Truck purchase dilemma

[Seaside LPS]

Looking for input as I am in the market for a used tandem dump and caught at a cross road. Now don't suggest buying new, because that is why out of my budget. Where I am caught it between 2 trucks, one is a 2003 with 300k miles and the other is a 1995 with almost 600k miles. Not going to go into make and model because don't want to start which is better, both are solid trucks but 30k price difference. Cosmetically the 2003 is much better, my question is for someone starting out should I start with an older truck that is less money and may have break downs or go with a new truck. I can afford both but obviously the newer will cost me more money. I am just stuck on which would be the best for me.

Hope the above all makes sense.

 

[Truck 505]

The 1995 will have a lot less emissions garbage on it than the 2003. What engines are in the trucks.

 

[Colorado Digger]

What truck's, what motor's, trannies, suspensions etc?

 

[Seaside LPS]

2003 Volvo VHD64F200 with d-12 motor 8ll
vs.
1994 Peterbilt 379 Detroit 60 13speed

 

[sl3406]

2003 Volvo VHD64F200 with d-12 motor 8ll
vs.
1994 Peterbilt 379 Detroit 60 13speed

That would be an easy choice for me. Lots of places to get the Detroit worked on and buy parts for it. Only a few places for the Volvo.

 

[Mike L]

hard to beat a Detroit. don't make tons of power but are very reliable and parts are reasonable. that alone would be the deal maker

 

[Seaside LPS]

I like the Peterbilt and says 450hp with the detroit but its a damn long truck with the front even with only have a 14' dump

 

[buckfever]

I would lean more towards the volvo. I like the 8LL for moving around the job and that big nose on that Pete makes fireplugs and guardrails disapear untill you feal the bumper hook them.

 

[johndeere123]

Are they both spec'd the same for front and rear ends? 600k would put the detroit in the range where it was recently rebuilt or may need to be rebuilt soon.

 

[JBGASH]

I would take the Detroit, as stated above parts and complete engines are very available and reasonably cheap. 600K miles is not that many miles for a 60 series engine that has been taken care of. It may run a long time the way it is.

 

[DoyleX]

That Detroit is from the era where piston skirts would break around that mileage unless it has been inframed. All factory detroit kits come with updates to that purchase time. A very good motor either way. DD12 I have seen go to 1 mil in a road truck but are expensive to fix

 

[Seaside LPS]

so the peterbilt is a tractor conversion! then I found another truck 1985 Ford l9000 great shape and it as well was a tractor conversion. Not sure why there are so many older trucks around here that are tractor conversions.

I guess ultimatly I my question is: Since this is my first truck and will be owner operated, should I go newer and spend more money and have keep it a long time or spend less go with an older truck and then sell in a few years for a newer truck?

 

[johndeere123]

If you are going to be doing mostly road work that is all scaled and not overweight, a highway tractor conversion may be good for you. If the tractor was a heavy spec tractor with 16000+ front end and 40 or 46000lb rear end, then it will be good for all types of work. A highway conversion is not necessarily a bad thing because then you know that the miles are highway miles and the truck probably saw less abuse than a full time dump truck. If i was buying the truck, i would get the TARE weights and the axle weights and buy the truck with the greater load capacity.

 

[denver m farms]

Personaly i would take a detroit in anything anyday, and a 379 just makes it better imo. We are the same kind of opreation not just starting out but we are smaller and try to save where we can. To me the older pete just makes alot more sence for most anyone right now, unless you know you have steady work everyday for the next year, and then i would still not want the volvo, about the only plus it has imo is the 8ll.

 

[Seaside LPS]

Thanks John deere and denver for the advice. Your thinking has been along with mine, start older and work up from there. I ran across a 85 Ford l8000 very close to home, has 13 speed seems very good shape 350hp cat. I could get for a good deal, was a converted tractor but its not like it will be an everyday use truck, my only fear is being 350 hp might suck because I want to be able to put a 20ton tag with my deere 160 on it. Not a lot of hills so should handle it

 

[denver m farms]

I can tell you from expierence that 350hp is fine, we have a KW tri dump that weighs 26000lbs empty, with a 300hp 3306 cat and a 8ll, and we pull a 20 ton tag with a 943 track loader, backhoe,dozer, and a 160 class excavator up and down big hills and it works, slow but we allways get there, we have also grossed 83000lbs in it and got where we were going, so don't pass up a good truck with a 350 cat. If you don't mind saying what is the price on the pete and the ford ?

 

[YEC1998]

I have 2 ford l9000 tandam dumps and have had good luck with them. I pull a 20 ton tag a long with one of them and also have a JD 160LC Excavator that I haul. I have no problem hauling a machine that size my truck has a 290 Cummins "Shiny 290", with a 13 speed and I can run 75 mph loaded no problem. The only problem with the ford's are getting some new parts. On the other hand they built those trucks from the early 70's thru 1997 and there have been thousand produced so used parts are pretty common.

 

[Seaside LPS]

the Pete is asking 25k and the Ford is 15k,

 

[ben46a]

I think I'd be looking in the mid. 90s for a truck that you have to make money with. That 350 cat though, that will be a 3406, and after all these years its likely closer to 400. Good engines.

 

[denver m farms]

the Pete is asking 25k and the Ford is 15k,

They both sound a little high to me, but i don't know about the market where you are so they may be ok. I would come alot closer to giving 25k for the pete then 15k for that ford if the condition was about the same. The other thing is atleast around here the pete will hold it's value better than anything, and that could be worth something to you since you may want to update sometime.