a '99 -03 will be intercooler and probally work out better for towing however the old body style 7.3Ls seem to hold there value ALOT more around my area anyway. A 12v cummins would pull anything you could hook to it but the 24v will get better fuel milage

 

not sure if you would want to take that big a step back in vehicle just to have the power to tow? I personally have not seen a 7.3 get great mpg towing or otherwise but it could be just the setups of the trucks i've been in, my buddy's 97ish? 7.3 tows a bobcat and gets about 11mpg doing it.. unloaded it's only getting 15 at best. and it's in GREAT shape.

a big thing to check is gearing, if it's got say a 4.10 gear it;s going to pull anything from a standstill like it's nothing and suck down fuel like no tomorrow on the highway.

 

OK, so you guys have cinvinced me to stay away from the older vehicles.... plus the wife and kids would want a newer vehiclwe to ride in for longer trips as well. Are there certain trucks that have had challenges in the 07-10 range?

 

All trucks gave challenges thru have to overcome, dont know much about newer trucks. I think he meant stay away from like anything older that 97 or so.... I have a 99 F250 SD 7.3, and love it 4x4 short bed extended cab. I see 15-18 mpg but u have bigger tires. Everyone has their own opinions. Cummins are cheaper than fords to work on most the time and same with fords compared to chevy or gmc in my opinion. To find a decent duramax your going to have to spend upwards of 17,000 in most cases. You can find a decent low miles cummins or powerstroke for 13-14k or less. I saw a 112,000 my 24valve cummins for 12500 the other day on craigslist


Strokin' Away

 

Every model has challenges in one way or another. I guess it comes down to preference. You have an idea on what you want, options, color? That all makes alot easier when I bought my 06 I new what I wanted. 5.9 leather megacab dually 4x4 any color other than silver,I already got a silver dually.

 

room for family is a big consideration, also ride quality! who wants to be bouncing around with a swaying trailer and upset kids

I would suggest ford or chevy for best interior room and comfort.

I went from a 2000 dodge extended cab short bed to an 06 chevy ext cab short bed and the room and comfort in the rear seats is night and day. my friends old 6.0 ford 4 door was very comfortable. it's big in my pick because I have an 11yr old and a 9mos old so I need room for the carseat.. generally have 5 people in the truck for most travel and I hate to hear anyone bitch

 

Any Duramax in that range, from 06 and up, would be a good one. Good engine, good tranny, good truck around it. And if you put exhaust and an economy/tow tune on them, they get pretty good mileage too.

 

I can say personally if you want room get the megacab. I love it my son can't kick the back of the seat. The kids love it cause they have so much room. And I had a DVD put in best mod I have ever done. Nice quiet rides everywhere we go. Plus the get the 06 or early 07 with 5.9 cat delete and a tune your at 19+ on the highway with the right gearing of course. JMO

 

Can anyone suggest a good mechanic or mobile mechanic in the Dallas area to do a pre-sale inspection specifically for diesels?

 

Question: should I be worried of the 2 trucks I am interested in both have had 5th wheel hookups in the past? Both are 2006 models with around 60k miles.