When is a truck too old?

[AllenV]

This post aims to explore “how old is too old” for a reliable tow vehicle. I am interested in other’s thoughts and practice in deciding to sell the venerable old truck and buy something newer.

Plainly stated, we (my wife and I) set a high bar for reliability of the truck. We need to feel comfortable and secure in the notion that we will complete a road trip without breakdowns. We live in the Western US (New Mexico) where we often find ourselves 50 miles from any town. Even farther from the nearest parts store or mechanic.

We are towing a 303RLS using a 2008 Ford F250 4WD crew cab with the 6.4L diesel. The truck has 158K miles on the odometer. We bought the truck in 2012 and began towing the 5th wheel on vacations to Colorado, Southern California, and Wyoming in 2019. I have not skimped on routine maintenance and repairs and feel the truck is in as good condition as can reasonably be achieved. But it is now 14-15 years old. I am seeing increasing signs of age. Three times now disabled while towing by a failed air hose on the turbo intake system. (Repaired on the shoulder of interstates 25 and 40, not fun.) On our just-completed Yellowstone Park trip the engine thermostat went south, stuck open. That’s an easy fix, of course. However, it just got me thinking, “what next? I can’t predict the next failed component.” The last time I had it in to the local Ford dealership to replace the starter the service writer commented that the truck was “pretty old” and he could not find a new starter but that a remanufactured unit was available. I am thinking it is time to move on to a newer truck.

That said, I am very interested in learning how others have approached this decision. I think other forum readers would be as well. Please respond with your thoughts and actual choices made regarding when and why to replace an aging truck, or why have you chosen stick with your existing truck a bit longer. If you have made extraordinary effort to boost reliability of an older truck, I’d like to hear about that as well.

Thank You
AllenV

 

[FT4NOW]

I wouldnt be turned off by the age of the truck if maintenance is kept updated and it had been running problem free. The 6.4 diesel has been known for a lot of issues if you read any of the ford or powerstroke forums. It's obviously up to you what to do, but I would want something as reliable as possible. If you're questioning the reliability of your truck based on your own experience with issues, maybe its time to consider an upgrade.

 

[Hoopy Frood]

Age has little to do with it, if the truck is sound to begin with. That engine isn't the best, so I'd be concerned. I towed with a 2001 Dodge Cummins until earlier this year. I never was concerned with any issues, and never had any issues arise. We bought a bigger 5th wheel and needed more power, and I was getting tired of the manual 6-speed.

 

[trailrydr]

If mechanically skilled with proper tools, and preventive maintenance ( or good service plan and deep pockets), should last as long as you can stand driving an older truck. I love our 2013 F150 SCREW 4x4 6.2ltr. Its easy to work on, and is a beast for being a F150. The only reason to upgrade or trade up would be because of capacity, not age.

Sure, if it started to rust apart, or get totaled would get a new 7.3ltr gasser Super Duty SRW (dont like replacing 6 tires instead of 4). And since I do my own maint, diesel is just nasty and expensive to repair and deal with IMHO. Not to mention historical fuel prices as well (owned those too before).

So if its running good, properly maintained, and tows your rig, save your trade up cash for an Exoxtic vacation!

 

[Easycamper]

If it reached the point where it started to affect my enjoyment of travelling, I would sell. If I’m preoccupied thinking the truck might let me down I can’t enjoy myself. Over 20 years I’ve never had a mechanical breakdown other than blown tires on the trailer (2). I towed with the Ram 1500 for 16 years.

 

[Second Chance]

Being a Ford owner and spending time on some of the Ford truck forums, I share [MENTION=5834]FT4NOW[/MENTION]'s concerns about the 6.4. Do you use the truck for anything other than pulling the RV? Have you had the 6.4 "bullet-proofed?" If so - and you can still get other parts - the choice would be up to you based on your confidence in the truck and its reliability. If it hasn't been bullet-proofed and has over 125K miles on it, I would personally be a little uneasy about it. You don't mention finances, but those are another dimension of your situation; new trucks are certainly not cheap! Finally, ahem, your age. Will you be RVing long enough to justify the (great) cost of a new diesel truck at today's prices?

You asked about others' choices and why they have made them. Our truck is 11 years old now, but it's a 6.7 and as very low miles on it - especially for a truck that age (67K). Ford replaced the reductant heater for the DEF under a TSB, replaced a refrigerant line on the AC that leaked, and I had to caulk the sunroof when it started leaking (hate 'em and don't want/use 'em). Other than that, we've had zero significant issues with the truck. The oil and filter are changed every 5K miles and the fuel filters every 10 - 20K. At my age, I'm pretty sure this truck will last us as long as we can stay on the road.

If you're one, too, greetings from a fellow native New Mexican!

Rob

 

[traveldawg]

This post aims to explore “how old is too old” for a reliable tow vehicle. I am interested in other’s thoughts and practice in deciding to sell the venerable old truck and buy something newer.

Plainly stated, we (my wife and I) set a high bar for reliability of the truck. We need to feel comfortable and secure in the notion that we will complete a road trip without breakdowns. We live in the Western US (New Mexico) where we often find ourselves 50 miles from any town. Even farther from the nearest parts store or mechanic.

We are towing a 303RLS using a 2008 Ford F250 4WD crew cab with the 6.4L diesel. The truck has 158K miles on the odometer. We bought the truck in 2012 and began towing the 5th wheel on vacations to Colorado, Southern California, and Wyoming in 2019. I have not skimped on routine maintenance and repairs and feel the truck is in as good condition as can reasonably be achieved. But it is now 14-15 years old. I am seeing increasing signs of age. Three times now disabled while towing by a failed air hose on the turbo intake system. (Repaired on the shoulder of interstates 25 and 40, not fun.) On our just-completed Yellowstone Park trip the engine thermostat went south, stuck open. That’s an easy fix, of course. However, it just got me thinking, “what next? I can’t predict the next failed component.” The last time I had it in to the local Ford dealership to replace the starter the service writer commented that the truck was “pretty old” and he could not find a new starter but that a remanufactured unit was available. I am thinking it is time to move on to a newer truck.

That said, I am very interested in learning how others have approached this decision. I think other forum readers would be as well. Please respond with your thoughts and actual choices made regarding when and why to replace an aging truck, or why have you chosen stick with your existing truck a bit longer. If you have made extraordinary effort to boost reliability of an older truck, I’d like to hear about that as well.

Thank You
AllenV

It sounds like you need a bit of nudging to replace that truck. If something left me stranded 3 times and it was that old I'd be looking seriously for a better vehicle.

Sometimes we get too attached to things that have supported us well in the past but have started to fail. For me, I'd rather not have that worry nagging at the back of my mind.

In addition to one class A motorhome I replaced because I felt was less than totally dependable I've had at least one automobile that fell into the same category. Also had a few vehicles that I flat wore out because they just kept performing.

 

[Ynot4me2]

Our 10 yr old low hours bowrider boat left us stranded at our favorite beach on our lake for a second time. All maintenance was done religiously. It is now up and running again and also for sale. Once I loose confidence in something, it's time to move on.

 

[Riverbug]

Agree with others. If you lost confidence in it, might be time to move on. However, you can also find various YouTube videos of people being stranded with a new or newish vehicle as well. I like to maintain as best I can to avoid problems rather than replace parts as problems arise; beyond that what more do we have but hope for the best of luck. To me the age of the vehicle is meaningless. I still love my 2004 even after an engine replacement at 108K. But it just chugs too much against the wind and up hills so it's time to move into something that will give us more power than we need and have headroom if we decide to get a bigger TT down the road. It's all about your confidence in the vehicle... Good luck with your decision!

 

[AllenV]

Thank you all for your thoughts, please continue this thread as it seems a useful contribution to the forum.

The truck decision is wrapped up in life choices. My wife and I are 62 years old and retired, plenty of time left. I am a “car guy” but have lately had the luxury of choosing what my car hobby looks like. The COVID years have been filled with a frame-off restoration of a 1955 F-100, currently assembling the freshly-machined Y-Block V8. Not too many years ago the car “hobby” was occupied with keeping the daily-drivers in ship shape. Every repair needed to be complete by the next work day. Now I send those cars to the pros for service and save myself for the tasks I find enjoyable. The F-250 has fallen in-between, I have done some work myself but elected to have professionals do the (littoral) heavy lifting.

I am familiar with the maladies of the 6.4 motor. This motor is “sort of” bullet-proofed. Exactly what comprises bullet-proofing varies with who is being asked. A lot of the issues are derived from DPF regen cycle and the EGR potential for leaks. When the warranty came off, I programmed the DPF and EGR delete and removed the DPF and CAT. I left the power on the tune as close to stock as possible so as to not add stress to the motor beyond stock power/torque. The radiator leaked and was replaced by Ford under warranty. I have not ventured as far as to put in new head studs or turbo pipes. We did have the “dark times” where on a trip with my mother-in-law to Socorro, NM, the motor rattled and gave up. Turned out a pushed rod had come out of its rocker arm divot and caused a bit of havoc. The Socorro Ford dealer put in selected new push rods and rocker arms. All that said, my reading of the Ford Truck Enthusiast forum suggests that 175K miles is a prudent time to exit this truck. 158K miles is several years earlier than I had expected.

However, reliability goes beyond the motor. For example, I put in new headlights about a year ago. All of the catches on the electrical socket broke due to age-induced brittleness. This was in spite of being very careful and correct in the removal process. It all works fine without the “snap” on the sockets, but very annoying. I had a similar issue with an older Ford Ranger. And how much longer will the in-tank fuel pump carry on? These are not infinite life parts and I have no crystal ball to visualize the weak parts at risk if failure.

I am comfortable doing repairs, but do not want to do them on the road.

I have largely made the choice to move on. But am curious as to others view these same issues.

And, greetings Rob. We are not native New Mexicans but have been here the last 34 years.

 

[pilotpip]

You're starting to see a lot of the components reach the limit of their useful life. It will keep happening. Towing a 5th wheel isn't exactly easy on a vehicle and it sounds like you're starting to see the results. At 14 years old, I'd say you've gotten your money out of it. I'd move to a newer, more reliable vehicle for your needs. If that 08 is in good shape otherwise, it will fetch more than you think on the used market. You'll hate the price, but like the creature comforts and increased capability of a new truck.

 

[Stealth13777]

I think you’ve said it, confidence has been lost and it just isn’t as enjoyable to use or fix anymore.

I had an old car (that I do still have, but drive infrequently now) that had 195k on it and was 19yrs old. I had daily driven it for the 11 years it had been mine, and I still love it. But after basically having nothing go wrong except window regulators and a battery, little things started happening. A stuck egr valve led to a bad idle and ended weekend trip plans. The front control arm bushings all had to get replaced. Previously replaced (around 100k) steering linkages / tie rod ends started loosening up again. I was facing the reality that driving it daily was going to start being more time consuming with regard to repairs. Then, the night before I was supposed to leave and drive myself and two friends to a wedding three states over, I noticed a pool of oil under a rear wheel in the garage. Wheel axle seal and bearing. Not a bad job, but not going to be done before we had to leave. It wasn’t an issue to change our transportation, but it was frustrating and a little embarrassing.

It took two weeks to sell my (even older and not in the best shape - def not a reliable daily) old truck and get a new one to daily drive. Then the car got fixed when I had time because I wanted to keep it.

Anyway, I told the detailed story because I thought it might affirm your thought process. You sound like you are in a position where it isn’t an issue to upgrade. Better that you do it now then be forced to at a much less convenient time. And I wouldn’t even be upset about it - that truck gave you a great many years of what sounds like pretty good service (not everyone with a 6.4 can say that).

Post some pics of your project, I want to see that motor! (And the truck of course)

 

[Scott'n'Wendy]

IMO, a truck or vehicle is too old when rust becomes a problem. (I'm thinking in NM rust isn't much of an issue.) Mechanical issues are always fixable/replaceable. Maybe not affordable if you are not handy with the tools. I'm not familiar with the 6.4 but your stated miles doesn't seem like a lot to me. Being a car guy you likely have visited a few ford diesel forums and can find out the weak points of 6.4 engines as they age. I don't 'think' making/keeping an '08 reliable would be that hard really?
Now, why did I change trucks?
In 04 I bought a 6.0 Powerstroke F250. Good for the first year, then broke down constantly. At the dealer to be fixed about every two weeks. Just before the warranty ran out I drove it to the local Dodge dealer and traded it in on an '07 6.7 cummins 3500. That truck went over 200,000km without issue. I just saw the guy who bought it from me a couple days ago, said he had no complaints with the truck. I only replaced that truck in 2018 because I was going to retire within two years and work was very busy..meaning a lot of $$ to make paying for a new truck relatively painless. So I replaced the '07 6.7 cummins 3500 with a close to identical '18 6.7 cummins 3500. This truck has stranded me once with a bad in tank fuel pump. Warranty was up 6 months prior. Just saying newer vehicles can have their issues too. Probably less, but still happens.

 

[Steve & Sheryl]

So we were having breakfast at a restaurant in Casper three years ago. There was an older couple at the table next to us. He said they were in town to pick up his "last truck". An F150 Platinum - fully loaded - fanciest truck he will ever own. I asked why it was his last truck. He told me he bought his first F150 on his 20th birthday, and since then has gotten a new truck every 10 years on his birthday. That day was his 90th birthday.

I go about 10 years on Ford trucks too. After that, the truck's fine, but parts are getting a little harder to find. That said, my sister has a 45 yo Toyota Escaper (mini motor home) and she has always been able to scrounge up parts.

 

[Sportsdad60]

I'' never part with this one (named Gilda by Dad) for a couple reasons,
A) I bought it from Dad who bought it new in 2000.
It has 120k miles on it, just barely broke in.
It's been retired from towing as our newer 5th wheel exceeds the trucks capability.
We still use it on the ranch for mostly going to town in the summer. In the winter it sleeps inside the garage.

7.3L turbo diesel, 6 speed manual 4x2

 

[Riverbug]

I'' never part with this one (named Gilda by Dad) for a couple reasons,
A) I bought it from Dad who bought it new in 2000.
It has 120k miles on it, just barely broke in.
It's been retired from towing as our newer 5th wheel exceeds the trucks capability.
We still use it on the ranch for mostly going to town in the summer. In the winter it sleeps inside the garage.

7.3L turbo diesel, 6 speed manual 4x2

Nice picture composition - looks like a magazine ad.

 

[AllenV]

I'' never part with this one (named Gilda by Dad) for a couple reasons,
A) I bought it from Dad who bought it new in 2000.
It has 120k miles on it, just barely broke in.
It's been retired from towing as our newer 5th wheel exceeds the trucks capability.
We still use it on the ranch for mostly going to town in the summer. In the winter it sleeps inside the garage.

Great life for an older truck. Mine has to live in the driveway and fend off assault by rodents.

 

[Redapple63]

I'' never part with this one (named Gilda by Dad) for a couple reasons,
A) I bought it from Dad who bought it new in 2000.
It has 120k miles on it, just barely broke in.
It's been retired from towing as our newer 5th wheel exceeds the trucks capability.
We still use it on the ranch for mostly going to town in the summer. In the winter it sleeps inside the garage.

7.3L turbo diesel, 6 speed manual 4x2

That truck looks amazing for nearly 23 years old. No truck is ever too old as long as it is serviceable and has a purpose. Glad you gave the old truck a purpose.

Bill

 

[jleonard]

Not counting rust when a vehicle can't be trusted it's time to replace it.
If I still had my 91 Dodge D250/Cummins, I'd be towing with that, but it rusted out too badly, so it's been gone a long time.
Preventive maintenance would have kept your old truck reliable. I know everyone wants tobe their own mechanic, I am, but there are ties when a good professional will see things that you and I miss.
Case in point I had a 81 VW diesel pickup. I had my mechanic/business owner son go thru it. He pointed out one hose that I should replace, along with others "just because of their age".
I drove the vehicle to work that morning with the intention of stopping at the local NAPA during lunchtime to buy the hoses.
That hose blew out on my way to work (15 miles).
Sometimes they know what they are doing.

 

[trailrydr]

So we were having breakfast at a restaurant in Casper three years ago. There was an older couple at the table next to us. He said they were in town to pick up his "last truck". An F150 Platinum - fully loaded - fanciest truck he will ever own. I asked why it was his last truck. He told me he bought his first F150 on his 20th birthday, and since then has gotten a new truck every 10 years on his birthday. That day was his 90th birthday.

I go about 10 years on Ford trucks too. After that, the truck's fine, but parts are getting a little harder to find. That said, my sister has a 45 yo Toyota Escaper (mini motor home) and she has always been able to scrounge up parts.

Have a '97 Jeep Wrangler 4.0 5spd since new. Use it for offroad only. It runs great. More worried about aftermarket parts (i.e. lift, Atlas TC, winch, etc..) being replaced than OEM parts.

Biggest issue its had was ignition cylinder went rouge on me and had to be replaced... not even the actuator, but the cylinder itself. Putchased an new one and rekeyed it myself to the old. Dirt can really trash mechanicals over time! No rust though... even after being in mud upto the top of the dorors!