What Do I Look For????
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What Do I Look For????
hay i know i have been poasting alot latly but i'm trying to get a new truck for the first time. The truck is only going to be new to me. So what do i need to look for on a used diesel? What are the signes it was used for heavy towing and how do i know if it was taken care of. any other tips would be aprishiated. thanks Paul
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From: Clarksburg WV
Well, a mount for a fifth wheel or a ball in the bed would be a good sign it was used for a lot of towing 
Around here it's hard to find F-250s and F-350s, especially with diesels, that aren't set up for a fifth wheel or gooseneck.
I personally also avoid trucks that have plows on them...
Around here it's hard to find F-250s and F-350s, especially with diesels, that aren't set up for a fifth wheel or gooseneck.
I personally also avoid trucks that have plows on them...
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Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Ohio
OASIS from a Ford dealer on the truck. That will give you information on dealer performed service and updates performed on the truck.
The rest is visual. I stay away from plow trucks but that is my preference. I worked in a body shop years ago, watch for tell tale signs of repaint. Look inside doors, roll up the lip of seals, metallic is hard to match so watch for color differences or blending into an adjoining panel. Over spray from a sloppy repair shop is easy to find, search everywhere.
Front axles upper & lower ball joints. Remember it is used but you don't have to be taken to the cleaners on a bad truck. Never...Never impulse buy or purchase a vehicle on a rainy day....
Wet vehicles hide many flaws.
I found a really nice vehicle for my wife that she loved, until you opened the door and smelled it....flood recovery.
The rest is visual. I stay away from plow trucks but that is my preference. I worked in a body shop years ago, watch for tell tale signs of repaint. Look inside doors, roll up the lip of seals, metallic is hard to match so watch for color differences or blending into an adjoining panel. Over spray from a sloppy repair shop is easy to find, search everywhere.
Front axles upper & lower ball joints. Remember it is used but you don't have to be taken to the cleaners on a bad truck. Never...Never impulse buy or purchase a vehicle on a rainy day....
Wet vehicles hide many flaws.I found a really nice vehicle for my wife that she loved, until you opened the door and smelled it....flood recovery.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Plano TX and Brentwood TN
Originally Posted by ghunt
Well, a mount for a fifth wheel or a ball in the bed would be a good sign it was used for a lot of towing
Around here it's hard to find F-250s and F-350s, especially with diesels, that aren't set up for a fifth wheel or gooseneck.
I personally also avoid trucks that have plows on them...
Around here it's hard to find F-250s and F-350s, especially with diesels, that aren't set up for a fifth wheel or gooseneck.
I personally also avoid trucks that have plows on them...
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i avoide them because they were likley used as trucks for towing heavy loades . yes that is wahat i plan on doing but i would rather be the first one to really use the truck to it's max potental because i know i'll take care of it.
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From: Plano TX and Brentwood TN
Thats understandable. Unfortunately, there aren't going to be many(now this is especially true in the area that I am in, maybe not so much where you are at), it's going to be hard to find a truck of this type used without the hitch already in place, more often then not it was originally purchased by someone that wanted a towing vehicle. Unless you are able to find one that was bought by someone that for some strange reason what a truck like that just for the sake of having that type of truck(which is probably more common then I think).
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From: Clarksburg WV
Originally Posted by tex25025
technically speaking, if its a ball in the bed it's a gooseneck hitch, a fifth wheel is a different animal all together,
Anyway I avoid trucks with hitches in the bed because around here, they're generally used to haul horse trailers or all kinds of other junk...and seeing the loads some of those guys tow I figure it's gotta be tough on the truck. Especially the ones with the automatics because I doubt many of those people think to upgrade the transmission cooler or anything. I just don't want something that's been run into the ground.
Also, if you're actually trying to haul stuff in the bed, the ball or mounts for a fifth wheel just get in the way, and I know that I personally would probably never haul a trailer that big because I don't have one and don't know anyone with one that size.
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ya there are alot of people in central florida that have a big truck like that just for the sake of having one so there's lots of them here with out the 5th weele attachment. so i'm good there thanks to all those people just driving them lots and never towing a thing the tranys are usualy in really good shape.
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From: Wyoming County, New York
I've heard folks say that if you have a mechanic you really, really trust, talk to him and see if he would check it out for you for a fee. Ten minutes on a lift and twenty minutes under the hood with a trained eye might cost you $50 or $100, but could save you thousands either in future repairs or on the purchase price.
At the very least it'll give you more confidence if and when you make the deal.
At the very least it'll give you more confidence if and when you make the deal.
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From: Clarksburg WV
Oh yeah and I forgot to add that I'm in west virginia...so not only do all these people use these trucks for farm work here hauling hay and the like, but they go over all kinds of hills...hard on the engine, tranny, brakes, etc...
I imagine as far as towing goes, mountainous states like this one are probably the hardest on the trucks.
I imagine as far as towing goes, mountainous states like this one are probably the hardest on the trucks.