I'm tired of pickups, they are a pain to work on and it seems theres always something wrong with them, you almost have to dismantle the cab to get at the engine, let alone work on it, the diesels are worse IMO for working on or repairing, all brands have their perticular set of problems, my mechanics are telling me and the fuel milage sucks on all of them. I'm wanting to go diesel this time around so I can pull something and am not up for the government motors thng, even though I did like the 4500 series truck the best, I guess I'd had enough of government bailouts or something, that and all the gm porducts I'd owned in the past caused major problems and left a sour taste in my mouth. Dodge is basically broke and also got a bailout, the 3500 diesel is a nightmare to work on or get at and work on and ford, well, lets say I really couldn't see the engine let alone do anything with it, how did they cram that much stuff into such a small area?
My pickup mechanics didn't really have a recommendation for me, they all claimed all three have major problems, I usually buy new or almost new and drive them until they die, my old dodge made it 19 years and was trouble free, loved it and even cried when it died. Bought a used ford next and had it five years and now they tell me the exhaust manifolds are shot along with the entire exhaust system, cost more than the trucks worth, had enough problems with this one I really don't want to fix it, so I'm back looking, and not really impressed and after talking to the independant mechanics am really confused as to what to buy.
Then along came my heavy truck mechanics also independants and recommended a small truck with a flatbed, no its not four wheel drive but it would have a diesel engine, tilt hood, so you can get at the engine, larger tires and if I could find one with it air brakes, they have the cab and a half option, or 4 door option, could pull a descent size trailer, get no worse millage than a pickup and with air ride suspension ride almost as good as a pickup. This really sparked my interest, I've looked at several FL60,70,80's and also international 4000 series trucks from the older 4700's to the newer 4300's, could get a larger truck that could pull something with air brakes on the trailer and haul even a smaller cat, the air brake thing is really appealing, would have to have a cdl anyhow with a diesel pickup and gooseneck trailer, have found a few used one under the cdl with air brakes and would only need a chaufers liscense if I didn't pull a trailer.
Anyhow anybody done it before, good bad or not sure, the upside is they are used a lot cheaper than even a used pickup, new, about the same if you set them up about the same, no 4x4, do they ride as good? My guys tell me the parts are a lot cheaper than pickups, don't know about that one thought, they should last and hold up better, I can actullly get them as a work truck not with carpeted interior and heated leather seats, but I guess thats an option too if I wanted it, but not really. I could tilt the hood and actually see the engine and get at it in say five minutes instead of taking the front half of the truck apart, the engines should be built better than a v8 diesel, I was looking at the inline 6 international and also cummins, the international doesn't need all the emmisions crap as of yet they passed the test so far, cummins no. Anyway is a guy crazy for driving a truck with say a 25500 or 26000 gvwr around in place of a pickup. I'd never thought to jump into a truck that size to go 500 miles to a sale before or run uptown for parts or out for supper in it? I'm not one for bells and whistles, I don't want all the suff on a truck for going to work, with grease and mud all over me and having to jump into a truck to get home and cleaned up, we use the pressure washer every now and then on the floorboards now to get them clean. I'm wanting a flatbed for sure and most places I go its too muddy to drive my 4x4 in the field now so we haul a four wheeler to the job site to save walking from high ground. Start throwing ideas and criticism at me, don't feel bad telling me I've fallen off the deep end and need to be committed and why.
My pickup mechanics didn't really have a recommendation for me, they all claimed all three have major problems, I usually buy new or almost new and drive them until they die, my old dodge made it 19 years and was trouble free, loved it and even cried when it died. Bought a used ford next and had it five years and now they tell me the exhaust manifolds are shot along with the entire exhaust system, cost more than the trucks worth, had enough problems with this one I really don't want to fix it, so I'm back looking, and not really impressed and after talking to the independant mechanics am really confused as to what to buy.
Then along came my heavy truck mechanics also independants and recommended a small truck with a flatbed, no its not four wheel drive but it would have a diesel engine, tilt hood, so you can get at the engine, larger tires and if I could find one with it air brakes, they have the cab and a half option, or 4 door option, could pull a descent size trailer, get no worse millage than a pickup and with air ride suspension ride almost as good as a pickup. This really sparked my interest, I've looked at several FL60,70,80's and also international 4000 series trucks from the older 4700's to the newer 4300's, could get a larger truck that could pull something with air brakes on the trailer and haul even a smaller cat, the air brake thing is really appealing, would have to have a cdl anyhow with a diesel pickup and gooseneck trailer, have found a few used one under the cdl with air brakes and would only need a chaufers liscense if I didn't pull a trailer.
Anyhow anybody done it before, good bad or not sure, the upside is they are used a lot cheaper than even a used pickup, new, about the same if you set them up about the same, no 4x4, do they ride as good? My guys tell me the parts are a lot cheaper than pickups, don't know about that one thought, they should last and hold up better, I can actullly get them as a work truck not with carpeted interior and heated leather seats, but I guess thats an option too if I wanted it, but not really. I could tilt the hood and actually see the engine and get at it in say five minutes instead of taking the front half of the truck apart, the engines should be built better than a v8 diesel, I was looking at the inline 6 international and also cummins, the international doesn't need all the emmisions crap as of yet they passed the test so far, cummins no. Anyway is a guy crazy for driving a truck with say a 25500 or 26000 gvwr around in place of a pickup. I'd never thought to jump into a truck that size to go 500 miles to a sale before or run uptown for parts or out for supper in it? I'm not one for bells and whistles, I don't want all the suff on a truck for going to work, with grease and mud all over me and having to jump into a truck to get home and cleaned up, we use the pressure washer every now and then on the floorboards now to get them clean. I'm wanting a flatbed for sure and most places I go its too muddy to drive my 4x4 in the field now so we haul a four wheeler to the job site to save walking from high ground. Start throwing ideas and criticism at me, don't feel bad telling me I've fallen off the deep end and need to be committed and why.
