Want an all-purpose truck--which one?

[stiletto raggio 20]

I will be deploying shortly and want to buy a truck when I get back. I want the truck to be capable of towing and hauling anyhting I would want to tow or haul, from ATVs and jetskis to utilitiy, cargo and camping trailers. I also want it to be suitable for off-road use because Colorado has plenty of recreational opportunities that are not easily accessed with a high-clearance 4x4. This would not be my primary vehicle, but a recreational and utility vehicle that I want to last me for 10 or more years. I have done a lot of research and I have narrowed it down pretty well. Here are my two main options:

 

1) Ford F-150 with 5.4 liter gas engine, crew cab and 6.5" box.

 

2) Ford F-250 with 6.7 liter diesel engine, crew cab and 6.5' box.

 

Both would have four wheel drive and tow packages and would be fitted with ARB bumpers, winches and a camper cab.

 

I put the other options up there because I have considered all of them. The 5.5" boxes on most 1/2 ton trucks with crew cabs seem awfully small, almost defeating the purpose of having a truck. The 8" box on the F-250 and other 3/4 and 1-ton trucks seems awkwardly long, and the increased wheelbase decreases off-road capabilities. If the Tundra was available with a 6.5" box and, even better, with a diesel, it would be a contender, but right now I am disinclined to go that route.

 

Ultimately, it comes down to powertrain and suspension. The F-150 is significantly cheaper than the F-250 with a diesel option. I would not buy a 3/4-ton truck with a gas engine, so that is the comparison to be made. The F-250's diesel engine generates quite a bit more torque and perfectly adequate horsepower and gets great fuel economy, but the initial expense offsets the cost of fuel significantly. The diesel engine is also known to last very, very long, but maintainance is more costly and the bdoy may be destroyed before I hit 200k miles.

 

Do you think I, as a weekend driver who would do some hauling and off-road work but would not be using it as a work truck, would get my money's worth going to a 3/4-ton diesel over a half-ton gas? If not, do you think it would be worth looking at smaller trucks (Colorado, Frontier, etc) to fill that role?

 

Also, my bias is, for many reasons, toward Ford and Toyota.

[thehopping1 105]

You can't go wrong with the diesel, especially if you plan on going up any hills/mountains. Plus towing MPG on a gas motor will increase a lot more than a diesel.

[DrGonZo 157]

Go with the Toyota. You can beat em to shit and they'll still run like a champ. Best trucks on the road!

[mav 459]

If you want a diesel you owe it to yourself to get the real thing, that means Cummins, and that means Dodge.

[Klassy Kalashnikov 1,393]

After seeing this video a few months ago I have a whole new respect for Toyota trucks. The AK of the truck world!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWc_flGRT_o

[number1punk 17]

+1 for the cummins. i'm a mechanic, and i highly recommend staying away from the 5.4 ford gas engine. The 6.0 diesel in the newer fords is decent at best, but the first order of business is to do away will the EGR system, otherwise you end up replacing $2000 turbos once or twice a year. if you go with gas, look at the 8.1 chevrolet. its a beast, and fuel economy is pretty good.

[VaiFanatic90 360]

After seeing this video a few months ago I have a whole new respect for Toyota trucks. The AK of the truck world!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWc_flGRT_o

 

Wow! After watching that, I'd have to agree with you Classy, that's just amazing!

[patriot 7,197]

GM all the way. I have a 2002 Silverado ext cab 4x4 that is ROCK solid. >220,000 miles and still going strong. Strong AND good on fuel.

I've towed 30' trees off my property with it, hauled many heavy loads, and no problems.

 

 

[Graniteer 10]

After seeing this video a few months ago I have a whole new respect for Toyota trucks. The AK of the truck world!

 

 

That is a sweet truck there Classy. I think that's the Hilux, essentially a diesel Tacoma. It's sweet, but I don't think Toyota will ever bring diesels here again.

 

I voted for other. I don't know how tall you are, but as a 6'6" dude, I can tell you the Tacoma isn't that comortable after about 20 mins. The Frontier is actually way more comfortable, plus it has more aftermarket parts. The Frontier also has a timing chain, and you can put Titan shocks on it to lift it and be able to carry more. A former roommate has one, and he has it over 350 hp now, that bitch screams.

 

There are whispers of a diesel F-150 coming out this fall or next spring. Check it out. I think it would be the best fit overall, I want one. I think it will be the best truck for the money.

 

Or, you could say the hell with it and get a Ford F-150 Raptor. If I hit the lottery I'm getting one.

 

 

[Snoofer 138]

i'm a GM guy and have only owned GM cars and trucks, BUT i picked up a f250 crew cab with the powerstoke in austin a while back and i LOVED this truck! so outa your choices that's what i clicked.

 

[Bayoupiper 738]

I've owned nothing but Chevy trucks, until now.

 

I have a 2008 Dodge Quad cab for my assigned unit at work.

 

So I bought a new Ford F-150 and love it!

[chevyman097 2,579]

I have always wanted a deuce n a half. I think it would serve my all around purposes nicely.

 

lol

[RobRez 1,895]

If you are willing to buy a truck with a 6.5 ft bed, You may want to see if there is some sort of Excursion or Suburban vehicle that has the balls enough to tow what you want. If you arent putting lumber in the rig, most everything else you haul will fit and you could sleep in it during off road adventures. Personally I think new trucks are WAY overpriced ! I think a slightly shorter truck would get you into more places that are off the beaten path. I am sort of a do it yourselfer so I lean toward getting a decent used Blazer or Bronco and make it a forest eating machine. Then you can try to beat the hell out of it for the next 10 years and not be afraid of scratches and dents.

[Paulyski 2,227]

Pops has a 250 with the international diesel & that thing kicks ass.

The first turbo went out at around 8,000 miles but there must have been issues with it because the one they replaced it with has gone over 75,000 miles without a hiccup.

 

The new fords have a newer diesel with dual sequential turbos. It's still new, so wait till at least the next year comes out so they can work the bugs out.

 

I guess ford got into some shit with international & doesn't want to pay their price, so they made a new one of their own.

 

FORGET ABOUT GAS. Pops F250 gets the same gas mileage as his old 4.0L ranger. There's no comparison. Same with the F150, NOWHERE NEAR the power as the diesels.

 

As for overall dependability, pops has had very little issues with his.

It's all about maintenance...

He's an engineer, so he's big on maintenance, to the point that he sends oil samples to international every time he changes his oil to be analyzed to keep track of the condition of his engine. You'd be amazed. They can determine if bearings are having issues & many other things by piss-testing your truck.

 

As for 4Xing, Toyota Tacomas all the way... But you seem to want the size & power to yank the balls off of superman, so once again, go with the 250.

You have bulletproof diffs in the 250s, so when you put 35" or 42" tires, you won't break shit as much when they all of a sudden grip after spinning.

[rd99fxdl 17]

I bought a 250 back in 96 with the 460 in it.Still have the truck and used it mainly for hauling a camper around half the country and back.

Mine only came with a 6 3/4 foot box,was before they had the other options.

That truck and the heavy suspension and higher clearance goes a lot of places.Be going to the sand dunes again next week to play.

If I had to do it again,or when I guess,I'll get another 250 but with the diesel,just for the mileage.

After all these years I've only had to replace the radio so far and it runs like a raped ape.

[nalioth 405]

You can't go wrong with the diesel, <snip>

You'd better back up and reconsider.

 

Just because it uses diesel fuel doesn't make it "let's run out and buy it now!".

 

Do your research.

 

Some light duty diesels aren't worth the rolled paper sitting next to your commode.

 

 

Me, I'd stick with carmakers who use diesel engines from known diesel engine manufacturers (not home-grown diesels [history shows that home-grown diesels are crap])

[dennisuello 0]

I drive a Titan and it's been largely problem-free, with a few minor things covered by warranty. Not sure when you get back from deployment, there's a talk of them being discontinued, but I would recommend you include it in your search.

[Kliegl 304]

I fit my 6'4" into my Tacoma just fine.

 

Consider the D cab Tundra, which is the non-crew-max 4 door.

 

You get a bit more bed, and the only difference is the reclining rear seats.

 

Offroading, the Toyota is good. Hauling ass, the Toyota's good. Interior is good.

 

You can haul stuff in the bed. Towing is fine for a 1/2 tonner.

 

I would say extreme commercial use or trying to use a 5th wheel is its weakness.

 

It has a 6 gear trans, which means power all over, but a lot of shifting.

 

Get the 3UR 5.7L, although the 4.7 1UR will snap your head back when you sock it.

 

Plus, it's made in Texas and I even installed some of the equipment that builds it,

 

although I'm usually at the Indiana plant.

[termite 463]

I drive a 2005 Dodge 3500 dually EVERY day. It hauls our 5th wheel, which weighs in about 10K, and will get 12-15 MPG doing it, unloaded, I can get 23-24.5 MPG EASY. It'll haul anything that I need it to, and pull the gates of hell if the chain don't break. The ONLY trouble I've had out of it was the fan motor took a crap last year and the #4 injector line broke going down the hiway, which under recall anyway.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing Ford, hell I wanted and still want a Ford 1 ton dually, but the ONLY way to get the Cummins is to go up to either a F-650 or 750, I can't remember, and that's too much truck. The Ford engines left too bad a taste in my mouth years back, that's why my first truck was a used 1992 Dodge Cummins with only 75k on it, ran it until 150k,then bought the new Dodge. But if there was ANY way that I could get a Ford F350 with a Cummins, I'd buy it in a heart beat. My neighbor is a Ford mechanic and I hear him bitch and complain, he and I agree, they are good trucks, but the motors still have some issues to be worked out. Now, if you want a MAN'S truck, look at the International Pick up truck, 29,999 gross weight, largest production pick up being made that doesn't require a CDL.

Also remember that a diesel will not get any mileage at all until the motor is broke in, mine took about 45k miles before the mileage started creeping up above 13 and now stays 23-24 mpg, hey, almost 800 miles on a tank ain't too bad, we can hook to the trailer and go to the gulf, fiddel fart around all weekend after dropping the trailer and only have to fill up about 75 miles outside Gulf Shores on the way home.

But to each his own, I like a real diesel and a real truck, but can't have both, so I settled for the diesel.

[mgconnor13 206]

I had a 2 door F-250 diesel with a 8' bed and it was a pain to park, other then that I loved it. That truck was a tank, had no problems hauling a mini van through the mountains of central PA or plowing through muddy back roads on the farm.

 

Right now I have a f-150. Not the tank that my old 250 was but it still has plenty of power and it's the 4.2 L

 

I'm partial to the 250 diesel but the new ones can be real hogs at the fuel pump. look into the dodge ram with a cummins too

[nalioth 405]

I drive a 2005 Dodge 3500 dually EVERY day. It hauls our 5th wheel, which weighs in about 10K, and will get 12-15 MPG doing it, unloaded, I can get 23-24.5 MPG EASY.

Folks don't realize what kind of mileage these big SOBs can get (can't speak for Ford, but my brother has a ¾t Chevy diesel of the same vintage as my Dodge, and doesn't get near the gas [diesel?] mileage my ¾t Dodge w/Cummins gets).

 

Now, if you want a MAN'S truck, look at the International Pick up truck, 29,999 gross weight, largest production pick up being made that doesn't require a CDL.

Yep, it's a monster.

[Donkismash 81]

After seeing this video a few months ago I have a whole new respect for Toyota trucks. The AK of the truck world!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWc_flGRT_o

part 2

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql2PHqE3cy4

[thehopping1 105]

You can't go wrong with the diesel, <snip>

You'd better back up and reconsider.

 

Just because it uses diesel fuel doesn't make it "let's run out and buy it now!".

 

Do your research.

 

Some light duty diesels aren't worth the rolled paper sitting next to your commode.

 

 

Me, I'd stick with carmakers who use diesel engines from known diesel engine manufacturers (not home-grown diesels [history shows that home-grown diesels are crap])

 

I was reffering to his F150 vs. F250 idea. If I was going to buy a diesel it would be a Cummins, but out of those two choices the dieles seems more logical for towing. Plus the 5.4 Triton is garbage.

[VaiFanatic90 360]

After seeing this video a few months ago I have a whole new respect for Toyota trucks. The AK of the truck world!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWc_flGRT_o

part 2

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql2PHqE3cy4

 

From 240 feet?? And it still drove?? That's just infuckingcredible, I mean seriously. I wonder if Toyota's are still made to be so rugged, most likely not.

[Kliegl 304]

After seeing this video a few months ago I have a whole new respect for Toyota trucks. The AK of the truck world!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWc_flGRT_o

part 2

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql2PHqE3cy4

 

From 240 feet?? And it still drove?? That's just infuckingcredible, I mean seriously. I wonder if Toyota's are still made to be so rugged, most likely not.

 

Why so pessimistic?

[VaiFanatic90 360]

After seeing this video a few months ago I have a whole new respect for Toyota trucks. The AK of the truck world!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWc_flGRT_o

part 2

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql2PHqE3cy4

 

From 240 feet?? And it still drove?? That's just infuckingcredible, I mean seriously. I wonder if Toyota's are still made to be so rugged, most likely not.

 

Why so pessimistic?

 

Because when you go to buy a new car, instead of the bumper being very resilient metal, it's some lovely cheap-ass plastic that's supposed to be just as good.

[Kliegl 304]

Well, I can answer to that one.

 

A Toyota bumper that is not an all metal bumper is made of three sections.

 

1. Extruded aluminum bar connecting to the ends of the frame and extending beyond them to the edge of the bumper.

2. A molded plastic foam shape, just like the material in a helmet that bolts onto the bar, and fills out the form

of the bumper.

3. A painted plastic shell for looks.

 

The plastic shell is just there for looks and maybe a little bit of sharp object blunting. It's the core that does

most of the work, and it's backed up by the aluminum bar, which is thicker than old style bumpers.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love some chrome bumpers, but the new ones are better and cheaper.

 

I bet other companies' cars are the same; I just work for Toyota, and can tell you more than you'd ever want to

know about the build process and components, but I can't guess accurately on other companies.

[termite 463]

Nalioth, Me and the wife ran across one of these beast on a Ford dealers lot NW of here, last summer. I almost lost a load while looking at it, but the bed was too high for my 5th wheel hitch, and she said she'd be damned if she had to have step ladder to get in it. It was FRICKING awesome and also beautiful. I could sit under the truck and not bump my head while working on it. But the lost of fuel mileage and cost said NO. If I had the money to just piss away, oh hell yeh, it'd be in my driveway right now, but I'll stick with the cummins and 23-24 mpg for now. I have heard rumors for a year or so that Toyota was going to make a 1 ton dually for the markets here. ALL the car manufacturers make stuff for markets outside the USA that we can't get or will ever see, and it's all stuff that would sale like hotcakes here.

[yakdung 2,926]

I'm the owner of a 2003 Dodge 2500 Ram Cummings diesel. I purchased the truck new because of the engines reputation not because it is a Dodge. Dodge sucks as a company. The engine is a inline six 5.9L, and I get 24 mpg on the highway and it has 30% less parts then the other diesel engines on the market. Remember diesels do not have spark plugs, spark plug wires and distributors this means less maintenance. It is my understanding the environmental assholes got a hold of the newer versions of this truck and ruined it with DPF and a catalytic converter. Another thing to keep in mind. When all of the gas stations are out of gas during emergency situations, diesel fuel is always available. The cruising range of the truck is also approximately 700 miles on a tank of diesel. The engine is also rated at about 450,000 miles before needing a rebuild. Can't do that with a gas truck.

 

 

Good luck and be safe,

Yakdung

[VaiFanatic90 360]

Well, I can answer to that one.

 

A Toyota bumper that is not an all metal bumper is made of three sections.

 

1. Extruded aluminum bar connecting to the ends of the frame and extending beyond them to the edge of the bumper.

2. A molded plastic foam shape, just like the material in a helmet that bolts onto the bar, and fills out the form

of the bumper.

3. A painted plastic shell for looks.

 

The plastic shell is just there for looks and maybe a little bit of sharp object blunting. It's the core that does

most of the work, and it's backed up by the aluminum bar, which is thicker than old style bumpers.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love some chrome bumpers, but the new ones are better and cheaper.

 

I bet other companies' cars are the same; I just work for Toyota, and can tell you more than you'd ever want to

know about the build process and components, but I can't guess accurately on other companies.

 

So the new ones are just as resilient as that little red guy from the video?