What is the benefit with a new truck?

Posted by jdemaris on November 25, 2007 at 07:20:45 from (72.171.0.142):

In Reply to: diesel pick-ups posted by Doing Reserch on November 24, 2007 at 18:14:13:

I'll offer my two-cents although it may not apply to your question. Unless someone has to make their living with a truck - I think it's nuts to spend $40,000, $50,000, and sometimes more for any new diesel truck.

I've got over 20 diesel trucks - all older, all mechancially injected. I've got many GM 6.2 diesel rigs, two Fords - an 85 with a 6.9 and a 94 with a turbo 7.3. Also got a 92 Dodge with turbo-intercooled Cummins 5.9. Even got a couple of little Isuzu diesel mini 4WD trucks.

I've got many friends near me that have bought new diesel trucks and also kept their old ones. None of the new trucks get the fuel mileage the older trucks get - and the new ones are incredibly diffcult and expensive to repair.
It's a no brainer to me - especially for someone with some mechanical skills.

I was just joking with the guy that owns a saw mill near me. He's still got - and was driving his 1982 1 ton 4WD 6.2 diesel Chevy. The driver's door is almost falling off. Almost no metal left on it - a real rust-bucket. Still runs great, has 375,000 miles on it and still gets 19-20 MPG on a highway cruise when not worked hard. He recently bought a new Chevy Duramax and is totally disgusted with it. He took a long trip with a fifth-wheel camper and got 10 MPG. He drives it empty and gets 14 MPG. If it ever breaks - there is much he cannot fix himself since it's so complicated.
I have another farmer neighbor that also bought a Duramax. Same story. He went back and forth to the dealer complaining about fuel mileage. He gets 13-14 MPG highway when empty. He kept his old rusty 95 Dodge Cummins which consistently gets 20 MPG on the highway. It also can be run on farm-fuel and his new Duramax will not. He tried it and it went into limp-mode.
Another neighbor traded in his 93 Dodge Cummins that got 20 MPG plus and got a brand new Dodge Cummins that is getting 16.5 MPG. It's aready been back under warranty for a head gasket.
For my older trucks - I can do any repair myself including rebuilding an injection pump. I can buy brand new injection nozzles for my Ford-IHs, or GM 6.2s for $5 to $9 apiece. I can buy a new (not rebuilt) water pump for $45. Used parts are easy to find (except for my Dodge Cummins engine). My 6.2 rigs all get over 20 MPG highway. My Dodge Cummins does the same and with all the towing power I'll ever need. The Fords are worse on fuel when empty - but do as well as the rest when towing or being worked hard. My first 6.2 blew to pieces last year at 520,000 miles. My 7.3 Ford has 340,000 miles on it and runs like new. The Dodge-Cummins seems to be the best of them all - but the truck itself rides - like a truck built in the 60s unless you put a load on it. I just came back from a 2000 plus mile trip with a heavy slide-on camper on the back and got 17 MPG average - that's pretty good. I drove a through a lot of mountain roads and the truck has more power than it needs in 5th gear overdrive and - it has 3.50 axles. I find that amazing - and I suppose if it could be geared down more - it would get even better fuel mileage.
If someone wants a good diesel truck - I can't figure why they wouldn't seek out an older one in nice shape. Easier to buy, and much cheaper to drive and maintain.
Maybe I'm missing something here. Besides the extra power - what is supposed to be the benefit to buying a new one?

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