Hi All,
I am not only new to this forum, but to diesels in general. I have read a bunch, but have never owned one. I am buying a small 5th wheel RV and will need a truck to pull it. The 5er dry weight is 6910 lbs and it will probably stay under 9000 lbs. in use. I have concluded that what I need is a 3/4 ton diesel. Beyond that, I'm lost.
I am 70 years old. My current car is a 5 speed, but my wife wants auto, so auto it will be. We do a lot of mountain driving. I'm sure that any of them will get me up, but I am concerned about the down grades. I don't hot rod, so I won't need to chip it or delete it.
I am looking for a used diesel truck with reasonable reliability and the ability to slow me on steep grades without destroying my brakes. Decent fuel economy would be a bonus.
Talking to the RV guys, I get loads of conflicting information, so I thought I'd try here. I've heard all the horror stories. "Ford 6.x engines don't hold up." "Dodge transmissions fall apart." "Chevys have injector problems and overheat when towing." "Don't get anything with more than 100,000 miles." "300,000 miles is OK.""Don't dare drive down the mountain without an exhaust brake." "Tow/haul mode works just fine on steep grades.":3-smash:
If I believe everybody, I should probably buy a Ford, a Dodge, and a Chevy. I should strip the engine and tranny out of the Ford and throw them away. Then I should replace them with the Cummins engine and Allison transmission. Finally, I should add an exhaust brake. In the real world, I need to make a decision, but I feel like I'm working blind.:kap:
I'm leaning toward looking for a Chevy/GMC in the '06 or '07 range with around 150,000 miles. I just wish that I had some information that I could rely on.
I know this was a little long winded. Thanks for your patience.
Joel
I am not only new to this forum, but to diesels in general. I have read a bunch, but have never owned one. I am buying a small 5th wheel RV and will need a truck to pull it. The 5er dry weight is 6910 lbs and it will probably stay under 9000 lbs. in use. I have concluded that what I need is a 3/4 ton diesel. Beyond that, I'm lost.
I am 70 years old. My current car is a 5 speed, but my wife wants auto, so auto it will be. We do a lot of mountain driving. I'm sure that any of them will get me up, but I am concerned about the down grades. I don't hot rod, so I won't need to chip it or delete it.
I am looking for a used diesel truck with reasonable reliability and the ability to slow me on steep grades without destroying my brakes. Decent fuel economy would be a bonus.
Talking to the RV guys, I get loads of conflicting information, so I thought I'd try here. I've heard all the horror stories. "Ford 6.x engines don't hold up." "Dodge transmissions fall apart." "Chevys have injector problems and overheat when towing." "Don't get anything with more than 100,000 miles." "300,000 miles is OK.""Don't dare drive down the mountain without an exhaust brake." "Tow/haul mode works just fine on steep grades.":3-smash:
If I believe everybody, I should probably buy a Ford, a Dodge, and a Chevy. I should strip the engine and tranny out of the Ford and throw them away. Then I should replace them with the Cummins engine and Allison transmission. Finally, I should add an exhaust brake. In the real world, I need to make a decision, but I feel like I'm working blind.:kap:
I'm leaning toward looking for a Chevy/GMC in the '06 or '07 range with around 150,000 miles. I just wish that I had some information that I could rely on.
I know this was a little long winded. Thanks for your patience.
Joel