2500 class truck

[Gobbler36]

Sorry for making a post that’s seen action before but here goes it, currently driving a f150 but going to be picking up a toy hauler and I have 6 seater sxs that the 150 isn’t pulling very well anymore. Going to try and look at a used truck, part of my search is to try and find the one that’s the easiest to delete and is the most reliable. I’m open to gas 2500 as well

 

[LedSled]

What year models are you looking at? Personally I wouldn’t drive a 2500 gasser. They lack low end power when towing what they are rated for. It’s more of a feel thing for me. I hate the way they drive when under a load.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

What ever you get, for hauling, diesel is the only way to go.

 

[ihookem]

I have had the same 2005 GMC 2500 pickup for almost 19 yrs. You will notice that it just pulls like crazy, and mine does not have the torque the newer ones have. You will also notice how much longer a 2500 will loast compared to a 1500. Brakes are way more heavy duty,, but more expensive to repair,, but they last longer. I have 320,000 on my truck and not many problems at all. A transfer case was $1500 and that was 150,000 miles ago . A fuel cooler $400 , a wire harness $600? Still have the same shocks , starter, alternator , and only 2 new front end parts. The 2500's are very heavy duty , and no doubt a little safer when pulling.

 

[elkguide]

Love my GMC DuraMax. (I think that it's my 6th in a row) Whenever I'm in Idaho, I see a lot of Dodges. 2500 is the only way to go for me not just for the pulling power when hauling but especially for the stopping.

 

[rookieforever33]

If your not pulling all the time or trying to make crazy time in the mountains gassers work pretty well. Ive had a 3500 gasser and now a 2500 gasser as regular trucks. Pull an enclosed full of toys and an open trailer with my tractor and other toys. Unless I'm pulling over 9000 or so up a big hill its no problem. Diesels are great if you pull a lot. But a gasser is less money and still very capable. The brakes and cooling of the HD trucks adds a ton of utility.

 

[Gobbler36]

What year models are you looking at? Personally I wouldn’t drive a 2500 gasser. They lack low end power when towing what they are rated for. It’s more of a feel thing for me. I hate the way they drive when under a load.

2011-2020 Ram depending on mileage and price
Don’t know much about the Fords and Chevys but I’m open to any brand that will get fetch me a fair price good reliability and able to tow a sxs, bikes and toy hauler and not leave me stranded
I will also be using this mostly as a daily driver as well

 

[Gobbler36]

If your not pulling all the time or trying to make crazy time in the mountains gassers work pretty well. Ive had a 3500 gasser and now a 2500 gasser as regular trucks. Pull an enclosed full of toys and an open trailer with my tractor and other toys. Unless I'm pulling over 9000 or so up a big hill its no problem. Diesels are great if you pull a lot. But a gasser is less money and still very capable. The brakes and cooling of the HD trucks adds a ton of utility.

I pull more than I think I do
Starting in the spring for turkey and bear then all summer for camping and then all fall for hunting. Take a break in the winter then start all over again in March/April. I live in Idaho so it’s always up and down mountains

 

[displacedtexan]

If towing is on the list of concerns... I wouldn't consider a gas engine.

Anything a few years old is easy to delete. Especially Ford and Ram stuff.

 

[StuckInTheEast]

Hope you've got a connection on that 'delete' part...that stuff is getting harder to come by everyday. About all of it coming out of Canada anymore and even that's been getting tougher.
About anywhere you call state side will hang up on you, tell you 'good luck' or politely say "that's illegal, we don't do that type of work".

Not to say there arent places that still do it...If anyone knows any DONT POST THEM ONLINE!!!....PM only should go without saying. Few places around here have been busted last few years...insane fines and headaches.

The emmissions systems really aren't that unreliable anymore. Your more likely to have expensive turbo or fuel system issues than have a dpf fail, most places just don't know how to properly diagnose them and start throwing parts at them. You have an injection pump failure on any of them you'll think a $7-8k dpf is a cheap fix.
Most of the emmissions issues come down to failed sensors, egr valves/coolers, DEF injectors/pumps or bad DEF(it has a shelf life).
I very frequently see emmisions intact trucks over 200k miles with no emmissions repairs required at all...also see some not make 100k without multiple repairs. The garage queens or trucks that get alot of short trips have more issues than the trucks that are used everyday and haul heavy.
If you only use it to haul stuff a few times a year and it'll sit most the time...buy a gas engine. It'll do the job. It won't pass everything doing 80mph up 10% grade hauling 10k+lbs....but it'll do it.
Everything diesel is twice as much or more to fix and maintain.
If money is no issue and a $17k fuel system replacement, 10k transmission or $25-30k engine replacement doesn't scare you...go drive them all and buy what you like best....but if that's the case just buy a new one, leave it stock and have a warranty.
Used diesel trucks can be a very slippery, expensive slope. Make sure you have someone reputable check it over before buying and even then, budget for an expensive repair at one point. If you end up not needing it put that towards the next truck or a nice hunting trip in few years.

 

[rookieforever33]

If your not pulling all the time or trying to make crazy time in the mountains gassers work pretty well. Ive had a 3500 gasser and now a 2500 gasser as regular trucks. Pull an enclosed full of toys and an open trailer with my tractor and other toys. Unless I'm pulling over 9000 or so up a big hill its no problem. Diesels are great if you pull a lot. But a gasser is less money and still very capable. The brakes and cooling of the HD trucks adds a ton of utility.

Diesel it is. Its nice to hear about people with diesels that actually get their moneys worth. Half the people that own them in my area never tow a thing.

 

[Elkdreamer]

If going Ram with a Cummins stay 2018 and older. Those new roller lifters and cp4 pumps are not the best. Imho

I have a older deleted Cummins running Coopers Custom tunes out of Canada. I am happy so far.

At work they have the Ford gasser 7.3 because of the diesel troubles they had. The big Ford gasser pulls well but only getting 7.5 mpg.

 

[Brooks]

Any of the new diesel trucks are better than ever. Do your maintenance, change the fuel filters, use the correct oil, change the air filter and don’t let it sit and idle and it will go for hundreds of thousands of miles. The 6.7 Powerstroke is a monster.

 

[Sunshine40]

I have a 05 2500 5.9 cummins (currently for sale) and a 2021 6.7 2500 cummins and they both are pulling brutes. You can't beat the torque of an in line 6. The 5.9 is great because you can avoid all of the emissions b.s. but after getting used to the newer truck the 5.9 is starting to feel like, and sound like, driving around in a farm tractor.

You can't go wrong with anything with a cummins in it as long as you maintain it properly and keep an eye on your trans temp.

 

[Snowwolfe]

IMO there is no reason to dick around with a 3/4 (2500) truck unless your state charges a lot more to register a 1 ton. Either version rides the same if you ignore the TP on the door jam sticker when not carrying a heavy load or towing.
If looking at Fords, Consider buying a F350 instead of the 250. They are the same basic truck with maybe one or two different parts on the rear suspension. They ride the same.
F350 is about $1100 more and brings a much higher resale value and is more desirable in the used market. They also have the door jam sticker with the higher payload ratings.

 

[Customweld]

If you are getting a toy hauler for a crew cab sxs, get the diesel. I used a gasser for years and switched to a 6 speed Cummins, I don’t know why I didn’t make the switch earlier.

 

[Gobbler36]

Diesel it is. Its nice to hear about people with diesels that actually get their moneys worth. Half the people that own them in my area never tow a thing.

lol that’s exactly the seller I need! can you help find me a good deal on one that hasn’t been towed with and abused?

 

[Customweld]

lol can you help find me a good deal on one that hasn’t been towed with and abused?

They are out there. Just got to be patient and willing to act when they pop up.

 

[rookieforever33]

For the price guys want you can damn near buy a new one. They might not tow very much but get plenty of abuse. Might as well buy new and drive it forever. Its a good thing they run a long time. It will take that long to pay it off. Thats why I buy gassers for 20 to 25 percent less.

 

[twall13]

I've been pretty happy with my gas F-250. I previously had a 6.2 gas F-250 and that one struggled on the hills a bit with a heavy load but did get the job done. The new Godzilla 7.3 engine I have now does great. I tow a 37' toy hauler that's pushing 13,000 lbs frequently through the summer and have no major complaints. My biggest complaint is probably that I wish it had a bigger fuel tank. It doesn't have the torque of the new diesels but it's more than enough for me. I probably wouldn't jump to diesel unless I needed to tow 15k plus. Since it's also my daily driver I've been happy to not deal with a diesel and I was able to save a chunk of change up front.

As someone else said, the ride isn't any better on the 250/2500 trucks. If I was to do it again I'd get the F-350.

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