Peppermint alledgedly keep rats & mice away (they actually sell it in spray cans as a repellent). I just put several drops of peppermint oil around the engine compartment.
Luck.
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Luck.
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I don't tow much these days. I have a 2017 6.7L with just a hair over 21000 miles on it. I'm contemplating selling it and buying a gas pickup just because it isn't worth the extra cost right now. And I love diesel trucks. I had an 02 7.3L F250. Traded it in 2012 with 51k miles on it. I paid $29300-ish when I bought it and got $27000 in trade. Trading that truck was one of the dumbest things I ever did.
I've been in a fight with Wilmes Ford in Altus...worst dealership in the history of cars...for 2 months now over my F250. Complaints to Ford, the BBB, etc... Everything falls on deaf ears. I'll never buy another Ford thanks to those jerks. The owner flat-out told me they would not fix my truck because I complained about their service department to Ford. Ford corporate doesn't care.
It's in Sayre right now. Turns out the issue was it just needed a programming update of the PCM. Very easy fix. You'll need to drive a diesel quite a bit to keep the DPF and emissions system clean. I run into issues with that because I rarely drive my truck. It doesn't do the re-gens as often as it should or the re-gen cycle is interrupted by my short trips. I have to make a special point of driving it enough for the re-gen. Short, daily drives, especially with the truck empty can create issues with the emissions system and the DPF. You won't have that with a gas engine.
I think all the big 3 makers build decent trucks. My only advice is to really think about if you REALLY need a diesel. It's a $10000 option on just about any new truck. Yes, they're more powerful and tow more. But they cost a LOT more. And if you don't drive it much or tow much you'll have DPF issues.
Also, consider this... If you're looking for a heavier truck there's really no reason NOT to get a 1 ton over a 3/4 ton.
I've been in a fight with Wilmes Ford in Altus...worst dealership in the history of cars...for 2 months now over my F250. Complaints to Ford, the BBB, etc... Everything falls on deaf ears. I'll never buy another Ford thanks to those jerks. The owner flat-out told me they would not fix my truck because I complained about their service department to Ford. Ford corporate doesn't care.
It's in Sayre right now. Turns out the issue was it just needed a programming update of the PCM. Very easy fix. You'll need to drive a diesel quite a bit to keep the DPF and emissions system clean. I run into issues with that because I rarely drive my truck. It doesn't do the re-gens as often as it should or the re-gen cycle is interrupted by my short trips. I have to make a special point of driving it enough for the re-gen. Short, daily drives, especially with the truck empty can create issues with the emissions system and the DPF. You won't have that with a gas engine.
I think all the big 3 makers build decent trucks. My only advice is to really think about if you REALLY need a diesel. It's a $10000 option on just about any new truck. Yes, they're more powerful and tow more. But they cost a LOT more. And if you don't drive it much or tow much you'll have DPF issues.
Also, consider this... If you're looking for a heavier truck there's really no reason NOT to get a 1 ton over a 3/4 ton.
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Million mile engine in a 100k mile truck... That's how a buddy...a Dodge loyalist...described his truck.
We still use a 90" and a 91' on the farm, they are towing turds. Start every day, seldom break down but they're just no comparison to what's out there now. All of my farm friends who ran Dodges for years have really been burned by the Cummins issues/EPA issues and every single one of them are driving Chevy and Ford f350 with the big gas engines now and loving them.
I think Okie4570 said all you need to know about which Ford diesel to buy. We have several of the old 7.3 powerstrokes we use at the barn and they are great trucks. They can and have pulled tons and tons of weight over the years, but please take note of the complaint about the ride. They will beat your brains out if you are just commuting back and forth to work. I bought a 2005 6.0 powerstroke which I mainly use to drive back and forth to work and will pull stuff with it on occasion. The 05 and newers have a much better suspension and a much better ride. We use it to travel all over the country. We currently have about 250k miles on the truck and it runs great. The guys reccomending the gas motors have valid points. You can save a ton of money with a gas motor over a diesel. Everything is cheaper on the gas motor, repairs, oil changes and just about everything that has anything to do with that motor. Having a diesel will limit you on which shops will repair your truck, BUT and here is the big But that no one has mentioned in the difference between a gas motor and a diesel motor. THE DIESEL will pull just as well at 400k miles as it did when it was new. We used to always buy the big 460 gas motors. They were great and had plenty of power to pull the loads around, but after about 150k miles of hard work and abuse the motors were just wore out. They all were leaking oil and just didn't have the power they did when they were new. Not sure I have helped much but I think a lot of people think they want the big diesel for all the power it has, when in truth you should only be buying the diesel for its longevity in being able to pull big loads. I have used many trucks with big gas motors that could pull anything I wanted, but you always knew sooner or later that will be coming to a end when it becomes tired in 4 or 5 years. Hope this helps and follow OKIE4570s advice NEVER EVER BUY A 6.4. I know you will see them cheap, but in the end they will cost you more to Bulletproof than what the truck cost LOL.
It all depends on how you drive them & take care of them.
My dad has a 96 Dodge Ram 4x4 with the 5.9 Cummins, 5 spd manual,
Extended cab with the full 8 ft. bed.
380,000 miles, nothing but regular maintenance & maybe a couple water pumps on the engine, & nothing wrong with the body. No rust, nothing is falling off, still all original paint, & it still looks good. It regularly pulls car trailer or cargo trailers.
But you are correct about the longevity of the body components. I've seen 10 year old trucks that were rusting & falling apart & even I thought the truck should be tossed.
If you do decide to go with a Diesel, get one before the DPF nonsense started. Less computer stuff, easier to work on, and you get that Mmmmm mmmm good diesel smell. My vote is for the 7.3. You can still find a ton of them in the 250-300k mile range that run strong with another 800k miles left in them. How do i know? I just bought my second one a couple of months ago with 290k miles on it. The money you save from buying a 7.3 instead of a 6.7 can be used to update the radio to a Pioneer AVH-W4500NEX or something similar with bluetooth and carplay.
Then spend another 300 bucks or so on softer shocks to ease out that ride some, and enjoy life. Just remember, when it comes to a diesel your usually just fine if you keep clean oil, clean air, and clean fuel. The rest of the truck can rust to the ground around it but that 7.3 will keep on humming.
Welcome to the Diesel club! Also, PM sent...
Then spend another 300 bucks or so on softer shocks to ease out that ride some, and enjoy life. Just remember, when it comes to a diesel your usually just fine if you keep clean oil, clean air, and clean fuel. The rest of the truck can rust to the ground around it but that 7.3 will keep on humming.
Welcome to the Diesel club! Also, PM sent...
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don't get a ford newer than the 7.3 . stay away dron the new def engines. i stopped the diesels and went with a ford f350 6.2 gas engine and like it just fine.
look on youtube some guys are buying nice late model ford diesel trucks real cheap then putting pre-electronic Cummins in them. if you ever want to go above stock hp on a ford diesel you need really deep pockets, my brother had a 7.3 ford non turbo welding truck, think he put about 300,000 miles on it with very few problems, even pulled a gooseneck some with a welder on it, was slow going but it got the job done.
my dad got a dodge 1ton the first year they came out with the Cummins, it supposedly only had 160hp but I swear it was more like 400hp it could take off in third gear and smoke the tires, it pulled gooseneck trailers like nothing was back there, then he got I think a 91 year model supposedly had more hp & torque but it was a dog had to dang near floorboard it and slip the clutch to take off with a trailer, kind of like the old 7.3 fords dad wouldn't ever let anyone boost the power on it which would have cost next to nothing,
I got a 2001 dodge Cummins that I will never sell, it has the bad vp44 fuel pump, has been replaced twice in 170,000 miles, had a smarty & edge chip and a few other fuel mods supposedly about 150hp over stock, it would melt tires but the automatic transmission is a POS DTT job, billet shafts and all guaranteed for life, DTT pulled a perfectly good transmission out of my truck and put a real pos in it, DTT rebuilt it about 6times in 2 months, then after it was too late to cancel the credit card payment, DTT told me to go pound sand, had the trans rebuilt in Stillwater tried to make it last as long as possible still burned up, had Blumenthal's in OKC rebuild it but it still slips if I get on it, unhooked the smarty & edge chip several years ago, transmissions and tires cost too much.
The last truck I bought is a 2014 ram 2500 4x4 gutless hemi it has less than 2,000 miles on it, just prefer driving the old Cummins
my dad got a dodge 1ton the first year they came out with the Cummins, it supposedly only had 160hp but I swear it was more like 400hp it could take off in third gear and smoke the tires, it pulled gooseneck trailers like nothing was back there, then he got I think a 91 year model supposedly had more hp & torque but it was a dog had to dang near floorboard it and slip the clutch to take off with a trailer, kind of like the old 7.3 fords dad wouldn't ever let anyone boost the power on it which would have cost next to nothing,
I got a 2001 dodge Cummins that I will never sell, it has the bad vp44 fuel pump, has been replaced twice in 170,000 miles, had a smarty & edge chip and a few other fuel mods supposedly about 150hp over stock, it would melt tires but the automatic transmission is a POS DTT job, billet shafts and all guaranteed for life, DTT pulled a perfectly good transmission out of my truck and put a real pos in it, DTT rebuilt it about 6times in 2 months, then after it was too late to cancel the credit card payment, DTT told me to go pound sand, had the trans rebuilt in Stillwater tried to make it last as long as possible still burned up, had Blumenthal's in OKC rebuild it but it still slips if I get on it, unhooked the smarty & edge chip several years ago, transmissions and tires cost too much.
The last truck I bought is a 2014 ram 2500 4x4 gutless hemi it has less than 2,000 miles on it, just prefer driving the old Cummins
he probably also gets asked if he will sell it pretty often, I get asked all the time when I will sell my 2001, never
my dads 91 Cummins 4x4 1ton got turned into a feed truck, old style dodge cab, cab sets on the frame from the cab mounts breaking, the frame has been patched and welded on several times, steering box broke the frame a few times, frames cracked at spring hangers etc, it has about 300,000 very hard miles on it a lot of those miles were on muddy roads and in pastures hauling round bales the engine still runs great, but it got to the point he will probably have to pull the cab & fenders off maybe the engine out to repair the frame and cab
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