Ideas for New (used) Work Truck

**Dr. Frankenbuick** · 06-12-2015, 07:18 AM

I flip houses as as part of my annual income as well as working a full time job. I have been using my diesel 95 3/4 ton Suburban 4x4 for the last five years to lug everything here and there, but it is very high off the ground and you have to put everything in arms reach inside of the doors or the barn doors in the back. I regularly need my power washer, lawn equipment and generator. I have to push these up pretty steep wooden ramps to get them in the back of the truck. I would like something lower that I could walk in and have space to keep these items and organize my tools in bins or shelves along the side. I am open to a trailer I could pull behind the Suburban, but at 260,000 it might be better to start over with something that can do it all. I see these Doge Sprints as I drive for my other job and wonder if this might be the ticket for me? I would want something older that has a record of holding up well at a good price point. I just don't know enough about any of them to know where to start. I do know I am tired of working around the limitations of the Suburban. Any thought or suggestions would help start me on the way - Thanks

**bob k. mando** · 06-12-2015, 06:37 PM

i have no personal experience, but i've heard really good things about the 5cyl diesel.

as for trailers, i'd look for one configured as a lawn care unit. it's going to have a floor height much shorter than you can get in any van ( in which the floor must clear the rear axle, even if front wheel drive ) and the tailgate doubles as a flop down ramp. of course, that leaves you vulnerable to a major theft risk ...

if the Suburban hasn't been giving you any problems i might keep it awhile. if it does start to go south though, i'd get rid of it in a hurry. i knew a guy who had a ~90 diesel Suburban and every time something broke on that thing it cost three times more than a repair on a normal vehicle. i think it cost him something like $600 to put a new radiator in it.

**Dr. Frankenbuick** · 06-13-2015, 06:37 AM

I think more than anything, I am just tired of the Suburban and all of its age related quirks. I got it in 01 at 120K miles when diesel was still much cheaper then gas. We used it as the family tripmobile and as the daily winter driver in hilly PA for eight or nine years. This bought the mileage to about 250K. I have done all of the maintenance on it during that time. All of the parts for it, as stated, are more expensive and, I will add, much heavier then normal car or truck parts. The trans went at this point and we replaced it with a rebuilt from a company in FL that went out of business almost immediately. The rebuilt trans did not work from the start. I tried new servos and valve bodies to no avail. The truck sat for a few years after this as I did not feel like wrestling the trans and transfer case out of it again. That 480lE is one heavy trans and the transfer case has to be split off and maneuvered away from the trans before the trans can be removed.

I realized the truck would be needed for a new purpose, I thought temporary, when I bought my first house to flip. I took the trans out and, with the manual, disassembled it side by side with the old trans. It turned out the rebuild had been good, but they had put several seals in backwards. With new frictions, the trans was reassembled and installed back in the truck. Five houses later, it is still fulfilling the temporary purpose. Meanwhile, it has needed all new brake lines, some fuel lines, glow plug controllers and window channel repairs as I remember the worst jobs. At this point, the right front window can not be rolled down, the glow plug controller, even while hard soldered to the wires, may leave me out in the rain jumping the plugs under the hood, the heater fan is making a strange dieing noise, the AC leaks but will run with a can of 134 and a few wraps on the compressor for at least a day, and there are more leaks under it then I can count. I don't have the desire or time to fix all that is wrong with it. I just abide by it, but rust never sleeps as they say!

My plumber uses a trailer behind his Jeep in the manner you spoke to Bob. He has a compressor and torches in there as well as all of his tools. It is very low to the ground too. I have a barn where I keep the Suburban, but I think I would get tired of backing the unit in the barn and hooking and unhooking it as needed. I think as I write that i am more and more ready for a dedicated work vehicle. I think something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/291487545678...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT would be nice with less miles and a little newer. Chevy makes a similar unit. I don't know who make a a good one that will have less issues. I know that some day I will be back where I am today, but it would be nice to put it off for 5-10 years.

Thanks

**Bob** · 06-13-2015, 07:53 AM

Other than for the truck route being more expensive, I prefer it to the trailer just for the convenience of not having to hook/unhook it, and as you mention back it into the barn. It might not be quite as bad if you could set up a drive through in the barn, and of course the hooking operation will get faster with experience (I guess these days you could put a camera on the back). I have always used a truck for family purposes and have one dedicated for that purpose, keeping my work truck for work. The work truck tends to be dirtier and full of stuff you don't want when you load up the family (now there's just me and my better half

)

That is a good looking service truck you linked to! Lot's of room, and outside access to some "stuff" could be convenient.

Something about the trailer is if you modify it a lot for your storage, is that you can change out your power unit on more frequent intervals without having to rebuild all your tool storage.

I guess each route has its pros and cons...

**bob k. mando** · 06-13-2015, 04:40 PM

only problem with that Ford is that it's a 2004 diesel ... which means the 6.0L ... which means

DO NOT BUY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES UNLESS YOU PLAN TO PUT ~$4000 INTO AN IMMEDIATE ENGINE REBUILD.

there's a lot of STUPID **** that got designed into those power packages.

like, if you let the batteries get weak, the injectors, etc pull extra current ... which burns up the FICM ... which is ~$500. this can also take out your injectors ...

like, if you don't replace the water-to-oil intercooler, International designed it with such narrow passages that, on older vehicles, the antifreeze side will sludge up, not allow water to circulate, no longer cool the oil ... and kill your turbo. and there's nothing you can do to prevent that ... without replacing the OEM oil intercooler.

they're also prone to blowing out the head gaskets, partly because they rev pretty high for a diesel ( iirc, redline is north of 4500 ). usual fix is installing studs.

the 6.0 is supposed to be a really good motor ... once you fix all the stupid **** from the factory.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_P...0_Power_Stroke

i would NOT recommend buying unless you spend some time familiarizing yourself with Diesel Power mag and looking through their numerous articles on 6.0 fixes.

i've heard there have been a few problems with the Ford 6.4 but it's much better than the 6.0

my 6.7L Ford is going on 200,000 and i've developed an inconsistent tick ( yes, it is quiet enough that this is noticeable )... otherwise no problems.

**Dr. Frankenbuick** · 06-14-2015, 06:24 AM

That diesel Ford was just an example of what I am looking for/at. That had too many miles and was too old for me. I want one that is 6-10 years old with under 100K miles. Ford also used the modular 5.4 or the 10 cylinder Triton in the NA gas model of that truck (now I know it as a Cutaway Van). The 5.4 is a good engine from experience with my own Mustang and discussions with Lightening owners. It would be Ok if it is a little slow to get moving as I am never in a hurry with my current rig. I do not know anything about the Triton and will have to see what it is about. The Chevy gas versions vans use the 5.7 and 6.0 engines. They are reliable, proven engines from what I have heard. I think the next step is to see and drive some of these vehicles.

The only real drawback in moving to a dedicated work vehicle is that I will be loosing my main snow vehicle when the Suburban is gone. The Subaru is great in sloppy weather, but is not a "get through" vehicle if you know what i mean. I maintain, store and insure enough vehicles already, so the tired Suburban would have to exit stage right to a more patient and understanding owner if a work truck entered the scene.

**Bob** · 06-14-2015, 07:51 AM

Multiple vehicles and insurance is a problem! I have the same one. I have always thought some kind of quick change truck body would be a good idea for a pickup (like a recycle truck). They do exist, but not many and probably expensive.

You could build yourself a van body, go to work, unload it and have a near ground level entrance, and leave it there until the job was done, sounds great to me. Meantime you could use the truck for other purposes with a deck or dump body

http://www.switchngo.com/product_dis...o-The-Original

**bob k. mando** · 06-14-2015, 04:29 PM

*shrugs*

then a Ford diesel is pretty much not an option for you ( first year of the 6.4L is 2008, which would make first year production just inside your 6 year cutoff ... i'd avoid first year production just to stay away from teething pains ). i'm just pointing out to stay away from the engine in the example you provided us.

there's nothing wrong with the 7.3L, except that most recent production is older than 10 years.

as to the gas engines, i've always heard that the 10cyl 1 tons ( regardless of make ) get pitiful gas mileage. if you don't really travel that far to get too the house you're working on, that's not an issue.

as to the difficulty of backing a trailer, you'll get acclimated to that.

my uncle used to chain three hoppers nose to tail behind his tractor and back all three of them into the barn in one chain.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/JOHN-DEER...501&rmvSB=true

obviously, that takes a lot of practice.

**Dr. Frankenbuick** · 06-14-2015, 06:04 PM

I have a car trailer and a 12' garden trailer. Neither is used frequently. Backing them up goes very well or is painfully embarrassing with no in between.

The other cars around here tend to be rust buckets by the time they are 20. Looking at prices, they are pretty high before they are 5-6 years old. A slightly older model would be much cheaper and still be serviceable for 10 years or so. I'd be open to very clean well kept older exceptions.

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**suntreemcanic** · 06-14-2015, 09:22 PM

If you are ashamed of your backing skills with a trailer it just takes practice and never ever stick you head out the window only gubbers do that. I trained men and women in the Army for 40 years to back up and I only had a few that could not get the hang of looking in the mirrors and automatically know which way to turn the wheel. It only takes a few hours and it becomes automatic. I just love to show off when ever I have a trailer behind, it makes you feel like a real man or woman not somebody that can only drive an automatic and they probably wear gloves to pick their nose. I was proud of my soldiers.