brand has their own advantages and disadvantages. just depends on what you want to deal with. dodges have traditionally had CRAPPY automatic trannys (won't own one, even though they have supposedly improved since 03). dodge bodies rot FAST, although my wife's 98 has a nice frame on it (it came from the salt belt of NY and is CLEAN on the frame, unlike my midwestern ford).

now those chebby lovers, those are what i always seem to see in ads with 100 to 150k miles with rebuilt trannys and motors. but they ride nice, and generally get the best mileage.

both ford and dodge get crap for economy. it was said to me years ago that a ford is a working man's truck, while a chevy (and gmc, they're almost the same) is a traveling man's truck. and the dodge is a poor man's truck. dunno where the dodge comes from, but i know that out in farm country here, most run a lot of fords because they take general abuse well and hold up better. chevy's have a NICE ride and usually get good mileage.

seriously, 50,000 miles (80,000km) is NOT a lot and saving over $10,000 makes it worthwhile. now i bought my 3/4 ford back in dec 05, it was just over a year old and booked at $34k, was $42 new, and they were asking $27k. minus another 4 for my trade in, i paid $23k for the thing, and while it's had a few common 6.0l powerstroke problems, she's been good to me. 

so if you can FIND this, it's my suggestion. diesels get better mileage and will tow the hell out of ya. look for a 4 to 8 year old dodge with the cummins diesel. should be able to find one for in the low $20,000 range. if you can manage it, manual tranny is the way to go, though. remember, dodge autos SUCK. i get 17 to 18 mpg out of my ford driving back and forth to work, bone stock dodges will probably do 18 to 20, or more. it pays when a half ton is only getting 13 or 14. and you have a LOT more versatility. and buying one with over 100k miles is nothing, it's just getting well broken in. 

true, they're expensive to fix, but it tends to pretty well even out in the end.


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## mliponoga (Jul 24, 2010)

Spence, a lot of this I do agree with, but to back Dodge's up, my 03 had the cleanest frame I could have ever imagined on a truck. Completely spotless. My truck also got better gas mileage than my friend's 1997 f150 rc 2wd and mine was 4x4 quad cab. But, I completely agree on the diesel suggestion. Any of the diesels will take you into 500k+ miles and outtow any gas motor!


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Is a diesel going to suit me well for general purpose as well? This truck is going to be my ALL purpose vehicle - and keeping my horses outside of the city, I'm already travelling a solid 40 miles a day (round trip) to see them alone.

I don't need a heavy duty hauler. We own trail horses. I need something that's going to suit both highway driving and mostly medium hauling. I've gotten by just fine the last 3 years by borrowing my dad's older GMC and hauling at around 80-90kmh to go easier on the gas.

Here, I found this - what would your opinions be on this?

2008 Ford F-350 Supercab, LongBox 4X4 - Winnipeg Pickup Trucks For Sale - Kijiji Winnipeg Canada.


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## spence (Nov 8, 2009)

there you go. it equals out to around 111k miles, which isn't THAT many. true, a fair number for a 2 year old ford, however i have found that with the newer pickups (diesels especially), having more miles, like this one, can potentially be a better deal than having practically NO miles because you might have a lemon.

anyhow, my diesel experience... they weigh more, unless you're on paved roads all the time, get a 4x4. the extra weight up front from the diesel loses you oomph in the *** end. trust me, my old gassers would get me in and out of where i live, but i HAVE to have 4 wheel down here.

even then, i get good mileage. but don't get wrapped up in one that's got uber low gears (made to pull mad weight). i'm geared with 3.73's and it pulls anything i can throw at it and it saves my mileage. the easy test to see what gears you've got in a possible vehicle, as long as it has a tachometer, is get to running down the highway. cruise at 60mph, or 96km/h. if the tach reads UNDER 2000 rpm, it's 3.73's or higher. mine runs around 1800 at 60. if she's running around 2100, then it's got 4.10 gears. pull like the devil, but your most efficiency (with ANY pickup, not just a diesel) is going to be had under 2000 rpm. i cruise around 67 mph just under 2000 and it does great.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

spence said:


> MyBoyPuck, you're actually quite wrong. new 1/2 tons have got more oomph than ever. 10,000 is not unfeasible, however i don't do it.


That's great to hear. I'm also looking for my first truck. I was looking 3/4 ton to have some extra power, but if the 1/2 tons are better than older models, that saves me $5,000 right there. Sometimes it's good to be wrong!


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

If you are driving alot of miles then a diesel will hold its value longer and get more MPGs. However you also have to figure that oil changes and fuel will cost more and repairs will cost much more. I have a 2004 dodge 3/4 ton with a HEMI gas motor and it pulls great and doesn't do to bad on fuel when I'm not pulling. I get about 18 MPG on the highway without a trailer which is pretty good for a 4x4 quad cab. When I put a trailer behind it starts to suck gas but that is to be expected.

Don't rule out a newer used diesel pickup and at least consider a 3/4 ton truck. I like my Dodge but every brand has its followers.


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

Pickup Truck Load Capacity - Truck Load Capacity - Hauling Loads in Your Truck
lots of info on choosing trucks. No way would I haul 8K-10K with a half ton. I really don't think you are going to get good enough fuel mileage to justify buying a truck. My last 2002 3/4 HD got 5-6 mpg running hard and heavy down the highway. My 04 diesel gets 10-11mpg but it is not broke in yet


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## A knack for horses (Jun 17, 2010)

corinowalk said:


> Not to confuse you even more and throw another hat in the ring...We have a GMC and I love it. Its not owner loyalty either, I hated that thing when we got it. I am a Ford girl through and through. The GMC is built bigger than fords and dodges and has more towing than the Chevy. The only problem is, they do get pricey. They are a favorite for work trucks in my area and they pull like a dream.


I agree with the GMC. My dad owns a sierra (it a 2 door extended cab with 4wd and a v8 engine) and that thing barely fits in the garage. He has owned his for about 6 years and the only time it has gone into the shop for trouble was when it was in an accident. 

He hauls with it. (although I've never seen it tow more than 3-4 thousand pounds) And he has driven it to Minnesota every year and it has done great. He goes up to parts with roads that basically are trail paths they are so remote.

He works in construction, so he is hard on his truck, and it has yet to fail him.


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## Rejoice (May 14, 2010)

On the warranty, you can always buy an after market warranty. I did that when I bought my '06 Dodge. I got a five year 100,000 mile from when I did it. So, just because you buy used, doesn't mean that you can't get a warranty.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Thanks for the info guys.

After much deliberation, I do believe I'm going to be looking into used. Your advice matches my dad's, so I'm going to listen to the people who know. As for a diesel, I'll likely be overlooking that for now. I'm getting to far ahead of myself - right now, I have nothing but a featherweight 2 horse trailer, and any truck I get will haul just fine for the distance and frequency I require over the next couple years. There's NO reason why I can't sell and look at a diesel or 3/4 ton later on if what I own isn't doing the job.

The fact of the matter is I DO live in the city, and while I don't do constant city driving, I'm obviously doing a LOT along with my highway miles. I think I would be much better suited to a diesel should the time come I'm living in the country and needing to commute everyday.


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## wyominggrandma (Nov 4, 2009)

We just got back from towing my daughters two horses and her HEAVY 4 horse bumper pull trailer to Nevada. I am talking a heavy trailer. We towed with my 3/4ton Chevy Crew cab. Averaged 12mpg with my hubby driving, which is faster than I tow. It has about 13000 miles on it and I love this truck, bought it used last year.
He has also towed this trailer and two horses with his 1/2 ton Chevy, we went slower, but got a bit better gas mileage.
Both trucks are used to tow our 3 horse Gooseneck. I get better mileage with my truck towing the gooseneck than with the bumper pull, but my trailer is lighter than my daughters.
Both trucks were bought used and we are happy with both of them. Easier to work on if needed and cheaper than a diesel to repair.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Thanks wyominggrandma! 

That's basically what my dad said - he's a pretty decent car expert, he's a motorcycle mechanic and can also do cars, so he knows his stuff. Obviously a diesel is what you want hauling heavy, but he doesn't see any reason why I need one NOW. I'm not hauling to the States, I'm not even hauling out of province! Most places I go, there will only be two horses for the trip. I need to focus on what's going to both do me decent for hauling and be able to handle medium city driving.

That was very helpful, thanks a ton! I think I've figured out that EVERY brand has it's issues, I've heard every person on here so far know 20 people who own a certain brand that always breaks down. You just can't win! I think I'll focus more on what is available used that has what I want and brand be damned! :lol:


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## Angel_Leaguer (Jun 13, 2008)

churumbeque said:


> Pickup Truck Load Capacity - Truck Load Capacity - Hauling Loads in Your Truck
> lots of info on choosing trucks. No way would I haul 8K-10K with a half ton. I really don't think you are going to get good enough fuel mileage to justify buying a truck. My last 2002 3/4 HD got 5-6 mpg running hard and heavy down the highway. My 04 diesel gets 10-11mpg but it is not broke in yet


I have an 09 F-150 super crew (5.4, V8) and I pully my featherlite 3 horse gn with it. This weekend I pulled my trailer with hay (about 8,500 lbs with hay and trailer) 120miles with some hills and got 12.3 mpg. I get about 18-20mpg highway miles to and from work. I typically just pull one horse and have gotten over 13 mpg. When I drove my 02 I was lucky to get over 9 mpg towing and was at about 15 just regular driving. I have a brake controller and everything is serviced on time. 

The new f-150s (09 and 10) are rated to pull more then the older models. I wouldn't ever buy brand new though. I got my 09 this spring and it had already been used and was well over $15,000 off from brand new value. 

http://www.fordvehicles.com/assets/pdf/towing/10FLMrvF150sep09.pdf page three has the rating for towing.


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## blink (Jul 14, 2010)

Here's a real quick way to know which truck to buy: Simply find out which brand I've most recently purchased and then stay as far away from that brand as possible.

I say this because I'm in the market for a truck again (my Toyota Tundra got destroyed by a careless, punk kid driver).

And honestly, I hate this process. I'd love to buy another Toyota, but they just don't make one powerful enough for the 3+ horse trailer that's also in my future. That leaves domestics.

Right now, I'm leaning toward a Chevy Silverado 2500 HD with the Duramx Diesel and Allison Transmission. I'm favoring this truck for the simple reason that it's what the woman who owns the stable I frequent owns and she swears by it. Her husband drives a 1/2-ton Chevy as his daily driver and they haul the horses with the 2500. They report no problems in the first 100K miles and rave about the "smart" transmission and quiet, powerful performance of the Duramax.

I guess that's good enough for me...

In the meantime, I'll make somebody a smokin' deal on my Tundra!


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## mliponoga (Jul 24, 2010)

+1 for the Chevy Silverado 2500 Duramax/Allison combo! They are amazing!


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Yikes blink! That's quite the shebang! Did the kid and the couch survive? :lol:

So far the general common consensus seems to tie Chevy and Ford, and Dodge seems to trail behind a bit with a lot more people disliking them I find. I think I'm keeping my sights set on either Chevy or Ford right now - my grandpa drove Silverado's for years and SWEARS by them, but that was also 30 years ago!


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## blink (Jul 14, 2010)

The couch was in rough shape to begin with. The kid survived, as did all in my car. The kid hit us from behind in his BMW - registered to dad. So dad and kid and their insurance company are going to take a beating compliments of our attorney.

Once that's settled, I'll be looking for the 2500 HD, Duramax/Allison beasty.

In the meantime, I'm thinking Nissan Frontier as my commuter.


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

The Nissan pickups make great lil commuter vehicles and last forever. My brother has a '91 with over 375K miles (odometer died at that point LOL) and it's still going strong despite multiple teenage drivers plowing into it over the years (while it was PARKED every time!!) took him 8 years to get his deductible back the last time as the teen was uninsured, Ins. lady called to see if he even still had the vehicle!

I learned to drive in an '87 Chevy, it's technically still running and gets from point A to point B *most* of the time, definitely wouldn't pull anything with it any more but it's a decent bum around town with my kids truck to use when we fly out to visit my parents. Considering how well it's done, DH and I are seriously considering a Chevy but around here everyone seems to love the Dodge and Fords. My brother-in-law just bought a used Ford F350, so we're seeing how his does.


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## wyominggrandma (Nov 4, 2009)

Oh yea, one thing I forgot. We also have a 91 Chevy 1/2 ton supercab that has over 350,000 miles on it and still starts up everyday, plows the snow in the winter and will tow whatever we have behind it.
It has had a tree fall on the cab, hit two deer and is used to haul wood also.
Might not look so good on the outside, but still goes where ever my hubby points it.


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## spence (Nov 8, 2009)

see, i worked for a guy last year who was driving an 07 chebby with the duramax/ 6spd allison and i did NOT like that allison tranny. seemed that it did more searching for gears than anything. and i'll tell you i *HATE* automatics, but they say the allisons are good trannys and the new torqshift autos in the fords are great autos. still leery of dodge autos...

but it gets to the point where there's just too many gears in an automatic... now make a 7 spd manual and i'll buy it!


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## shaker (May 22, 2010)

I own a towing company and use pickups to haul cars frequently. Currently I have a '02 F-250 gas powered Triton. It gets the job done but suspension is squishy and power is a little short. I also have a '99 3500 GMC with a big block 454 crew cab. The GMC has a better ride and tows twice as nice with power to spare, the best part is while towing the GM does better on fuel.

Prior to the Ford I had a '99 Dodge dually with a Cummins, but it caught on fire and burnt so the Ford replaced it. The Dodge outperformed the Ford in almost every way, especially ride. Ford rides rough.

Personally I think Diesels are over rated, they were nice when diesel fuel was cheaper, but now that diesel is more expensive and the scrubbers required by the government has killed diesel efficiency. I prefer gas for acceleration, quiet, and far more stations to buy fuel from when on the road.

I would go with gas powered GM myself, by far my favorite truck. 

BTW food for thought I have made some decent money towing trucks with the Duramax, it has a lot of bugs. The worst is fuel injectors that dump raw fuel, which seems to just make them puff black smoke and not hurt anything for a long time. But that raw fuel is contaminating the oil and washing rod&main bearings so major engine failure is becoming more and more common between 125,000 to 175,000 miles.(out of warranty so GM don't care about the issue they know exist) If you want diesel Cummins is the best choice.


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## kmacdougall (Feb 12, 2010)

I just want to add that I work at a tourism information center and today an older couple from New Hampshire (I am in NS) towed in with a 32 foot fifth wheel on a 3/4 ton diesel Dodge. They JUST bought the truck and camper new a few weeks ago and hit the open highway.


Well they aren't pounding any more asphalt because the transmission dropped out in the parking lot more or less and now they're looking at a ton of money in repairs on a three and a half week old truck that was driven by a 60+ year old man fairly easily..


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

kmacdougall said:


> I just want to add that I work at a tourism information center and today an older couple from New Hampshire (I am in NS) towed in with a 32 foot fifth wheel on a 3/4 ton diesel Dodge. They JUST bought the truck and camper new a few weeks ago and hit the open highway.
> 
> 
> Well they aren't pounding any more asphalt because the transmission dropped out in the parking lot more or less and now they're looking at a ton of money in repairs on a three and a half week old truck that was driven by a 60+ year old man fairly easily..


Yikes. My friend calls Dodge diesels, Cummins apart engines.


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## shaker (May 22, 2010)

My '99 Dodge with the Cummins had just over two hundred thousand miles mostly pulling something with nothing but general maintenance. Fluid changes, brakes, tires and drive her. It did have 4:10 gears though so she was built to work, not to try and get car fuel mileage.

It was an after market winch that caused the fire.


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## DSJ46 (Aug 11, 2010)

Have had my F150 for years of faithful service. Good truck.


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## mliponoga (Jul 24, 2010)

shaker said:


> My '99 Dodge with the Cummins had just over two hundred thousand miles mostly pulling something with nothing but general maintenance. Fluid changes, brakes, tires and drive her. It did have 4:10 gears though so she was built to work, not to try and get car fuel mileage.
> 
> It was an after market winch that caused the fire.


My 2003 had 190k miles and the only thing I had to replace was the rear gear box. ($800). everything else was just general maintenance. The tranny and motor were original and still doing great. And almost everyone that owned it were younger, and you can guess how we drive those 4x4's :lol: My next truck will either be a Dodge Cummins or Dodge SRT-10 Ram, which I've already owned a SRT. Here was a picture of that...


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## shmurmer4 (Dec 27, 2008)

SorrelHorse said:


> Again, that's anther good thing about the Fords up to 2002. A couple years older and cheaper. I cannot urge you enough to NOT buy anything newer from Ford than the 02. They will all die on you after the first couple years. I am a Chevy chick for sure, but even I have to admit the 02 Ford can take out anything I've ever owned.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


the new ones are better, again. that was just the 6.0


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## rum4 (Feb 28, 2010)

Ford!!!!!!!!!


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## WickedNag (Sep 7, 2010)

Always been a Dodge fan till I bought my 2000 Ford F250 but it was customized at the factory to pull and pull it does.


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## mliponoga (Jul 24, 2010)

Fords are absolutely setup in everyway for towing...I will admit that even though I hate them.


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## Trails (Jan 28, 2009)

I've been very pleased with my 2008 Ford F-350 Diesel. No issues or problems to speak of. You can find a good review HERE


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## countmystrides (Sep 9, 2010)

i know this doesn't really go with the convo.. but i absolutely love lifted trucks . And the newer f550 super duties look so nice.


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## ChevyPrincess (Aug 27, 2009)

Do I really need to say? LoL


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## trailqueen (Sep 14, 2010)

OK I bit the bullet just for you and asked my husband (ugh) who worked for Dodge for years and is a Master Tech mechanic. So here goes. He says Yeah a 1/2 ton truck (150 or 1500 series) will pull over 6000 lb. but it will shorten the life of you vehicle significantly. He advises to get at least a 3/4 ton (250/2500 series) preferably diesel, for anything over that. you will pay more for it but it will last and be dependable a lot longer. A used diesel with 30k mi. is just getting broke in and it should still have the remainder of the manufactures warranty available or you could buy a warranty and still save money. When you drive a NEW vehicle of the lot it depreciates the value of 1 yr. So check the blue book and see how much last years trucks (2009) comparably equiped, are worth this year. What ever you decide the Fords and Dodges get much better milage.


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## ChevyPrincess (Aug 27, 2009)

This is my overall motto: If you want good gas mileage, get a Chevy, if you want power, get a Dodge, if you want a gas hog, get a Ford. lol


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

Oh man oh man, I would have started crying. Poor people. I will admit tho, despite being warned, I have also been stupid enough to pull a half loaded straight haul horse trailer with a mid sized SUV. Tho I didn't really kill my SUV per say :wink: I did do some good damage to the transmission. Definitely learned from that experience.


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## seven7max (Oct 2, 2010)

Well I can tell you that I have a 2002 F-150 and I absolutely love it. I got it about a year ago. My boyfriend also drives a F-150 except his a 2004 Lightning and his truck pulls and drives awesome. He works for Ford in Havana, Fl. and he says to not really go over the year of a 2004. I know that there are good used trucks out there that have most of the bells and whistles you are looking for and for a good price on top of that. You really just have to look. If you can find a used truck then there are many things that you can do to change the inside or the outside. That is what I have been doing to my truck anyways. I have no clue if any of this helps at all. I hope you do decide to go with a Ford though.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Just an update to all, I caved and went with used and I am officially the owner of a 2008 GMC Sierra 1500 SLE Extended Cab w/ 4x4 and heavy duty tow package!

It's only a 4.8L, so I'll be sticking to the 2-horse trailer for now and I'll worry about more heavy duty hauling later. I'm not spending tons of money on the truck, gas and upkeep just to haul 4 times a year!

No idea why they have it listed as a Silverado, but whatever, I'm thrilled!

Used 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 For Sale | WINNIPEG MB


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## Normal Guy (Oct 3, 2010)

I can't speak to the Ford F150 or the Chev. Silverado, but I own a 2003 Dodge Ram Quad Cab 4 x 4 that I love. It tows my three horse trailer like a dream. I do have the big 5.7 L Hemi engine with the factory tow package. I am not saying anything bad about the Ford or the Chevy. With a large enough motor, either of those will probably do just fine. But my experience with the Dodge Ram has been outstanding. Good luck with your decision!


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## ChevyPrincess (Aug 27, 2009)

Awesome Macabre! I own a 2008 Silverado. 1500. Has no problem pulling my 14ft stock trailer with 4 horses. Its not 4x4 though =/ but also came with towing package =)

I am a little dissapointed in one thing, it seems to get hot way too easy. My 98 Chevy never once over heated with over 200k on it.


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## xilikeggs0 (Sep 14, 2008)

wyominggrandma said:


> If its a Ford diesel, the mechanics have to pull the cab to change the injectors. That is one issue with Ford diesels that the dealers will not tell a person, the whole cab has to be pulled off to work on the injectors.
> I love my Chevy. Its a 4 x 4 3/4 ton crew cab and pulls great.


Correction: The mechanics will tell you they have to pull the cab to change the injectors so they can charge you for another 7 hours worth of labor.


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## hccumminssmoke (Oct 19, 2009)

xilikeggs0 said:


> Correction: The mechanics will tell you they have to pull the cab to change the injectors so they can charge you for another 7 hours worth of labor.


if its a 6L PSD, the cab has to be removed for most all their common problems, injectors and head gaskets...

Nate


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## KANSAS_TWISTER (Feb 23, 2007)

I bought a brand new nissan titan crew cab 2 years ago and love it!!, i've owned a silverado, a dodge, and a f150 none of which lasted long with me. we got such a good deal on it, first off i walked in and bought it with cash, i do not like to lease at all, and second it had minor hail damage...i have no problems hauling my 16 ft horse trailer.


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