Used truck advice needed

We are looking for a used truck, hoping some folks here can weigh in on some of their experiences. This will become my daily driver, but the main reason for purchasing will be to tow a ranger reata 1850.

I’m hoping to stay under $20k(closer to $15k would be great), with as low mileage as we can find. Need the crew cab, as we’ll be bringing two kids + dog along on many family outings.

I know truck talk gets very personal, but right now I’ve mainly been looking at F150s and Silverado. I think I like the idea of the Ecoboost engine on the Fords(better mileage on daily driving? More ‘fun’ to drive?), but I don’t know if they are less reliable once you get past 100k miles or not.

I don’t need super fancy trim, but don’t want anything super bare bones. The newer F150 XLTs seem to have a good balance of features without inflating the price too much, but I just don’t know a ton about trucks.

My wife does not want a Dodge/RAM, as we/she/family have not had good luck with Dodge cars in the past. That may be totally stupid, but it’s where I’m at :).

Or heck, should I be looking at something with 120k miles? 100k miles just seems like such a natural cut-off point for ‘newish’ to ‘old and will need a lot of repairs’, but I don’t really have any experience to base that on…

You should have no problem finding a crew cab with a short box. They are everywhere. Good luck finding one if you are looking for a regular box or long box. Took me 3 months to find a regular box (6’-6”)Ecoboost F150 with 70K on it.

philtickelson wrote:

We are looking for a used truck, hoping some folks here can weigh in on some of their experiences. This will become my daily driver, but the main reason for purchasing will be to tow a ranger reata 1850.

I’m hoping to stay under $20k(closer to $15k would be great), with as low mileage as we can find. Need the crew cab, as we’ll be bringing two kids + dog along on many family outings.

I know truck talk gets very personal, but right now I’ve mainly been looking at F150s and Silverado. I think I like the idea of the Ecoboost engine on the Fords(better mileage on daily driving? More ‘fun’ to drive?), but I don’t know if they are less reliable once you get past 100k miles or not.

I don’t need super fancy trim, but don’t want anything super bare bones. The newer F150 XLTs seem to have a good balance of features without inflating the price too much, but I just don’t know a ton about trucks.

My wife does not want a Dodge/RAM, as we/she/family have not had good luck with Dodge cars in the past. That may be totally stupid, but it’s where I’m at :).

If you want a crew cab and are mainly focusing on GM or Ford, it seems the best “bargain” would be to look at the F150’s in the 2010-2014 range. If you can handle not having the newest body style, you can save some coin on that alone. The crew cab models bring a heftier price tag that is likely going to price you out of the newer body style without substantial mileage. The ecoboost was available in these trucks and I have heard very few complaints and mostly positives regarding their ability to tow.

I’ve been passively looking since Winter for a new used F150 as well. My price range is in the $20-24k range with a supercab (extended cab) model versus the crew cab. Finding trucks without the crew cab is becoming harder and harder with each passing year. Every year that passes seems there are more and more “jacked-up minivans” as my wife calls them on the road than what I think of as a traditional “truck”

philtickelson wrote:

I’m hoping to stay under $20k

My wife does not want a Dodge/RAM, as we/she/family have not had good luck with Dodge cars in the past. That may be totally stupid, but it’s where I’m at :).

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I bought a 2011 Ram w 26k miles for 20k 6 years ago. I got 12k w 160k miles this fall trading it on a 2017 Ram w 7k miles that was a 32k sticker. So I’m no help, but you may be missing out on some good opportunities, the 5.7 Hemi is a great engine imo. But also understand it’s tough to overcome a veto! Goood luck!

I have had good luck with GM but I am a GM guy, as does our company. We have ran ford and gm vehicles and are currently almost all gm now for different reasons. On our GM vehicles the 5.3 lasts but can give you trouble with the DOD (displacement on demand) or 4 cyl. mode with stuck lifters. If caught right away you can repair the lifters and keep on going. Fords have also had issues with timing chains and other valve train issues.

Both have their pros and cons, and you can hear equal amounts of horror stories on either. And once you ask which one is more reliable that’s when you get the biased reviews typically.

If this is just a tow rig I would opt for finding something with 4.10 gears or 3.73 gearing at least. It will hurt mileage but if you are just towing Id rather have the right combo and pay more at the pump.

I wouldn’t count out the Ram.

Definitely take one for a spin.

I’ve had them for my last two trucks and love(d) them both.

Before that I had a 2013 Silverado. It was a good truck, but that 5.3 leaves something to be desired in the power department…..

I have had both Ford and Chevy trucks and like both. Would not hesitate to buy either again. The reason I am a Ford guy now and have been since 2010 is the cab room in a crew cab is much larger in the back in the ford. That was a huge selling point for me and the other thing was Chevy didn’t make the crew cab with a 6.5′ box back then. My 2010 F150 was at 190,000 with very few issues and no major ones when I traded it in on a F350 diesel .

B-man wrote:

I wouldn’t count out the Ram.

Definitely take one for a spin.

I’ve had them for my last two trucks and love(d) them both.

Before that I had a 2013 Silverado. It was a good truck, but that 5.3 leaves something to be desired in the power department…..

This cracks me up! He was very clear that the wife said no to Ram and all of us that are still married know the wife rules the roost, whether you want to admit it or not.

Spend the time looking online and researching, I spent a few months looking everyday for a truck until I found one of two with my specifications. If you’re able to open up your search area to out of state as you can find good deals the further down south you go. Found a 2014 silverado crew cab 6’6′ bed with 50K miles for $22K, deals are out there you just have to jump on them when you find it.

Don’t want a SUV?

I personally enjoy having all my stuff secure in the vehicle

My Tahoe and now Yukon have been solid, both bought after 150k miles.

I will start looking at some RAMs I guess, is their crewcab as roomy as the Fords?

I’ll put on probably 12-15k miles a year, which puts a 70k mile and 120k mile truck about a 4 years of use difference.

My current daily driver is getting borderline dangerous to drive on the highway, so I’m unfortunately on something of a time crunch.

Deuces wrote:

Don’t want a SUV?

I personally enjoy having all my stuff secure in the vehicle

My Tahoe and now Yukon have been solid, both bought after 150k miles.

Was originally looking at Tahoe/Yukon, but I feel like the resale on those is a bit higher. And I will appreciate the utility of a pickup, with a lot of yard work in our future.

I’ve been casually shopping for a truck. One thing they all have in common at that $15K price point is over 100,000 miles and rust. On the GM/chev it’s the rear wheel wells, on the fords its the cab corners.
start looking at enough trucks and it’s amazing how many 2008 & newer GM trucks have bolt on fender flairs. It’s to cover up the rust bubbles.

Not sure what kind of payment you want to stay within, but have you thought about possibly leasing a new truck?? You figure you put on roughly 12 to 15000 miles a year, maybe look into a truck with a 15000 mile lease.

Leasing was cheaper for me payment wise versus looking at an older truck with a bunch of miles on it for the same price if not more than leasing a new truck of the lot.

I am currently leasing a ’18 f150 xlt crewcab 3.5 ecoboost, got 4000 trade in for my Tahoe, put my payment at 375 a month

philtickelson wrote:

I will start looking at some RAMs I guess, is their crewcab as roomy as the Fords?

I’m not familiar w the Fords. However my old Ram was a quad cab and was too small for a baby seat, so my wife recommended I look for something new/bigger. That’s how I ended up in the newer crew cab (assuming I have these terms right, I always mix them up). And the new truck fits the baby seat behind my drivers seat, or 4 adult men comfortably.

My previous truck was a 2012 ram crew cab 1500. The cab was bigger then my now Silverado 2500.

Check out cargurus.com

Good site for searching vehicles. Also agree on expanding the search to out of state. I’ve seen some trucks listed for 70-80% of what they are listed at in MN in other states. I’m always researching trucks but I’m still 3 to 4 years away from a new truck. Currently I drive an 06 Durango and I’ve been surprised at how well it’s worked for us even if it is ugly. Buddy has a 2017 RAM and it’s nice. When the time comes for me to buy I’ll be focused on an F150 or Tundra and I’ll probably test drive a RAM. Who knows though in 4 years everything will probably be different. Bigwerm is right the HEMI is a nice engine. Loads of power! Ram just came out with a new model so might be able to find some good deals on 2-3 year old trucks as guys look to update.

philtickelson wrote:

I know truck talk gets very personal

youre damn right it does lol. I can agree with the above that Cargurus should be your #1 site to rely on. Just did a quick research and see there are 97 listings within 200 mi of the cities that fit the criteria you are asking (and thats only Chevys cause who in their right mind would by a Ford over a Chevy?)

Find a 6.2L silverado without DoD (for example, my 2010 has a 6.2 without the cylinder shutdown).

235k miles and never an issue other than standard wear parts and of course the shitty electrical sensors (Evap canister solenoid twice in the last 2 years, oh well at $25 a pop). Rebuilt front end (ball joint, shocks, sway bar linkages, etc) at 200k.

Towing is great, gas mileage is okay enough, sitting around 17.5 highway. I was pulling 19.5 highway with the original size tires but I upsized a bit so that hurt mileage.

I test drove a 2012 f150 with the ecoboost, and man, these new trucks don’t drive like trucks!

I drove a buddy’s 2005 F150 for a week and liked it well enough, but this 2012 was actually pretty fun to drive, and the cab is massive.

I have a 2015 F-150 that I purchased new and I love it. I went with the 5.0 liter engine vs. the EcoBoost. I am averaging about 17.5 mpg at the 40000 mile point.
Before you pull the trigger on the EcoBoost, you really should read some of the reviews about towing with them. The newer F-150s are pretty light trucks, so if you pull a heavy load (like your boat) the engine ends up working pretty hard. The “boost” on the EcoBoost is essentially a turbo, so once you put a good load on it your mileage will drop much faster than it would with the 5.0 liter.

That being said, I love the cabs on the F-150s and having a flat back floor is great when you have to put things inside (like gun cases, etc.). They will slide right up under the seats and still leave foot space for passengers.

Mikkel Broas wrote:

The “boost” on the EcoBoost is essentially a turbo, so once you put a good load on it your mileage will drop much faster than it would with the 5.0 liter.

The overall fuel economy of the ecoboost is not as good as the 5.0. Regardless of what the window sticker says.

I also own a 2015 but with ecoboost 3.5. It is a blast to drive and is a beast for towing. I get about 17 mpg around town and up to 21 on the highway in the summer. Pulling my 20’ fiberglass boat I average between 9.5 and 12 mpg. Depending on the time of year and wind. Winter I get worse, summer is better.

The 5.0 is great but I don’t believe there is any reason NOT to buy an ecoboost. Unless it’s one of the earlier ones. They might require a little more maintenance than the newer ones in the long run.

Mikkel Broas wrote:

Before you pull the trigger on the EcoBoost, you really should read some of the reviews about towing with them. The newer F-150s are pretty light trucks, so if you pull a heavy load (like your boat) the engine ends up working pretty hard. The “boost” on the EcoBoost is essentially a turbo, so once you put a good load on it your mileage will drop much faster than it would with the 5.0 liter

Mikkel- I have a 3.5 EcoBoost and thought the same thing, but I now have 2 data points that tell a different story. I have many 400 mile trips pulling a 20 ft glass boat that weighs in around 5000 loaded for fishing on the trailer. In my EcoBoost, depending on hills and wind I get 10-11 MPG. We’ve now towed the exact same boat on two different 400 mile trips with a buddies 5.0 and got the same mileage (10-11 MPG). I think these two motors are pretty comparable in gas mileage. There might be a slight edge to the EcoBoost when not towing, but it is highly dependent on wind and hills. The more you get into those turbo’s, the more the mileage drops and it can be quite a drop if very hilly or driving into an oncoming wind. I wouldn’t buy an EcoBoost for gas mileage, but for towing it’s really great with tons of torque. For me personally, if I didn’t tow often, or tow heavy loads, I’d get the 5.0, but if towing heavier loads or towing often, I think the EcoBoost is the way to go.

You guys have to remember also Ford went from a 6 speed trany to a 10 speed trany and have auto stall when stopped on the newer trucks.

If you are looking at the Fords ( I am a Ford man ) do not buy an Ecoboost in the 2011-2013 unless the timing chain has been done. Do search on it, it turns out to be about a $3,000 fix and usually acurrs around 60,000 miles. If the truck has had the work done already your good to go.

Just a heads up.

I would go with the 5.0 in the ford.Like was mentioned the chain issue in the Ecoboost motors.If you have issues with the Ecoboost it can be spendy.The 5.0 seems to be bullet proof and has ben their motor forever.

chuck100 wrote:

I would go with the 5.0 in the ford.Like was mentioned the chain issue in the Ecoboost motors.If you have issues with the Ecoboost it can be spendy.The 5.0 seems to be bullet proof and has ben their motor forever.

Forever must not be very long for you, the 5.0 coyote has been out for what, 8-10 years now?

Look across the river in Wisconsin. All used vehicles by law have some 90 point inspection by certified mechanics. Plus tax rate is a bit lower if I remember right. Found an 07 Sierra 1500 in St. Croix Falls 3 or so years ago for around 20k. 56k miles loaded and just an awesome looking and perfoming truck. Best vehicle purchase I have made. I’m a GMC guy for life….those new trucks make me drool but I’ll have to get a new to me as my next one. 50k for a new truck is pretty ridiculous!

Towing is great, gas mileage is okay enough, sitting around 17.5 highway. I was pulling 19.5 highway with the original size tires but I upsized a bit so that hurt mileage.
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Your odometer is now registering wrong because of your over sized tires. If you know how many gallons iof fuel it took for certain trip, check it again. It should take the same amount. You are just registering fewer miles on your truck unless you had it reprogrammed to the new tire size.