Well, I did it, just got rid of my 6.0. It had 122,000 miles on it and my wife received the last two expensive vehicles while I drove high mileage trucks. So it is my turn, I bought the truck below, which is a 2008 GMC Duramax with 37,000 miles on it, bought it certified used. I went with the Duramax over the PSD mostly because the GMC is smaller than the Ford and my wife drives the truck enough to where she doesn't like the huge truck. In addition, I like the interior of 2005/2006 and 2011, but not a big fan of the interior of Ford from 2008 to 2010.

I will say, even though this was a long fight, I did learn a ton on here. This thread alone caused me to respect the v10 more, yet caused me to not want one with the driving I do. Until this thread, I did not realize the disadvantage the v10 is at with elevation.

I will still peak in around here and call Bill and Josh on there comments, and I expect nothing less than the same from ya'll.

Here is the new truck:


Here is the old truck with my toy hauler:

 

P.S. To Josh, Bill, Krewat:

I did enjoy the banter and thanks for putting up with me. LOL

 

Well 2001. Sad part is that you are not the first one that figured out the GM truck offer better value. I heard a lot about Fords from the shop owner that was helping me with blow differential. He made lot of money of Fords.
I still think my F450 is unbeatable for heavy hauling I do lately, but for average owner Fords prove to be too primitive and too unreliable. Hope Ford will hear the voices and in next model they at least make brake pad sensors?
Good luck with your new truck.

 

The Duramax is hard to beat in any year. I have been wanting to change to the darkside myself after my buddies truck with Custom tuning and a built trans ran a 12.42 the truck is a beast.

 

I dont think that is necessarily a fair statement, in that like the psd/v10 argument, each has their place. I owned 3 gas Chevys (1997,2000,2003) then a 2006 Ford and I will say the Ford is the most stout body/frame. Running dirt roads scared me in my Chevys but the Ford is solid. If you need a truck for the farm, oil field or like to work your truck hard, then the Ford is the way to go. If you need a pavement princess like me and rarely go off road, then the Chevy might be better. I also test drove two 2010 rams and they were good. I like the Chevy better but they definitely upgraded their trucks.

 

Yes, now go look at MARKET SHARE. Any mechanic will see more Fords than any other brand. Why? Because there's a lot more of them on the road.

And I don't mean the 1/2-ton market. Leave that part out, and you'll see the 3/4-ton and 1-ton (and above) market share is outrageously lop-sided.



Additionally, Fords are used for WORK. When I look around at what people are using for real commercial use, the Ford F250/350 outshines the Chevy and Dodge platforms so much that I can even remember the last time I saw a Chevy/Dodge loaded down with tools and equipment, covered in paint/tar/grease, dented to all hell, and abused.

With stats like that, it's no wonder a general mechanic sees more Fords.

Yes, "Chevy is a better value". If you like garage queens.

 

Actually I agree with the idea that Ford's are more stout, but Chevy's aren't bad either. They can tow smaller trailers like yours and what I used to have. When you get into the 18-24k lb range though, I would go with the stronger body/frame of the Ford. But for 12k lb, most any heavy duty truck will do it.

As for Dodge... In their current state I would never own one. I know they are cheaper and all, but almost everything you see on them is made so cheaply. The only reason they still exists is because of their engines IMO. Their engines are good, but the rest of the truck is just poo. If you test drive another Ram, poke around the front of the rear wheel fender, on the out side of the truck. The sheet metal they use is so thin it flexes. I remember watching a kid bent a 2008 Ram when he accidentally hit it with a wiffle ball. Not to mention, I'm not sure about buying a truck from a French company Anyway, enough ranting about how bad Dodge is lol. But I do have a respect for the GM's.

 

Ford, Dodge, and General Motors ALL are making far better vehicles than they did in the 70's and early 80's The rest is gone and the power trains all are more durable.

 

My buddies is an 06 durapad, except for the steering feeling a bit sloppier then my 02 I like the ride on his. Now his is a set up differnt from stock. he has aftermarket shocks now up front and his rear leafs are clamped down but on the dirt roads his truck handles better especially when the dirt roads are wash boarded. as far as offroad we both run similar tires. I got stuck on wet grass... had to be towed out by a little nissian Suv with a tiny 3000 lbs strap back on to the pavement. he put his truck into an 4 foot ditch when he missed a turn. His truck crawled out in 4lo with only 3 tires making contact.

I love my truck, when I get my truck fund up and its time to get a newer used one It might be duramax. time will tell and depending on 6.7 resale values are holding or not and improvments with the truck could swing me back. At this time if the money were completely saved up it would be a Duramax in my drive way.

I couldnt join the dodge crowd just because that small precentage of dodge guys screaming "CUMMINS!" "Rods!" "Rowr Cummins"

Now compare an 06 ford to his 06 duramax I do prefer the 06 ford a bit. the suspension is set up a bit better But I wont get a 6.0.

 

You are comparing your experience with the opinion of mechanical shop that is placed on California shore North of San Francisco. What is the difference? Not too much farms, not too much work for heavy trucks, LOT of recreational vehicles. Meaning the Fords the shop sees are used for towing boats and trailers. With full wax job
Ford made a fame generation ago and is cashing on it now. The most sold vehicle -F150 is also one of the deadliest vehicles on the planet. That still will not stop "my grandpa drove Ford, my father drove Ford and this is what I am driving"
Than the fame will not last forever. IMHO Ford is loosing it drastically.

 

And if they are heavy duty Superduty trucks, like we are discussing here, they STILL sell twice as much as Chevy. So any mechanic will see twice as many Fords as Chevies.

Sounds like a permanent home at the GMC forums is in your future

 

Nah. Sprinter pickup is on the top of my list, but with government restriction the few sold here have prices hitting the sky.

 

I thought it was cooler here today...Hell hath frozen over, repent ye sinners....

I completely agree with your comments.

 

Having spent several years in Europe and knowing several dozen people who bought European cars (Mercedes, BMW, Audi, etc) and imported them back here when they left, even THEY say it's a different animal over here than over there. Here, the roads are rougher, the hills are steeper, the trips are longer going from point "a" to point "b", and so on. The European models don't fare as well here as they do traversing the rolling Bavarian Alps. Over there, cars downshift to climb a 3% grade, and over here they floor it to go up it as fast as possible. There are exception in some of the models, but overall the gearing is set for maximum fuel economy (don't blame them at $2.00+ a liter) I used to drive from Laar, Germany down to Schinnen, NL and back 9hrs just to go go to the commissary. A trip that long in Europe is considered a "Holiday" (Vacation). Those imported cars usually get stored in the garage a year or so after arrival, or wind up on the lots of the luxury used car dealerships.

I don't see the Sprinter overtaking any useful segment of the truck market. The Ford Transit Connect may catch on with the working van crowd, but I'll guarantee you the Sprinter won't go where I go once I get off the pavement. It may have a 4000lb payload, but it can only tow 5000lbs. My large RTU's wouldn't fit on the bed, and they weigh around 8000lbs. Looks like I'll have to get the real truck...

Edit...Besides, they have been harping about the cowboy truck-takeover since 2006. I have yet to see one.

 

I will agree with you concerning the engine (concerning the 6.0 and 6.4 versus the Duradiaper) that Ford had been living off of the legendary 7.3 PSD for some time, the 6.7 might help that image or might not, still to early to tell.

But the rest of the truck has been light years ahead of the GM and Dodgem. Ford has had the best frame since the mid 90's and today GM has just now caught up with them (after doing a major revision to their truck 2011).

And when towing, an engine is only as good as the truck it's in. You could have put a 10L Cat engine with 2000 ft-lb of torque into the GM, and Ford's would have still out pulled them because the GM frames couldn't handle it. But the 2011 GM's have new frames that are significantly stronger than prior generations, so maybe the tides will change to GM... Again.

I remember when I first got into horses, everybody had a Chevy, those were the obvious towing trucks. Then in the mid 90's it went to Fords. Today every uses Fords, tomorrow who knows.