Bought a New Ram - No Thinking Required

[Zeldman]

Well, I have followed all of these thinking about threads, especially the truck threads. My truck is now 18 years old and I pull a fifth wheel with it. All this talk about trucks had me looking at new ones. No way could I justify spending that amount of cash for one. I love my truck but it was starting to show its age. Looking at the options, not knowing what I would end up with a used one, that still commands a high price, I elected to keep the one I have. I took it to my mechanic in the spring, who I have used for 40+ years and told him to go thrpugh it with a fine tooth comb. After a couple of minor repairs he pronounced it in excellent condition. Everything on it works great, and the transmission and other big ticket items (only two others) had been addressed in previous years. The bottom door panels had rusted out, and the bed had a couple of dings that I had inflicted, mainly on the rails. So...good idea or not I decided to take it to a body man, have all the rust and body work done and the entire truck repainted. I think he did an excellent job, repairing the rust and dings with new metal by disassembling the body panels, painting and putting it all back together. At 132,000 miles, I am hoping this should last for the next 10 years. I love this truck! Cummings diesel just keeps ramping up no mater what is being pulled. View attachment 57529 View attachment 57530

Just changed a daytime running light on my 2005 Duramax for the second time in 11 years. I'm gonna get rid of this POS.

And yes, new truck prices are out of sight. I plan on keeping my truck for at least another 9 or 10 years, and I have saved money for planned maintenance, which will be much cheaper than a new truck. I hoping spending some $$$ on my paid for truck will be better in the long run for me.

Old truck story: In 1996 I bought a brand new 5th wheel Rv. I was using my '72 Chevy pickup to pull it. One time in Missouri I got pulled over by a part time deputy sheriff that was convinced I had just stolen the trailer. Everything came back in my name every time he checked, but he was absolutely sure the trailer was stolen. I finally became convinced this guy was not a cop but wanted to steal my truck and trailer. I told him this in very certain language. It was just about to become a very bad scene when a state trooper finally arrived. He checked me over and said this guy is wrong. Have a nice day and drive safe. Nice truck, by the way.

I really had to fight myself not to back up and hit the fake deputy sheriffs car. If I had just a little better rear bumper on the trailer....

 

[jesse]

Just changed a daytime running light on my 2005 Duramax for the second time in 11 years. I'm gonna get rid of this POS.

And yes, new truck prices are out of sight. I plan on keeping my truck for at least another 9 or 10 years, and I have saved money for planned maintenance, which will be much cheaper than a new truck. I hoping spending some $$$ on my paid for truck will be better in the long run for me.

Old truck story: In 1996 I bought a brand new 5th wheel Rv. I was using my '72 Chevy pickup to pull it. One time in Missouri I got pulled over by a part time deputy sheriff that was convinced I had just stolen the trailer. Everything came back in my name every time he checked, but he was absolutely sure the trailer was stolen. I finally became convinced this guy was not a cop but wanted to steal my truck and trailer. I told him this in very certain language. It was just about to become a very bad scene when a state trooper finally arrived. He checked me over and said this guy is wrong. Have a nice day and drive safe. Nice truck, by the way.

I really had to fight myself not to back up and hit the fake deputy sheriffs car. If I had just a little better rear bumper on the trailer....

Back when I was 18, some small town kansas municipal cop pulled me over when I was enroute from Minnesota to Oklahoma in my ‘98 Sunfire.

The reason the officer gave me for pulling me over was “a lot of people run drugs on this highway.”

Was told to exit the car. Was never asked to search. And search he did...

While he was busy tearing apart my Sunfire - a state patrol officer rolled up. He was a pretty nice guy and asked me about my aviation gear that was now spread out on the side of the road. We briefly BS’d about aviation. Then he asked me why I was pulled over. Followed by asking me if I consented to a search.

He then told me he’d have me on my way in a moment, he walked up and said something to the city cop crawling around in the car. City cop left and state patrol helped me load my stuff back up. I was very happy State Patrol arrived.

I’ve never had a state patrol interaction in my life that wasn’t respectful and professional in any state. Seems like there’s just less bad apples.

Of course 30 year old Jesse would be significantly more resistive if the same scenario replayed today.

 

[MIFlyer]

It's pretty amazing to me how people will get over their trucks. It's worse than any high wing vs. low wing debate, or really any debate in aviation.

Back when I had my first truck (6.5 turbo diesel) there was a GM diesel truck forum forum I participated in that I liked. One guy defected and bought a Ram (they had an "other trucks" forum), but stuck around. Oh man was he ever given hell about it. And I got it just as bad when I got mine. Come to think of it, though, I don't think I ever found a Cummins forum - the truck just worked so I didn't need any help or support... unlike my GMs or my Fords.

Oh right, I'm not supposed to start a truck battle.

Turbo Diesel Register
cumminsforum.com

more upgrades than fixes, but just like our "never again" columns, it's good to scan to see if there is a common failure mode waiting for you

 

[MtnMarcus]

[/QUOTE]Yeah, the DEF is interesting. The general consensus I've seen on the forums is that it had some issues early on, but they seem to have worked the bugs out by now. They told me that the truck came with a full tank of fuel but not a full tank of DEF, so I'll have to buy that.[/QUOTE]

The DEF is pretty toxic too. Wear gloves when putting it in your truck and don't spill any on the paint. I just bypassed my DEF system on my truck but thats a whole other story. Good looking truck!

 

[Z06_Mir]

Awesome truck! Love that it's a 6 speed. Good choice.

 

[Ted]

Awesome truck! Love that it's a 6 speed. Good choice.

Thanks! I'm enjoying it. 8600 miles in, no regrets.

The DEF has proven to be a non-issue. It doesn't go through much and if you stop at a truck stop now and then, many of them now have DEF pumps at the diesel pumps. Much cheaper and easier to buy it that way vs. the boxes. Zero problems at this point, as you'd expect. The truck started in -10F weather without preheat. No issues, no odd behaviors or anything with it. They really have improved a lot of little items on this truck vs. my 2004 in that regard. That said, I went out and bought the cord for the heater so I'll plug it in if it's that cold again.

My only complaints with the truck at this point I think are about the same as when I got it. The throttle response seems slower than what it should be. I think this mostly has to do with all the emissions equipment which really restricts things. Also, I wish I could program the default status for the exhaust brake, which I can't. Otherwise, very happy and glad I bought it.

 

[FormerHangie]

Yeah, the DEF is interesting. The general consensus I've seen on the forums is that it had some issues early on, but they seem to have worked the bugs out by now. They told me that the truck came with a full tank of fuel but not a full tank of DEF, so I'll have to buy that.

The DEF is pretty toxic too. Wear gloves when putting it in your truck and don't spill any on the paint. I just bypassed my DEF system on my truck but thats a whole other story. Good looking truck!

DEF is urea and water, it's not really that toxic. Given the choice of having to drink either DEF or diesel fuel, I'd take the DEF. Take a look at the materials sheet.

 

[weilke]

The DEF has proven to be a non-issue. It doesn't go through much and if you stop at a truck stop now and then, many of them now have DEF pumps at the diesel pumps. Much cheaper and easier to buy it that way vs. the boxes.

The other day I saw the tractor trailer that re-fills the DEF pumps at the truck stops. He had a day-cab, so it looks like he can empty the thing in a few stops. Just made me realize how big of a commodity DEF has become. The days when you had to order it by the quart are behind us.

 

[James331]

We have a new ram more or less baseline model at work, kinda a POS, between the shifter knob thing for the automatic transmission, to the overall build quality (just push the headliner, almost feels like it would fall down with a good bump), especially compared to my Tacoma, the dodge just is not what you'd expect for the money, maybe if it was one of those "any man can afford" $5,000 new type rigs they sell in places like India, its just not something I'd expect to see a good company releasing to the public with their name plastered on it.

 

[gkainz]

Thanks! I'm enjoying it. 8600 miles in, no regrets.
...
The truck started in -10F weather without preheat. ... That said, I went out and bought the cord for the heater so I'll plug it in if it's that cold again.

even tho my truck will start when it's that cold out, it sure is nice to have warm air from the cab heater immediately! And it does start SO much quicker when plugged in.

 

[Ted]

The other day I saw the tractor trailer that re-fills the DEF pumps at the truck stops. He had a day-cab, so it looks like he can empty the thing in a few stops. Just made me realize how big of a commodity DEF has become. The days when you had to order it by the quart are behind us.

Agreed. When DEF first came out it was a real turn-off to me and made me not want to own a new diesel truck. Of course people bought them anyway and I figured they'd get the kinks worked out. Once the semis got to the point where they were required to have it, that's when you knew it would become mainstream and readily accessible. Pickups are a big market, but not enough of a market for truck stops and gas stations to change their pumps. Semis? Yeah, that'll do it.

I bought my first DEF in boxes to refill. It was a real pain and I won't be doing that again unless I plan poorly and become desperate.

even tho my truck will start when it's that cold out, it sure is nice to have warm air from the cab heater immediately! And it does start SO much quicker when plugged in.

I noticed no discernable difference in starting time or effort. They really have the thing figured out nicely.

 

[gkainz]

Agreed. When DEF first came out it was a real turn-off to me and made me not want to own a new diesel truck. Of course people bought them anyway and I figured they'd get the kinks worked out. Once the semis got to the point where they were required to have it, that's when you knew it would become mainstream and readily accessible. Pickups are a big market, but not enough of a market for truck stops and gas stations to change their pumps. Semis? Yeah, that'll do it.

I bought my first DEF in boxes to refill. It was a real pain and I won't be doing that again unless I plan poorly and become desperate.



I noticed no discernable difference in starting time or effort. They really have the thing figured out nicely.

You would have to go and say that! I'm really starting to get my '07 2500 the way I want it, but in the back of my mind, thinking about a bigger, heavier 5th wheel (toy hauler) and I would want a 3500 (maybe dually) to do that comfortably. But I LOVE my old truck! Of course, that's exactly what I told my wife when she got tired of the ugly '97 ...

 

[SoonerAviator]

I'm still torn on what my next truck will be. I don't frequently tow more than about 7Klbs, but it seems that once or twice a year, I need to tow closer to 10Klbs, where the 3/4 or 1 ton would help out a good bit. I also seem to need to pick up a pallet of this or that which can frequently weigh 1,500lbs which means I can't use the bed of the F-150 (and remain within specs). I just don't know that I want to make the jump to the diesel or not, with all of the EPA-crap on there. I'd be buying something a few years used, and I'd be inclined to delete the EGR/DEF stuff if the truck were out of the warranty period. I've heard many good things about reliability from the big 3 after the EPA-gizmos were removed. I'm not sure what I'd do on the DPF, but those are costly repairs, too. The fuel mileage isn't that much different than my F-150, so that's moot. However, the maintenance cost and daily driving of a diesel that isn't really being put to "work" gives me pause.

Sure, it's more economical to rent a bigger truck when I need it, but I normally don't like to rely on a 3rd party when I decide I need something done.

 

[Ted]

You would have to go and say that! I'm really starting to get my '07 2500 the way I want it, but in the back of my mind, thinking about a bigger, heavier 5th wheel (toy hauler) and I would want a 3500 (maybe dually) to do that comfortably. But I LOVE my old truck! Of course, that's exactly what I told my wife when she got tired of the ugly '97 ...

Your '07 is going to be similar to what my '04.5 was, and I can tell you there are a huge number of creature comfort improvements on my new '17. The 3500 is a firm ride when unloaded and if you have bad roads you will need to consider that. I wouldn't want the 3500 if I mostly drove in places with bad roads. Here in Kansas, though, it works well.

Dually vs. non... I would look closely at it. The dually doesn't offer you much more tow capacity. They've really gotten the SRW trucks up higher. Plus think about which package(s) you want. The sport package isn't available with the dually from what I can tell. The megacab significantly reduces your towing capacity, so you likely want to do a normal crew cab.

Getting the truck the way you want it is a consideration, too. Really, they're all great trucks and I think starting with the 3rd gens they got the fit and finish figured out quite well. With that said, I like my '17 a lot more than my '04.5. I had considered buying back my '04.5 from the friend I sold it to (ironically in the 12 years since I sold it to him, he's put fewer miles on it than I did in the first 2 years I owned it), but he wasn't interested and it was a 4x2. I'm glad I went this route.

 

[SoonerAviator]

Your '07 is going to be similar to what my '04.5 was, and I can tell you there are a huge number of creature comfort improvements on my new '17. The 3500 is a firm ride when unloaded and if you have bad roads you will need to consider that. I wouldn't want the 3500 if I mostly drove in places with bad roads. Here in Kansas, though, it works well.

Dually vs. non... I would look closely at it. The dually doesn't offer you much more tow capacity. They've really gotten the SRW trucks up higher. Plus think about which package(s) you want. The sport package isn't available with the dually from what I can tell. The megacab significantly reduces your towing capacity, so you likely want to do a normal crew cab.

Getting the truck the way you want it is a consideration, too. Really, they're all great trucks and I think starting with the 3rd gens they got the fit and finish figured out quite well. With that said, I like my '17 a lot more than my '04.5. I had considered buying back my '04.5 from the friend I sold it to (ironically in the 12 years since I sold it to him, he's put fewer miles on it than I did in the first 2 years I owned it), but he wasn't interested and it was a 4x2. I'm glad I went this route.

I haven't driven the Rams in a long while, but the F-250/F-350 are basically identical on the SRW models, except the leaf pack in the rear including an overload spring on the F-350 to handle the increased payload. When driving around unloaded, I couldn't tell the difference between the two since the overload spring doesn't come into play when there's nothing substantial in the bed. DRW models are completely different and will ride rougher unloaded for sure. Unless I was towing serious weights, I don't think I'd go DRW. They are great when you need that extra stability though.

 

[Ted]

I haven't driven the Rams in a long while, but the F-250/F-350 are basically identical on the SRW models, except the leaf pack in the rear including an overload spring on the F-350 to handle the increased payload. When driving around unloaded, I couldn't tell the difference between the two since the overload spring doesn't come into play when there's nothing substantial in the bed. DRW models are completely different and will ride rougher unloaded for sure. Unless I was towing serious weights, I don't think I'd go DRW. They are great when you need that extra stability though.

My F-350 and Ram 3500 are significantly firmer rides than my previous 2500 trucks.

 

[SoonerAviator]

My F-350 and Ram 3500 are significantly firmer rides than my previous 2500 trucks.

I'm not discounting that point. I just mean that if you go out and drive a 2017 F-250 SRW and a 2017 F-350 SRW with the same trim level and same air pressure in the tires, you won't likely be able to tell a difference in the ride. The "upgrade" to the F-350 SRW from the F-250 is something like $300 and is essentially just the different spring pack and GVWR on the door. I'm sure there are numerous differences in curb weights, suspensions, etc. between a 2017 F-250 and your 2003 F-350 or Ram 3500 that would make a comparison difficult. The two 2017's (one F-250, one F-350) I drove were both Lariat trimmed, but I certainly felt they rode better than the 1998 C/K 3500 dually I usually drive when I need to do some heavy lifting, lol. That C/K will jar your fillings loose unloaded!

 

[gkainz]

re: SRW vs DRW ... it's not the towing, it's the axle/tire payload and especially the stability with a heavy 5th wheel trailer... especially in Wyoming where it gets a little windy at times, and I venture up that way often.

 

[Ted]

So, now I'm thinking about my first upgrade - Ranch Hand front bumper.

I need something to move the MU-2 in and out of the hangar. My current tractor was able to move the 414, but not particularly well. Adding 2,000 lbs isn't going to help matters any.

I asked the MU-2 people what they use to move their planes, and got a very mixed response. But the two options that stood out were some various purpose-built tugs (in the $5-10k range) or people using a car with a front-mount hitch to move it.

I liked the idea of buying an old Wrangler to keep in the hangar (which would fit under the wing with the soft top removed and the windshield folded down). Tight turning radius, 4x4, easy. But there are a lot of negatives with that. The other idea, which is actually cheaper, would be to put a front hitch on the Ram and use that. Well, a front hitch is around $250, or I could buy a Ranch Hand front bumper for about $1k, which is something I don't need but have always liked and wanted.

I need to call them to find out about whether they'll work with my front parking sensors. If they won't, then that'll make the decision for me as I don't want to give that feature up. But assuming they do, I think I might buy one.

The Legend Bullnose has always been my favorite, although the plain Legend (with the brush guard) or the Sport also are appealing. In reality the only feature of them I need is the front hitch. The Sport has the benefit of a winch mount as well, which is appealing in some ways, but completely unnecessary for how I use the truck. Really I have none of the needs for any of these, it's just about something that I'd like to add and that serves one single function that is useful to me.

https://www.ranchhand.com/ram.html

Any thoughts? If it doesn't load properly, it's a 2017 Ram 3500 for reference.

 

[denverpilot]

Tank. You need a tank.

You’ll thank me later for this brilliant idea...

 

[Brad Smith]

Got to be careful when towing your MU-2 with a vehicle as big as your RAM. Seems like it would be difficult to gauge the swing from inside the cab. It's a cheaper way to tow for sure, just have to be more careful.

 

[Ted]

Got to be careful when towing your MU-2 with a vehicle as big as your RAM. Seems like it would be difficult to gauge the swing from inside the cab. It's a cheaper way to tow for sure, just have to be more careful.

There are a lot of folks who are using full sized cars/SUVs for towing, so it's manageable. You're correct that you have to look at the angle. That said, you also have to disconnect the nose wheel prior to towing so that shouldn't be much of an issue. Ultimately given the long wheelbase of the Ram, I'm not going to be making super tight turns with it anyway. To me that's the primary disadvantage of going that route.

 

[Zeldman]

If you get the Legend Bullnose and install it, for goodness sake replace the stock rear bumper with something appropriate that matches the front.

I see a lot of that around here, brand new huge 4 door, dual wheel, 4WD pickup with over size mud tires front and back, super large fancy front bumper/grill combination, and the wimpy stock rear bumper and the cheap class III receiver hitch from the factory....

 

[Ted]

That is a reasonable point. I've seen a lot of trucks that have only one or the other, not both. No doubt it doesn't look right unless you do both.

 

[denverpilot]

If you get the Legend Bullnose and install it, for goodness sake replace the stock rear bumper with something appropriate that matches the front.

I see a lot of that around here, brand new huge 4 door, dual wheel, 4WD pickup with over size mud tires front and back, super large fancy front bumper/grill combination, and the wimpy stock rear bumper and the cheap class III receiver hitch from the factory....

The deer usually don’t hit from behind. The bumpers aren’t really for cars.

 

[Craig]

Make sure when you build the towbar, you go with enough length. Low nose bird and somewhat high hitch means a looonnnggg bar...

 

[Ted]

Make sure when you build the towbar, you go with enough length. Low nose bird and somewhat high hitch means a looonnnggg bar...

I haven't checked to see if it'll fit, but I have a tow bar that's about 6' long right now. I also would be doing a drop pintle/ball/whatever so that it's closer to the appropriate height.

 

[gkainz]

I have yet to see an aftermarket bumper that I think blends in nicely on the front of the Rams. To me, they all look "stuck on" and don't blend well with the body lines.
Oh, and you want to hear some choice words, roll into my mechanic's shop with a big old cow catcher bumper/grill on the front. Makes it REALLY hard to work on them.

 

[denverpilot]

I have yet to see an aftermarket bumper that I think blends in nicely on the front of the Rams. To me, they all look "stuck on" and don't blend well with the body lines.
Oh, and you want to hear some choice words, roll into my mechanic's shop with a big old cow catcher bumper/grill on the front. Makes it REALLY hard to work on them.

I didn’t know he had that pet peeve! Ha. Good to know!

I think I’m selling the truck anyway... I don’t really want to, but with no huge trailer anymore...

 

[weilke]

What speed does it run at idle in first and reverse ? Does it kick into high-idle while cold ?

I would add a Wrangler to the fleet. You can never have too many cars, right ?

 

[SoonerAviator]

The only think you sometimes have to look out for on those plate steel bumpers is the weight. Many of them are heavy enough to sag the front end down, even on 3/4 tons. I’m sure the Dodge diesel forums would have plenty of info on whether that’s a factor on your truck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jesse]

I think I’d just put a much cheaper front receiver on. It’ll be nearly invisible when you’re not using it.

Our FBO uses a dodge dakota for most tug operations. The line guys are of questionable skill but overall seem to have no issues.

I suspect the truck will work very nicely once you get the hang of it.

 

[CJones]

Wife surprised the heck out of me the other day and said "I think it would be fun to have a camper." I said "Uhhhh... OK...." which was quickly followed up by "You know, I can't pull a camper with the Jeep, so I'm going to have to get my truck sooner than we had planned." You know how I roll. I'll take one for the team so she can get her camper. And if I'm going to get a truck, I might as well get a diesel, right!?

 

[gkainz]

Wife surprised the heck out of me the other day and said "I think it would be fun to have a camper." I said "Uhhhh... OK...." which was quickly followed up by "You know, I can't pull a camper with the Jeep, so I'm going to have to get my truck sooner than we had planned." You know how I roll. I'll take one for the team so she can get her camper. And if I'm going to get a truck, I might as well get a diesel, right!?

depending on what she means by "camper" there are considerations both pro and con for the diesel. (crap! Did the cummins cool-aide guy just say that?) ... if by "camper" she is thinking slide in truck camper (Arctic Fox, Bigfoot, Northern Light to name a few of the "best" or Lance, to name the most prolific), you have to really watch Cargo Carrying Capacity (CCC), as the Cummins adds a bunch more to the Unladen Vehicle Weight (UVW) of the truck.
Have fun! My recommendation is to research the "camper" first, then find a truck adequately equipped to haul/pull/tow that camper.

 

[jesse]

I'm still a happy camper with my '17 F150 3.5 Ecoboost w/ Max Tow pulling my 32 ft travel trailer.

I wouldn't want a larger truck with a diesel at this point. The Ecoboost has way more power than I need and will accelerate with a 32 ft camper behind it like you wouldn't believe. I can easily out accelerate traffic off a red light. A larger truck would be nearly impossible for me to use for commuting to work...would never be able to park it...F150 does both tasks nicely.

 

[Ted]

Wife surprised the heck out of me the other day and said "I think it would be fun to have a camper." I said "Uhhhh... OK...." which was quickly followed up by "You know, I can't pull a camper with the Jeep, so I'm going to have to get my truck sooner than we had planned." You know how I roll. I'll take one for the team so she can get her camper. And if I'm going to get a truck, I might as well get a diesel, right!?

That was more or less the thought process I had. A crew cab long bed truck was a requirement as we do have times when we get large enough (or enough quantity of) stuff that necessitates a long bed. Plus out here, commuting considerations really are minimal. We got lots of space. The manual transmission was also a requirement for me, and the only way to get that was the Ram with a Cummins.

The 8 ft bed ruled out any 1/2-ton truck anyway. From a practical perspective, I could've bought a Ram, Chevy, or Ford truck with a gas engine and saved a bunch of money if I didn't care about the manual transmission. But frankly I just don't much care for the way the gas engines run and drive. Mileage wise, I'm not really saving anything.

Do I need a truck with the capabilities of this one? Not really. But I wanted it and I'm happy with the choice I made. I may need the capabilities again one day, and I really enjoy driving it.

Jesse's truck works well for his mission, given that his normal commute is much shorter (it takes 20 miles just to warm up the Cummins) and it fits in his garage. I don't like having my truck outside, but I've gotten used to it.

Just comes down to priorities.

 

[CJones]

depending on what she means by "camper" there are considerations both pro and con for the diesel. (crap! Did the cummins cool-aide guy just say that?) ... if by "camper" she is thinking slide in truck camper (Arctic Fox, Bigfoot, Northern Light to name a few of the "best" or Lance, to name the most prolific), you have to really watch Cargo Carrying Capacity (CCC), as the Cummins adds a bunch more to the Unladen Vehicle Weight (UVW) of the truck.
Have fun! My recommendation is to research the "camper" first, then find a truck adequately equipped to haul/pull/tow that camper.

IF we actually go with a camper (I'm still a little apprehensive), we would go with a pull behind non-popup. Her comment completely caught me off guard, so we'll see...

I'm still a happy camper with my '17 F150 3.5 Ecoboost w/ Max Tow pulling my 32 ft travel trailer.

I wouldn't want a larger truck with a diesel at this point. The Ecoboost has way more power than I need and will accelerate with a 32 ft camper behind it like you wouldn't believe. I can easily out accelerate traffic off a red light. A larger truck would be nearly impossible for me to use for commuting to work...would never be able to park it...F150 does both tasks nicely.

That was more or less the thought process I had. A crew cab long bed truck was a requirement as we do have times when we get large enough (or enough quantity of) stuff that necessitates a long bed. Plus out here, commuting considerations really are minimal. We got lots of space. The manual transmission was also a requirement for me, and the only way to get that was the Ram with a Cummins.

The 8 ft bed ruled out any 1/2-ton truck anyway. From a practical perspective, I could've bought a Ram, Chevy, or Ford truck with a gas engine and saved a bunch of money if I didn't care about the manual transmission. But frankly I just don't much care for the way the gas engines run and drive. Mileage wise, I'm not really saving anything.

Do I need a truck with the capabilities of this one? Not really. But I wanted it and I'm happy with the choice I made. I may need the capabilities again one day, and I really enjoy driving it.

Jesse's truck works well for his mission, given that his normal commute is much shorter (it takes 20 miles just to warm up the Cummins) and it fits in his garage. I don't like having my truck outside, but I've gotten used to it.

Just comes down to priorities.

I like to pretend in my head that some day we will have a spot of land and can work on building up a homestead that will require me to haul equipment. At least that's what I'm using as justification for wanting a diesel. I also like the idea of a manual transmission for pulling. I'm just an old-school farm boy I guess.

 

[MIFlyer]

I'm still a happy camper with my '17 F150 3.5 Ecoboost w/ Max Tow pulling my 32 ft travel trailer.

I wouldn't want a larger truck with a diesel at this point. The Ecoboost has way more power than I need and will accelerate with a 32 ft camper behind it like you wouldn't believe. I can easily out accelerate traffic off a red light. A larger truck would be nearly impossible for me to use for commuting to work...would never be able to park it...F150 does both tasks nicely.

that's the real challenge, isn't it. I live in a large metro area, my wife drives in and parks in the city everyday, but I commute between suburbs, and really, everyplace i go, parking is pretty easy. a 1/2 ton or 1/2 ton SUV makes the most sense for me, but the allure of a 3/4 ton diesel is pretty high and i think it would be inconvenient only very occassionally

 

[Ted]

I like to pretend in my head that some day we will have a spot of land and can work on building up a homestead that will require me to haul equipment. At least that's what I'm using as justification for wanting a diesel. I also like the idea of a manual transmission for pulling. I'm just an old-school farm boy I guess.

That was part of my logic to some degree as well. While I don't need the capability I have with this truck today, I plan on keeping it a long time since I bought new. When I buy used vehicles, flipping them as wants and needs change is easy to justify. With new, especially like this, I want something I can keep forever and will effectively do anything I need it to do.

 

[Ted]

that's the real challenge, isn't it. I live in a large metro area, my wife drives in and parks in the city everyday, but I commute between suburbs, and really, everyplace i go, parking is pretty easy. a 1/2 ton or 1/2 ton SUV makes the most sense for me, but the allure of a 3/4 ton diesel is pretty high and i think it would be inconvenient only very occassionally

Other thing is depreciation. Diesels hold their value a lot longer.