Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Boss went gasser

My boss went away from diesels and got me a new ranch truck. Couldn't find a 7.3 ford gasser, so he ended up buying a chebberay 3500. Been since '98 since I got rid of my '90 Chev, to go with Ford. This is the cheapo model and I'm glad. No use for all that hitech stuff on a feed truck. Only thing is, I wish it wasn't a dually. And had better tires on it. But hey, it ain't my money so I'll use the piss outta it anyway....

Don, a feed pickup needs a bumper grill guard, a bale bed and as you mentioned better tires.



And it's a Chevy.....



The dogs look good though!

Yeah, good looking dogs, and not enough scratches!

Then again, my feed truck was bought for $500 five years ago, chronically fouls three plugs, leaks coolant like a sieve, has no tail lights left and the drivers door doesn’t close.

So, maybe yours is better…., lol.

Look at those big grill openings and clean radiators.


I would get a custom screen in place for next summer.
(before they fill up with bugs and seeds and cotton...)

I drove by the local Sam's club today. Unleaded regular $2.72 a gallon, diesel $4.62 a gallon. The case for buying a diesel gets harder and harder with prices like that.

Looks good ! But not a 4WD ???

it is 4wd. at least that's what the pushbuttons on the dash say....

Fugg it. It’s like a rental. Don’t miss any maintenance ,but run tha piss out of it.

Surprisingly, No.

Oh schidt I forgot GMC has push button 4x4 w/o manual hubs

What truck? I just see red heelers.

Looking forward to what you think about that truck after awhile, hunstman. Especially tranny and suspension. I've heard good things about the engine and 2500/3500 in general but I haven't followed too closely.

Sorta looks dainty compared to the old Ford.

Good deal Huntsman.

I’d never buy another truck or SUV that wasn’t 4-wheel drive. Can’t imagine anyone that works like you getting one either.

Looks kinda like an Aztec from the front, only fuglier

Keeps your boots clean!!!

You mean that even the 1 ton rated trucks today have automatic hubs? I don’t even trust them on my half ton and up until recently the manual hubs were on the 3/4 ton Fords. I’m old so old school seemed just fine for me when I needed 4wd. If I got my feet muddy getting out and turning in the front hubs, that was on me for not being smart enough to realize that they should have been engaged already.

Umm pretty sure Chevrolet hasn’t offered manual hubs since 87 or 88. Pretty sure Ford had some form of auto hub available on 3/4 and 1 tons since 92. The new “manual” hubs on Fords are either in Auto or Lock, no free to leave you getting out in the mud. And though Dodge was the only one to never give up the solid front axle on their 4x4s I believe they had auto hubs by 94.

What kind of Tin Lizzy are you driving?

Huntsman, I’m no GM guy but I do know several guys around with late model gas GM feed wagons about like yours but regular cab. They have no real complaints. Less power than diesel but reliable as a claw hammer. Plus your’s is the best kind, the kind someone else pays for.

What Chevy's hope to one day grow up to into....

Mechanics need jobs too!🤣🤣🤣

88 on GM half tons and I believe 3/4 tons and 91 or 92 on 1 tons since they kept the old body on the 1 tons and Suburbans.

Not sure why Ford got away from the free feature.

My son's employer (forest management) is a fleet buyer. They gave up on diesels long ago, just didn't pencil out. Since they went gas, they have tried Dodge, GMC, and now Ford. None seems better than another, so far. Dodges ate cams and lifters after warranty. GMC's transmission failures after warranty, Fords are just now getting up past warranty and it's not looking good. Every truck has had automatic 4x4 hub failure (warranty), broken windshields from ill fitting body panels (warranty denied), multiple wiring harness connector failures, cab leaks, excessive tire wear (warranty denied). Company policy has evolved to try to roll the fleet over at 200,000. They put on a lot of miles in a year. I'm not pushing any brand of pickup here, just passing it on. Word is company is regretting providing pickups, used to be employee supplied pickup and was reimbursed mileage, but the workmen's insurance carrier said don't do that for legal reasons.

The new Chevy 2500’s went from a 6L90 to the new ‘Allison’ 10 speed, same as the diesel. I would assume a transmission they put behind a diesel would hold up well behind the gasser.

got a little work outta her today....

Those are gonna be a bïtch to unroll.

23 year old me bought a new 93 Dodge just because I wanted it.
$1/gal diesel and 20mpg, it penciled out well against most full size
trucks then. No contest against a big block.

Still have it.



30 years later.

Diesel is more expensive than gas, EPA has ruined the mpg, DEF,
The lack of reliability, initial expense.......

The performance of modern gas engines.


One would have to be an idiot to buy a diesel today unless really heavy
pulling at grade was frequent.

And how do you like the gas engine? I really mine so far.

Only 250 miles so far, and no trailer time. But so far I'm liking the motor fine. Other little things about the truck really suck, tho....

What don’t you like? Just curious

The dash is curved and the 'tray' area too small to accommodate a rifle scope, not conducive to tossing a rifle on, as it wants to bounce and slide all over the place. The frigging mirrors are too high and hard to fold, to use as a rifle rest. No fugging reason they couldn't have set them 4-5 inches lower, as it would allow a smaller/safer blindspot and you could see over them. I can live with the pushbutton 4WD, but a stupid electric pushbutton E-brake? Give me a pedal to stomp, or a lever to pull... Radio's without knobs? WTF?

P.S., I'm still missing my dimmer switches on the floor....grin

And the hood is too high. Hard to see over.....

I also hate all the electronic e-brakes. On the F150 and Camry we own. The Camry activates when you put it in Park.

Another thing I've found that I absolutely hate about these trucks is, the fugking headrests slope forward. They are not removeable OR reverseable. Can't wear a cowboy hat in them. Screw chevy.....

On a side note, I did get the truck steps on, and grab handles on the headache rack. Big Sky overhead rifle rack will go on as soon as it gets here and the roofmount spotlight whenever I get it off the old truck and get a warm day.

The head rest is removable, at least in mine I can. Mines a LT model. It is a pain to wear a cowboy hat in them I agree.

yours must not be a 2022 with vinyl seats.....

It’s a 2022 with cloth….

So your head rest isn’t adjustable at all?

Yeah. It goes up and down. Cannot be flipped or removed.

They are removable (and probably can be flipped as well).

I bet they can be removed. Push the button to move them up and down and on the other post there will be another button that’s flush with the plastic piece the headrest goes into. Blends in well. Push both and pull it out.

Thanks. I'll try that tomorrow. Was just going by what it said in the manual....

You bet. They don’t *want* you to remove them, but they have to be so they can replace the upholstery.

Got 'em flipped. Just like the video.... Thanks 1500.

I had to do the same thing to my Super Duty.

You are welcome, glad it worked. They are a pita to wear a cowboy hat in the regular way.

I believe that I'm on my last diesel now. Outside of the fart box (travel trailer) most of my trailer towing is within 150 miles of home these days. The price of diesel is pushing me towards a gasser a little more each day. My next truck will be a Chevrolet 6.6 gasser

2024 GMC/Chevy 10 speed transmission behind 6.6 gas

The 2024 Chev with the 10 spd Allison paired up with the gasser will be a nice truck I think and pull well.

We run 4 diesel trucks and the price of diesel really pizzes me off. But I sure can't see where buying a new gas truck can be more cost effective than my paid for diesel truck.

Flipped mine today and works just fine now with a cowboy hat on.

I was wrong the front seat is like the video and the rear seat has the buttons. But got it done.

When I got the f250 with the 7.3 gas I couldn't believe how light the front end felt.... or how heavy the diesel is. Definitely feels more nimble off road than the diesels.

Yes, and going to the Allison is a smart move. The 6.6 gasser that's in Huntsman's truck has been getting good reviews from guys around here. Of course, we'll see what it's like after 150k.......

Now If Chevy would make a 4500/5500 that looked like a normal Fugkin truck like Ford and Dodge.

Apparently they’re stopping production of the express/savana vans after next year too. Only option will be an EV platform.

How recently? My 22 F250 has locking hubs with auto engagement. I think I want to delete the auto engagement though because there are times when I want use 4 low without locking the front axle.

Yeah, employee driven trucks get hammered. It's not like they are making insurance and car payments on it.

I've had manual locking hubs fail too. As long as you use 4X4 on a regular basis to keep everything lubricated automatic hubs do pretty good. The only time I've seen either type fail was when they weren't used for a long time and the lack of lubrication prevented them from locking when needed.

I've owned a 4x4 of some sort since 1976. Back when there were 3 sticks in the floor and manual locking hubs it was easy to use 2wd low range. But they used to put warning labels in the cab warning drivers not to. I watched one person snap a U-Joint doing that. I suppose if you're careful and just need to go slow and aren't trying to pull much weight in 2wd low it would be OK.

boss bought another gasser for me. A 2015 F-250 6.2. Needed a plowtruck so that's what he found for me. Gotta pull/swap the flatbed off the blown '08, but I'll wait till it's warmer and drier out.....

With my 85 Suburban with Warn manuals, I would only do it backing into tight or steep places with my trailer hooked up. I'd be surprised if I ever went more than 40' at a time.