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Looking to take my business on the road in a 6000lb fifth wheel. Is there a standard or recommended truck for this sort of thing for around 5K-10K? (Truck alone.) Plan on traveling across the US for 1-2 years max. I plan on posting up in one city then disconnecting to get supplies and sell my product at markets within a 4 hour radius of the base camp. Currently I'm looking at a 95 Ford Diesel Powerstroke 7.3 with 150k miles for about 6K. Am I'm on the right track? Should I consider gas instead? I'm planning this in advanced so everything is still in the early stages. I'm all ears for advice and suggestions.
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Jan 29, 2016 06:55
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| # ¿ May 12, 2024 18:42 |
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dreesemonkey posted:I come with nothing but anecdotal knowledge. Thanks bud. Can anyone else expand on just how much more it is the fix diesels? This would be a concern for us on the road. Is it like twice as much? I see a few decent 2500HDs in my area. At what point does diesel become more economical than gas? We will only be tripping for 1-2 years with a possible 15K miles on the rig. I had some plans to go bio diesel as well, so thats a plus.
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Jan 29, 2016 17:08
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dreesemonkey posted:There was a guy with a thread on here when he owned/ran a mechanics shop. A lot of people chimed in with how hard it is to find a good diesel mechanic and how expensive they are. Twice the cost (labor, parts) is probably about right. Yeah that's what I'm thinking now. My trip is relatively short compared to full timers and people who haul work gear 24/7. I could always upgrade along the way if things are going exceedingly well. We'd probably opt for a larger camper than the 20 foot we plan on using if we decide to go longer anyways. I wish it was easier for find these 2500s in manual
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Jan 29, 2016 18:15
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slidebite posted:I am a big Duramax fan but as mentioned they command a good premium and IIRC the early/mid 00s commonly suffered injector issues which is an expensive repair if not already done. 10K max. I may trade my current 2007 Mustang for one. Haven't decided. It's in great shape with low miles,. so it would be nice to come home to afterwards. Back when I was considering diesel, this was high on my list http://orlando.craigslist.org/cto/5401493273.html My biggest concern with diesel is having to get pricey repairs on the road, which looks like a real possibility with anything in my range. Then again, we plan on making money on this trip and keeping a low overhead. I'll have to talk to my tax guy, but gas and repairs will pretty much be a business expense.
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Jan 30, 2016 18:33
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FatCow posted:If you're willing to take a trip look at Dallas Craigslist. I almost flew down there and drove back when I bought my F250. Trucks are stupid cheap there. My grandma actually lives somewhere in Texas and has been wanting me to come stay for a week or two. This is definitely something for me to think about. I bet campers can be had cheap there as well.
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Jan 31, 2016 03:10
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slidebite posted:Vans are notoriously awkward to hook up to a fifth wheel hitch. Totally would if it was just me, and I had a base camp I was living at. But its me and my girlfriend, and we need to live and work out of unit for about a year. Everybody is talking about these chevys, but how about a Ford F250 or 350 Super Duty? I know nothing about them, but I seen tons of them on the road. Would something like that be comparable to the 2500HD, or is the Chevy inherently better for these things?
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Feb 1, 2016 02:23
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angryrobots posted:"It's been bulletproofed, I swear!" Whoa, that is nice.
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Feb 1, 2016 17:20
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angryrobots posted:I've got too much going on, if you're interested go for it. Hell if it's still around fo angryrobots posted:I've got too much going on, if you're interested go for it. Out of my budget and too soon for us to move in anything. Just wanted to do some early research so I could say least know what I'm looking for. I have a 2007 Ford mustang with 73K miles on it that I'm looking to trade or sell towards the truck. Seeing it I get any good local offers.
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Feb 1, 2016 22:37
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Got an offer for an 03 Dodge 2500 Cummins 5.9 24v with about 160k miles http://m.cumminshub.com/24v.html Body looks clean. Looks like a family truck, no heavy work. I just don't know Jack poo poo about the year, model, and engine. But I'd get this as a trade which allows me a little extra wiggle room on money for repairs/setup. E: The guy drives the truck an hour a day to work and is tired of hearing the diesel. The thing looks pretty clean. I'd love some advice on the model philkop fucked around with this message at 01:52 on Feb 4, 2016 |
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Feb 4, 2016 01:42
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sharkytm posted:'03 was the first year of the CR injection system. The CP3 fuel pumps can be bitchy, but they're better than the new ones. It's minimally emissions-dickered, so they normally command a premium. I'd go see how it starts in the cold, and get a compression test done. If it's the automatic, check to see if it's been maintained. The 47RE autobox was barely adequate behind the Cummins, and they like to blow up around 150K, even without abuse. You might just budget a new tranny right off the bat if you need it to be reliable towing a heavy load cross-country. It does have the 6 as the 8th! Honestly. This seems like a younger guy who's parents bought him a truck. He goes to college near me. I might have found my truck. Thanks for the advice.
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Feb 4, 2016 02:16
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Powershift posted:When you're checking it out, you can cycle the key from off to on 3 times ending in the on position and get all the codes. Like flashing codes? Is this some kind of engine check? The truck already has a fifth wheel hitch and something called a cortex program.
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Feb 4, 2016 02:18
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sharkytm posted:stuff Yeah, that makes a lot of sense actually. Apparently the previous owner installed the cortex to tow the fifth wheel. I'm going to check it out but I'll do some more research. The thing is supposedly under a dealer warranty. It also might be somewhat relevant to mention that I'm not paying for this particular truck, I'd be trading my 07 mustang with a very bad clutch for it. If I trade outright, I'd have a little more time and money to spend making this thing trip worthy if the engine is solid. philkop fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Feb 4, 2016 |
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Feb 4, 2016 02:36
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sharkytm posted:gently caress, if they'll do an even swap, that truck is probably worth 15K or more. A local guy just sold a 12v for $11K up here, with over 200K on it. That's what I'm saying. I figured the young gun thing helps me there. A younger guy who doesn't want to do the work selling it, but wouldn't mind even trading at less than value for a Stang. Wait, that doesn't sound like a good previous owner for my potential truck... You never know though. philkop fucked around with this message at 02:43 on Feb 4, 2016 |
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Feb 4, 2016 02:40
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leica posted:ask the owner how much ROLLING COAL he does, strike 4. For real though, any easy test? Finger in the muffler?
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Feb 4, 2016 02:42
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sharkytm posted:flip it and buy something better. That's totally a viable worst case option. Best case, there's not too much wrong with it.
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Feb 4, 2016 02:47
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sharkytm posted:I'm just gonna leave that there... not commenting. I mean, the soot might leave my finger black if they do that often. Lol
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Feb 4, 2016 04:15
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Terrible Robot posted:If the "best case" for your new turbodiesel, chipped, 5th wheel pickup is "not too much wrong with it", that is not a best case. I feel you. But I'm not buying anything. I'd be even trading a lesser vehicle with " not too much wrong with it." But I guess best best case, the truck is pristine. A friend of a friend works on diesel trucks. He's going to check it out for me for a few rounds of beers. philkop fucked around with this message at 04:29 on Feb 4, 2016 |
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Feb 4, 2016 04:23
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literally a fish posted:Any muffler that's been used on a car for any length of time is going to have soot buildup on the inside of the tip. The way I see it, if I can get this as an even trade. I'm ok with putting 5K into the truck between now and when we set sail (september.)
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Feb 4, 2016 06:03
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So I questioned the guy about the VIN not pulling up as correct, and suddenly he's not into mustangs.
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Feb 4, 2016 19:02
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Sandbagger SA posted:I've towed this camper quite a bit (the furthest trip being about 200 miles to an NEAI goonmeet). Yeah, I really wanted a Jeep to work, but I tossed that idea out early on after some research. Even the Unlimited's would have a tough time, which surprised me because I thought it was mostly a wheel base thing. Your set up is sweet for a weekend down at the lake thing though.
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Feb 5, 2016 17:05
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angryrobots posted:No one asked for this, and its not my thread... I was really surprised there wasn't a truck megathread. Maybe this should be the start.
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Feb 15, 2016 00:12
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| # ¿ May 12, 2024 18:42 |
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I've explored other options. The current plan is to get a 14" box truck and convert it ourselves. I see alot of trucks in good condition in my area pretty cheap. We didn't really like any of the campers we saw anyways, and since we'll be working out of this, it's better we make it to our specs. In my state, you can get them registered as a regular heavy truck. I talked to some dmv people about registering it as an RV and its doable. E: the majority of the trucks I'm looking at are Ford e350s or 7.3L Diesels
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Feb 15, 2016 17:17
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