Is truck inventory going to get any better?

Toyota sells some TRD badged Tacomas with a stick, and there's still manual Jeep Gladiators to be had. Neither would be my choice for towing.

You could still get a stick shift Nissan Frontier (I have one), but that must have gone away with one of the recent model years and of course, the new 2022 model doesn't have it.
 
Well. . .

HOLY ESS! A Jesse sighting!

Back on topic, I am really glad to be in a good position vehicle-wise right now. We have everything we need vehicularly. I keep telling my adult children don't, when they ask about cars. Just wait.

We are waiting, in the Bronco reservation queue. That is just a want, when our reservation comes up (2024?) and pricing gets established for the order, we shall see. Walking away is an option.
 
I have a cast of older vehicles for various jobs. We don't get mush snow around here but if we do I drive the bug: :biggrin:

 
Toyota sells some TRD badged Tacomas with a stick, and there's still manual Jeep Gladiators to be had. Neither would be my choice for towing.

Yeah, I was talking 1/2-ton and larger.
 
I meant the 3500 SRW having a higher GVWR than the 2500 SRW. They are essentially the same truck from an equipment/suspension standpoint, just that the 3500 gets a sticker with a higher rating. Sorry, wasn't implying that the 3500 SRW was rated higher than the DRW, lol.
The 3500 will have a different rear leaf pack but that's about the only difference. It doesn't take much of a change to raise the capacity of a truck as they are usually very conservative. Even something as minor as an extra cooler can raise it.
 
As mentioned, it’s not just DPF, it’s everything associated due to the associated emissions requirements. Each component is it’s own added level of complexity.

There’s a reason the simple diesels are desired and it’s because they’re simple to work on and can (not always) be more reliable and easier to repair.

For the 06-07 Duramax, the most common problems are the water pump, glow plugs, EGR (delete-able) and a trans line leak all of which are easily repairable. For the 08-10 Duramax, that list becomes DPF & regen system and low fuel rail pressure, which are entirely different levels of problem solving.
Tell me more about this EGR thing. I have the late year 2007. I think it shares a lot more things with the 2008's than early year 2007's and previous. I know it does not have DEF, so I'm assuming DPF also. Haven't had a water pump problem. After the second glow plug went I just had the rest done rather than waiting for them to fail.
 
The 3500 will have a different rear leaf pack but that's about the only difference. It doesn't take much of a change to raise the capacity of a truck as they are usually very conservative. Even something as minor as an extra cooler can raise it.

Right, and usually it's just the addition of an overload spring in the spring pack, the actual ride stiffness is the same as the 2500, so there's not really a downside to having the SRW 3500 vs 2500. I know on the Fords it was less than a $500 upcharge to go from F-250 to F-350 with SRW, which just covered the cost of the spring pack.
 
I have some hysterical supply chain jokes. Just waiting for them to be unloaded from a container ship off of Long Beach.

I received most of my supply chain jokes but the punch lines are still on back order ... :dunno:

It may be that punch line line workers are in short supply right now.;)
 
Tell me more about this EGR thing. I have the late year 2007. I think it shares a lot more things with the 2008's than early year 2007's and previous. I know it does not have DEF, so I'm assuming DPF also. Haven't had a water pump problem. After the second glow plug went I just had the rest done rather than waiting for them to fail.

Google LBZ EGR problems.
 
Google LBZ EGR problems.

On the Ford 6.0L Powerstroke, the engine coolant runs through the EGR and then through the oil cooler. The oil cooler would get plugged up with sediment and such (partly because of the highly heated EGR, and which would starve the EGR of coolant causing high engine oil temps as well as really high EGR temps. This eventually causes the EGR itself to crack internally and dump coolant into the exhaust which results in lots of white smoke out the tailpipe (as well as the obvious loss of coolant). Hence, removing the EGR altogether, or now that EGR-delete kits are becoming more scarce, simply welding freeze plugs into the ends of the EGR to block exhaust gas from ever entering the exhaust. If the EGR did rupture, nothing would happen. It also "appears" to be fully-functional to those states (Cali, cough cough) that actually inspect for such devices.
 
The 3500 will have a different rear leaf pack but that's about the only difference. It doesn't take much of a change to raise the capacity of a truck as they are usually very conservative. Even something as minor as an extra cooler can raise it.

It all depends on the limiting factor in the tests. Much like aircraft certification, vehicles have to be able to demonstrate certain performance. So it could be a cooler (like you said, if that's the limiting factor), leaf springs, cooler, etc.

Springs are a common one as the ride quality goes down with harsher springs, so many hwo opt for the 3/4-ton trucks do so in part because they ride better than the 1-tons. The cost delta is very little between the two. I've definitely noticed my 1-tons ride worse than my 3/4-tons did, but not enough for me to really care.
 
It all depends on the limiting factor in the tests. Much like aircraft certification, vehicles have to be able to demonstrate certain performance. So it could be a cooler (like you said, if that's the limiting factor), leaf springs, cooler, etc.

Springs are a common one as the ride quality goes down with harsher springs, so many hwo opt for the 3/4-ton trucks do so in part because they ride better than the 1-tons. The cost delta is very little between the two. I've definitely noticed my 1-tons ride worse than my 3/4-tons did, but not enough for me to really care.

Were your 1-tons SRW? The overload spring added to many of the 3500s doesn't even come into play until you've tossed 1K+ into the bed (or significant tongue weight on the hitch).
 
Were your 1-tons SRW? The overload spring added to many of the 3500s doesn't even come into play until you've tossed 1K+ into the bed (or significant tongue weight on the hitch).

I also don't have a great comparison basis given that I haven't driven same year, make model trucks back to back. But, my 3/4-ton trucks have been a '97 C2500 and an '04.5 Ram 2500. I then had the '03 F-350 (first year of the PSD 6.0 - that was a bad idea) and my current '17 Ram.

And I've owned Excursions and a '95 K2500 Suburban, both of which rode well but those are SUVs and, at least on the Excursion, had a lighter spring pack than the equivlanet pick-up.
 
I also don't have a great comparison basis given that I haven't driven same year, make model trucks back to back. But, my 3/4-ton trucks have been a '97 C2500 and an '04.5 Ram 2500. I then had the '03 F-350 (first year of the PSD 6.0 - that was a bad idea) and my current '17 Ram.

And I've owned Excursions and a '95 K2500 Suburban, both of which rode well but those are SUVs and, at least on the Excursion, had a lighter spring pack than the equivlanet pick-up.

I've ridden in the 05-07 F-250/F-350 SRWs and 2016 models with the 6.7L, the '09 GM 2500 and 3500 SRW as well. I couldn't tell the difference in them riding around unloaded, although riding around in a '97 Chevy 3500 dually unloaded will jar your fillings loose, lol. Ford F-550/F-650 trucks ride rough no matter what you have on the flatbed, lol. I have only ridden in one Ram 3/4 ton (2017 model I believe), but that one had leveling kit and bigger wheels/tires on it so I can't comment on the factory ride stiffness versus a Ram 1-ton SRW.

My '03 Excursion has the 6.0L as well, but it's been bulletproofed/studded/deleted and has Kill Devil Diesel o-ringed heads on it all done by previous owner. Only running a 40HP FICM tune (no boost/cylinder pressure increase, just adjusts injector pulse timing/etc) and it drives 90% like a gasser-engine. Good throttle response and smooth power, I'm very happy with it.
 
My '03 Excursion has the 6.0L as well, but it's been bulletproofed/studded/deleted and has Kill Devil Diesel o-ringed heads on it all done by previous owner. Only running a 40HP FICM tune (no boost/cylinder pressure increase, just adjusts injector pulse timing/etc) and it drives 90% like a gasser-engine. Good throttle response and smooth power, I'm very happy with it.

Mine had been deleted by a previous owner. The thing that wasn't mentioned was that it had a tune in it. It had no tuner in it so it was "stealth", but in retrospect, my guess is it was at least a +100 HP tune, probably 150. Thing was quick. And that's why it ended up a 7-cylinder. Really more of a 7.5 cylinder, it worked fine under power but the rings on the one cylinder were shot enough that at idle you'd notice.

I suspect that if it had been left stock other than the deletes, it probably would've been fine.

The EGR cooler that I think was novel on the 6.0 became common, my Ram has one as well. But EGR on diesels hasn't been a good thing, and if I recall correctly Cummins figured out how to pass emissions with elimination of EGR and essentially more DEF on the next generation engines, which is a major win for diesel reliability if they did.
 
Mine had been deleted by a previous owner. The thing that wasn't mentioned was that it had a tune in it. It had no tuner in it so it was "stealth", but in retrospect, my guess is it was at least a +100 HP tune, probably 150. Thing was quick. And that's why it ended up a 7-cylinder. Really more of a 7.5 cylinder, it worked fine under power but the rings on the one cylinder were shot enough that at idle you'd notice.

I suspect that if it had been left stock other than the deletes, it probably would've been fine.

The EGR cooler that I think was novel on the 6.0 became common, my Ram has one as well. But EGR on diesels hasn't been a good thing, and if I recall correctly Cummins figured out how to pass emissions with elimination of EGR and essentially more DEF on the next generation engines, which is a major win for diesel reliability if they did.

I love the newer diesels for the power they make, and how quiet they are once they went common-rail. However, they have some ridiculous costs when one of the major components fails (CP3/CP4 failure in the 6.7L Powerstroke is an $8K repair bill if done by shop). DPF/DEF system failures will run several thousand as well. At least if my 6.0L were to blow head gaskets, it's a marginally cheaper repair, lol.
 
I love the newer diesels for the power they make, and how quiet they are once they went common-rail. However, they have some ridiculous costs when one of the major components fails (CP3/CP4 failure in the 6.7L Powerstroke is an $8K repair bill if done by shop). DPF/DEF system failures will run several thousand as well. At least if my 6.0L were to blow head gaskets, it's a marginally cheaper repair, lol.

Engine wise, I think the engine in my '04.5 5.9 Cummins Ram was probably one of the best engines out there. The only emissions equipment on it (as I recall) was a catalytic converter. It made about the same power as my '17 6.7 Cummins does without all that extra junk prone to failure. Once they went to the 6.7 with EGR, DPF, and later SCR, reliability went way down. Still had the quietness and power of common rail, without all those extra failures. My '17 is a better truck, but I think my '04.5 was a better drivetrain. Plus when they went to the G56 transmission they added the dual-mass flywheel, which is another point of failure.
 
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