Time for a new truck.Ford or GM ??

I've got the particulars worked ot( 4x4 , dually crew cab diesel) but I can't decide between the GMC Sierra or the Ford F450. Any experience, pros and cons with these ??

 

Personally I'd go with the GMC. Not that Fords are bad, just had no luck with them (both ford trucks I've owned caught fire).

 

Diesel or gas? Either way I would go with GM.

 

Ram has the Cummins power.

If you get dually you can get the Aisin Trans as well.

That's what I just ordered.

They have a nice interior and drive good too.

I checked out all the big 3 and the ram is really a nice platform these days.

 

GMC.

 

Also I would take a GMC over a ford.

My coworkers 6.7 is already having problems.

You would think ford could have their shit together with their motors by now. Hell they should have just kept the 7.3 and put emissions on it.

Nothing but problems since they dropped that motor.

 

4x4 , dually crew cab diesel

Just what I like,
I have owned a 90, 97, two 2004s and a 2012.
All but the 2012 were Chevy. the 2012 is GMC Denali.

Let me tell you, the Denali is FUN to drive 400 HP and 750 torque stock! Nothing like roasting the tires on a dually and making the guy in the BMW next to you sweat when he tries to jump in front of "that big slow truck"

IIRC Ford has dropped the 450 from their line in 2013. Now you go from a 350 to a 550. That was when I was shopping last year.

How much are you trying to haul?

 

Right now I have an '05 Chevy dually with the Duramx-awesome tuck. I'm a fence contractor and it's nothing to put 25k pounds behind it and go down the road.Test drove a Doge and really felt like the frame was too flexible. I've always been a GM guy, but the horsepower and torque numbers on the new F450 are pretty impressive....
I have had as much as 32k behind it, towed it well.

Seems like 16k 5th wheel tow hauler is the lightest thing I tow....

 

I have the '13 Ford F350 diesel dually....Mine has been trouble free...not that many miles yet but it sure can haul the freight...400hp and 800 lbs-ft stock. Now I don't particularly care for the DEF but it hasn't been a problem yet. I did take the maximum powertrain warranty, which I usually don't do. In this case working on the engine is just out of the question. Way too much junk between turbos and electronic everything in the way.

 

GMC

 

I'm not sure why the choice is between the Sierra or an F450. If you need to haul 30,000 pounds and are willing to accept the reduced mileage, shitty ride while empty with factory 19.5 commercial tires etc. Then get the F450. Otherwise I would be shopping the 350 vs the Sierra and frankly go with whatever one floats your boat. Just my opinion, but there are positives and drawbacks to all the big 3 diesels. At the end of the day, it's largely personal preference.

 

Well shut my mouth and cook me some grits, me too

You are running the same rig as me, assuming your 05 is the LLY engine
Ist off You are WAY overloading the truck if you are putting 25 to 32K on a trailer then towing it. The truck is only rated for 23,500 truck, trailer AND load combined. You are asking for a shit ton in fines if DOT nabs you.

Hell, DOT wanted to give me up to $2400 in fines for not having my fire extinguisher BOLTED down even though it was in a pocket right next to the drivers seat and me not having all 3 safety triangles (I had 2).
If I have a load that large, I have it delivered, But I have the convenience of having 3 national disrtibuters within 40 min of my location

I pulled my 17k 5th wheek toyhauler with it no issues on 04.

Anyway I have chipped my 04 LLY to a supposed 410 HP and 600 torque, but my butt dyno can't really tell a difference and with a 100 hp over stock and you would think I could tell.


The 12 LMM motor supposedly has the same specs as the chipped 04 LLY, but the 12 KILLS the 04 hands down but the towing capacity is 23200 still.
TRAILERING/HAULING SPECS
Trailer confidently with Sierra 3500HD:

I would say the GMC 3500 series may be too small for what you need and you may want to look into the 5500 or 550 series

The main difference you are going to run into with the larger trucks is DOT and CDL issues. The 3500 lets you fly under the radar more easily

I am reqired by my state DOT to have a medical card and a daily drivers log ( 2 different ones one easy fill out at the end of the day for operating within 150 miles from base, the other is the standard truckers log for going out of state (If we do) TX may vary on your regs, but if you go over the 26001lb mark, you must have a CDL.(If you didn't already know that.

 

yep,got the class A cdl and all that,but you know you can't load for only a 1/2 day of work. when we go out , i expect to set 1000' feet a day. my 35' goose neck weighs 6k , 10k for the bobcat 4 tons gravel , water posts and cement mixer adds up quick. just gotta do what you gotta do.i only wish gm still made the 4500 series and there would be no decision to make

 

I hear ya, you can cut a lot of weight using a mini skid.

I can do everything with my ditch witch sk755 that can be done with a full skid (as long as you are not grading a large area)

I can pick up a full pallet of dogears with a little counter balance
and it will fit in the bed of a pickup if needed. i think it comes in at 2800lbs, and that saves a ton of weight on the trailer over a full sized skid

I hook up a hydraulic post driver to it and drive a at least a 1000 foot a day (temp), I don't know your soil, but I have a Lowe reduction drive augerhead and I can go through asphalt/sandstone with my rock head.

Also, I use pre bagged concrete, easy to load, easy to transport, easy to mix, easy clean up and when you buy pallets at a time, the cost and labor savings over mixing gravel and sand and hauling a mixer, It is just not worth it.
I figure an 80 lb bag per 10 inch x 2 ft hole, cast in place, good luck pulling it out when it hardens. Plus, on Spec jobs, it meets the ASTM standard and satisfies the GM for slump. You would also gain weight savings on calculations of per hole concrete mix needed on your trailer without a lot of extra left over to haul around burning fuel.

I see some of the guys around here with sand an gravel on their bed, it is all spread out, they cant get there tools/material squared away neat due to the piles. Gravel bounces off and chips the windshield of the car behind you...
I factored the cost of the raw stuff vs the pre mix. It was a no brainer for me.

It has been a good method for over 15 years YMMV

Talking about this reminds me that I have to find a new valve for my 300 gallon tank. It fell off the forks empty and broke off (We didn't notice the wood pallet it sits on had gone bad)

 

GMC......ford Ecosuck, has too many issues

 

Sold my 1-year-old Ford pu to buy a used Chevy 2500HD.

Ideally, I'd take a cummins with the alison in a GM with a Ford interior.

 

GM.

 

You really can't go wrong with any of them. Drive them all and pick which one you like best.
One or two people with bad experiences shouldn't dissuade you. There are thousand and thousands of all three on the roads that are problem-free.

 

and my Silverado has over a 100K and not a single issue...tires and a set of breaks, thats it

 

I'd probably be looking more at GMC as well. I agree you can have a lemon in any of the major brands, it happens all the time. The 6.7 is still pretty new to tell any glaring flaws just yet, the durmax is pretty well a veteran by now as its like the what 6th? generation of the engine. I never liked F250+ Fords though, weigh down the rear end and it sags like an old womens tits.