[GLAN]

Just ordered a new P/U today.

Trucks are the only tools for this business I realy don't like having to replace......the p/u I have now is 10.5 years old....plowing with it since day 1 and using a full bed salt spreader for 8 years. Not easy getting mechanics to commit to fixing things cause they are afraid of breaking bolts or stripping them and nuts...alot of rust due to the salt.........Truck looks great and after spending $5,000 + in the last 3 years....good working shape....will most likely only need new fuel and brake lines.

This past winter the truck was nothing but a heart ache. Break down during a couple storms......no way of fixing it.




So..........

Ordered an 05 F350 XLT regular cab p/u
All the right packages....all the goodies.

I loaded it up pretty well...........cause I intend to when I finish paying it off........sell or trade in and get a new one and keep doing that every 4 or 5 years.

In the fall I will have installed a Blizzard 810 snow plow, wiring harness for the salt spreader

[cutntrim]

If it's a diesel watch out for that tranny to go KABOOM!

[Stonehenge]

I've got close to a quarter million miles on my pickup truck, and hope to get a few more. I'd love to buy a new one, but I just can't justify it while the truck I have still runs well. We don't plow snow (which is good because this little 2WD, V6 couldn't push snow anyway), so it's stayed in pretty nice shape.

But I love looking at those shiny new extended cabs, 4WD, heavy duty suspension..... Congrats on the new purchase.

[GLAN]

Deisel.......Gah, no.......

V10........yeah, yeah gas. I have the 7.4L gas in the 95. I don't do enough mileage to justify deisel....And if it costs me $100 to do plowing.......so be it. Besides, having 5 speeds instead of 3 that i have now........I should save gas during 9 months, that I can spend it on plowing........OML....LMAO

As for the torgue shift auto 5 speed.......That reverse problem was fixed long before my tranny was even a sparkle in the tranny dady's eye.........LOL

[johnkeegan]

I too was assured that the tranny problem was fixed. But I still got the extended warranty. I did choose the diesel though. Part of the reason was that I looked at the resale value of the diesel vs. gas. I was amazied at the higher resale of diesels. Add that to the fact that I figured I saved $1,000 last year in fuel costs (over a V8, I'm sure a V10 was worse) and it seemed like a no brainer. Besides, now all but one of my trucks is a diesel so we can all fill up at the shop which has a diesel storage tank. (I'm not crazy about large gasoline storage tanks at the shop with smokers as employees.) I also noticed that around here the diesel is much cheaper than the gas during the warm months but higher during the home heating months. So that works for me since we are shut down Dec.-April 1.

[Paul]

I bought a 05,Dodge 2500, club cab, Cummins,4X4 with all most all the bells and whistles ( didn't get leather) back in November after putting on over 250,000 miles on my 97. I do notice that I don't get as good of milage as I did with my 97 but this one only has 4000 miles on it. I do like the 4 doors and the fold down tool trays in the back. I still don't know why they put a slid back window on it?

On my 97 the tranny went out at about 150,000 miles. The new one does have much better get up and go, so I wonder if the tranny can handle all of the power.

[Bill Schwab]

We stopped buying Fords because of numerous transmission issues that Ford has overlooked. All trucks have had their issues, but I figured the small stuff is alot easier on the pocketbook than $4,000 trannies. To date, I know of over 53 scattered TS trannies all over the country. They usually blow under load, such as pulling the trailers through the mountains, pushing snow, or basically doing what the trucks are advertised that they are supposed to do.

I have heard now since 1994 when the E4OD junk they made came out, that Ford has fixed their transmission woes. 10 years later, they still have woes, no matter what you do to them to beef them up. When our 02 F-450 is replaced with the Mack, it will be the last Ford truck we own other between the years of 1932 through 1940 with an 85 HP flathead V-8.

I am happy for your new purchase, and hope it will give you years of trouble free usuage. I'm sorry if I have a very hard time believing Ford has gotten past it's tranny problems when I have seen very differently.

[GLAN]

I have been rather fortunate with Ford for the most part....Alot of expense in repair with my current 95 is souly due to the plowing..

Back then I ordered the 7.4L gas and the C6 3 speed tranny. Been a rock all along........86 F350 rack dump and 89 S/D rack dump both were sold at 14 years old, they both were manual...and both with the 7.4L....They were in fine working condition with many more years left to go on them.

Had an 85 Chevy......2 transmissions in 3 years.....or was 3 trans in 2 years.....don't recall exactly.....but I know it was a waste of a truck...


I know alot of people running 98 - 2000's Fords with the O/D automatic in various vehicles......not many of them mentioned transmission problems......Biggest problem was certain time frame of diesel motors that were junk.

I don't intend on keeping this truck past 5 years. Will sell off or trade in and keep getting new p/u every 4 to 5 years.


One other thing........the Ford brake controller.......I have had people tell me that it's junk.......LOL but after talking with them about it........they didn't read, told or even knew that the brake controler was integrated with the anti lock brakes.....After getting that across to them.....a couple of guys were like......."Oh.ok, no wonder...." and were ultimately satisfied.

[Dale Wiley]

We don't run any automatics and don't plow snow. I am going to stand with Bill on the Ford trannies... I do have 2 Ford trannies that are pretty damn tough, one in my 94 Mustang GT that will spin the tires shifiting into 2nd gear at about 55 mph.. and a 1971 vintage C - 6 behind a 400hp 302 that isnails as well.... of course it cost about $ 1200 apiece to get them there,,, but there run hard. I am not at all convinced that any of the new pickups and power train set ups are anything more than eye candy and marketing tactics. The days of a truly working pickup are long gone.

We have 5 speeds in our 2 pickups and the F 350. I am going to buy another older Ford pickup this week, I have several to choose from, all with 5 speeds and gas engines.

I am also getting a dump trailer and an enclosed trailer, so will be pretty well stocked for the next 2 years.

I am going to look at a modular concept with a multi purpose roll off type's of units on a Freightliner chassis, as the next step up.

[cutntrim]

The roll-off system looks promising to me, but I'm not set up for it. For those that are, I could see how it might be attractive.

Paul - Yeah, I very rarely have the slider open on mine. Also, I don't think I've used the tool trays even once so far. So far I love the truck and I'm trying to convince my father (who's retired and works for me part-time) to sell his little car and take over my lease, so I can step up to the 3500 diesel...sweet!

[GLAN]

I appreciate what all are saying regarding the transmission.

I know of tanny's that blew up......It does not seem to be the norm. As I said..more people I know are using the Ford automatics and no major complaints........now as for the new Torgue shift tow haul BS nonsense....I'll see soon enough and will be able to update you all as time goes by.

Not all trucks are perfect......I have a friend that runs only GMC he has 4 or 5 pickups and 2 - 1 ton dumps.....most are within the last 6 years.......during the plow season it is incredible to hear how many of his trucks are at the dealer being fixed or promised to pick up just before the next storm.

And what I was just told yesterday about GM torsion bars and mounting plows....I would never buy GM/Chevy

Dodge.......All I have been ever hearing about them is transmission failures and front ends crapping out. And electrical problems

[NCSULandscaper]

Ford has the same amount of problems as GM and Dodge does. There is no perfect truck out there, every make and model has its weak spots.

[Bill Schwab]

The real issue here is one I have been pounding in for years. Plainly, computers and trucks do not belong on the same planet. The engineers calculate that the computer makes shifting more smooth and at optimum points. So, the bean counters get into the picture and they calculate they can lighten up the mechanical parts because the computer takes the gues work that vaccum shifting had in it.

The factor they fail to add in is this. Much the same as there is no substitute for cubic inches, there is no substitute for braun. If you are pulling X, no electronic gizmo is going to make up for the constant strain from day by day, minute by minute loads.

There is no equivelant to the C-6, the T-400, or the 727 Torqueflight transmissions. On the rare occasions that there was trouble, you could remove one, take it to the rebuilder, pay no more than $500.00 and that was for a very beefed up model, and be rolling within a day.

By making the trucks what is called better, all they did was add a costly layer of expense to satisfy the yuppie types, who, for whatever reason, chose to buy trucks, but griped about the ride.

Trucks don't need electronic crap to get the work we need them for done. They don't need leather seats, electric windows, and they sure as hell don't need carpeting. You are very hard pressed to find a truck with a rubber floor in this day and age.

I sort of agree with NCSU about various problems.

Ford tends to have the most expensive problems with the transmission issues, GM had terrible brakes from 88-99, nor did they make a reliable diesel, and Dodge has had a wirlwind of electical issues.

The goofy part, is that both GM and Ford put the same transmissions they use in thier 3/4 ton series into 2 tons trucks. Though I have every confidence the Allison transmission can handle the loads, in Fords case it makes no sense that a transmission from a pick up truck, that has the failures it does, is used in a heavier counterpart. So, basically you got under kill overkill in a pick up and you got a grossly under built unit in a heavier truck. And part of the 450's woes might be my self infliction. Thats why we are going to a Mack. I wonder if much of the problems all manufacturers are having is due to overloading, rather than under building....

[GLAN]

Bill

Right on....agree totaly........to much electronics, though you have to admit fuel injection is best thing next to sliced bread..

Carpeting, cloth seats.......truck makers are catering the needs of the ever demanding soft assed public.......Dealer did a search for a truck that would have been even close to what I wanted.....Not one F350 regular cab - White with a V10 on the island.....Hundreds of Super Cabs and Crew Cabs........geezz Loads of Crew Cabs with the 5.7L gas

And yet Ford no longer offers their F350 Chasis with the 5.7L but they will put in a crew cab 8' bed 4x4 pickup.


Now you have to admit........power windows and locks is nice.....especialy for us snow plowers......I lower the passenger window all the time when I need to see just a bit better.....power locks.....why not? it works well with the alarm and why not an alarm in the truck......I leave stuff in it that I certainly don't want walking away with so easily.

Remote start..........hell yeah.....nothing worse than loosing 15 - 20 minutes waiting for the windows to melt to go out plowing....or having to wake up 20 minutes sooner at 2am.

Tilt steering.......makes it easier for one of my shorter men to drive a pickup.

Automatic transmissions.......I thought for the longest time I would never have automatic in a dump truck....I do now, in 2 of them. Once I did that.....now all 3 men that have been with me the longest can drive a truck........couldn't before. It was just me and 1 other that could drive a stick.

Air conditioning in a pickup.....you bet ya. Best thing in the world towards the end of the day going back to the yard and then home. More so when it is 90 degrees and 90% humidity

Automatic locking hubs.....I know that manual is what true off roaders use.....I am looking for a little more convenience in life. Lately I am forgeting to unlock the hubs.

Factory installed break controller.........Less expensive than having one installed outside

Having telescoping power side view mirrors with heated glass and turn signal......Oh boy will that be expensive to replace......sure why not having power mirrors......heck of alot easier adjusting every day cause a guy gets out and bumps into the mirror......heated.....snow plowers biggest nightmare is not being able to see well backing up.


Carpet delete is an option.


So is all those goodies and more make a truck less than what it is only cause it is configured more convenient?

Does it add to the complexity, repair and cost? Sure it does.......but we have to rely on the brainiacs that design these things to do the right thing, as well as to improve on the product the longer the production run is.

Now as for most of the inherent problems be due to over loading?

Absolutely.....example; The F350 I ordered is rated GVW 10,700
Payload 4,300 lbs.

950Lb snow plow.
800Lb salt spreader

2 yards salt?
2 yards salt/sand?

Salt sand is the heaviest of the two that I have to use...I firmly believe that 2 yards of salt sand is more than 2 ton........granted carrying that load is not common and as the product is used the weight becomes less.

Now lets use more common materials....Top soil....I get a screened top soil (real earth) damp 2 yards would be about 2ton.

3/4 inch gravel....I have carried 2.5 - 3 yards in the pickup. So what is that weigh per yard?

My W4500 GMC dump trucks are rated 14,000lbs.....I carry a full load of grass clippings to the dump. That can weigh 3 ton or a bit more. 3 ton I am over weight........But you wouldn't know it looking at the truck or driving it.

What gets me is seeing the hardscapers with 2 pallets of brick or paver in the back of the pickup........with it's ass sparking on the ground.

[Bill Schwab]

Glan:

We get loads of illegal aliens driving toyota pick ups that should not even be allowed on the roads empty, filling the beds with a yard of sand, or a pallet of 8-8-16 block only to pull out on the road and have tures pop. The only truck that will not be a one ton is the sunday go to meeting vehicle, the Colorado with the 5 cylinder in line.

Heavy is better in my book. I started at the bottom of a 5 mile long 9% grade pulling a 10,000 lb machine with the dmax/3500. Put my foot to the floor and by the time I hit the summit, the truck was running up against the rev limiter, in other words, 100MPH pulling a trailer! That is anothe thing manufacturers could stand loosing, that stupid rev limiter. If I choose to go 100 plus, I should be able to considering the absurd price the manufaturer charged me for their rolling contraption!