The good, the bad and the ugly

[wiredgeorge]

GOOD:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DMZfDWOT6k

BAD:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAXLObMsIBg

UGLY:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGXFXADRXxQ

[John&Genny]

Interesting videos. I’ve heard of some major problems with the new Silverado’s concerning the fuel systems, but our 2008 Duramax has been a real workhorse with no major problems since we bought it, with around 160,000 miles on it now. It’s really sad that just a minor change in a few systems in a new truck can basically ruin it’s reputation. Hopefully someone at GMC will take notice of the bad reviews.

[Jeremy888]

Ford all the way. 2001 F250 7.3 liter power stroke, 6 speed, with heavy duty tow package( 1 ton springs) , 38 gallon fuel tank , 8ft bed, king cab, manual windows , no carpet from factory. Added later B&W turn over ball for goose neck / companion 5th wheel hitch towing . Ordered this truck from the factory in Nov. 2000. Cost about 18 K before extras about 23,000 including Tax and Lic. This truck has been a real dependable work horse. Horses, hay, hunting ,5th wheels you name it , towing in snow and mud . Have had to put new ball joints in due to lots of 4 wheeling .Original ball joints could not be greased, replacements can. There are 7.3's running around with a million miles on them. Of course they have all had new injectors . Original injectors can last up to 400k if properly maintained. I put in Lucas Injector cleaner once a month minimum , change fuel filter every 10k especially in dirty dusty usage , also air cleaner . One thing most people and shops do not do is to make sure the HPOP ,(High Pressure Oul Pump) reservoir is drained during oil changes . You can change your oil and the oil in the HPOP is still black and dirty as coal because it did not drain. I pump it out ,( about a quart) refill it , run the truck , pump it out again ,( still black because of old oil still in system ), refill again, and repeat until the oil is clean enough to see thru . This is important because the injectors are run by oil pressure that is what the HPOP does . Wastes about 8 to 13$ worth of oil but it is worth it compared to doing injectors . Wal-Mart sells its Super Tech brand 15-40 oil for about 13 bucks for 5 quarts , It is actually Quaker State oil . So I buy 4 jugs or 20 gallons (52 $) 16 quarts for the engine and up to 4 quarts for the HPOP. Wth the 10$ oil filter the oil change costs about 65$ with tax . I'm not bad mouthing Chevy or Dodge, they make good trucks too.. I have owned the following Ford's , 1931Model A pickup , 1959 half ton (292) , 1997 F150 and this F-250..Here's a pic of my 31.

[ChuckS]

All trucks have their issues... I’ll keep running my stock GMC LBZ Duramax six speed ... bought new in 2006... 2007 classic model... not one issue

[jsb5717]

Yeah, the old 7.3's are nearly bullet proof. I had a 2000 F250 for 13 years and sold it with 213K miles on it. You kind of have to rebuild the truck piece by piece over time but the motor is rock solid. Shock, ball joints, ujoints, power steering pump, steering knuckle, cam shaft sensor, etc all needed to be replaced. Tranny at 200K. But a good running workhorse no doubt.

[linux3]

Anyone who takes any advice from Consumer Reports for anything much more complex than a flat screen TV.....
It's easy to search the web for examples of CR bias.
Toyota is the best truck? Have you driven one? Have you looked at the fuel mileage?
Did you know Toyota is paying to replace whole frames on trucks because they are rusting out?
I have a 2017 Silverado with 50k miles and nothing wrong.
One of CR's down checks was because the seats were uncomfortable. That is so subjective it shouldn't even be a line item. I love my Chevy seats. Maybe I have a more firm butt than CR testers but how can you rate anything on seat comfort?
https://www.allpar.com/cr.html

[Jeremy888]

My brother has a 3/4 ton Jimmy , Diesel , It's an automatic tranny but still a great truck . I found that other Fords 7.3's automatic trannies that have done as much towing as I have, have gone thru 2 or 3 transmissions.. Standard trannie is always better for towing in the hills . My brother loves his Jimmy as much as I love my Ford... But also a Dodge Ram with a Cummins is an awesome truck. Buy USA made products. It supports and keeps America strong ... ChuckS did you have to order the 6 speed or did you find it on the lot?... Seems to me thst Standard trannies are getting hard to find . When I ordered mine there was not one standard trannie on a lot in western Washington ...

[travelin texans]

My brother has a 3/4 ton Jimmy , Diesel , It's an automatic tranny but still a great truck . I found that other Fords 7.3's automatic trannies that have done as much towing as I have, have gone thru 2 or 3 transmissions.. Standard trannie is always better for towing in the hills . My brother loves his Jimmy as much as I love my Ford... But also a Dodge Ram with a Cummins is an awesome truck. Buy USA made products. It supports and keeps America strong ... ChuckS did you have to order the 6 speed or did you find it on the lot?... Seems to me thst Standard trannies are getting hard to find . When I ordered mine there was not one standard trannie on a lot in western Washington ...

I've had 2 Duramax/Allison trucks totalling just over 300k between the 2 (approximately 200k towing heavy 5th wheels) & I wouldn't swap either for a standard transmission on any brand of truck.
The '13' had the exhaust brake & with the tow haul engaged, cruise control set going downhill never had to touch the brake unless it was an extremely steep grade.
For 30+ years I worked in the oil/gas industry & for reasons I wasn't prevy the company only leased Ford's (assume it was price), I had 3 Chevy's in all those years that all out performed, better fuel mileage & less maintenance cost as per companies vehicle spread sheet than Ford.
Most of the contract guys also used Ford's (assume due to cheap price also). Then the Toyota Tundra came out, all the contract guys had to have one only to find out that the fuel mileage sucked worse than the Ford's & they just didn't hold up well on oilfield lease roads. Most kept them a year +/- before trading off.
And NO not a Ford fan!! With all those years of poor handling & crappy seats I didn't need to own one.
Just my .02 cents! YMMV!

[Jeremy888]

Travelin Texans , I have no problem with Chevy trucks, I have always had and preferred standard transmission trucks and autos , learned to drive on a 56 chevy at 9 years old with 3 on the tree, an old willys jeep and tractors galore on the ranch/feedlot. One thing I don't like about standard ...we actually live in the boondocks of western Washington State almost to Canada but we have been wintering in San Diego ...The traffic down here sucks like LA and Seattle's ..An automatic is much easier in stop and go traffic jams towing a 5er. When I bought the 59 half ton in 1982 down here in So . Cal. ( also 3 on the tree ) While driving it back up to Washington the Ford radio commercial said " there are more Ford trucks on the road than any other brand ." So I started counting pickups on the freeway and indeed there were more Ford's than all the other brands combined including the small Japanese rigs. Seems you Chevy drivers hate Ford's, but no matter ...like I said I'm good with any American made truck...Buy American. My dad liked Chevy trucks ,he had a 62. Once while a young cowboy while doctoring calves in the mud and manure ,I dismounted my horse on the concrete slab that was next to the feed manger to tail over the roped calf. The ground was poop soup and you could not tell where the slab ended . With out thinking I ran to the calf and as soon as the slab stopped I went down in the $..t and fell backwards .The only part of my body not covered in manure was The tip of my nose..lol My dad made me ride home in the back of that 62 Chevy . Those were the days .

[flybouy]

I don't think you can fairly compare a leased vehicle to a privately owned. Leased vehicles are typically driven harder and treated with less care by the operators as "they didn't pay for it". Comparing the interior comforts of a fleet VS private vehicles is apples and oranges as well for typical fleet or service vehicles have stiffer seats designed to wear longer.
. Fleet managers run a constant and detailed accounting cost analysis of all expenditures including fuel milage, replacement costs, repair costs, etc.
Bottom line in MHO on the "Big Three" is they all have issues. Some issues are not found until a few years later and results in "damaging" a brand. The 6.4 IH diesel Ford put in my truck is a prime example. When Ford bought Northstar engines the 6.0 had head bolt issues. Three years later on 6.4 that was corrected as were a few other issues. Now the nay bashers will talk about pistons failing, high pressure pump failures ext. If you talk to diesel mechanics you'll hear a story of people buying the trucks and driving and treating them like a gas truck. Starting a diesel and driving off at high speed before warming the engine, heat soak in the turbo at high turbo speed and immediately shutting it down, and poor maintenance are but a few of the "self induced" issues.
I'm not defending my truck, I don't have to as it's worked fine for me. But then again, I don't drive it like a drag racer or "Baja 500" contestant. I do or have done the required maintenance at the recommended intervals with the PROPER fluids, filters and parts, not "cheap" off brand oils & filters etc. It's worked for me for 180K miles and 9 years. Maybe I got lucky? Maybe I just treat my vehicles "reasonably" and maintain them properly.
I have no loyalty to any "brand". After all I'm paying them not the other way around. I also take CR or MT articles with a huge amount of skepticism and Youtube I typically ignore. Youtube is great if you want to see some idiot dressed in a gilly and claim it's bigfoot, or pictures of JFK alive and well out shopping. Personally I think there are more reliable sources out there if you look "beyond the noise".

[ctbruce]

Oh brother. And standard time just started. It's going to be a long winter.......

[jsmith948]

After watching the news and reading about climate change/global warming/rise in sea levels, and then watching the Ford electric F-150 video, I have to wonder:

How much payload will an all-electric 1 ton pick-up truck have after allowing for the weight of the battery? Will I still be able to pull my Laredo? I wonder how many miles to the kilowatt it will get? :nonono::hide:

[JRTJH]

After watching the news and reading about climate change/global warming/rise in sea levels, and then watching the Ford electric F-150 video, I have to wonder:

How much payload will an all-electric 1 ton pick-up truck have after allowing for the weight of the battery? Will I still be able to pull my Laredo? I wonder how many miles to the kilowatt it will get? :nonono::hide:

Or: Where will the plugs be located on each recharge windmill? How far apart will they be, across Kansas and eastern Colorado? And, how long of an extension cord will I need to plug my truck/trailer rig into the windmill recharger????? Oh, will I have to back out of the recharge station or will they be arranged like a truck stop rather than a "corner gas station" ????

The "global warming" just dumped almost a foot of snow on us in the past 3 days, so......... And no wind to drive the windmill rechargers either..... Hmmmmm :whistling:

[Gegrad]

Anyone who takes any advice from Consumer Reports for anything much more complex than a flat screen TV.....
It's easy to search the web for examples of CR bias.
Toyota is the best truck? Have you driven one? Have you looked at the fuel mileage?
Did you know Toyota is paying to replace whole frames on trucks because they are rusting out?

https://www.allpar.com/cr.html

Yep, was walking through a Toyota dealer shop to look at a used RAM and saw a completely dismantled truck with a new frame above it (body was gone). I saw it and said "Tacoma getting a new frame?", as I knew about the Tacoma mass frame rusting issues. Sales guy says "nope, Tundra". I said I didn't know they were involved in that, and he said "yep, they were also in the rusting frame recall".

CR is a GREAT source for reviews of vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, washing machines, TVs, and the like. It is an extremely poor choice for reviewing cars.

[flybouy]

Or: Where will the plugs be located on each recharge windmill? How far apart will they be, across Kansas and eastern Colorado? And, how long of an extension cord will I need to plug my truck/trailer rig into the windmill recharger????? Oh, will I have to back out of the recharge station or will they be arranged like a truck stop rather than a "corner gas station" ????

The "global warming" just dumped almost a foot of snow on us in the past 3 days, so......... And no wind to drive the windmill rechargers either..... Hmmmmm :whistling:

I can see that "all electric" being driven thru the desert SW. A 7.5 kw generator in the bed with two 55 gal drums of fuel and a LARGE electric cord draped over the bed.

[JRTJH]

I can see that "all electric" being driven thru the desert SW. A 7.5 kw generator in the bed with two 55 gal drums of fuel and a LARGE electric cord draped over the bed.

Yup, about the same as what I thought.... Replace a 8200 pound truck that has a 26 gallon diesel tank with a 9600 pound truck (batteries are heavy), a diesel generator to keep the batteries charged and a 30 gallon fuel tank to supply the generator fuel... Total weight 12000 pounds with a 200 mile range... Looks to me that's a marked improvement over the 350 mile range of the "conventionally powered 8200 pound truck".... Yessir, buddy, gotta keep pace with economy and environmental improvements......

[flybouy]

Yup, about the same as what I thought.... Replace a 8200 pound truck that has a 26 gallon diesel tank with a 9600 pound truck (batteries are heavy), a diesel generator to keep the batteries charged and a 30 gallon fuel tank to supply the generator fuel... Total weight 12000 pounds with a 200 mile range... Looks to me that's a marked improvement over the 350 mile range of the "conventionally powered 8200 pound truck".... Yessir, buddy, gotta keep pace with economy and environmental improvements......

But hay, it's "green" right, because we all know that power generating plants don't pollute. :facepalm:

[gearhead]

I try to buy American but, I'm driving a Mexican/American, with an Italian in-law. Now, I hear I'm getting a French step Dad. Sacre Blieu.

[sourdough]

Yup, about the same as what I thought.... Replace a 8200 pound truck that has a 26 gallon diesel tank with a 9600 pound truck (batteries are heavy), a diesel generator to keep the batteries charged and a 30 gallon fuel tank to supply the generator fuel... Total weight 12000 pounds with a 200 mile range... Looks to me that's a marked improvement over the 350 mile range of the "conventionally powered 8200 pound truck".... Yessir, buddy, gotta keep pace with economy and environmental improvements......

Maybe they're going to improve the wind turbine so that they can be used for a continuously charging vehicle. Just picture it; your truck with mini turbines, maybe 50' tall, mounted on the front bumper and in the bed, with 25' props, that would just keep the batteries charged as you drove. Now THAT would be so "green" and would make as much sense as the rest of those theories make. Just imagine the garage....:lol:

[JRTJH]

Maybe they're going to improve the wind turbine so that they can be used for a continuously charging vehicle. Just picture it; your truck with mini turbines, maybe 50' tall, mounted on the front bumper and in the bed, with 25' props, that would just keep the batteries charged as you drove. Now THAT would be so "green" and would make as much sense as the rest of those theories make. Just imagine the garage....:lol:

That would be a site to see.... Imagine gearhead (Brent) navigating the live oak trees going into the campground he's in tonight with a rig like you describe !!!! :popcorn:

[Northofu1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnSHvkAhZ2I

Some or most of you may have seen this, just a reminder. :)

[Jeremy888]

Now that was a 5 star stand up comedy routine ..,well done sirs .Man made global warming and the nut cases who push it is definately a joke and a hoax . Even the US Govt was in on the hoax changing official temperature data to march the false narrative .I'm not buying it and I'm not alone.

Back on a serious note I want to strongly agree with flybouy's description of some people driving their Diesel like a Gas truck . Especially not warming up and cooling down. Driving to the market and back with no tow requires no cool down, but after a long fast or hard run ,especially when towing , I idle it 7 to 10 minutes at a minimum . I always let it it warm from a cold start at least 5 minutes and usually 10 ..On cold days your reward is jumping into a warm cab . Also Diesels require much more maintenance than gas... ,fuel snd air filter changes, and injector care, HPOP flush as I mentioned above... I paid cash for my truck after saving for a long time with the intention of it being my last truck. 19 years and counting. Maintenance is the key no matter what truck you own . Also flybouy is spot on concerning comparing apples to oranges... Dad taught me to take care of things , and it is so ingrained in my way of thinking that I treat the property of others the same as if it were my own ... .Dad said when you borrow something you return it better than when you got it, and if you ask again it will probably be loaned again . Give it back with a full tank of gas..a clean up ,whatever... yup it pays off .. .

[notanlines]

Jeremy, two things your dad maybe kept from you: If a loaned tool is going to break, it will break at the exact moment of first use by the borrower. And if you have the need to borrow a tool a second time, then you have a need to BUY this tool. :D

[Jeremy888]

Yup you re absolutely right Notanlines . I stopped borrowing tools long ago, Now I got a full shop and no where to put it all in the RV . So as sailors say I'm Schooner Rigged ...in the RV .. A real Schooner Rig in a seabag.... is a toothbrush and a bottle of Scotch !

[gearhead]

Y'all must know I'll be the last to get an alternative powered vehicle.
I used to follow Formula 1 racing but now they're running hybrids and I have absolutely no interest. I could understand DOHC Cosworth engines but forget a hybrid. I will admit to riding in a coworkers (from California) Prius hybrid. My niece and her husband have a Tesla but I'll never be offered a ride in it. The snowflakes had to eat Thanksgiving dinner alone in a separate room Thanksgiving of 2016. They were so depressed.
So Wednesday morning we're leaving Charleston for Charlotte. (Assuming I don't rip my roof open on the low limbs getting out of here). World of Outlaws Sprint Car finals on the Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Weather forecast just keeps getting worse. Overnight lows to 28F. I'm ready.
Edit add...the Hulman family is selling Indy Motor Speedway, Indy Racing League, and the sports car series to Roger Penske. Mr. Penske will surely bring back open wheel racing to some form of its previous glory. Maybe I WILL go to an Indy race again.

[slimchancepistolero]

"Toyota is the best truck? Have you driven one? Have you looked at the fuel mileage?
Did you know Toyota is paying to replace whole frames on trucks because they are rusting out?"
i do not know IF totoya is the best trk, but i do know starting in 2009 i bought several tundras TRD 5.7 ... gas mileage ran between 16 and 18 mpg hand calculated local driving and 10 to 11 mpg hc towing 8000#s ... total mileage driven in the tundras was around 150,000 miles and NEVER had a problem and the dealer know how to treat their customers, Ram dealer take note, am 70 yrs old now, before 2009 drove dodge trks ....
do you think dodge/ram, or chevy would replace a frame on a 10+ yr old trk??