Another truck question

[Grassfarmer]

I run a 94 GMC 3/4 ton with the 5.7 gas engine and have found it reliable but thirsty (17mpg on it's own but down to 10 trailering) Any suggestions or preferences for a better type of 3/4 ton (gas, diesel, model etc) I don't do huge mileage with my truck but I'm thinking this one is getting to the stage of needing replacing - sitting about 340,000kms (212,000miles) I paid $10k for this one 9 years ago and it hasn't cost me a lot in repairs. Can't justify spending big money on a new one.
Thanks for any replies.

 

[burnt]

I'm in the same spot with our "95. It's been a good truck but now it needs a fair bit spent on it and that was before the deer collision last week. What I'm finding is that with the sharp discounts/rebates on the new ones, it is hard to justify buying a used pickup. When one figures in the cash for clunkers rebate, it adds up to almost 10 G's in discounts off of MSRP.

 

[Grassfarmer]

Burnt, I hear that comment all the time about new being so cheap that you can't afford to buy used and it doesn't make any sense to me. I bought a $10k truck that I got 9 years out of having probably spend about $4k on repairs. It will still be good for years around the farm etc as I doubt it has much resale value but I'm starting to get a little nervous trailering longer distances. To go new on a 4wd 3/4 ton is still going to be $30k+ I'm assuming even with discounts? probably well over that. I saw a used '95 truck recently, same as my own with a lot less miles on it, and never been on a farm, for under $5K. How does the new one work out cheaper or affordable? I'm not a person who cares how new my truck is, merely that it's reliable.

 

[RSL]

GF - the ford with a 5.4 gas motor is pretty much indestructible and they get decent mileage (not with a trailer though).

 

[HAY MAKER]

I run a 94 GMC 3/4 ton with the 5.7 gas engine and have found it reliable but thirsty (17mpg on it's own but down to 10 trailering) Any suggestions or preferences for a better type of 3/4 ton (gas, diesel, model etc) I don't do huge mileage with my truck but I'm thinking this one is getting to the stage of needing replacing - sitting about 340,000kms (212,000miles) I paid $10k for this one 9 years ago and it hasn't cost me a lot in repairs. Can't justify spending big money on a new one.
Thanks for any replies.

Cummins........................good luck

 

[Denny]

GF - the ford with a 5.4 gas motor is pretty much indestructible and they get decent mileage (not with a trailer though).

I have one it gets bad milage either way.

 

[burnt]

Burnt, I hear that comment all the time about new being so cheap that you can't afford to buy used and it doesn't make any sense to me. I bought a $10k truck that I got 9 years out of having probably spend about $4k on repairs. It will still be good for years around the farm etc as I doubt it has much resale value but I'm starting to get a little nervous trailering longer distances. To go new on a 4wd 3/4 ton is still going to be $30k+ I'm assuming even with discounts? probably well over that. I saw a used '95 truck recently, same as my own with a lot less miles on it, and never been on a farm, for under $5K. How does the new one work out cheaper or affordable? I'm not a person who cares how new my truck is, merely that it's reliable.

I didn't say anywhere that new trucks are so cheap, because they still are pricey even with the rebates. I'm just saying that there is not enough difference between the price of a used one and a new one.

And I can about guarantee that the '95 replacement is going to give you a few surprises when you're not looking because a truck that is 15 years old has stuff that is going to let go just because of its age unless it comes from someplace where they never see salt.

The body on my '95 is still pretty decent, but I got quite a shock this fall to see that the frame has a few holes eaten through it from salt. I regularly carry about 2200 lbs on my Silverado 1500 thanks to my Firestone Air Ride suspension, so one of these days it's gonna bend in two when I load it.

The wiring has been giving me trouble for a few years now and sometimes I got signal lights and other times not so much.

Most days I can go out and it fires up on about 2 spins of the starter and the next time the battery is dead - something is shorting out somewhere and we have not been able to find it. So when the young lad heads out to work milking cows at 5 AM, that's not good news.

But other than those and (quite) a few other things, it still runs good and its kinda hard to retire it. Kinda like an old hired man who knows the job but isn't quite up to it anymore!!

So if you are looking for reliability in a '95, your luck had better be better than mine or your need less than most.

 

[Grassfarmer]

Thanks for the replies. Burnt, my old truck hasn't been without it's troubles - we had/have the electrics/battery draining issue too. Ours was solved be removing the interior roof light and I pull the "courtesy" fuse when the truck is not in use in winter, in summer it doesn't drain enough to cause a problem. We've had some of the front end steering components replaced, new starter, new fuel pump, leaking cooler lines etc etc but nothing really major. The underside is very good with minimal corrosion (mostly driven on gravel or dry pavement so salt isn't much of an issue.) Top is rougher due to abuse over the years I tend to dent, bash and twist things a little :lol: :lol:
I'm not mechanical at all and find it tough to decide on the new versus older deal. I saw a 95 truck with around 175,000kms on it in really nice shape (@$5k) and compare that to 2003-5 models with 200,000kms plus on them for $12-$16,000. How much is it worth paying for newness? From what I hear fuel consumption on the later models is no better than the older ones. Does it cost more or less to repair the newer ones in terms of parts values etc? I'm not proud about driving new(er) as long as I have reliable. I only put 13,000kms a year on my truck (8,000 miles)

 

[Double L]

I used to have a 98 Chevy 2500 single cab long bed 4x4 with the 5.7 vortec. It was a great truck. I got decent highway mileage at about 18mpg but I had 32" tires on it, so if you went with smaller/stock tires you should pick up 1-2 mpg. It pulled great. I even used it to pull our JD 6400 around.

I would stay away from the 99-02 6.0 vortecs we didn't have much luck with them, but the 03+ 6.0 have held up pretty well. The newer dodge 5.7 hemis seem to do pretty good too in some of our friends oil field trucks.

 

[Silver]

If you only put on 13,000 kms a year I'd say that '95 Ford diesel would be just the ticket. The motor has got another 300,000 left in it if it's looked after, and the rest is just maintenance like any other vehicle.

 

[Larrry]

The interest on a 30 or 40 grand pickup will pay for the 5 grand one pretty quick, not to mention license fees and insurance cost..liability on the 5 grand one compared to full coverage on the 30 0r 40 one

 

[Rocky]

You might check your trailer plug on the truck. Mine were metal and rusted causing a short and dead battery. I replaced with a plastic plug and solved the problem, Good luck.
~Rocky

 

[Cal]

GF - the ford with a 5.4 gas motor is pretty much indestructible and they get decent mileage (not with a trailer though).

I have one it gets bad milage either way.

I have a friend with an '02 5.4 Ford that gets reasonable mileage, that was before they turned the juice up on 'em. Both of our 5.4 Fords get pss poor mileage, and the power is still pretty unimpressive. The squeeks and rattles are annoying, and they ride like crap.

If you just need a half ton, the Toyota Tundra is my pick.

 

[Silver]

GF - the ford with a 5.4 gas motor is pretty much indestructible and they get decent mileage (not with a trailer though).

I have one it gets bad milage either way.

I have a friend with an '02 5.4 Ford that gets reasonable mileage, that was before they turned the juice up on 'em. Both of our 5.4 Fords get pss poor mileage, and the power is still pretty unimpressive. The squeeks and rattles are annoying, and they ride like crap.

If you just need a half ton, the Toyota Tundra is my pick.

I drove a Tundra at work for a while. I was sure glad the company was footing the gas bill, not me. About 13 mpg was all I could get. Lotsa power, that unit was supposed to have about 380 hp, and it acted like it. But if you got spinning your wheels in the mud climbing a hill and it shifted down with your foot on the floor it would over rev slightly..... which meant the computer shut it down to idle only which meant a ride to town on the back of a tow truck. I'll count myself as one of the unimpressed.

 

[Cal]

I have one it gets bad milage either way.

I have a friend with an '02 5.4 Ford that gets reasonable mileage, that was before they turned the juice up on 'em. Both of our 5.4 Fords get pss poor mileage, and the power is still pretty unimpressive. The squeeks and rattles are annoying, and they ride like crap.

If you just need a half ton, the Toyota Tundra is my pick.

I drove a Tundra at work for a while. I was sure glad the company was footing the gas bill, not me. About 13 mpg was all I could get. Lotsa power, that unit was supposed to have about 380 hp, and it acted like it. But if you got spinning your wheels in the mud climbing a hill and it shifted down with your foot on the floor it would over rev slightly..... which meant the computer shut it down to idle only which meant a ride to town on the back of a tow truck. I'll count myself as one of the unimpressed.

You had the 5.7liter and 6speed too? Mine gets 19mpg easily if you set the cruise, otherwise it creeps up to 80 or 90 mph really easy on the hiway. I haven't used this one anywhere slick without the traction control, which seems to work very well.

 

[Silver]

I have a friend with an '02 5.4 Ford that gets reasonable mileage, that was before they turned the juice up on 'em. Both of our 5.4 Fords get pss poor mileage, and the power is still pretty unimpressive. The squeeks and rattles are annoying, and they ride like crap.

If you just need a half ton, the Toyota Tundra is my pick.

I drove a Tundra at work for a while. I was sure glad the company was footing the gas bill, not me. About 13 mpg was all I could get. Lotsa power, that unit was supposed to have about 380 hp, and it acted like it. But if you got spinning your wheels in the mud climbing a hill and it shifted down with your foot on the floor it would over rev slightly..... which meant the computer shut it down to idle only which meant a ride to town on the back of a tow truck. I'll count myself as one of the unimpressed.

You had the 5.7liter and 6speed too? Mine gets 19mpg easily if you set the cruise, otherwise it creeps up to 80 or 90 mph really easy on the hiway. I haven't used this one anywhere slick without the traction control, which seems to work very well.

It was an automatic. I think the truck would have been a real treat if it was always on the hwy, but up here doing what I do trucks seldom see the hwy. Off hwy / oilfield roads around here are very hard on vehicles, and the Tundra just wasn't enough truck for the job and spent alot of time in the shop. Sure was fun to drive when it was working properly though.

 

[Kerry.Moncur]

That '95 Ford may sound like a good deal. However, you need to keep in mind that diesel engine repairs will typically cost way more than their gas counter parts.

 

[dakotasky]

My preference would be to find an older 5.7 3/4 GMC or Chevy with less miles, especially if you could find a 1 owner pickup. They are reliable, fairly easy to get parts for and to work on, and you are already accustomed to one. The gas mileage you are talking about is expected, and not really any worse than a newer 1/2 ton model.

 

[Cal]

Silver, did the Tundra you were using have other problems besides shutting down after you almost blew it up? :lol: :lol: What are you using now?

The Tundra has a Supercharger kit available through parts that boosts it to over 500hp, and like 550lb-ft of torque. I don't want to spend the money for that, but you can add it on and all of your warranty, and even extended warranty (I think) stays intact. I figure the drivetrain must be pretty tough if they will do that.....but wouldn't it be a kick in the pants to drive one with that setup??