Wanted: F-250 Super Duty or Chev 2500

[FlyingAroundRV]

Hi:
We live in Australia and will be coming to the US in May/June this year (2018) to purchase a new Outback TT and a pickup to tow it with.

These are must haves: a crew or extended cab truck, short/medium WB, Flex fuel, Tow package, XLT or higher model (Ford, or equivalent Chev), Any color except black, 100,000 miles or less, up to $20K (neg)

These are would likes: Tonneau or canopy cover, WDH hitch

These are deal breakers: Any accident history, hail damage, been driven on salted roads, been under water (flood), any frame damage, any unresolved major mechanical problems

If you're thinking of upgrading your truck this year and want a better price than the dealers will give you, and your truck fits the requirements, PM me and let's talk.

[travelin texans]

Steering wheel on the left or right? You know we drive backwards up here?

[FlyingAroundRV]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

Steering wheel on the left or right? You know we drive backwards up here?

We just passed the same sex marriage act so we're ambidextrous (ambi-steering?) down here.

[FlyingAroundRV]

UPDATE:
OK, after some research on the reliability of pickup trucks, we've decided to go for a Toyota Tundra.
Sooo, anybody got a late(ish) model Tundra they want to sell? Anything from 2013 onwards. Must be 5.7L SR5 or above, with the floor shift, Double cab or CrewCab, not driven on salted roads, up to 100,000 miles, Non-smoker and good condition, clean title.
Looking for something up to $25,000.

[notanlines]

Sure, Scott. It's okay to buy a Toyota pickup, maybe a Can-Am to haul behind. Your friends won't see you in it over here.

[FlyingAroundRV]

Originally Posted by notanlines

Sure, Scott. It's okay to buy a Toyota pickup, maybe a Can-Am to haul behind. Your friends won't see you in it over here.

[JRTJH]

I'd question your comparisons: You're comparing a Ford F250/Chev 2500 (10,000 GVW) to a Toyota Tundra (7,200 GVW)... That's a 2,800 pound capacity difference.

Wouldn't that be more like comparing a Ford Explorer to a Expedition????

The "problem" with your choice of a Tundra (as I see it) is that you're downgrading from a 3/4 ton "truck" to a 1/2 ton chassis with a truck body on it.

You'll be losing well over 1000 pounds of payload with any gas model 3/4 ton and that payload will be critical in safely towing most travel trailers over 30' in length.

Last time I passed the Toyota dealership, there was a "line of trucks/cars waiting" to be repaired there too. Any more, it's a "fair wash" as to which vehicle is the most reliable. You won't find Toyota's to be any more capable than other half ton trucks and they certainly aren't as capable as the Ford/Chev 3/4 ton truck when it comes to heavy duty towing.

[hankaye]

FlyingAroundRV, Howdy;

G'day, If I were in your shoes, I'd consider the maintenance side of life.
If you intend to ship the complete rig back "downunder" then what services
such as parts and trained mechanics are available.

JRTJH brought up a good point about load capacity. Do you intend to go
light or push it to it's maximum load rating? Personally, I'd rather not keep
the tow vehicle pushing it's limits every time I hook up to the RV.

What about your electrics? You guys run with the European style and if I
remember correctly we had someone else on here a year or 2 ago that was
facing the prospect of having to re-wire the RV so it would be compatiable
when going to campgrounds or just hooking up at home.

You DO have a lot to consider as to how to spend the large amount of money
this is going to take. Think long and hard don't act on impulse.

hankaye
you

[Tinner12002]

Originally Posted by notanlines

Sure, Scott. It's okay to buy a Toyota pickup, maybe a Can-Am to haul behind. Your friends won't see you in it over here.

I agree notanlines, not much out there I would consider using a Toyota or Nissan either for that matter to tow or haul with, but that's just my personal preference, not counting the higher service and parts costs.

[FlyingAroundRV]

Hankaye:
First off, I notice that you've not long ago lost your beloved border collie, my condolences to you.
As for bringing our rig back to Oz? I would love to do that, but it is not practical, and so that was never the plan. But you are quite right about the complications, and they are endless. But also, the road system here in Australia would demolish the ultralight trailer we will be buying. In any case, the roads are narrow and rough and towing a 30' trailer here would be a nightmare of epic proportions. And that's all before you consider feeding a 5.7L V8 at $5.00 / gal.
So the plan is to store the rig in the time we will be in Oz "Flying Around" and only using it for three months while we're in the US. We'll do this for 5-6 years and if we've had enough of touring the US, sell it off. It makes for pretty cheap travel overall. The initial outlay is a fair bit, but in the long run...

JRTJH:
Our TT is a 1/2 ton towable, but (with the Fords and Chevs) only if you get the right rear axle ratio and the tow package that has the upgraded radiator and oil coolers. Trying to pick a ford or chev out of the used truck fleet that had the right configuration was looking like winning the lottery, ie a chance in a million. Add to that, when I did some research on the reliability of those trucks, I found that whole industries have sprung up to deal with the design flaws in them. Whole businesses are based on "bulletproofing" engines and repairing ejected spark plugs...And still the manufacturers don't seem to have addressed these faults.
With all due respect, observing the lines for service at a dealership is only anecdotal evidence of reliability. If you want objective numbers, you need to look through the NHTSA or CarComplaints databases. That tells an awful story about design faults in the American trucks. Did you know that the Toyota has the highest % of American parts and labor? And finally, having owned 3 Toyota vehicles (2 hiluxes and a Rav) I have confidence in their reliability.

OK now I've blathered on long enough. Thanks for your inputs and suggestions. I hope we can meet up with members of the forum while we're there. I've got stickers to put on our rig, so watch for us and come and say G'day if you see us.

[rzrbckr]

Scott, those reports you have seen of bulletproof if were on older designed engines. Particularly, the Ford 6.7L diesel in more current trucks, are extremely reliable. No bulletproofing needed. I can tell you from experience, if you buy a newer model you’ll be just fine and much better off than the Japanese brands. Even the older models with the “bulletproofing” already done are super reliable now that the corrections have been made. Don’t be afraid of the American brands because of some past issues.

[FlyingAroundRV]

Originally Posted by rzrbckr

Scott, those reports you have seen of bulletproof if were on older designed engines. Particularly, the Ford 6.7L diesel in more current trucks, are extremely reliable. No bulletproofing needed. I can tell you from experience, if you buy a newer model you’ll be just fine and much better off than the Japanese brands. Even the older models with the “bulletproofing” already done are super reliable now that the corrections have been made. Don’t be afraid of the American brands because of some past issues.

Yes, that might be an option, but unfortunately for this adventure, the budget doesn't extend to a new truck. We have budgeted around $20K-$25K for a truck and that puts us squarely into the "engines need bulletproofing" range. Also trying to find a used truck that has been bulletproofed already? On the used market, they're probably one out of a hundred. That narrows the selection quite a bit.

Remember that I'm trying to find a truck from 12,000 miles away and when I get there, I'll have about a week to find, evaluate and purchase/register a truck. If I get it wrong ... How long does it take for a mechanic to source and replace an engine, and how much will that cost?

I would like to hear more details on your thoughts of "much better off than the Japanese brands" because my research has shown otherwise, particularly WRT the age of the trucks we are looking at.

I also forgot to mention in my earlier post that whereas with the Ford and Chevy 1/2 tonners, you have to pick just the right configuration to get the towing weight we need, with the Tundra, you only have to select one with the 5.7L engine. They all have the tow kit already. Even though the tow kit was an "option" on these trucks, I haven't come across one in the used truck fleet that doesn't have it, even in the base model. The effect of that is to expand the population of candidates.

And finally, with the Fords and Chevys, the 1/2 ton trucks had (depending on configuration) anywhere from about 6,500# max to about 9,000# max c.f. the Toyota which has 9,000# to 10,400# depending on whether its 4x4, crew cab, Limited model etc etc.

I've downloaded all the manuals for all the trucks in the year models we can afford and looked up the specs on them to figure out which model we would need. I've researched the problems with all the trucks through the relevant databases. The numbers tell the tale.

I would have preferred an American truck, but they just don't seem to stack up. I understand brand loyalty, and there's an element of that in our choice also.

But again, thanks for your inputs and maybe we'll catch up and chew on this some more over a couple of coldies in some campground somewhere... Maybe you can also help me understand why American trucks (and this includes the Toyotas made in the US) are so lowly rated. With the V8 powered 150 class trucks being rated 1/2 ton, and my 4 cylinder Hilux here is rated at 3/4 ton???

[rzrbckr]

Scott those truck ratings are out of date for US trucks. Years ago, they were to depict how much a truck could carry. 1/2 ton truck~1000# of cargo. Now days, it’s more an arbitrary number as trucks typically carry much more than there designations. Half ton trucks typically can carry anywhere from 1500-3000 us pounds now a days. 1 ton trucks can carry up to around 7000 us pounds. Of course, all that depends on configuration.

If you make it through Texas, I’d love to share a few more of our American idiosyncrasies with ya over some cold brews. Give me a shout.

[sourdough]

OP, help me get this. The title of the post was for F250 or Chevy 2500. Your last posts seem to say you are looking at 1/2 tons. Are you looking at smaller trailers to fit their capabilities?

The size difference in the trailer you can have with the 3/4 vs the 1/2 is quite a lot depending on what 3/4 or 1/2 you get. A Tundra 1/2 ton cannot stack up to a 3/4 ton of any variety. The newer ones are getting better (at least a bigger body) but still aren't comparable to a 3/4 ton.

If you are comparing 1/2 tons to 1/2 tons the Toyota is in the mix. Having owned Toyota's, Ford's, Chevy's and Dodge/Ram's I can attest that Toyota made a much tighter (better) quality vehicle that the American brands several years ago. I used to marvel that my Toyota would have 50k on it, zero leaks or dust collected because of it in the engine compartment, Zero oil usage at 3k (back when without synthetic). Now, both my Toyota and Ram run synthetic, change at 5k, use zero oil and, the thing that always amazed me about Toyota, the oil was still almost clear after several thousand miles....now, so is the Ram.

IF the trucks are rated equally for towing, AND you pick a trailer that is within those parameters for a 1/2 ton, I would have no problem going with a Toyota. The problem with buying a used one is if you get an older model, with the smaller body style and diminished capabilities from yesteryear, they do not stack up to a regular American 1/2 ton - forget "towing capability" - look at all the numbers, plus, the aesthetics for trying to drive in it.....the older ones are SMALL inside.

As a side note; little brother always pulled with a Toyota Tundra...3 of them. Bought his last trailer and went with a Ford F250 diesel; said he loved his Toyotas but the Ford was night and day better.

[B-O-B'03]

I went to www.cargurus.com and checked the boxes for your criteria, 123 listing popped up, take your budget to 25K and the count more than doubles to 279.

There are many other auto listing sites, where have you been looking?

The blowing spark plug problem was in the older model, single overhead cam, 5.4L engine, last produced in 2010.

My cousin, who sells school buses for a living, puts close to 100K miles a year on his F150s and keeps them 3 - 4 years. He has never had any major problems with any of them.

Enjoy whatever you end up with and have fun touring this great country.

Cheers,

-Brian

[FlyingAroundRV]

Originally Posted by sourdough

OP, help me get this. The title of the post was for F250 or Chevy 2500. Your last posts seem to say you are looking at 1/2 tons. Are you looking at smaller trailers to fit their capabilities?

The size difference in the trailer you can have with the 3/4 vs the 1/2 is quite a lot depending on what 3/4 or 1/2 you get. A Tundra 1/2 ton cannot stack up to a 3/4 ton of any variety. The newer ones are getting better (at least a bigger body) but still aren't comparable to a 3/4 ton.

If you are comparing 1/2 tons to 1/2 tons the Toyota is in the mix. Having owned Toyota's, Ford's, Chevy's and Dodge/Ram's I can attest that Toyota made a much tighter (better) quality vehicle that the American brands several years ago. I used to marvel that my Toyota would have 50k on it, zero leaks or dust collected because of it in the engine compartment, Zero oil usage at 3k (back when without synthetic). Now, both my Toyota and Ram run synthetic, change at 5k, use zero oil and, the thing that always amazed me about Toyota, the oil was still almost clear after several thousand miles....now, so is the Ram.

IF the trucks are rated equally for towing, AND you pick a trailer that is within those parameters for a 1/2 ton, I would have no problem going with a Toyota. The problem with buying a used one is if you get an older model, with the smaller body style and diminished capabilities from yesteryear, they do not stack up to a regular American 1/2 ton - forget "towing capability" - look at all the numbers, plus, the aesthetics for trying to drive in it.....the older ones are SMALL inside.

As a side note; little brother always pulled with a Toyota Tundra...3 of them. Bought his last trailer and went with a Ford F250 diesel; said he loved his Toyotas but the Ford was night and day better.

Danny: Just another note on your post about the toyotas being small inside. LOL, we're used to that. Very few vehicles here are the size of Ameerican vehicles. I fully expect the Tundra to feel a bit like a limosine compared to my HIlux and Mazda CX5 here.
And as a last comment re: Little brother, comparing a 250 diesel to a Tundra is a bit lopsided, don't you think?

[FlyingAroundRV]

Originally Posted by rzrbckr

Scott those truck ratings are out of date for US trucks. Years ago, they were to depict how much a truck could carry. 1/2 ton truck~1000# of cargo. Now days, it’s more an arbitrary number as trucks typically carry much more than there designations. Half ton trucks typically can carry anywhere from 1500-3000 us pounds now a days. 1 ton trucks can carry up to around 7000 us pounds. Of course, all that depends on configuration.

If you make it through Texas, I’d love to share a few more of our American idiosyncrasies with ya over some cold brews. Give me a shout.

rzrbckr: We will definitely be heading to Texas. Dallas is our first point of entry and where we intend to start our search for a truck. We will be there at the end of May. Let's sit down over a couple of coldies and chew the fat about trucks and trailers. ... And maybe airplanes if you're interested.
Thnx for the tips about payload capacities. I wasn't aware of that.

Sourdough:
Our TT has a max weight (loaded) of 7600#. From the numbers it looks like (and is advertised as ) 1/2 ton towable. In fact, I met people on the road with an almost identical sized trailer and a F150. They said their rig worked really well.
Where the 250 came about was because I wasn't confident I could find a Ford or Chev in the used truck market with just the right configuration to tow that weight. If you look through the truck brochures and manuals you'll see what I mean. So I opted to go the next step up. Unfortunately, because of the budget, that put me into an older truck with higher mileage. Then, as I mentioned, I started researching reliability. Then that started to restrict engine types and year models. It may seem like I'm being over picky, but I have to have a reliable truck as I don't have a base to work from, or retreat to if the truck fails. Also, my time in the US each year will be finite and I'd rather not spend it stuck in a campground waiting for repairs.

Brian: Thanks for that. CarGurus is definitely one of the sites I have been looking at. Also Autotrader, Carmax, Carsforsale, Craigslist, Truecar, Carfax (Yes they have cars listed as well as reports!) KBB, Autolist, Edmonds and Cars.com. All that in addition to looking directly at dealership websites.
For reliability info, I've looked at Carcomplaints.com, the NHTSA website, the internet in general and of course, YouTube.
The amount of info available online is astonishing sometimes.

Thanks also for your encouragement.

[B-O-B'03]

Originally Posted by FlyingAroundRV

rzrbckr: We will definitely be heading to Texas. Dallas is our first point of entry and where we intend to start our search for a truck. We will be there at the end of May. Let's sit down over a couple of coldies and chew the fat about trucks and trailers. ... And maybe airplanes if you're interested...

I am a couple of suburbs north of Dallas, let me know you you are around... I could definitely be talked into tilting back a little of the Scottish nectar and chewing some fat

-Brian

[FlyingAroundRV]

Originally Posted by B-O-B'03

I am a couple of suburbs north of Dallas, let me know you you are around... I could definitely be talked into tilting back a little of the Scottish nectar and chewing some fat

-Brian

Brian:
OK, thanks heaps for that. The truck search is widening now with the (re)addition of the 250s. I will contact you time permitting and we'll tilt a few "adult beverages" down the neck, and speak of thing trucks, trailers and airplanes ... and boats too! (He who dies with the most toys, wins!)

John:
After doing some more searching and re-looking at your post, I think I figured out why you came up with so many more trucks than I did. In your post you said
"Most are at dealerships, start with 2011 models around 19000 and go up from there. ..."
But if you restrict the price to, say $25,000 you'll find that the population of 250s in that age and mileage range goes down, way down to about 3-4 trucks.
My problem with that size population is that by the time you get through all the dealer tricks such as Bait Pricing, non-existent trucks ("We sold that truck just 5 minutes ago") and the trucks with rusted out chassis that have been driven on salted roads for 7 years, and the ones that "look good in pictures", your population of candidates just about disappears.
Still, you have got me to re-think my choices and come at this from a new perspective, and again I thank you for that.

[sourdough]

My son has sold cars in the DFW area for decades. I've got a call into him so I can check out what you are looking for and get his feedback. He deals in all kinds of vehicles, from Ferrari's to pickups, new and used.

Personally I think you need to be looking at the 250s but that is your call. You've also got to realize that what is there now has absolutely nothing to do with what will be there in May - that is part of your dilemma. In your situation I don't see how you rule out the dealerships unless you are going to find a truck now, pay for it and pay to store it. You also have to be very careful to not "over analyze" this or let "mountains of minutia" bog you down until you can't get, or find, anything. I promise there is a truck out there for you.....it's TX.