Well, since there is discord and ya decided to raise Sheep...meet in the middle and settle on a Ram...I've had several Mopar products and they have served me well. I used to be all Chevy, and can't stand Fords.......but I can't pay the price for any of them...I get 'em after they have depreciated and are well broken in....
That pic is a keeper and blow up candidate for sure! Cntryboy beat me to the punch on recommending a Ram... neither of you win and you both lose! (I've experienced bad transmissions and overall weakness with Ram truck drive trains) Some folks swear by them... Id rather not have to swear AT one. I do see a lot of Ram duallies running around so I guess some of them are good.
Ford states they're the #1 selling truck for 49 years, but they count Chevy and GMC sales separate, even though they're built side by side and aside from some badging are identical. I've personally been a "GM" truck man for the past 40 years, one after the other. My first was a GMC, all the rest have been Chevys. Largest was a 3/4 ton HD and they've all been 4 X 4s. Started on standard shift and have been automatic now for 30 years. I'll never own another new one unless I win the lottery... can't afford one. I agree with the diesel and that's the way I'll go next time, with a 3/4 ton 4 X 4 and 5th wheel capable.
Congrats on the new job! Good to hear and sounds about ideal.
Why does GM bother to make GMC and Chevy trucks since they are the same thing?
Are you going to get a BIG 5th wheel so you can separate it into the "people part" and the "farm animal part"? That way you won't have to find an animal sitter when you go on trips! You'ld have to have a small door between the sides for Mel so he can get to his charges.
That made me laugh so hard!!
I like working on cars and do 99% of my own maintenance and repairs but trucks will be a new adventure. I'm would ideally like a 3/4 or 1 ton and it has to have 5rh wheel abilities. It ha Become apparent we are in a location that mother nature does not like. We are in the flood plains and in a prime spot for grass fires. We've already gotten 2 pre-evac notices this spring for fires. So I need to be able to load everyone up and go.
I am open to any and all suggestions! I'm a total newbie in truck shopping
First off let me say that I have no experience with much above the basic lower end of the truck ladder...150, 1500, and such...mainly half ton trucks. Except for the "Big Rig" trucks...tho, I will share what I know and have heard about deisel engines. Since they don't make Detroits anymore, I personally would stay with a Cummins. They are cheaper to operate, easier to work on, and parts are reasonable. They may not have the overall power of a Cat, but they are a workhorse. I'm sure others will have much more detailed info for ya, but I was never really interested in vehicles as most guys seem to be. I'm not very mechanically-inclined...
Oh Fred, you have that so right! Ram has the Cummins diesel and I would LOVE to have that engine teamed up with the Allison transmission that GM offers... GM doesn't have the Cummins available because of the contract they have with Chrysler... So... IMHO, you can pair up the best diesel engine with a second rate transmission (dodge), or pair up a decent, but not ideal diesel engine with the best transmission available. Virtually all diesel engines are pretty indestructible (lemon rules apply here) and far better than a gas engine for power, longevity, economy. SO here's the rub, which equipment does all the dirty work, suffers the most wear and tear, and is the "weak link" in the drive train? IMHO it's the transmission...I'll take a strong tranny over engine virtually every time. Given a specifically built transmission, you could pull a fully loaded big rig trailer with a 24 horse lawnmower engine.
So, now for the good/bad news portion of this rant... truck builders are virtually identical to politicians. It makes virtually no difference which one you buy because they are all more or less created equally (nowadays). No one truck builder will (can) offer you the top of the line equipment across the board. Each brand has their strong and weak points. Just like no politician will stand on the same side of all of your arguments, and so you have to choose which one you dislike the least, the same goes with trucks. They are all so close to each other that you just have to choose what is most important to you.
So ask yourself this question... Why can you NOT find a 1/2 ton pickup truck with a diesel engine? I mean you can find little tiny shoe box cars with diesel engines, but you have to buy a "huge/expensive" 3/4 ton or larger truck before you can get a diesel engine? Now, that has recently changed as Nissan now offers a diesel in their 1/2 ton truck... BUT, it's priced like a 3/4 ton truck, and there are 1/2 ton trucks that have much better capabilities than the Nissan with the diesel... So what was the point? Obviously to "capture" the market of those who have always wanted to buy a 1/2 ton truck with a diesel But I certainly have no desire to pay 3/4 ton prices for a 1/2 ton truck just for the diesel, with LESS towing capacity than a standard 1/2 ton with a gas engine.
My next truck will most likely be a 3/4 ton diesel pick up, at least 5 years if not more old, with as low a mileage & price I can find. And brand? well, if I can get an Allison tranny, I will, if not, it'll be whatever is available that I can afford. Good luck!
My husband has a 2004 Ford F250 diesel Lariat. Why? Because I worked at a Ford dealership, selling Fords. I got it at employee price and Ford ran a special 72 hour no interest sale, so we made out like bandits on that deal!
Moral of the story, if you want a new vehicle go work at a dealership at least long enough to get employee pricing!