Which vehicle to keep...?

[S.Clancy]

Ok, so here is the deal. We have 3 vehicles;

2009 Honda Fit (best hunting vehicle ever)
2012 Toyota Tundra 5.7, 193,000 miles
1997 F-350 with the 7.3L Diesel, 225,000 miles

Both vehicles are in good operating condition, obviously the Toyota has more bells and whistles since it is 15 yrs newer. We are looking at getting a more commuter friendly vehicle and are trying to decide which pickup to get rid of. I have been going over this in my own head and need someone with more mechanical experience. Which one would you keep and why?

For reference, this vehicle will be a dedicated hunting/fishing/rafting machine, nothing else. We would not be doing any heavy towing, only raft trailers and similar. A decent pickup bed camper at some point.

 

[KenLee]

How much/often do you tow/haul?

 

[S.Clancy]

How much/often do you tow/haul?

heavy towing, none

We'd be talking raft trailers, prob a decent pickup bed camper at some point which can weigh a decent amount, as far as bed weight

 

[matthewmt]

I miss my 12 tundra a lot. Never hauled but it was a comfortable smooth driving truck.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[KenLee]

I'd sell the old diesel. Still bring decent $ in Southeast

 

[NRA4LIFE]

How much/often do you tow/haul?

This would be my question. Do you have an extremely heavy truck camper or a fifth wheel/gooseneck trailer that requires the 350? I tow a lot (some really heavy stuff too) and never even considered a 1 ton.

 

[S.Clancy]

This would be my question. Do you have an extremely heavy truck camper or a fifth wheel/gooseneck trailer that requires the 350? I tow a lot (some really heavy stuff too) and never even considered a 1 ton.

We used to tow a big gooseneck horse trailer (when we hunted with horses), which is the reason it was bought. Those days are over now

 

[CorbLand]

If you arent towing anything heavy enough to need the diesel, I would ditch that one over the Tundra. Save yourself the cost of diesel and maintenance on them if its not needed.

 

[WeiserBucks]

If it's not a purely financial decision I'd keep both of the pickups.

 

[FI460]

We have essentially the same vehicles. The F350 will be going away soon. The Tundra is just the better rig for the majority of situations that don't involve a gooseneck.

 

[Tiny]

For a top heavy load like a pickup camper I would keep the f350, I had a 99 7.3 and sold it with 360,000 miles and only replaced two injectors, only replaced them because I was selling it. I would run power stroke fuel additive at all costs with that motor and the crappy ultra-low sulfur diesel. short of a glow plug actuator it should run a very very long time. Just my 2cents

 

[Lowedown]

Wow that is a tough one. Both pickups have a reputation for longevity. With the Tundra you are balancing comfort and affordable maintenance against poor mileage. With the Diesel you are balancing better power and mileage against higher maintenance and repair costs. The prices of Diesel and Unleaded have flip flopped so much over the past decade it is hard to site fuel price specifically as a concern, but when diesel costs more it generally offsets the better mileage.

Which one does your family fit in better? Which one would you take a 2500 mile trip in without hesitation? Would you haul a camper on such long trips?
Do you intend to go on extended trips or keep it localish?
Which one would you still see yourself driving 5 years from now and being happy you still own?

I drive a 2010 5.7 Tundra Crewmax. The family loves it, and it covers all our needs. It's just not fun to fill up so often when we to the camp trailer cross-state.

 

[5MilesBack]

That's low miles for the '97 7.3L. They're not making them like that truck anymore. I'd keep that one if you're only keeping one.

 

[Westernduck]

The 7.3 is a classic, but a one ton does suck for forest service roads though. But with an 8ft bed it would be much better for a camper.

 

[OrangeMan73]

Don't sell either, they're both perfect trucks and I'm assuming paid for. Just get a 4th car that fits your needs and when you need a good half ton or big rig to tow they're still in the quiver. This is America baby, more rigs equals more status.

 

[wapitibob]

99 7.3
stellar vehicle, no rattles, zero issues, factory injectors went 377,000

 

[lak2004]

Sell the diesel. If you're not towing what's the point of paying extra for fuel and maintenance? I don't get the love for the 7.3, unless of course you find pleasure in wasting time maintaining and fixing diesel engines.....

 

[fngTony]

Sell the ford. That generation can be hard to find parts (that aren’t routine maintenance) and it’s old enough for the weird stuff to go out. The Toyota drivetrain is probably stronger but the ford chassis would hold up to more abuse. Toyota definitely a nicer cab. You haven’t mentioned any need for the payload or towing capacity of the ford.

 

[summs]

Keep the 7.3, higher resale value and gets the same mpg as a 15 year newer tundra. That way, you always have the option to tow if needed/wanted. and get rid of the least fuel efficient car for the most efficient.

 

[Dewy]

Keep the F350! I had a crew cab model and it’s the only tuck I regret selling. As mentioned previously the resale value will always be high on these so the money will be there. Additionally it has at least half its life left, the Tundra, not so much.