I'm considering a new F250 in a plain Jane no frills work truck package.

6.2 gas engine, auto trans, 4x4, crew cab, long box. vinyl floor and crank windows all the way around. Cloth seats, stereo and AC, thats about it.

All business, low on luxury.

Yes? No?

Back in the 80s when I pumped oil and gas wells, all the company would buy was 1/2 ton 6 cyl, 3 speed transmission, no A/C. The old guys told me the company wouldn't buy heaters for the trucks until they became standard. I wore out 3 of those trucks at 100,000 miles each.

The trucks got me where I needed to go, and at the time I really didn't miss A/C because I was use to not having it. So unless you need to pickup women you are probably making a wise choice.

Well Dave, it all depends on how you use it, and what you want.
A regular cab, 5 speed, and a big 6 cylinder if they offer a 6 now days would be my idea.

I grew up around the late 40's/50's pickups.
I still remember opening the side flap vents, did the cobb dust, and dirt roll out!

I had a plain jane work truck for about 10 years, until my kid totaled it

It was comfortable enough, a truck with all the goo gaws would have only got me a couple grand more in insurance money vs costing over $10k more at the dealership, and all those frills are the things that break on a truck.

I wouldn't mind paying a couple grand more for a few of the features I'd like, but it seems like the upgrades come in $10k increments.

Plain Jane? Nah.

Crew cab with full-size bed? Never!

Search kbb resale on trucks that are WT term vs optioned up (assuming you plan on ever selling). You get some money back on resale and it may be easier to sell a truck that more people want. I almost bought one like you describe but was talked into more options by my better half. I don't begrudge the options I have but some of them (auto climate control) have had some very minor issues. To me, you either go vinyl or leather. Cloth sucks on a working truck.

I'd do it in a heartbeat, except, I'd go one step further and LineX the interior floors and get rid of the vinyl altogether. Probably have the rocker panels LineXed too.

Truck is dirty. Get the hose. I meant inside. So did I.

I'm a fan of fairly basic but not of the manual windows. I live in the high desert where we have 300+ days of sunshine, so I tint all of my windows. I want to be able to roll them all down from the driver's seat when backing up, looking for game, and a thousand other reasons.

My wagon is an F-350 XL with power windows/locks, tilt and cruise (those are pretty much req. in my mind). It also has vinyl seats, rubber floors, and a manual trans. Some of the other stuff is nice, though, like compass and thermometer, backup camera, etc. That stuff can be added.

I've had many of those Dave. Being a ford man, you probably remember the "custom" badging. One of my favorites was an '89 F250 4x4 with the 300ci and 5 speed tranny.

I'm unconvinced at this time. There's no storage in the doors, no center council, the manual door locks will actually be a bit if a pain because I usually have a gun in my truck so I do lock my doors.

I think I might stick with my 08 f250 for now

Yeah, F-it. I'm going to keep my 08.

But I think we'll get a new half ton for my wife.

If ordering I'd go with an extended cab longbox F250/350.

4x4(duh), 6.2 gas and auto but it would have to have power windows and locks. And keyless entry and remote start.

And simpleton fricken knobs for the climate and audio.


I absolutely hate the touch screen bullchit!


Every year about this time I wish for gas over the old cold blooded 6.0 diesel....

As a Rancher, I spend more time in my pickup than most. So I usually buy a new King Ranch model when I trade about every 3 years.

Yea it costs more money. But you can't take it with you! I figure I might as well enjoy it.

And my 4x4 Tundra is my daily driver. I really can't afford to also have a car. So I have indulged myself with air conditioning, power windows, cruise control, leather seats, etc.

In a few weeks I'll be 73. You can't take it with you. Enjoy yourself each day.

I drive a 05 dodge 2500, 5.9, six speed.

It's a plain Janer, but I don't think I'd ask for a better all around work truck. Vinyl floors are a must..grin

Electric windows are the only must have, of course there is very little resale value, so unless you are driving it to death you may as well have a couple bells, but no whistles.

Life is too short and the extras just done cost that much

Rotella T6 full syn 5-40 and Archoil 9100 additive are your best friends on a 6.0 in the cold, Samo.

A trade in is your best friend with a 6.no, or so I've been told.

You run T6 in the diesel? I actually have been running that in our 09 5.4 gasser. I run rotella T 15-40 in my 6.4

Been thinking about switching it to T6 for the winter

Absolutely. The newer crop of 5-40 and 10-30 synthetics are made for it. Even Motorcraft has a 10w30 diesel oil, but I think it's just a semi-synthetic.

I ran Mobil 1 turbo diesel in my cummins 5.9. Seemed like good stuff and no issues in the cold.

Dave, all my customers running diesels get Rotella T 15w40 in summer & T6 5w40 in the winter.

& so does my 02 GMC Envoy clacker !

i have one close. 6.5' bed and power windows is about the only thing different from your spec. its the XL. it has manual transfer case and hubs, electric locking rear diff, plow package and tow package. it is perfect for what i wanted. the one thing i did not like about the base, base model was the front seat was buckets with no center console.

Sock Puppet and 99's, we usually switch to T6 5w-40 in the winter as well. Really seems to help in our old JD loaders that live outside year round.


The 6.0 always starts right up if it's plugged in but it takes forever to get the damn thing warmed up.

Backup camera is nice if you hookup to trailers. Heated seats and steering wheel is sweet.

Most options are great unless you don't have them,then they're just another stupid thing everyone else has,that's just another thing to break.

If you need room for cargo and/or passengers, a crew is the way to go. If you need a long bed, you need a long bed. I have a Dodge 3/4 with a quad cab and 8' bed. It's 23' long and takes a lot of room to maneuver, but I sure like the room.
Be aware that carpets are there for more than pretty. They cut the interior noise considerably. Vinyl mats are easy to clean but the truck will be lot louder. It costs more but carpets with good quality floor mats are a better choice.
I find that power windows are really handy. I hate to have to stop and crawl across the cab to roll a window up or down for whatever reason.

I'll be one of the contrarians I guess... I like the work truck package myself.

I currently have a 2000 GMC 2500 extra-cab with the 5.7 Vortec in the SL or work truck package. It has the rubber floormats, hand crank windows, no chrome trim other than the front bumper. It does have AC, CD player, and cruise control. My dad bought it new and drove it until 2010 when it had 125K on it. He was "worried" that it would not be reliable for longer trips with the mileage and gave it to me for a great deal so he could get a new one. Fast forward to now... it has 230k miles on it and takes me safely to Wyoming, Kansas, and Montana each year with little fuss. It still gets 16-19mpg depending on whether you can keep it under 70 or not. It drips no oil and has only recently begun to consume about 1 qt every 3-4k miles between oil changes. It's also easy on tires. Brakes not so much but that is about all I can complain about. It has only stranded me once when the fuel pump went out (probably my fault running the tank down near empty every time before I refuel). I wish they still built this same truck and I would buy one and drive it for another 20 years!!! It has been so easy to enjoy and care for.

I think it depends what you will use it for and how long you plan to keep it. My experience with older vehicles is that the electronics will "nickel and dime" you to death if you keep them too long. Better to turn those over earlier if you want all the city slicker stuff! They are all expensive, even the new work trucks and it is my experience that nice used work trucks are hard to find just because there are not that many sold to regular consumers anymore, just the fleet vehicles and many of those have been trashed by company employees. The good used ones sell quick here out West.

I've never felt that my truck is loud or uncomfortable, just simple, reliable, and functional... what a truck used to be before it became fashionable to drive one! I would definitely get a 3/4 ton if you get one. I've just been in to many 1/2 tons that seem "loose" and full of rattles as they get older. As lamented earlier, I just wish you could still get a "big 6" w/ a manual transmission/granny gear like the old Ford 300 or a more fuel efficient/properly geared V8 like the Vortec 5.3 in a 2500 instead of the thirsty 6.0. Unfortunately, demographic changes and economies of scale/profit motives will never direct production/design that way again.

I'm going to drive my old GMC work truck as as long as I can! Good luck with your decision.

Sammo, what year is your 6.0? I think they all came with the provision for a high-idle, which was used in ambulance applications. I wired mine to a rocker switch on the dash. I let her idle for a bit then flip the switch to bring it up to 1250 RPM. Makes warm-ups much faster. The wires may be different depending on the year so jsut do a Google search for yours. Took about 15 minutes to do mine.

In the late 60's, Ford also had a 240 6 cyl. I had one in a half ton. It was identical to the 300 except with a shorter stroke. Most parts were interchangeable. It got better mileage but it sure didn't have the low speed torque of the 300.

Power windows, power door locks, and cruise have become a must for me....

My buddy in H.S. bought a '79 Ford 150 Custom 4wd Short Bed 300-6 w/ 4spd with 30K miles for $4900. It was tone metallic brown/cream. That truck was nice looking... I coveted that thing for a long time! It was a young deer hunter's dream. IIRC, it got around 16-18 mpg depending on how aggressive the tires were.

I later bought my grandfather's '78 Ford 150 ?Ranger or XLT? 2wd Short Bed 300-6 auto and drove it for about 3 years, taking it up and down the Alaskan/Cassiar Hwy two different times. While not quite as "manly" as my friend's truck, the old baby blue '78 performed admirably and never let me down. I think it got around 18-19 mpg on the hwy.

We had a '72 Mercury Comet that had a 6cyl/ 3spd on the floor. I wonder if that was the 240-6 you were making reference to? My dad used to put me in that when I was around 10 years old. That long throw clutch was tough on a little guy... I can feel the jerking right now!

Grandfather ordered just such a truck before his memory went and he can no longer drive.

Salesman looked at him like he was medusa when he asked for crank windows and the like. Grandpa just laughed and said "when it's 20 degrees outside and that truck's covered in ice, what would you rather do - burn out a 400 dollar window motor or crank the window down?"

And yeah - given the business he's in (was) - window down about 60% of the time. Need to be able to yell to the guys loading it....

Well we got this little half ton for my wife instead. We were going to get her into a new taurus and me into a new or newer gas superduty. But I decided to keep my 08 6.4:



And Pam is now driving this:



The little half ton has a 4 cylinder, lol! And it hauls ass!

I will switch to T6 this next oil change in my 6.4

I'll also likely go with different wheels, bigger tires, possibly a set of fender flares. My reason for wheel change is because these steel factury wheels are really bad for trapping dirt, ice and snow/slush on the inside of the rim, it's a PITA to clean out and it throws the balance off just terrible.

I had a 99 F150 work truck, winding windows, plastic seats, and plastic floor. It did have AC. I really did not like loosing the comforts of an upgrade package. The windows were my biggest concern, I like to hit a button when they are frosted or wet to see traffic when I pull out. Nice to crack the passenger one to ventilate with less noise than the driver side. Anyway my trucks are generally a second vehicle, and I got a replacement with more options and I found I drove it more.

If it's the 2.7 ecoboost then I think it's a v6. It's an interesting engine.

I bought a 2003 GMC SLE 1/2 ton truck. We live on a the small farm. I put good rubber mats in it, running boards to keep the gravel off of the rocker panels, splash guards for the same reason, and a brush guard to try to keep the deer hits from getting my insurance cancelled. The farm is out on a gravel road and gravel eats tires. The OEM tires went 24K, the second set about 24K. There are 66,000 miles on the truck (2003) and it is on its third set. The work truck concept appeals to me as I tend to keep trucks a long time and don't worry about resale too much. I would like to hose the floors out once in awhile. Like most I want power windows, a/c, auto, and better fuel mileage than the 5.3 litre in mine delivers.

Cruise on my pickup pays for itself several times a year by preventing speeding tickets. It's big and powerful and the speed creeps up when I'm not watching.

I stand corrected.

It came up in a conversation at camp the very day we purchased the truck. Someone said they think it's a 4 and I didn't doubt it considering the displacement.

Either way, it's a capable little engine!

So it should have the stop/start feature, right? What do you think of it Dave?

It does, and I don't think much of it.

Luckily there is a button on the dash to disable it.

Are you worried about the turbos? I think I'd chicken out and get the 5.0.

I've read you can't check the oil on the 2.7 for a period of time(15-30 minutes) because the dipstick will read low until all the oil drains back into the pan due the start/stop feature.

So what do you have to do to get a pickup with a manual transmission these days?

You can order anything you want from the factory.

As far as I know, Dodge is the last one with it available. You're unlikely to find one on a lot, though. You'd likely have to order it.

Pretty sure Ram is the only full size available with a manual trans, and that is only in the HD series. I am unaware of any 1/2 ton truck available with a manual. I've seen things on the web hinting that the new Nissan Titan will have a manual option but do't know for sure.

As long as we're talking about the Ram, it also can be bought with factory air bags. AFAIK, it's the only one with them available. I have them on my '08 2500 and my partner has them on his '07. They're an option on the '16, too.

Must have missed something. My 2000 Tundra has air bags.

Not worried about anything, I just find the auto shut down feature silly.

Can't do it on a 1/2 ton.

Or a 3/4 ton...or a 1 ton, unless you buy a Dodge..and then only if you are OK with a derated diesel.

And will settle for a dodge.

I hadn't heard that the Tundra offered them. It doesn't surprise me, though. Tundra doesn't come in a 3/4 ton but they try to push their 1/2 ton off as one. Adding air bags would be a big boost in that direction.

I have a 99 F250 Super Duty. super cab 5.4, 5 -speed,no A/C, vinyl floors, it didn't even come with a back seat. I love my truck. I just turned 218k on the original motor.
I will buy another one when this one dies.

I have an feeling ya'll two are talking about completely different kinds of airbags..

You think?

I love plain jane work trucks. I wish Chevy still made the W/T like they did in the early-mid 90s. I have a 92 2wd with the 4.3 v6 that still gets 19-20 mpg with closing in on 250k of not gentle miles.

An updated version crank windows and manual locks, rubber floor, 5 sp manual, basic radio and 6L V8 in a 2500 package would trip my trigger. I have a cousin with one just like that, that started life as a fleet vehicle. I can't remember the year, late 2000's I think

Got a friend that remembers when dual airbags meant he had his wife and MIL in the truck.

I had one in a 4wd version for a work truck. It was a very trouble free truck. I wish I could say that about the Chevy's I actually had to pay for.

That's exactly what Toyota does. Several years ago we were truck shopping and we needed a 3/4 ton. We looked at the Tundra and they gave us a big spiel about how the Tundra's load capacity was supposedly as heavy as a real 3/4. They had videos, etc that they wanted us to watch. They very much were trying to sell it as a 3/4 ton.

My 2003 F150 has the "work truck package".
5 sp manual, no ac, no power windows. Vinyl floor.
It has less things that can go wrong in my opinion.
No power door locks.
I like it.

Dave Smith motors shows a selection of manual rams on the lot.

http://www.davesmith.com/

In day's past manuals had a decent mileage advantage over autos and made sense, but with the current crop of autos you really don't give anything up.

Other than maintenance, reliability, maneuverability, off road capability, emergency handling, and theft prevention (most crooks don't know how to drive one).

Pulling a trailer with an auto drives me batty.

Driving my Ram with the manual has fooled more than one. There's a strong spring to get in reverse. A STRONG spring. Most guys think they're doing it wrong since it won't just slide in. It's good protection against accidentally shifting it to R when downshifting in a hurry, though.

Folks who would buy a new truck with out an A/C have obviously never lived in TX in the summer time.

I lived in southeast AZ with no ac in my rides and didn't die lol. But it is DAMNED nice to have.

Didn't have AC in my truck when I lived in San Antonio.

Well, I had 2/70 A/C. 2 windows down, 70mph.

I bought my Tacoma 20yrs ago next month. It's amazing how the time has slipped past, but I knew it would, and I bought rig with the long-term in mind. It has manual everything, and a set of fitted floor mats. That's the closest I could get to the Ford "Custom" in a Toyota. Everything still works like it did the day I bought it, and my only regret is there wasn't a crew cab option back then.

I'm not sure the exact year that P/Us got too fancy, but they definitely are now, and I don't lust for them even a little. For the same money I'd prefer a restored classic.

for the same money, I'd prefer a house.....

I will keep buying older nice stuff..My current 02 is a loaded Lariat, and while not as fancy as the newer stuff, it has everything I would order anyway. Cruise, tilt, air, power, leather, etc...

With less than 130,000 miles on, and about 5000 a year, this one will last me a while.

My 06 ram 2500 diesel was a base model work truck. The only thing I added was heaters to the seats, $100 well spent! If my kid hadn't wrecked the truck this fall I figured it would last me another 10 years.

I haven't replaced it yet. While I'd like to get a nice clean used truck, they seem to be priced much higher than I'm willing to pay for a used rig. I'll probably go with a new one this spring but am not sure if I'll go for another base work truck, or splurge a couple bucks for some features. I'm also debating going with a mega cab.

how about a Mercedes Truck :

Touche'............and I agree.