Howdy,

I'm looking to buy a truck for a daily driver and for serious work. I wanted to go as big as possible and have been surfing the classifieds and the interwebs obsessively for weeks now. Anyway to the story...

The truck has been sitting in plain view all summer but I just got hold of the owner. It's a 1980s
-ish F superduty 7.3L 5 speed diesel dually Uhaul set up for towing with ramps up the back and a 5th wheel. It's sexy. The owner wants 4,500. Seems a little steep as the utility boxes are showing some pretty good rust (not fist sized holes, but rust) and the frame could use a good respray. My question is assuming the brakes, frame, tranny, etc are alright should I shoot lower and how much. 45 is pretty much my limit and I'd like to have a little left over to start thinking about a flatbed and some parts to help the thing breathe.

Here's the other problem. I wont know for sure how the thing runs till Saturday and I wont be looking at it myself as I have to tend bar. So I am going to have to hear what my Dad says about it. I'm pretty peeved that the lady couldn't have set up a better time to meet.

also,
Thoughts on the dually versus 4x4. When I started this hunt I told myself I wasn't going to buy anything unless it had 4wd, here I am seriously considering the dually (if I get the dually I can do some vehicle removal and scrapping that needs to be done anyway then trade it on a 4x4). Should I be at all worried about the difference. Not to be naive but is driving a dually in snow and ice bad news (as bad as driving a 77 f150 auto 2wd)?

to buy or not to buy

please help.
info before Saturday would be most appreciated.

 

duallies still have a light rear end (tire spin). I'd start at 3000 an try to settle around 4 or lower. Look everywhere under neath for rust, in PA theres gonna be alot, see if its peeling off or surface rust. and go from there

 

I did a quick look around a little bit ago maybe last week and it seemed ok. There was surface but no peeling, that I could see.
Does anybody run a c&c machine that was a Uhaul vehicle on here? If thats you tell me how its functioned.

Thanks.

 

You're going to have to spend some more time under the truck to get a handle on the rust problem. You're talking about a 20 year old truck that's been driven by hundreds of yahoos for years and years in the salt, snow and ice. I would be real concerned about frame rot. Carefully inspect the frame for holes, soft spots, and cracks. Take a good look at the rear spring shackles. They are very prone to rust. Look at the frame where the steering box mounts. This area of the frame is prone to cracking.

As for price, I'm sure you can talk him down from there. I'm not sure what something like that is worth where you live.

Duallies are notorious for being very fishy in the snow when empty.

 

The truck you are talking about sounds like a U-HAUL old repair vehicle. It has ramps to load a vehicle right onto the truck, right?
Duallys SUCK in the snow and off road. Make sure you have the MOST aggressive tire you can find

 

Right on. Good to hear what you gentlemen are saying.

I did look purposefully at the rear shackles. Deserves a more thorough check though.

Yes its that set up, repair vehicle you say.

Hmm, well I do need something that I can pull a few tractors. But the said tractors are parked in some offroad type terrain.

Good stuff. Keep it coming.

 

What do you mean it has a 5th wheel?

 

I thought it was set up for towing. Like, with a hitch in the bed. It isn't though I don't think.
My mistake. Wasn't sure how it was set up.

 

If it is one of those ramp trucks, there is no way there can be a 5th wheel setup

 

Don't think they have 5th wheels on them. They wouldn't have any reason to have one because Uhaul doesn't have 5th wheels. The truck is made for hauling trailers. They can haul 2 trailers on the rack (maybe 3 of their small trailers) plus tow one behind the truck. They have a winch for pulling the trailers up the ramps.

 

Thanks. Understand that I have been driving pick ups for as long as I've had my license but as far as these 7.3 diesels go I am learning as I go and the Uhaul/F superduty/C&c trucks have less info than the xlt crews and whatnot.

On that any idea what tranny and rear end to expect? The mazda or...

Really appreciate the response fellas.

Thanks.

 

I was thinking it would be possible there could be one between the ramps. Now that I look at that pic I posted.....you are right, there's no way it would work.

 

The Mazda 5 speed wouldn't last 20 minutes and it was never made in that bellhousing pattern anyway. If it's a manual it's a ZF 5 speed. If it's an automatic it's a C6. Rear end should be a Dana 80 or Dana 135.

 

Alright. Zf5. Awesome.

 

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That's it at least from a distance. I'll snap a picture tomorrow some time. Maybe try to take pics of the frame just for kicks.

You've got me a bit worried about the duallys performance in compromising situations (ie snow, grades, and non pavement).