OK $20,000 to spend which diesel do I buy??

(opens can of worms)

OK, so I'm getting a new truck.... and I have analysis paralysis.

I'm not an experienced truck / 5th wheel driver but I have my UK HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) license so I can drive what you lot call big rigs over here.

I'm going to be hauling a 31TS from the east coast to the west (not the one in my avatar - I just sold up to do an American road trip)... so has to be capable of hauling, um what, 15,500 lbs?

I have already figured out I want a diesel with the low differentials.... 4.1 in the case of Chevrolet.

I figure it is a choice between Ford, Dodge & Chevrolet.

I reckon 20k will get me about a 2002 ish model??

Also, does anyone know if I can just come in to the states and drive a 15,500 lb rig on my UK license or would I have to do some kind of test. I have spent hours Googling about licenses and it seems anyone can pretty much drive any RV? Doesn't seem right to me!

Dually or not? What are the pros and cons?

F250 / 2500HD seems to be the minimum??

What words of wisdom can you offer? Please help!!

OK, I will say I like Fords. I do pull a 31TS with my 2008 Ford superduty F250 with 373 gears. Having said that, If I planed a coast to coast trip, I would go with a dually F350 or equal. I have not looked at used truck prices but think you could get an 05 or 06 for $20,000. I just have a normal drivers license and have never even been checked? I drove a rental car in the UK with the same license, some of your roads are a lot smaller than ours, I don't think you will have a problem other than driving on the "wrong" side of the road

I also am partial to Fords, but I won't really go into the brand wars. I think the 31TS is easily pulled by a F-250/2500, and a diesel will be a must especially in the mountains. I think for an added measure of comfort, a F-350/3500 dually would give you a better ride, more stable. As far as your budget, you should be able to get up to around a 2005, but they will likely have some miles on them. With a diesel, it's not so much of a factor though.

Thanks for your answers so far.. So dually is more stable (I get that bit OK) but a better ride?

Another vote for Fords. IMO, get the most truck that you can afford. For 15,000 lbs. +, I would definitely go with a 1 ton.

Oh, and don't forget to make sure your hitch rating is adequate for present and future hauls.

TC

15,500# is a lot of weight you'd probably be better off with a 1 ton, I think any of the big 3 will work, which ever you like the best, Dodge, Ford, Chevy.

Are you staying here in the US, or are you going back to the UK with your new rig?

If you are planing on doing a lot of mountain running, then yes, a 4.10 is probably your best, but if not, a 3.73 will do fine.

Are you going to use the truck as a daily drive after your trip, if yes, definitely the 3.73 then.

We changed from a 2006 Ford F350 SB to the Dodge 3500 dually and really like it. But, our F350 SRW did just fine too.

If you go with the Ford and it has a 6.0PSD, be sure to have it checked out as they have EGR cooler problems which cause head gaskets to blow.

Oh, and dually's are rough riders without a load, mainly because you have the tires pumped up for towing, if you are parked for a while, then you can air down to get a better ride.

TC wrote:I would definitely go with a 1 ton

Thanks.

OK, just to make sure we are talking the same language. A 1 ton truck would be pretty much anything F350 or 3500, right?

oldelmer1 wrote:

We changed from a 2006 Ford F350 SB to the Dodge 3500 dually and really like it.

Traitor!!

TC

31TS_in_England wrote:

TC wrote:I would definitely go with a 1 ton

Thanks.

OK, just to make sure we are talking the same language. A 1 ton truck would be pretty much anything F350 or 3500, right?

That is correct....

TC wrote:

oldelmer1 wrote:

We changed from a 2006 Ford F350 SB to the Dodge 3500 dually and really like it.

Traitor!!

TC

I know, I know, MAXTOR rubs it in all the time too. Been a Ford guy almost all my life, but when the Ford dealer was going to give me almost nothing for my truck, Dodge came through with the bucks I wanted, and then some.

oldelmer1 wrote:Are you staying here in the US, or are you going back to the UK with your new rig?

I'm immigrating. The wife and I are going to start a new life in California. We are currently set up in PA. The idea is to put everything in storage > road trip > find a place to live > get our stuff shipped > live happily ever after!

oldelmer1 wrote:If you go with the Ford and it has a 6.0PSD, be sure to have it checked out as they have EGR cooler problems which cause head gaskets to blow.

So if I buy from a dealer - better to have to checked independently?

Maxtor wrote: srw might be better for you.

SRW??

Aaaaaah SRW (single rear wheels) as opposed to Dually?

31TS_in_England wrote:

Maxtor wrote: srw might be better for you.

SRW??

Single rear wheels,,, not a dually. If all you use your truck for is to pull the 5th wheel, then a dually might be a good idea, depending on the weight of your trailer. Remember, with a dually, you have the cost of buying two extra tires, and normally less fuel mileage, plus they seem to be "nail magnets" at least on the dually I used to have. The Ford 6.0 engine has a reputation of having egr problems, even though so far I have not. The Ford 7.3 diesel is bullet proof, so is the Dodge cummins engine.

Yes, I would have it checked out no mater who you buy it from.
Here is a great forum about Fords:

http://www.thedieselstop.com/

Yes, SRW, single rear wheel as compared to DRW(dual)

Where in PA are you?

And why California??? Maxtor can tell you why NOT to move to California.

Ha. This makes interesting reading.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463/calling-all-ford-6-0-psd-owners-54730.html

oldelmer1 wrote:Where in PA are you?

And why California??? Maxtor can tell you why NOT to move to California.

Pittsburgh. The Mrs. is Californian and I love it there.

oldelmer1 wrote:http://www.thedieselstop.com/.

Thanks. I'll have a good read around there.

Roadrash wrote:OK, I will say I like Fords. I do pull a 31TS with my 2008 Ford superduty F250 with 373 gears. Having said that, If I planed a coast to coast trip, I would go with a dually F350 or equal. I have not looked at used truck prices but think you could get an 05 or 06 for $20,000. I just have a normal drivers license and have never even been checked? I drove a rental car in the UK with the same license, some of your roads are a lot smaller than ours, I don't think you will have a problem other than driving on the "wrong" side of the road

31TS_in_England wrote:

oldelmer1 wrote:Are you staying here in the US, or are you going back to the UK with your new rig?

I'm immigrating. The wife and I are going to start a new life in California. We are currently set up in PA. The idea is to put everything in storage > road trip > find a place to live > get our stuff shipped > live happily ever after!

oldelmer1 wrote:If you go with the Ford and it has a 6.0PSD, be sure to have it checked out as they have EGR cooler problems which cause head gaskets to blow.

So if I buy from a dealer - better to have to checked independently?

Hopefully not the other California.

San Diego > Los Angeles > San Francisco... that CA.

Maxtor wrote:

31TS_in_England wrote:

Maxtor wrote: srw might be better for you.

SRW??

Single rear wheels,,, not a dually. If all you use your truck for is to pull the 5th wheel, then a dually might be a good idea, depending on the weight of your trailer. Remember, with a dually, you have the cost of buying two extra tires, and normally less fuel mileage, plus they seem to be "nail magnets" at least on the dually I used to have. The Ford 6.0 engine has a reputation of having egr problems, even though so far I have not. The Ford 7.3 diesel is bullet proof, so is the Dodge cummins engine.

SW all the way. 7.3 is bullet proof but trany is not. I wonder how much the egr problem is caused by the oil be dumped into the intake.

31TS_in_England wrote:San Diego > Los Angeles > San Francisco... that CA.

We have 3 sections in Ca. North, Central, and South. North and Central pretty much hang together. At the Grape Vine below Bakersfield you enter the other California. A whole new country down there.

31TS_in_England wrote:

oldelmer1 wrote:http://www.thedieselstop.com/.

Thanks. I'll have a good read around there.

In California you can not unhook your egr valve. We a have to smog our trucks.

Portage 1968 wrote:
I wonder how much the egr problem is caused by the oil be dumped into the intake.

From what I remember reading in the diesel stop forum, the EGR cooler would get all clogged up because of the sand from the block casting. This sand would get caught in the radiator fins of the EGR cooler and cause the oil to start getting hot, then everything would get hot and the head bolts( that are bolts, not studs) would stretch causing the head gaskets to start to leak. Its a good $5 - 6K fix. BUT, not all have this problem, just some, mine didn't, Maxtor's doesn't and I'm sure lots of other don't either.

Just something to remember when looking.....

31TS_in_England wrote:San Diego > Los Angeles > San Francisco... that CA.

If you move to any of the above locations, you are beyond hope.
Best bet, unless you are over 70 years old, is to locate in another state or as close to the Oregon border as you can, if you insist on moving to Kalifornia.
It used to be a great state,,, not anymore. Why the 70 year old mark??? Because you might die before Kalifornia becomes completely unlivable.
California is to far gone... There is no saving it, short of a massive nuclear or biological catastrophe.
It is no place to raise children.

[quote="Portagie1968"]

31TS_in_England wrote:

oldelmer1 wrote:http://www.thedieselstop.com/.

In California you can not unhook your egr valve. We a have to smog our trucks.

At least not legally... A egr delete pipe fixes the problem.

Maxtor wrote:If you move to any of the above locations, you are beyond hope.
Best bet, unless you are over 70 years old, is to locate in another state or as close to the Oregon border as you can, if you insist on moving to Kalifornia.
It used to be a great state,,, not anymore. Why the 70 year old mark??? Because you might die before Kalifornia becomes completely unlivable.
California is to far gone... There is no saving it, short of a massive nuclear or biological catastrophe.
It is no place to raise children.

Wow, that's pretty damming. I suppose for the individual concerned it depends on your expectations and where you are coming from. We don't want kids - wouldn't be able to afford the rig otherwise.

A lot of the info on the diesel forums will scare you to death. Before I bought my truck, I read so much negative info, I almost did not buy a diesel. The owners who do not have problems don't write in the forums. After over three years, The only problem I have had is to repair my cruise control.

Tax paying citizens and companies are fleeing from California. We are lucky to live in the far north of Kalifornia, which will delay the inevitable.
I sum it up with the analogy that if you have one wagon and ten people, and you have two riding and eight pulling, things work fairly well. In California, you have nine riding and one pulling, and that one guy wants to move.