General truck talk

[Ashful]

I don't like the load height on any of the new pickups, even the entry level XL or WT. Yup, I'm feeling pretty smug

I’m fine with the load height, but as I approach my second half century I am starting to dislike the jumping into the bed height. I might turn into one of those old farts with a drop step on their tailgate, in a few more years.

 

[begreen]

I didn't like the load height on our XLT at all.

 

[peakbagger]

My Unimogs load height is 4'6" unloaded.

 

[bholler]

I’m fine with the load height, but as I approach my second half century I am starting to dislike the jumping into the bed height. I might turn into one of those old farts with a drop step on their tailgate, in a few more years.

You must not load buckets of brick sand gravel etc in your truck a few times a week lol. I am fine with them making higher ride height an option but why not make lower work truck for us contractors?

 

[NickW]

I’m fine with the load height, but as I approach my second half century I am starting to dislike the jumping into the bed height. I might turn into one of those old farts with a drop step on their tailgate, in a few more years.

The older I get, the higher they seem; and with the ACL replacement I don't like crawling up in there with the cap. Luckily, my boys are around a fair amount of the time. I did comment when I first saw the ad with the step that it was a good idea.

 

[MTY]

I just want to know if I should pour the quail feed directly into the air cleaner on the truck, thereby eliminating the middle mouse, or should I continue to throw it on the ground.

 

[ABMax24]

I just want a new diesel truck without the emissions equipment that always breaks on the coldest day of winter.

 

[blades]

heck ,I'd just like a diesel truck ( 1 ton) that doesn't break down from emission /computer problems period. For that matter you can include gas units in that. I have had both. Course here you are damned from the start with the road deicing agents.

 

[PaulOinMA]

… I just want to know if I should pour the quail feed directly into the air cleaner on the truck, thereby eliminating the middle mouse, or should I continue to throw it on the ground …

I started the Moke one spring after it was stored in the garage all winter. Lots of black stuff sprayed out of the exhaust and was on the ground. Thought it was really strange. Never happened before. Probably soot from he exhaust that was loosened. Looked closely. Sunflower seeds!

A mouse had spent all winter picking sunflower seeds out of the bird food in the backyard, taking it all the way around the house, and packing the muffler. I was more amazed at how industrious the mouse was more than anything. I took a picture.

 

[PaulOinMA]

… The older I get, the higher they seem; and with the ACL replacement I don't like crawling up in there with the cap …

Former work colleague played college basketball in the 1950s. I had a work picnic at our house in 1997. We were standing on the driveway drinking beer. He looked up at the basketball rim above us and asked if it was regulation height. I replied that it was. 10 feet.

"Looks so much higher now."

 

[Ashful]

You must not load buckets of brick sand gravel etc in your truck a few times a week lol. I am fine with them making higher ride height an option but why not make lower work truck for us contractors?

Not a few times per week, I’m just a weekend warrior, and my 1/2 ton trucks (even off-road edition) may be a few inches lower than your 3/4 or 1-tonners. I’m also fairly tall so my tailgate is about hip high on me, and anything heavy getting loaded into the truck is usually brought there in the bucket of my tractor, so it’s pretty nice and ergonomic to park the bucket close to tailgate height and lift the objects across. Not a big deal for me.

But last weekend I was doing some grounds work at church, and didn’t feel like hooking up a trailer to bring my tractor with me for light garden work, so I just put 2/3’rds of a yard of mulch and a wheelbarrow in the bed of the truck, and headed over there. I was mighty tired of climbing in and out of the bed to fork mulch out of it, after a few hours cleaning out and edging gardens. That’s when the bed height bothers me, much more than hefting anything into it.

 

[Sodbuster]

Not a few times per week, I’m just a weekend warrior, and my 1/2 ton trucks (even off-road edition) may be a few inches lower than your 3/4 or 1-tonners. I’m also fairly tall so my tailgate is about hip high on me, and anything heavy getting loaded into the truck is usually brought there in the bucket of my tractor, so it’s pretty nice and ergonomic to park the bucket close to tailgate height and lift the objects across. Not a big deal for me.

But last weekend I was doing some grounds work at church, and didn’t feel like hooking up a trailer to bring my tractor with me for light garden work, so I just put 2/3’rds of a yard of mulch and a wheelbarrow in the bed of the truck, and headed over there. I was mighty tired of climbing in and out of the bed to fork mulch out of it, after a few hours cleaning out and edging gardens. That’s when the bed height bothers me, much more than hefting anything into it.

heck ,I'd just like a diesel truck ( 1 ton) that doesn't break down from emission /computer problems period. For that matter you can include gas units in that. I have had both. Course here you are damned from the start with the road deicing agents.

Speaking of emissions our county just bought a brand new loader to replace their old worn out one. It was a brand new Komatsu, and once loaded off the trailer refused to run in anything but limp mode. County foreman was not happy. Had the CAT guy there all day working on it. At what point is clean enough?

 

[MTY]

I have been living on ladders the last few weeks. Up, down, up, down all day long taping and mudding. I have never been fat, but I bet I am somewhere between 10 and 15% body fat. The legs are getting a good work out, so I can feel your pain from climbing in and out of the truck.
On flat ground I used to be able to take one step up into the F250 bed. I have not tried that in awhile. Maybe next week when I haul the 8N up to the property.

But last weekend I was doing some grounds work at church, and didn’t feel like hooking up a trailer to bring my tractor with me for light garden work, so I just put 2/3’rds of a yard of mulch and a wheelbarrow in the bed of the truck, and headed over there. I was mighty tired of climbing in and out of the bed to fork mulch out of it, after a few hours cleaning out and edging gardens. That’s when the bed height bothers me, much more than hefting anything into it.

 

[NickW]

heck ,I'd just like a diesel truck ( 1 ton) that doesn't break down from emission /computer problems period. For that matter you can include gas units in that. I have had both. Course here you are damned from the start with the road deicing agents.

Never had electronics issues in my Dodge 1 ton diesel; but it's an '05, so pre-emission. Goes through joints like a SOB though - ball joints & u-joints constantly... 334,500 miles and runs great yet. It'll probably fall apart around me some day but still run...

 

[SpaceBus]

Never had electronics issues in my Dodge 1 ton diesel; but it's an '05, so pre-emission. Goes through joints like a SOB though - ball joints & u-joints constantly... 334,500 miles and runs great yet. It'll probably fall apart around me some day but still run...

My 06 developed a rumble at low speeds, soon to be $600 lighter for differential carrier bearing replacement. Not bad for 250,000 miles (bought it 2018 with 240,000) though. So far it has had a turbo failure, front calipers replaced, all the ball joints, u joints, steering components (upgraded to 08 style), shocks, and some other odds and ends replaced. It runs strong, especially with the new turbo, it's just a stocker with some billet upgrades. The fuel economy is amazing for such a large truck. I hope to never replace this truck and keep up on the frame and chassis maintenance.

 

[Ashful]

Living in the northeast, I consider the lifetime of my trucks to be about 10-12 years, thanks to road salt. They can be driven well past that, but they start to look like hell, and you start dealing with stupid annoyances like exhaust rot.

So I guess I don’t really care if any truck can go 200k or 300k miles, as I’m selling it at 10-12 years’ age with less than 70k miles on the odometer. This is why a slower and more expensive diesel has just never had any appeal to me, those are best left to the guys that might rack up a couple of hundred thousand miles on a new truck before trade-in, not the average personal-use vehicle. Looking at the abundance of used trucks for sale with similar mileage, to where I sell mine, I don’t think I’m unique among new truck buyers in this regard.

 

[blades]

I run about 34000 miles a year at present used to be double that. the current estimate is spread between two units though. 16 Escape 105000 miles, 03 F250 Diesel 231000. hpop, fuel regulator and pressure sensor, couple heat exchangers, glow plugs, and injectors on the diesel over the past 2.5 years. so if that area holds together maybe i can get after the front end compoents - universals and ball joints to start, likely need shocks up there also.

 

[Ashful]

Anyone else here used to hearing folks whistle when they walk by the back of their truck? My trucks are always clean and straight outside, I like keeping my vehicles nice, but the inside of the bed on some of my trucks have looked like they’ve been abused by the least cautious crew of contractors you’ll ever meet. My ‘05 Ram actually had the ribbing steam-rolled out of the floor of the bed, and the mounts punched up into the bed to such a degree that more than one person asked me, “how the hell did you do that?”

Yet I still often won’t park it next to someone at the store... no tolerance for door dings.

 

[Sodbuster]

I'm at 11 years on mine and have no inclination to replace it. The engine and drive train are good and I keep the maintenance schedule very strict, and I do it myself, I just don't trust the Fast Eddy's oil change places, and I won't pay dealer prices. The rust has spread like a cancer, and would be very hard to fix myself, although I might try it this summer. I've talked to enough body shop guys who could've just taken my money who's advice was they all rust, let it go.

 

[NickW]

All the door dings on my '05 blend in with the rust, brush scratches, tree dings and unwitting jackknifes... Buy 'em used and a little dinged up but solid mechanically. Nothing worse than the first scratch or ding in a brand new vehicle! A month after buying the wife's brand new van she sideswiped the garbage can in the garage . That was 11 1/2 years and 285k miles ago.

 

[Ashful]

A month after buying the wife's brand new van she sideswiped the garbage can in the garage . That was 11 1/2 years and 285k miles ago.

Three weeks after buying my current truck, a deer ran at full gallop into the tailgate while it was parked in my driveway. Two small creases in the tailgate and a dent in the chrome bumper, believe it or not. The deer the symptoms of chronic wasting disease and had just been shot in the ass while standing still by a state trooper at about 10 yards distance with a high power automatic pistol wearing a laser scope. He was aiming for a chest shot, but he barely clipped its hind-quarter from 30 feet with a slow and deliberate shot... I hope I never need to rely on his protection. That was only 3 years and 15k miles ago, and it's still the first thing I see every time I approach the truck.

 

[NickW]

Never fix it. A story like that should up the resale value...

 

[ABMax24]

I've got a '14 F350 with the 6.7 Powerstroke. Other than a cracked exhaust filter, leaking rad hose, 1 ball joint, and a cracked transfer case housing its been flawless for the last 138,000 km (86,000 miles). The exhaust filter issue was "fixed" 1.5 years into owning it, never again did it throw an emissions code and of course it has smelt like a diesel ever since. Everything else was warranty work, even the transfer case housing I cracked when pulling a big hill in the winter. The truck hit ice and spun the tires hitting the speed limiter it was spinning so hard then grabbed dry pavement, the angle on the driveshaft from the lift didn't help that either.

My Fiance has a '18 Chevrolet Colorado with the 2.8 Liter Duramax Diesel with 28,000 km (17,000 miles). This thing has been nothing but trouble, the turbo has been replaced 3 times now (they form ice in the intake in cold weather and the turbo ingests it), the steering box was replaced, the def pump and def lines have been replaced, the ECM also fried when it was being updated and that has been replaced.

At the rate we're going I'll never get a new truck, as my F350 will likely far outlive this Colorado.

 

[SpaceBus]

I've got a '14 F350 with the 6.7 Powerstroke. Other than a cracked exhaust filter, leaking rad hose, 1 ball joint, and a cracked transfer case housing its been flawless for the last 138,000 km (86,000 miles). The exhaust filter issue was "fixed" 1.5 years into owning it, never again did it throw an emissions code and of course it has smelt like a diesel ever since. Everything else was warranty work, even the transfer case housing I cracked when pulling a big hill in the winter. The truck hit ice and spun the tires hitting the speed limiter it was spinning so hard then grabbed dry pavement, the angle on the driveshaft from the lift didn't help that either.

My Fiance has a '18 Chevrolet Colorado with the 2.8 Liter Duramax Diesel with 28,000 km (17,000 miles). This thing has been nothing but trouble, the turbo has been replaced 3 times now (they form ice in the intake in cold weather and the turbo ingests it), the steering box was replaced, the def pump and def lines have been replaced, the ECM also fried when it was being updated and that has been replaced.

At the rate we're going I'll never get a new truck, as my F350 will likely far outlive this Colorado.

I had read about F150 turbo gassers having a similar issue, but obviously not as much of an issue with a gas engine vs diesel.

 

[PaulOinMA]

... Nothing worse than the first scratch or ding in a brand new vehicle!

So true. I cut too sharp coming out of a parking lot in a new car 10 years ago and curbed a wheel. I was ticked!