What Truck should I get?

[Luna_tic]

I’m still a couple months away from getting a truck but I thought I should get some suggestions from horse people. I pretty much know nothing about trucks so I’ve been worried about this for a while but this also means that I don’t have any prejudices against any either.

My main concerns are that it can pull a small trailer (two horse probably as I am not planning on getting any more anytime soon besides the one I have but this leaves me room to trailer a friend’s horse or help someone out etc.), has four doors (I hate having the dogs jump around the cab between the front and back, and more room for people/stuff), and four wheel drive preferably. Also, as good with gas mileage as possible but my hopes aren’t too high for this one. Right now I’m used to 17 mpg, which isn’t the greatest either.

Also, my mom suggested nothing older than 2010 but I’ll consider any suggestions. (I am not looking for sales ads since I’m still several months away but examples with prices definitely wouldn’t hurt so I know what I’m in for)

TIA!

[AKB]

I like my 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 extended cab 4WD. Make sure you get one with the factory tow package.

[kcmel]

My 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 has been nothing but trouble. It will be my last Dodge!

[ryansgirl]

Unfortunately not an easy answer :-). All personal preference and you’re going to get a million different answers :winkgrin:.

Personally for me I’ll always drive a Ram (note the Rams are NOT a Dodge product anymore). Current one is a 2008 1500 with 147,000 miles on it - no issues whatsoever since I bought it new. My next one will be either the half-ton diesel or the 3/4-ton gas. But hopefully not for a long time as mine has a lifetime power train warranty so I’ll be driving it for as long as possible!

I’ve been driving Rams since 1996 so needless to say it is my truck of choice.

[Guilherme]

Search the archives in this forum. There are literally hundreds of hours of reading there!

G.

[cloudyandcallie]

My 2001 F350 with the 7.3 litre engine was the best vehicle I’ve ever owned. Almost 333,000 before I traded it in last fall. (That includes 5 foreign sports cars and 5 jeep grand cherokees, so I had some pretty good vehicles…except for the 2 british sports cars.)

I bought the 6.7 F350, 2016 model and it has been great so far. Doesn’t sound like a diesel, though, LOL.

Watch out for some of the Ford engines between 2001 and 2016. the 6.0 had some problems. The 6.7 is made in europe, not in mexico as the 6.0 was.

There are pluses and minuses to all of the 3 top brands, Chevy, Ford and Ram (not called Dodge anymore). I never had a problem with my 2001 Ford and so far, have had no problem with my 2016. My friends with Dodge/Ram or Chevy or the 6.0 litre Ford have all had problems.

[hokiekat]

“What truck should I get?” is a very broad question. It really depends on your budget and hauling needs.

1. How much are you planning on towing? This will determine the tow capacity you’ll need from your truck. A “two horse trailer” can weigh anything from 1500lbs to 4000lbs +/- depending on the size and material it’s built with. Sure, a mid-size SUV may be rated to tow 5000lbs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe to do so or it’ll be an easy haul up/down hills. Example: My trailer weighs 3000lbs + 1000lb horse + 1000lb horse + 500lbs of gear = 5500lbs approximate that I tow at any given time. When I was looking for a new(er) truck, I excluded anything with a tow capacity under 8000lbs.

2. What is your price range? The more doors and accessories, typically the more expensive - even in a used truck. Mileage and warranty coverage will also come into play, depending on what you’re looking for.

As for reliability, once you zero in on your budget definitely plan on doing some internet research. As cloudyandcallie mentioned, the 6.0L Fords (2010 and earlier) had notorious issues for throwing rods. I had a 1999 low mileage Dodge Ram 1500 (5.9L) that had essentially no issues when properly maintained… though the earlier generation 1500 Rams have weaker transmissions. Currently, I have a 2011 Ford F150 FX4 with the 5.0L “coyote” engine - hauls like a dream, but had a minor transmission seal issue (late 2011 builds only) that was fixed under warranty.

When you start looking more seriously, feel free to message me with any questions you may have. I’m an automotive engineer (working for a major OEM) so I’m pretty familiar with the industry. Kelly Blue Book (kbb.com) is a great resource to compare prices and values of vehicles. NADA is better for estimating the value of older vehicles though (say, early 2000s and older).

Best of luck in your search!

[AutumnReign]

Love my Tundra. the cab is fabulous for space.
But the new Rams looks quite intriguing.
My Tundra is the 2010 iForce 5.7L V8

[NoSuchPerson]

Like everything else here, 12 people, 13 opinions.

I come from a Ford family, plus the best (by a long margin) local dealership in terms of customer service and non-skeevy salesmen is a Ford dealer. My F-150 (V8, automatic) pulls a 16 ft steel stock trailer (with brakes) with 2 horses in it just fine for occasional local travel and flat-ish ground. But, if I was going to haul frequently and go long distances, I would definitely want an F-250 instead.

[Macimage]

We love our Ford F250 with the diesel 7.3L engine.

[RPM]

Decide on your trailer first.

Then get a truck that can stop it. It is one thing to get a truck that can PULL your trailer. It is a much more important thing to get a truck that can STOP it.

[DHCarrotfeeder]

[QUOTE=Macimage;8521529]
We love our Ford F250 with the diesel 7.3L engine.[/QUOTE]

(For the OP’s information, that’s a 13 year old truck at best. Back when diesels were simple, fuel efficient, and durable)

I agree with selecting a truck from the trailer first. Also calculate or use a calculator to determine hitch/kingpin weight, total weight, etc.

Diesel is outstanding due to the ample torque, but not necessary for a 2h trailer.

Just remember that the person selling the trailer will tell you any truck will pull it. And any truck salesman will tell you it can pull any trailer. Neither of them are liable if they are wrong. Only you get to decide what is safe and legal.

[Luna_tic]

I don’t have time to answer everything right now so just a quick thing. I won’t be able to buy a trailer myself for a couple more years probably. The truck is at the top of my list right now because my car isn’t the most trustworthy anymore. Until I know more about what I can spend, I’m just looking for recommendations and tips on what to look for because I don’t want to buy a truck now and then down the road have to buy another one. I’m planning on keeping that one for a while. But I will sit down one day and see what my limit is going to be and think about everything else y’all have told me. Thank you for everything so far!

[Jim_in_PA]

No matter what brand and model of truck you decide to buy, be sure it has “factory tow” for your particular application. That’s not just a hitch receiver; rather, it’s a bunch of other refinements to the drive train and suspension that provides better towing performance, better capacities and in many cases, better safety for the job.

[murphyluv]

I’m also in the boat of buying the truck first then the trailer. It may be several years before I haul and can get a trailer, but I can afford the truck now and the lifestyle is kinda saying I need a truck. tired of putting dirt and hay and whatever else INSIDE my car. So I figure I can get one now. I’m extremely interested in the Toyota Tundra, they are extremely nice to drive and this truck will be my daily driver. I’ve been told to buy the tundra new or nothing older than 2011 as there were some jinx to iron out. It tows 10,000 lbs and I figure that should cover a basic 2 horse. I’m not planning on a camper or hauling more than 2 horses so that should cover any towing needs.
I’d recommend test driving even before you’re ready to buy. I was extremely frustrated that the toyota dealership never seems to have any tundras available to drive so I went down to visit my parents and test drove some there- and I will probably do it again, AND test drive some of the competition- GMC I was thinking or Chevy.

[Zu_Zu]

Love my 2013 Ram !

[Jim_in_PA]

The current generation truck market has some great options from GM/Chevy, Ford, RAM and Toyota to consider. They can be very comfortable “daily drivers” with decent fuel economy as well as capable of hauling a 2h trailer with ease. Only you can choose which you like the best…with the one requirement that must be on your list for any of them…“Factory Tow”.

[scruffy_the_cat]

When I win the lottery I have my eyes on the new Nissan Titan with the Cummins diesel engine and all those sweet tow options. Or I could wait 5-8 years and get one used. Sigh.

[mvp]

[QUOTE=Macimage;8521529]
We love our Ford F250 with the diesel 7.3L engine.[/QUOTE]

I have one of these and I love her, too.

But with all due respect, comments like ours are becoming less and less helpful to folks like the OP. After all, the venerable 7.3 was last made in 2003.5. It is getting harder and harder to find these trucks.

And what follows from Ford in the diesel genre isn’t good for another several engines and more than a decade. OP, don’t bother with any 6.Whatever liter Ford diesel engines until the 6.7 at least. But those trucks aren’t cheap and their fuel economy is bad in comparison to the good old days when would could pollute willy-nilly with a diesel engine.

All this is to say that advice must be modernized… even as it is plain to see that the 7.3 represented the Apex of Western Civilization and Technological Accomplishment, and all now is just decay.

[Mango20]

People have strong opinions and high brand loyalty to their trucks, but I think the truth is that you really can’t go wrong with any of the major truck brands. Make sure you get one that is set up to tow and has enough power for your needs.