Looking at new trucks pt2

[Jarred Hodges]

when I was in diesel tech the highest mileage I saw on a 7.3 was 350k. It would vary on the price and condition of the truck. If it is an automatic has it had any transmission work done, what about the injectors, are they the factory ones or have they been replaced. I like the diesel trucks but the maintance and cost of repairs scares me away

[dustman_stx]

Commercial liability for $1,000,000 is $450 a year. Equipment insurance..$8,000 on the mower and a additional $1,500 for the hand tools push mower etc is about $3000 a year.

Im kind of apprehensive about going used. I dont want to end up with a pile of junk truck. I put at least 20,000 miles on a vehicle a year.

The truck would not be strictly for business use.

You are spending $3000 per year for $9500 worth of coverage???? Unless you plan on totaling your equipment every 3 years, this is a horrible deal.

[OldRedFord]

Commercial liability for $1,000,000 is $450 a year. Equipment insurance..$8,000 on the mower and a additional $1,500 for the hand tools push mower etc is about $3000 a year.

Im kind of apprehensive about going used. I dont want to end up with a pile of junk truck. I put at least 20,000 miles on a vehicle a year.

The truck would not be strictly for business use.

You are spending $3000 per year for $9500 worth of coverage???? Unless you plan on totaling your equipment every 3 years, this is a horrible deal.

No I am not. That was only one company that gave me a quote.

Mower cost $8,000. Only coverage I have right now is commercial liability.

I haven't found a truck I like, just there seems to be a lot out there over 150,000 miles. I prefer less then that my self.

[Happy_Camper]

I've been going through the same process for a couple of years now. In that time, of watching truck prices, following the different truck forums, Craigslist and eBay, I've found out a few things:
*On a diesel engine, the mileage isn't such a major concern. It's the rest of the truck. Seats break down, steering gets sloppy, transmissions, and torque converters have issues, Brake components (like backing plates, and caliper brackets) wear that are not normally replaced during servicing, etc. At this point I would only buy used, if I could see the entire maintenance history, and could have the truck inspected by a quality shop.

* a PSD, is one complicated frigging engine! They have pumps to feed pumps! Think I'd stick to an inline for anything that I couldn't get a 10 year / 100K mile warranty on.

*On anything used, get a full history report. There have been so many major weather issues, that lots of really great looking trucks, have some nasty underlying issues. I looked at a used truck that still had sea kelp between the body and the cab. Turns out the truck was parked too close to the ocean and got washed out a ways, before they could recover it. I can only imagine what the insides of the axles, look like. It wasn't until I started pressing the owner, that he 'fessed up to the truth.

*When you are really ready, put the word out through friends and family. I've seen a lot of really nice trucks pass hands, just so the owner could "justify" buying a new toy.

*Get hooked up with a credit union bank. They have some really great rates, and are a bit more liberal in lending policies, than the normal bank. If the loan rate is low enough, it makes more sense to use their money, than yours. Just remember, interest is compound, not simple. So the percentage is based on the daily amount owed, not the amount financed. They can show you exactly how much the loan will cost, and also can provide a loan without a "pre-payment penalty".

Good luck amigo! hope all goes well for you.