Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Older 3/4 ton truck choices?

We have had some financial issues crop up like medical stuff etc so I we are selling our sequoia and going back to the commuter car I drive and my 2000 1500 ext. cab chevy that had been relegated from the daily driver to a work/fun truck.

I am looking at selling that truck as well and getting a crew cab to better fit my 2 growing boys and had been wanting to upgrade to a 3/4 ton. We are selling the slide in camper (which is why I was wanting to upgrade) and hopefully replacing it with a pull behind but nothing large. I could get away with another 1/2 ton in that capacity but kind of want the flexibility for towing, especially in our mountainous terrain, of a 3/4 ton.

Anyway have been looking at the 7.3 powerstrokes and the duramaxes as well as the 6.0 gas in the 2000-2006 era. Ford's options for gas in that era where either the 460 or the V10 which I don't need that kind of rig for what I am doing and the 5.4 which seemed to me a little on the small side for a 3/4 ton. Don't have any experience with it so I may be misjudging.

Not looking at the dodge as they only had an extended cab until 2006 with the mega cab and if those have the cummins they are still out of my league price wise.

Thoughts on which truck, known issues to look for, etc.?

If you indeed have some financial problems, stick with a gasser.Anything diesel cost a lot more to repair.

5.4 runs out of steam pulling a trailer in mountains. Been there with f-150. Lot of 2nd gear and occasionally 1st gear. 22ft bumper pull with gross at 7000 lbs capacity.

Definitely skip the 5.4, especially in an F250. I drove one for work for a summer and it could barely get out of its own way, I can't imagine having a trailer behind it. The Ford v10 is a thirsty SOB, but pulls with the best of them.

I really enjoy my '97 460 F250. It is thirsty but I really only drive it when pulling my RV or horse trailer. It is a tiny % of the miles I drive so I don't worry about it. I have a corolla for my daily driver.

Mine only has 83k. I don't go fast but I've pulled our little 24' 5th wheel RV over some of the steepest highest passes in Wyoming.

Mine is an extended cab, but there are plenty of the crew cabs. My friend had a '96 crew cab F350.

I really like the 5spd manual in mine, but they can be hard to find.

The 460s are tough, dependable, and relatively easy to work on. I hear good things about the V10 too. I think there is a spark plug issue in certain years to be aware of.

I have an '05 GMC 2500 quad cab with the 6.0 gasser. I picked it up two years ago for less than $15,000. In '05 GM put the floating wrist pins in the 6.0 which eliminated the piston slap so familiar with the earlier engines. My lifetime mileage is 12.5 which isn't great if you want prius mileage but it tows my 28' bumper pull with ease and takes me hunting where I want to go. The wife says it's so comfortable and easier to see out that she'd rather we use it for our road trips than her car. There's my $.02

I drove a 99 Crew Cab Short Bed 4x4 F350 with the 5.4 and 4.30 gears for a couple of years..it worked just fine. It got 12mpg whether loaded or empty, and was stone reliable. I pulled several decent, not extreme, loads with it, and while it wasnt a rocketship, I never felt like it was incredibly weak.

That being said, I am a Ford Mod motor fan. They are incredibly reliable and long lived when treated with even a modicum of preventative maintenance. Im currently in an 02 F150 Supercrew F150 with the 5.4, and am quite happy.

Get a Chevy or GMC with a 6.0 LS gas engine. Stoutest gas engines made. mtmuley

I agree. Unless you plan to do some heavy towing, a diesel isn't the way to go. Fuel is more expensive and they don't get the super mileage since the feds screwed them up.

Here at least the cost differential has diesel less than gasoline. Switch was about six months ago.

Around here diesel is about .40 higher than gas right now. It hasn't been cheaper in many years.

I agree with this. 5.4 with deeper gears in a superduty chassis. I'd want to be higher ratio than 3.73 for sure, I would think low 10's would be about right.

I've owned superduties before, a 2000 model and an 06 model.

I now own an 03 chev 2500HD and it is the sorriest excuse for a heavy duty truck... I mean seriously man, this thing is a big stupid car, it's no kind of truck at all.

Every single thing about this chevy is weak and fragile. I absolutely hate it. Electrical problems, mechanical problems, interior problems... It is a horrible machine.

The exhaust manifold bolts on the 6.0 are famous for breaking (all by themself), most of mine are broken so it sounds like a demo derby car. I've replaced throttle body, drive by wire accel pedal, plugs, wires in order to reduce the amount of codes the engine was throwing. The last code was difficult, I had to find a shop that could perform a camshaft position relearn due to a little stretch in the cam drive system. I have the truck so it rarely throws codes anymore but there is still an engine vibration at cruise speed. The hubs up front of course were bad, I replaced them.

I can tell you honestly having owned super duty fords and now owning this "HD" chevy, there is no comparison under these trucks when looking at axles, springs, steering joints, driveline components etc. The chevy does not fall into the same "robust by design" catagory as the Fords.

Do you ever experience a tiny bit of ice crust or frost on your side windows? I do, I've been driving for 30 years and I've never had a power window fail on me until this chevy. I had a very small amount of ice crust on my side window, I hit the down button and instantly heard a "pop!" inside the door. I've had this floppy saggy, have to slam it to get it shut piece of crap chevy door apart to see what broke. Like everything else chevy, the power window drive system is very dainty and fragile. a wimpy little cable snapped inside the door. (the door that you have to slam because it sags sofuckingbad even after installing new hinge bushings.

If you want to engage 4 wheel drive, come to a complete stop before hitting the button or else it sounds like you drove over an IED.

Steering... Get used to the various popping and groaning noises that come with steering.

These are just a few of the highlights of my chevy 2500 HD experience.

120 thousand miles for those wondering.

I'm pretty sure it was a heap of chit from day one though.

Get a superduty, 5.4 would be fine with deep enough gears. As with any choice, look for an unaltered truck hopefully from a responsible middle age or older adult.

Stay away from lifted with big tires, fifth wheel and goose neck hitches can be a red flag but they can also be a good thing. Some old guys will buy these trucks just to pull their camper to the lake in the spring and then back home in the fall.


Good luck in what ever you choose, I for one will not recommend anything chevy.

Jeez. And you kept it for 120K? An uncle has an oilfield business in Northern Montana and and after using many different trucks says the 5.4 Fords are the most underpowered 3/4 ton trucks made. mtmuley

No, I purchased it at 120k, I drive it very little because I don't trust it.

My super duty experiences were trucks purchased at around the same miles.

Comparing the 2 trucks in my experience is like comparing a safe door to a floppy old wooden screen door.


If I didn't know any better I suppose I would be ok with it.

But it's like taking a long time owner of glocks, Sigs, S&W and springfields and giving them a taurus. They might not like the taurus, because they have owned and used better stuff.

dont think a good 7.3 ford or an early duramax would run you any cheaper than a dodge cummins from that era


id probably look for a ford v10 or maybe a3/4 dodge with a hemi if you want to keep the cost down....either of those choices will give you alot more get up and go than a 5.4 ford and really no penalty in gas milege.....the 5.4 3/4 tons are known to be plenty thirsty

The best truck you could put together (in my opinion)

An F350 with a 12 valve cummins, backed up with an allison trans.

I have a 4x4 2000 3/4 GMC extra cab long box with the 6.0 liter engine. The only thing I ever had a problem with was when the power steering pump went out. The mechanic said that it never happens. Well until mine. That was 7 years ago. It always starts. The auto 4 is real nice too.

I have towed up to 4 tons of hay at one time with it, but now just do 3. It pulled it fine, but with the trailer I thought I might be pushing it and the terrain isn't the best until I can get to the road.

It is 16 years old and the the only reason I think of getting something newer is a growing family. Can't fit them all in it since it has bucket seats and only carries 5 people. I hope when that happens I can afford to keep this one too. It has never let me down.

2011+ gm/chevy 2500/3500's are a different beast than the 2010 and below. They redid the frame/suspension/brakes, etc. while leaving the body the same. The 2011+ is substantially more solid that pre 2011 trucks and anything the competition put out that year. Ford and ram had to redo a year or two later to keep up, which they did. They are all good/bad/ugly depending on your point of view. Gasser are cheaper but don't hold their value like a diesel. If I didn't tow many miles I would get a used gasser and let someone else take the big depreciation hit.

I've had 4 Fords with the 5.4 and while it's no diesel I wouldn't discount it for occasional towing. My current pickup is an 04 F250 with 5.4 and 6sp manual transmission, best truck I've ever owned. Zero trouble out of it ever, gets 18-20mpg highway if I refrain from driving like a Texan, and will pull and stop a boat or travel trailer of reasonable size pretty good.

Mine has tall gears and don't pul as wel as one with a 4:10 gear set would, but for the 95 percent of the time I'm not towing it gets good mileage. I'd look for a F250XL trim crew cab with the 5.4 and the 4:10 or 4:30 rear end. It wil do okay towing and they can be bought cheap if they're the XL without all the leather and lace

I still say the LS engines are the best. Built since 99 while Dodge and Ford are always searching for a "better" engine. You can get a bad truck with any maker. I have an 03 GMC with 160K. Never babied here in Montana. General maintenance is all I've done. 15 mpg in general driving. These claims of high mpg in a 3/4 ton gasser make me wonder. Get the one you like. mtmuley