I am in the market for a 1 ton diesel dually pickup since I am going to be starting my own hotshot trucking company. What truck would be the best and most reliable (by experience not brand bias) to haul with a 5th wheel/gooseneck trailer? What should I look for? What years have been proven?
Adding @USAFdozerpilot and @7-3punchina3-4 to the discussion
I'll take the Powerstrokes because they're my expertise... I'm talking motors, not trucks.
Any 97-03 F-350 7.3 Powerstroke is going to treat you well. If taken care of, those engines will last absolutely forever. The only issue can be their power. The numbers aren't staggering compared to today's numbers.
The 03 6.0 was also a great diesel by Powerstroke. Most of the issues associated with the 6.0 came after the 03 model year when emissions were required. They are a good in-between the 7.3 and the 6.7 - a moderate in terms of power, reliability, efficiency, price, etc.
The later 6.0's are O.K. if weak points are fixed, but aren't ideal. They aren't the worst motors ever but certainly are a long way from the top.
The 6.4 is not the most reliable motor but are quite cheap. I wouldn't recommend one but it's not like they are absolute garbage. I know plenty of folks with over 200K trouble free miles on em.
Any 6.7 Powerstroke that has been taken care of will also be a great truck. The only issues they have are minor cooling things. So make sure that's all in good condition before you start throwing money everywhere.
I don't have extensive knowledge on Dura's or Cummins though, so you'll have to get someone else's help with those guys. But as a summary, I would say go 03 6.0 if you're really towing really heavy stuff, 7.3 if you would rather not have all the power but all the reliability, and finally a 6.7 if you can afford one. I would not reccomend the 6.4 or the 04-onward 6.0.
Hope this helped.
Top diesels made
in my opinion…
12 valve Cummins w/ manual will last 1 million miles. They are work horses.
7.3 Powerstroke w/ manual as said above will last close to the million mark if taken care of.
2nd gen 6.7 Powerstroke w/ 6 speed transmission.
6.7 Cummins w/ Asin transmission
GM LBZ 6.6 Duramax w/ Allison transmission
I want to say I agree with
@7-3punchinina3-4
The benefit with an older diesel is you bypass DEF and all the other crap that goes with it.
keep in mind that eventually automatics will need rebuilt or replaced. In my opinion it’s worth it and most owners of these truck do it because of how stout these motors are.
