i82much

I'm glad I bought a 2016 gas HD truck. I got 4.10 gears, a rear locker, and a two-speed transfer case. And with 2800 lbs of payload, I don't need no stinkin' max tow!

Call me crazy, but if you can handle a little basic maintenance, it doesn't get much more reliable than a stovebolt 6. If the compression and oil pressure are good, I'd say give it a tune-up, convert the points over to some type of electronic ignition, do a basic carb rebuild, and drive that little 6 until it starts wheezing. That might take a lot longer than you think!

Yeah who knows. I am sure the 1500 will get the job done, I just am that guy who errs on the side of caution. You know, carry 10 cans of fix-a-flat with me, red loctite on kids furniture, shoot deer with .338 win mag, that sort of thing. Totally normal stuff, right?

I went 2500HD because it was cheap. A new crew 5.5 half ton LT was mid-30's, that's what I paid for my crew 6.5 2500HD work truck (35k).

really? I would think you could find an LT 6.0 2500HD for about the same price as a 6.2 half ton.

Get a 6.0 2500HD. They aren't bad daily drivers, they last forever, and the 6.2 isn't exactly an economy engine anyway. In 10 years your 6.0 will still be begging you to flog it, you'll still have all your original axle joints, ball joints, and steering gear, the trailer will be much more stable, and you might finally have to do a brake job.

tell us about the trailer ...

awesome, congrats!

You bring back a muscle car, all you have to do is make it fast and make it look good. So there has been a lot of success at doing so, the Mustang, Camaro, and Mopars are great and really evoke the original. But realistically, there is only one solid front axle SUV out there, the Wrangler, and the rest of the modern SUV's are just pale imitations. You can't throw a unibody chassis and a bunch of CV axles on something with a Blazer nameplate and pretend like it is anything like an old K5. I can't see myself having any interest in something like this, I would get a Wrangler instead. Yeah, FCA makes junk, but at least the Wrangler is authentic junk. This thing is just a glorified Honda Pilot.

it still blows my mind that the hd trucks are about the same price as the 1/2 ton. you get a stronger frame, better brakes, a full floating rear, stronger ifs, no afm, 4.10 and locker standard, upgraded transmission, a real clutch fan, all for about the same price. and what do you give up? some fuel economy and a rougher ride. suck it up and get a real truck, man.

I get 12.5 or so in my 6.0 2500hd. Quit yer dang complaining 😢

I've always bought new vehicles with the expectation of keeping them for a long time. However the years, I found that I consistently underestimated my future vehicle needs and wound up trading in far sooner than I initially expected. First I bought a 2wd base model Ranger. Before too long, I decided I needed a 4x4, so I traded it for a regular cab Silverado 4x4. Did lots of solo camping in the Silverado but then I got a girlfriend who didn't want her stuff getting wet, so I traded the Silverado for a 2 door Wrangler. Well, next thing I know we have a son and a couple of dogs, so I trade the Jeep in for a 4 door Wrangler. Well, then baby girl comes along, the back seat of that 4 door Jeep was cramped anyway and the side impact protection sucks, so I decided I needed a crew cab pickup. Initially, I was thinking 1500 short bed, I don't tow heavy. But I kept on thinking about how quickly I outgrew the previous vehicles, and I knew when the kids get older we'd probably want to get a big travel trailer. Also, I remember sleeping in the bed of my father's truck growing up and would like to do some truck camping with the kids whenever the wife isn't up for it. So now I'm looking for a crew 6.5 bed half ton. You know what doesn't cost a dime more than a crew 6.5 half done? A crew 6.5 2500HD gasser. So I bought one. It will be a long, long time before I need more truck than I have now. Maybe I'll actually keep this one for a while, unlike EVERY SINGLE OTHER NEW VEHICLE I EVER BOUGHT. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Well, until I get the diesel bug ...

i just wanted a basic steel truck with no fuel economy gimmicks something that would last forever. the few extra ponies on the ram and ford never weighed into my decision one bit.

Stop! You are wasting your money. I had the old 4.3 Vortec and I never *needed* more power, your truck is a rocket compared to my old one. If you want a faster truck, buy a truck with a bigger engine. You aren't saving any money buying a 4.3 truck and then putting money in it to mod it, and you sure as heck aren't saving money if you do an engine swap. If you've just got to mess with something, buy an old square body or earlier truck and mess with it. Keep the hood closed on your new truck and that way you'll always have something that will start and get you where you need to go.

If I were buying a new truck for the usage you describe, I'd be considering the same trucks you are considering. The total cost of ownership of those gas trucks is probably better than a diesel by a good bit. But if I already had a relatively new diesel F250, I don't think I'd be shopping for a new truck. Yes, your current truck is far more than you need, but you're going to eat a pretty big chunk on depreciation on the trade. So what do you really gain? If you keep your F250, I think in 10 years you are in better financial shape as your F250 will be worth more than either gas truck you are thinking about buying. Bottom line, you will get to drive more truck for the foreseeable future with the same or lower cost just by staying where you are at instead of getting a new gas truck.