Looking for new “to me” truck...questions

[jorswift]

Hey all I’m looking to for a good used truck. I don’t want to spend a bunch15-20k. My truck is my daily driver to work, hunt, pull tractor, hauling etc. Question I have is, would it be worth getting an older truck ‘08-10 with low miles or a newer truck ‘14-15 with high miles? My truck now is an ‘02 only had it 6 years, has 160k miles, but in Indiana, it rusting away. Just afraid if I do the older truck way, I will be in the same boat a few yrs down.

 

[Adam Gibbs]

I'm in the same boat. I drive an 05 Silverado with 233k on it right now. I don't know how long it will last. I don't daily drive it anymore, it's just used for hunting, fishing and weekend driving. Everything out there for $15-20k isnt all that nice I'm finding. The used market sucks. I'll probably end up buying something 2-3 years old for hopefully under $30k.

 

[Nutsknr]

I think higher mileage newer.

The vast majority of 4x4 trucks have never been in 4wheel. Even fewer have been off a highway. So it’s generally freeway miles

I feel like the older you go, the more you deal with not just mileage, but with age related issues, such as o rings, seals, gaskets, etc.

 

[Fatcamp]

Going through the same struggle. I need a 3/4 ton.

It seems like looking for 1 owner vehicles is the ticket.

 

[hobbes]

I just did this a month ago. I'm in an awfully long line right now for title and registration.

I was driving an 06 Tacoma that I'd had since 08, so 12 years. I took it from 37k miles to 227k miles. I've still got it.

I bought a 2012 Tundra with 147,000 miles. I'm happy with it so far. Except for this damn line for license.

Truck costs are insane! Some of the newer bells and whistles are nice, but aren't very practical for what I need a truck for. At least not for their cost.

 

[Fatcamp]

I just did this a month ago. I'm in an awfully long line right now for title and registration.

I was driving an 06 Tacoma that I'd had since 08, so 12 years. I took it from 37k miles to 227k miles. I've still got it.

I bought a 2012 Tundra with 147,000 miles. I'm happy with it so far. Except for this damn line for license.

Truck costs are insane! Some of the newer bells and whistles are nice, but aren't very practical for what I need a truck for. At least not for their cost.

I was all settled on Tundra until I figured out their payload isn't adequate to haul a 5th wheel. So sad. Back to looking for an F250.

 

[hobbes]

I was all settled on Tundra until I figured out their payload isn't adequate to haul a 5th wheel. So sad. Back to looking for an F250.

I'd have been looking at a Diesel myself if I was pulling a 5th wheel. I see half ton pickups pulling a camper on the side of the road with hood up on the pass here multiple times every summer. It probably works fine in flatland, but it's hell in the mountains from what I can see.

If we pick up a camper, it will be small and lightweight.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

There's no shortage of used vehicle for sale search engines. Select the price range, fuel type, 4WD, and other things you want and do a national search. Found my Ram Limited that way, $3400.00 under KBB. Was dealer certified and only took a week to have transported from Iowa to Calif.

 

[menhaden_man]

You might consider gas mileage, too... my 2019 GMC 2500 diesel gets better mileage hauling a 23’ boat than my 2013 Tundra did empty. I’ve got two more newer GMCs for work and been real happy with them. Can’t recall how my older trucks did but pretty sure I never sniffed 25 MPG empty on the highway!

 

[Fatcamp]

I'd have been looking at a Diesel myself if I was pulling a 5th wheel. I see half ton pickups pulling a camper on the side of the road with hood up on the pass here multiple times every summer. It probably works fine in flatland, but it's hell in the mountains from what I can see.

If we pick up a camper, it will be small and lightweight.

Tundra can pull a trailer no problem, but the pin weight is too high even with a small 5th wheel like we have. It is the only half ton vehicle I would consider for pulling. Our other issue is we tandem pull a camper and a boat so a bumper pull camper won't work.

 

[GrayGoose]

I'm in the exact same boat. I have a 2000 F-150 with 225k and major rust. I wanted to share that I have looked at enough trucks from 2013-2015 with rust starting already on the body that it has made me think twice about buying older.

 

[Elkdreamer]

Just a curious question for you rust belt hunters as I am obviously West coast. Are the new aluminum bodied F150 holding up better?

 

[Laramie]

I got tired of the used market about 10-12 years ago and learned how to shop for new trucks. My current truck had a sticker of $54,900 and I got it for $37,000. Watch the rebates, watch the sales, buy last years model still on the lot late into the next year. Don't be picky on color or minor options that don't matter. You can save a pile of money doing this and have a vehicle worth almost the same amount after driving it for 2-3 years. Trade in and repeat. I paid cash for the first one so since then I have averaged about $2500 per year, including licensing, to drive new trucks.

 

[jorswift]

When I say newer, I’m thinking 2014-2016 depending on what that 15-20k range instills.

 

[Fatcamp]

I got tired of the used market about 10-12 years ago and learned how to shop for new trucks. My current truck had a sticker of $54,900 and I got it for $37,000. Watch the rebates, watch the sales, buy last years model still on the lot late into the next year. Don't be picky on color or minor options that don't matter. You can save a pile of money doing this and have a vehicle worth almost the same amount after driving it for 2-3 years. Trade in and repeat. I paid cash for the first one so since then I have averaged about $2500 per year, including licensing, to drive new trucks.

Dang. Not sure I would ever get a 3/4 ton for 37k new.

 

[missjordan]

My husband and I a few years ago got into a 2017 Dodge Hemi 3/4 ton with the 6.4L which has a lot of similarities to a few diesels that were manufactured in the early 00’s and saved some money going that route. It fit our towing needs at the time but we just upgraded to a used 2017 ram 3500 diesel to pull our camper which ended up being too much camper for our truck to haul

Not sure what kind of truck you are looking for but might be worth considering if it fits within your towing needs looking at the larger gas trucks


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[Elkdreamer]

My husband and I a few years ago got into a 2017 Dodge Hemi 3/4 ton with the 6.4L which has a lot of similarities to a few diesels that were manufactured in the early 00’s and saved some money going that route. It fit our towing needs at the time but we just upgraded to a used 2017 ram 3500 diesel to pull our camper which ended up being too much camper for our truck to haul

Not sure what kind of truck you are looking for but might be worth considering if it fits within your towing needs looking at the larger gas trucks


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Very good advise here. If not towing max weight and only a couple times a year.

 

[Quin]

As a fellow rust belter, I'd generally go newer (provided the miles aren't ridiculous of course). Rust seems to get my vehicles before mechanical wear does. Even my 2012 has rust at the bottoms of the doors and tailgate. Definitely check for rust and stay away if its starting.

Honestly, I was not impressed with the used market when searching for my last two vehicles and ended up going new both times. New wasn't all that much more once incentives and 0% interest were factored in (I was looking for 2-3 year old though). You might want to price out new just for comparison's sake.

 

[Elkdreamer]

As a fellow rust belter, I'd generally go newer (provided the miles aren't ridiculous of course). Rust seems to get my vehicles before mechanical wear does. Even my 2012 has rust at the bottoms of the doors and tailgate. Definitely check for rust and stay away if its starting.

Honestly, I was not impressed with the used market when searching for my last two vehicles and ended up going new both times. New wasn't all that much more once incentives and 0% interest were factored in (I was looking for 2-3 year old though). You might want to price out new just for comparison's sake.

This was my finding also. A 2 yr old used truck in 2012 was only 5k less than new. Plus cheap interest and full warranty on new.