I need a "new" truck

[dlskidmore]

We normally buy well used vehicles and then drive them into the ground. After we're done with a vehicle, it usually goes to the junkyard or as a parts car, not another driver.

The 2001 F-150 is starting to get there. The engine is pretty good, we've had to put some maintenance into her, but I feel safe taking her on long drives. The body has not too terrible rust. Her first 10 years she was owned by a metallurgist who did an excellent job delaying rust formation. Until this last year, every mechanic that worked on her said "that's a nice truck". I'd not consider getting rid of her if I wasn't thinking about how much I need to invest in her right now and if she was 4 wheel drive.

There's a broken cross member between the bed and the body, the garage said they can't do anything about it but it's not a safety issue. (I might get a second opinion from a collision guy.) She makes a lot of old truck noises, which is tolerable for the amount I drive her. I make a point of driving her at least once a week, but I usually get a carpool for my daily commute.

She needs new winter tires and a tow upgrade (she is geared for towing, but doesn't have the hitch, upgraded brakes or cooling).

What I want to be able to do with future truck:

• Buy hay or other feed in bulk, we bought a half ton of pumpkins this year, and the hay man has a 100 bale minimum sale.
• Haul sheep in small numbers (currently using a 54" dog crate, could use more capacity)
• Haul a stock trailer capable of moving two full grown oxen and their equipment long distance.
• Haul small equipment trailer.
• Haul hay wagon.
• Drive over my lumpy bumpy hay field hauling a light load.

So, not a terrible lot of load, the oxen are probably the most taxing item, a trailer load of hay is larger but doesn't weigh that much. Hay field driving would be better with 4 wheel drive.

I'm somewhat partial to the F-150 due to my prior good truck and our family has had a lot of Fords.

Is there a compelling reason to go for anything bigger? Other old trucks on the market that wear well that I should consider? Am I being foolish to give up a truck I like and should just get her into a body shop to repair that broken member?

I am somewhat motivated to be ready to haul oxen this coming spring. There is a mature pair someone has offered me if I can be ready for them in time. I can probably scrap up the cash by spring for another old truck, although I'm considering getting something more gently used with financing this time.

[Danaus29]

How many miles? That would be my deciding factor. If it's a gas engine with more than 220,000 miles I would be searching for another ride. Less than 200,000 and I would look at getting the cross member fixed, and any rusting issues in the welded areas of the bed.

[nostawmama]

I can't help with what to do with the truck or recommend a different truck but I can say DON"T finance- you would really be in a pickle if you needed a truck but then didn't have one because you fell on hard times and they took it back! It can happen to anyone especially in this economy...

[Molly Mckee]

AN f150 is pretty light duty for some of what you want to do. I'd look at at least an F250.

[am1too]

I have a 94 F150 gas 300 straight 6, with the large tranny, 2 wheel drive and 196,000. She does great. I would like to go to a F250 diesel with less than 200 on her. I normally pull in the neighborhood of 7,000. Not really safe. Have to pay very close attention to what I am doing. I do not need 4 wheel drive, but would be very nice. I will not buy anything I have to finance and discourage anyone else from doing so. I waited 3 months to pay cash for a replacement trailer. Mine was stolen. Dang new tires are expensive.

[nosedirt]

I am wondering about the need for a 4 wheel drive in the hay field. 4 wheel just adds so much more expense in so many ways. Anti slip differential would do you much better in my humble think so. From what you are saying, I think I would get a "Heavy" 3/4 ton, Ford. Be careful of the gearing or your mileage is shot. I would think diesel is the appropriate choice. Or if you want something that you can treat like a red headed step child and still last 500,000 miles, a Toyota Tundra. lol
As others have said, I would not finance. You said you typically buy used and I think that is a wise choice. I think most people tend to get more truck than they need. Unless you are hauling those loads on a daily or at least weekly basis, I would stick with the 1/2 ton and just have a local shop add a couple springs if you really want a heavier suspension.
I've been in farming and construction most of my life so that is a lot of truck buying. We have been able to get 300-350,000 out of Toyota, Ford has been 200-250,000 but those are usually 3/4 or 1 Ton. Maybe could have gotten more but you never know what your employees are doing to your vehicles. They usually don't treat them as easy as you would yourself. That is the only advice I can offer based on my experience.
I wish you good fortune on your purchase.
nosedirt

[idigbeets]

I'm a fan of buying a good mid/late 80's ford thru 1994... as long as the body and tranny are in good shape, I drop another motor in and are good to go.

[dlskidmore]

You must live south of the salt belt of you can find a twenty year old car with a body still in good shape.

[AmericanStand]

If you need 4WD in the hayfield its to wet to be in the hayfield!

[MO_cows]

If you're gonna have a truck, make it 4WD. Especially if you upgrade to the diesel. That engine is way heavier, 2/3 of the weight of the truck is on the front end. It handles a lot better on any kind of slick stuff with 4WD.

If the loads you are routinely hauling are more than half the weight of your truck - get more truck. It will be safer, the truck will hold up better, etc. The towing capacities from the manufacturers are overly optimistic, has been our experience. The truck might have enough power to pull it, but the F150 is just too light to safely handle heavier loads. Your trailer will be pushing you around.

[JoePa]

I've owned many pickups in my life - F150s,,250s and 350s - all have had 4WD - I do drive in the woods to get firewood so I use the 4 wheels a lot - it also comes in handy when there is heavy snow around - right now I have an '91 F150 and a F350 that I put a camper on the back - there were occasions when I was real glad I had 4WD

When I bought my F350 back in 05 the salesman said that 75 % of the buyers get a diesel but since I go fishing a lot up into Canada and haul a boat with extra gas I opted for a gas engine - that way I also have extra gas available in case I can't get diesel - I'm glad that I chose the gas option -considering the initial cost of the diesel engine and the price of diesel fuel compared to the price of gas - I think it was a good choice - around here the price of diesel fuel has been 40 cents higher than gas for many years -

[dlskidmore]

NY is restrictive about diesel, it has to be commercial to be bought as deisel here. But if I go up to the 250 that might be heavy enough to get classed as commercial anyway. (Commercial trucks pay higher taxes and registration fees.)

[where I want to]

I'm no auto expert. But I can tell you I love, love, love my 1995 Ram 2500 diesel. It does everything for me but fit into those darn compact parking spaces without making much demands on care.
I think the ticket is to find a gently used but well maintained older truck. Like a one owner where the owner was in their 80s and reluctantly giving up their big truck they used only for hauling an rv around.

[mnn2501]

Just an FYI - I had a 2001 F150 that I loved but it was getting old and tired and starting to cost me $$ so I bought new a 2013 -- I H-A-T-E it. Its not the same truck. Ford took a giant leap backwards with their new trucks. I will be dumping this one much earlier than I usually do (my last 2 vehicles lasted over 10 years each. Looking at a GMC.

[Bret]

Be careful not to wish for a million bucks.

[dlskidmore]

Only 136k miles on her.

[dlskidmore]

Originally Posted by nosedirt

Be careful of the gearing or your mileage is shot.

Current truck is a manual with an extra low first gear. She's an old truck so still not great gas milage in the upper gears. (14-16 MPG)

Oxen weigh 2-3 thousand pounds each, 2000 lbs each more common, but let's go with a 3 ton load for the trailer itself and the equipment I might also be hauling.

Towing specs on the latest F150, lowest end engine say 7,600 lbs, so we're technically in spec although I'm hearing that some folk would rather a 1.5 ton pickup for that load? (Also I'm looking at the latest specs, not my year model.)

http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/specifications/towing/

This chart has a "standard tow" and a "maximum tow" which reflects more of what you're saying (and is for something closer to my year model, link to the chart said 99-2001):
http://www.fordf150.net/specs/99tow.php#2WDXL

*looking at Ford website in disbelief* You mean to tell me the latest F-150s are not offered in manual transmission? Not that I'd buy brand new anyway, but that doesn't bode well for me in 10 years. When I contemplate financing, I'm still looking at a 3-5 year old truck. I'd have it paid off in 2-3 years. For cash I'd be getting another 10 year old truck.

[Allen W]

Get you a good used gas 3/4 ton. Stay away from diesels unless you throughly understand the maintenance cost on them. Some of the newer ones that use DEF have some costly issues and don't get the mileage of the older diesels.

I'm driving a 2500HD Chevrolet after being a die hard Ford fan and loving it. It has the 6.0 motor, goes right on down the road with a loaded 20' stock trailer. It gets about 12 mpg on the high way with a bale bed on it.

[Danaus29]

A manual transmission in Ford trucks hasn't been available for a few years now. Before that they were special order only.

136,000? I say fix it. With care it will last around another 120,000.

Double check your weights for commercial vehicles. Then look at the licensing rates for vans. My van is titled as a passenger vehicle. I pay the same for tags on it as a regular car. My current van is an E 350. Not commercial in Ohio. And oh boy will it haul and tow. Tires will cost you a pretty penny though. Cargo stays nice and dry if you don't get around to unloading it for a few days.

[dlskidmore]

Oh! That's what a cross member is... I bet I know exactly when it broke. We had an improper tow out of mud up to the rims... (I'd been planning to just leave the truck there until things dried out enough to dig her out, but then the car died and we had to have another vehicle for a week.)