I'm new to this forum here and i need some friendly advice on a new truck to get. I do not want to start a war on which brand is better. I know every truck has their good and bad sides but I'm tired of reading threads on which brand of truck is the best. With that said, I am looking for a used diesel truck with under 200k miles for a reasonably good price, say around the 12k price point. My top pics are #1) 7.3 powerstroke, #2) 5.9 I6 Cummins, #3) Duramax 6.6 w/allison tranny, #4) 6,0L powerstroke. I want to know which will last the longest and which do the best in the cold temps, as i will be moving to wyoming pretty soon. Also, I will be using it for only a daily driver and I don't plan on towing anything anytime soon. I currently own an 03 f150 that is 2wd. I've always wanted a diesel because of the longevity, durability, rollin coal, and being freaking awesome! Let me know what you guys think on what truck I should look into or if I should stick with what I have. Thanks!

 

they all should start and run fine in the cold, particularly when you plug in the block heater, assuming that particular truck/engine has been reasonably maintained.

price really varies with where you are in the country, and condition/options on the truck.

pretty much the only help I can give you is to make sure the truck is stock when you buy it. no tune, no lift, MAYBE a 3rd party radio [hopefully they didn't hack up the stock wiring harness, but used an adapter instead]. it'll be an older truck, and things will need to be fixed, and getting parts and fixing it is way easier when it's stock vs a mix of stock and various 3rd party parts. and lifted trucks with mondo wheels also tend to need fixing sooner than later.

 

I will be in Laramie Wyoming, which for the most part is pretty flat but it gets pretty hilly going out of town. Since they get so much snow and ice annually, the 4wd will become handy to have. I am looking for one that has a stock setup but it is hard to judge just by looking at pictures online. I live in west Texas and the market isn't big for these type of trucks. It's all the newer generation stuff for ridiculous prices.

 

well if everyone wants newer stuff, you would be better off with getting a previous model year truck for a better price, look at the important bits, like the frame, engine, body panles, and look for signs of abuse (does it look straight or do the body panles look like they been bent up some, could indicate frame damage, which in turn could indicate alignment issues and that would be a no go in my book...

if you have an android phone (or tablet device) get a (IIRC) ELM-327???? reader (bluetooth) and download the torque app (I think) or Forscan on a computer with the correct reader/adapter for the truck(s) you want to look at and read for codes and see if there are any stored, indicates potential repairs coming your way, I do this for ANY car that I buy to avoid possible headaches so I know what I am getting into, saved me some major mistakes in the past when looking at cars!

if possible (not sure if these are private party deals or dealership deals) see if you can live with it for a few days to a week and see if the truck will really fit your life style, thats what I did with my current SD and my Mustang (however that was more a fun car buy), but I also know the dealership I got both from very well and they know me also as well as the other half of the family....so that kinda helped out some there....

 

I've got a pretty good eye to spot cosmetic defects with the body, alignment, and modifications to the interior. I also have a scanguage II that I use to clear codes or find them. A truck does fit my lifestyle since I already drive one right now, but having a diesel would be the icing on the cake for me

 

what I mean by fitting the life style is if you load the truck down with what ever your going to carry, plus any (all) passengers can it do what you need it to do? kinda hard to explain on posts, but it sounds like you got the gist honestly, but mainthing is look for any thing that is "abnormal" and don't be afraid to question things, the dealer I go to knows me personally, and 99% of the time the owner is the person who will deal with me because they know me and know how I am when looking at cars or trucks and knows that I have no issues with running ANY sales person off or into a ditch so to say...

if you can put it on the lift, or a lift and just sit there combing through every bit fron to tail, look for any type of issue you can find

 

Ok, I'm smellin what your steppin in now. The only thing I carry are sand bags I put in the bed for the ice (850 lbs to be exact) and just some everyday tools. I'm not afraid to ask questions either, I'm putting a big investment into what I'm about to be buying so it better work how I expect it too.

 

cool, I figured we were more or less on the same page best of luck to your quest for the best truck for you!