I'm helping my Uncle shop for a new truck to do some moderate amounts of trailer pulling, few times a month, some retirement projects and such.

Dodge dealership is advertising half off MSRP on new trucks if that's true that would be:

23K for a QC 4x4 SLT 6.7 Cummins.
19K for a QC 4x4 SLT Hemi.


Ford is giving 16K off so that would be:
About 24K for a V10 XLT Crew Cab 4x4.



We haven't checked Chevy, but since he is leaning towards a gas motor I think the 6.0 is probably the best (all around, mileage/pulling) option out there if he doesn't go with the V10.
I think chevy will do something like Ford will do so that would be like around 24K for a 4x4 6.0 ok optioned truck.



I think he is leaning toward gas because with the emissions systems the diesel won't do much better MPG and he's just going to be putting around town most of the time anyway and it won't have time to go into Regen and just clog up.

But who knows we are talking about doing some side tractor/dirt work so it might get used more than he thinks pulling good sized trailers.

Anyway, what you guys think?

 

i say for what he wants to do, get an older truck 1st or 2nd gen with a mecanical pump, cheaper to buy, drive, maintain, and it dont hurt your feelings as much when you dent it up, and get a diesel its worth it if doesn't have that emmisions stuff on it. just my 2 cents

 

That would be cool but I think he wants the "new car smell" . I wish he'd buy mine so I could get an F350 Lariet with a V10.... I think that will be my next truck.

Wonder what kind of mileage those get.

 

You can get a bottle of "New Car Smell" under $20. Buy a 1st or 2nd Gen, spray some of that in there and your good.

 

under 10mpgs from what i've heard

 

I 'd say worse than that, guy works for me had the 5.4 and got 9 mpg in town(4X4 crew cab). I would hate to see what the V10 gets......

 

My in-laws' neighbor has a V-10 F-350 Crew 2WD SRW and he says he gets 11MPG -EMPTY-if he keeps his foot out of it around town and keeps the speed below 65 on the highway. He almost pooped a puppy when my father-in-law told him I get 14MPG towing an 18-foot flatbed trailer weighing 6000+ lbs.

Buuut... if he's got a good case of coinage rectus (money out the wazoo), let him get the truck that feels best to him.

 

What do you guys think about the 6.0? Or the Hemi?


I'd like to see him get a Cummins but I think he wants a gasser. I think he might have problems with the cummins just driving it around town and only pulling a couple times a month.

Who knows what he'll do. He is pretty impressed with a 5.4 4x4 Crew Cab XLT Ford he drove but I think it might be a little under powered.

 

My neighbor recently got a new GMC 2500HD with 6.0, auto. He let me drive it, the 6 speed auto is pretty impressive. No MPG check yet, he's going to wait until it's broke in. I must admit I really liked it.
We have a couple of 06 Silverado 3/4 tons at work with 6.0 and they have been very reliable.
I think the new GMC's are better looking than the Chevy's, but around here anyway the GMC dealers aren't as willing to deal as the Chevy dealers.

 

I had a 98 GMC with 5.7 liter. Got 330,000miles out of it before I rebuilt the engine. Sold it for $8,500.00. Was a good truck. No major problems......water pump...starter........but I do like my CTD.

 

For about 4k more I would recomend the cummins over the hemi for reliability and resale. The way fuel is dropping I cant believe they are still offering 1/2 off the sticker.

 

A gasser is a bad choice for a work truck . Forget Ford . Buying a Dodge will be a risk . If GM buys Chrysler Dodge dealers and the Ram itself may cease to exist . See the recent post in the GM/Chrysler merger thread . That pretty much leaves Chevy . GM is offering 0% financing or $6,000 cash back .

 

First off tell us a littler more about what type of work your uncle does, or will be doing. What are his hauling needs.

Honestly I had my first half ton gasser for about 11 months before the Cummins dually. I broke its back every day of work. That truck would have been worn out before it was paid off.

You mentioned the word retirement though so I assume this will not be a everyday work truck. If he wants the new car smell the diesel would be the way to go if those prices posted are correct. Will hold value much better.

 

Yeah we are talking about doing a little tractor/dirt work on the side. Like driveways and such.

I'm going to let him use some of my stuff and just pick up work on the weekends and split the money up some way.

He also wants to cut and sell firewood.


I think I'm going to try to talk him into getting a cummins. If the dealer advertising 50% off MSRP isn't lying he could get a well equipped one out the door for under 30 grand.

He says it's the last truck he's going to buy but that emissions stuff really scares me away from advising that.

 

So I guess the question is... Do you think he'll have trouble out of an 08 cummins if he spends a lot of mornings just putting up to the diner and only pulling a couple times a month?