Looking for opinions on this truck.

[Lefty]

In planning my new life I've come to the conclusion that my F-150 just isn't going to cut it with what I want to carry as well as taking me where I want to go which will be primarily mostly boondocking. Because of previous medical issues my credit is in the crapper and savings is nearly gone. BUT on the positive side I have zero debt. I own my house outright even if it is in disrepair and my 2011 F-150 with a little over 100k miles is paid off. Also, I have an ok income from Social Security ($1,700 a month) and pension ($1,000 a month). Not great, but ok.

I've decided the right vehicle for me would be something along the lines of either a Ford F250/F-350 or equivalent Chevy. 4x4 and diesel is a must. How do you all feel about reliability with a 10 to 20 year old vehicle that's got 200k + miles on it? Any thoughts on this one?
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inven...endYear=2015&startYear=2006#listing=288794128

Thanks in advance!

 

[tx2sturgis]

If you are planning on selling the house, and leaving the sticks-n-bricks behind, you might wait till the house sells and then buy something nicer and newer with less mileage.

Just thinking you could stack the deck in your favor if you buy your chosen vehicle but with less than 100,000 miles on the clock. Preferably less than 50,000.

Not to imply that one is circling the drain...but that is a fair amount of mileage...it's probably gonna need some expensive repairs sooner or later.

 

[B and C]

It also has a 5th wheel hitch already installed. Wonder how big a trailer it towed?

 

[ckelly78z]

I have a 6.0L diesel Excursion and love it, although the previous owner had to delete the EGR system, and I have had to replace injectors, and an oil pan(all very expensive fixes). The 6.4 L diesl in the 2008 has some different problems....oil dillution, and HPFP issues can ruin a motor quickly, but if you are diligent about checking levels, and running a fuel additive, they might stay away.


This looks like a solid truck, for a solid price, without a trade in, offer them 10% less, and I bet they will take it. At 218,000 miles, it is half way through it's usable life.

 

[highdesertranger]

I personally would not own a Ford diesel after the 7.3. I also do not like the computer controlled diesels. Highdesertranger

 

[NctryBen]

How do I push “like”... haha! As a 7.3 diesel owner I’m thinking my odds are better to get a fresh motor then to go with anything Ford put out after. My son has a 6.0... had to delete. Everything is like double to repair. And there really isn’t anything proven after the 7.3. Mine is pretty easy to work on and still somewhat solid. I saw a 6.0 I really liked. My son steered me away... if I were to buy newer I’d go Cummings.

 

[tx2sturgis]

No 'g' In Cummins.

 

[crofter]

218k miles and 47 service records. Is that a good thing or no? 
-crofter

 

[Lefty]

Thanks y'all...
Plans can always change tx but for now my plan is to spend however much time I need to fix my house good enough to rent it providing with an additional revenue stream. Then upgrade to something more permanent but either way, rent or sell we're both on the same page.

How much work that old horse did "before" is something I never thought about BandC. Excellent observation! Probably best for me to take a pass on this one and file away all the good advice and info for the future. I guess I'm just getting antsy but I waited 65 years to do this so I guess another 12 to 24 month's won't kill me. I was thinking the same thing crofter. Yeah, it's got over 200k miles but, ....it seems to have been well cared for. Oh well, passing on it will allow me to squirrel more money away while I learn more. In the meantime I'll just go with my original plan to use my F-150 to go on extended boondock tent camping excursions in-between working on my house.

Since I live alone there's no one for me to bounce ideas off of so I sincerely appreciate y'all taking the time.
Thanks!

p.s.
" it is half way through it's usable life."
Considering I'm at 80% of my useable life that just might equal out! LOL

 

[tx2sturgis]

I would not want to be a landlord, ever, but especially right now with the laws the way they are....

Good luck with that.

 

[bullfrog]

There are people that do Airbnb short term stays that are making good money even during the pandemic depending on your location and property. In some areas property has gotten so high there are opportunities to hire managers that only do Airbnb on a property and they pay for all repair and furnishings while you get a monthly check. Be careful but might be worth checking out.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Yes, my comment was directed at a private homeowner, renting out their one house to strangers, having to comply with a myriad of landlord-tenant laws, and assuming it will be a trouble-free and profitable experience, and that they can hold the title to and move back in if things change. Like a safety net, so to speak. More often than not, things go south in a hurry.

Now, if you are a landlord actually doing it as a business, as in apartments or AirBnB, Hostels, or multi-family housing etc, and that is a business that you can attend to on a daily or weekly basis, then that can be a separate, and profitable, business. 

In that case you are probably not 'emotionally' attached to the property...it's just a 'business'.

 

[bullfrog]

I have been amazed by how technology has made it possible to do Airbnb through contract remotely. By hiring skilled labor that use checklists on a supplied smart phone developed for a specific property with automatic calls for scheduling cleaning and maintenance or ordering supplies, heck the electronic locks automatically change the key code after each entry and forward it to the next tenant or house cleaner, it is possible to do Airbnb remotely after lots of detailed set up and insuring of quality control by video checks. My son and his partner have done so for over a year now and are starting to expand their business. They are able to go months at a time without visiting a property. They set up and furnish the house and install a several hundreds of dollars of fixtures, equipment and organizers but start making a profit within a few months. They are both programing geeks and systems designers with practical application skills. I would have never thought it would be possible but so far it seems to work like clockwork.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Hey there's even an app for THAT!

:thumbsup:

 

[tripper]

The best value vs reliability and ease of maintenance right now is early to mid 2000's Dodge Cummins powered trucks, especially the stick shift models. Find one that has good service records and sub 200k miles. Older trucks than those years are going to have a lot of issues popping up such as dried up and leaking seals and parts scarcity issues. Newer are just full of problems mostly due to emissions equipment or too expensive. Fords, as mentioned by HDR, are very unreliable in the 2000s other than the 7.3, tho the cummins is more powerful, more reliable engine and much easier to work on, the Ford truck itself is better tho. Duramax Chevy/GMC pre 2007.5 are very powerful and fairly reliable but also very expensive to repair and buy and hard to perform maintenance on. I currently tire a small 5th wheel with a 03 Duramax 4x4 and a truck camper with an 93 Cummins 4x4, I love the 93 but it is so old now that it is not really saving me money vs newer trucks in repairs. If for some reason you go new truck the GAS 7.3 new Ford trucks are amazing, with a super broad high torque power band.