Your truck is how old?

[Montanaclan]

Hang on to it and run it into the ground! It’s a solid, strong truck with relatively low miles. It’s going to cost you 20 -25k to get into a newer truck with the same miles, or 45-60k to get into a new truck with same power. Use it until you can’t reliably. I have a 2000 Chevy 3/4 ton with 160k that’s giving me concerns, and have been battling same thoughts.

Now, on the other hand… If your wife is encouraging you to buy a new truck…

[dopplebock]

I’m new to the camping scene. Found a 2004 Ram 1500 with only 125,000 miles on it that fit my budget. My mechanic gave it a thumbs up. So far, so good. Yea, more gears would be nice, but I’ve learned how to ‘drive’ it when towing. I love all that high tech gear, but just don’t want to take on the payments.

[Mtelkman]

I tow with a 2001 F250 with a 7.3L diesel. 111,000 original miles by me, the original owner. Unless someone offers me a ridiculous amount of money for my truck I have no plans to update and wouldn't hesitate to drive cross country again. It pulls may 5er easily and with no white knuckle feeling here in the Rockies.

[dallasrules]

Your mileage isn't very high. I like the older trucks because the newer diesels with their emissions, regen processes and def are bad news. I have a 2006 dodge ram 3500 so diesel. It only has 82k on it and only has a catalytic converter. None of the other crop and we love it.

[supercharged347]

I am still driving my 1997 F350 crewcab dually 7.3l w/manual transmission and 168k on the odometer towing a 2020 Riverstone legacy weighing 19k by the sticker on the coach and I live in Ohio and it sits outside always and I am planning to keep driving it. Like other people say just keep up the maintenance and it will last.

[Jmkjr72]

up untill my dad passed away we used a 1999 k1500 suburban that has 300000 on the clock orginal eng and trans

[Chip Loves To Camp]

My TV is a ‘97 Dodge Ram 1500, 5.9 liter (360 cid) with just north of 115k. I don’t hesitate to use it at all.
Preventive maintenance is the key, so if you’ve kept up on this you should be ok!

[MR.M]

I just up-graded from a 03 chevy 2500 with 205,000 . ran great and didn't hesitate to haul cross country every yr . But the new 19 2500 is a much better truck then the 03 , more comfortable , more helpful tech like back up camera , informant system , TPMS , sometimes it's just nice to up grade from a 17 plus yr old truck with old tech and worn out parts eventually things will break !

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by updhaul

The "old" rust free truck without payments and lower insurance costs has more value to the owner than anyone. You can afford to replace parts on a preventative basis before they are worn out or broke. Hoses, clamps, brakes and tires and shocks come to mind to make keeping old truck appeal especially tires that look good but can act tired. Cooling system, belts, water pump before failure can also give you reassurance driving older truck and actually cost of replacement is low when you have no depreciation.
Newer isn't always better if you can renew your old truck I would.

Ours is not nearly as old as many who have posted here, 2008. I was forced to buy a )New_ truck when I lost the last one in a business bankruptcy.

When I went looking for a truck I quickly decided I did not want to pay $65-80,000 for a truck. I bought this one,just over 10 years old for $22,000 (around 1/3 the cost of a brand new truck)

I went about Bullet Proofing it by changing all the items that could cause problems, Hoses, brakes, taping up wiring harnesses, etc. etc. etc. Anything that breaks I fix right away.

The truck now has about 140,000 and I intend it to be the last truck I ever drive. The newer trucks have a lot of nice electronic goodies but I dont' need them for the price the manufactures want.

Like everyone else who posted here "it gets the job done", and that is what counts.

[miniceptor86]

Originally Posted by HangDiver

If your wife is opening the door to you getting a new truck, this just seems like a no brainer to me. :-)

Happy wife happy life! You can rationalize keeping the old beast but if your wife is going to worry about reliability it's time to update!

[Boris0119]

There is nothing wrong with an older truck that is well maintained and makes you happy. I have a 2014 Ford F350 that is paid off. I do not want any further payments since I am getting ready for retirement. I know it is not as old as yours but you have a truck that you like. My brother in law drives semis delivering fuel. He is driving a 1981 Western Star and has no intention of getting anything newer. The new technology is just other gadgets to break and the new Exhaust after treatment systems are the issue on all new vehicles. They are not perfected and have caused issues , and sometimes major issues with newer vehicles. There is also the law suits that are continuing to show up on the newer vehicles, mostly dealing with the newer technology that can and has caused issues with the settlements of the law suits causing a decrease in the horse power and torque is the newer engines. So to end it keep what makes you happy and dont worry about what others may think.

[Scubajt]

I have a 2001 Ford F-250 super duty with 7.3 diesel power stroke and 368,000 on it.I have maintained it and it still as reliable as the day I bought it.The truck pulls our new fifth wheel up and down the Sierra mountains with no problems.

[Comanchecreek]

I'll join in. My "03 Chevy Duramax has 115000 on it. I bought it from an older guy (My age now) that towed a 34 foot Fifth Wheel, and it has been through my old Montana and my newer Crusader. Many trips to Texas, and over mountain passes with a boat double hitched behind. I have the 5 speed Allison which is a wonderful setup. More gears would be nice, but the 5 speed is more than adequate. This truck hardly ever goes by itself. Always some kind of trailer attached. I do regular maintenance, some maybe overkill, but with the work it does I feel the extra effort is worth it. I change tranny fluid every 30 grand. Easy on that truck as spin on filter and drain plug on tranny pan. I also change rear diff fluid every 30 as that is the workhorse when towing. I put an extra volume cover (AE) to allow it to run cooler, and it has drain and fill ports to allow for easier change. I do engine oil once a year. Rarely put enough miles on it for it to reach recommended mileage on oil, but again, given the load it runs under I feel it's worth it. When I'm doing these maintenance procedures I always check brakes, U-joints, wheel bearings, etc. I have no plans to retire it, as it has plenty of power, and handles nicely. New trucks are more than double the original cost of this one. I just can't justify that kind of expense.

[wylie31]

I have a 2000 6.8L V10 Excursion with 170K on it. We are the original owners and now it is pretty much used for towing our TT. I will keep the truck since it is super simple to work on. In another couple of years, I will drop in a factory rebuilt engine and transmission. I can buy both for under 10k and do the work myself.

[rscconrad]

I use a 97 f350 dualities diesel about 185k. I keep looking at new trucks and have been saving up so I can pull the trigger but this truck seems to be bullet proof.

I get the creature comforts, tcc hv ate a big draw to me but not the safety. To me feeling safe is having confidence when I leave the drive my truck won’t breakdown towing my trailer leaving me in a bad position.

I think I’ll skip this model year also. Call me crazy but I’m worried about quality with all the interruptions in production this year.

[extremebike]

Yep

If you are going to a new truck Ford has the 7.3 liter gasser.

I originally was not going to buy the 5th wheel due to the cost of the truck but ended up buying a 2004 F550. I factored in an engine rebuild and bullet proofing.

My only issue was not finding the right diesel mechanic until after giving the Ford dealer a bunch of money. What a waste. If I had found the Diesel Doctor located in Acton Ontario I would have saved myself $10K.

The upshot is that if I had bought a new 2011 Ford F350, I would have had an out of pocket engine rebuild and the monthly payments.

[RobinDella]

Originally Posted by bearscot

I have a 1997 Ram 3500 V10 dully. Had it for 21 yrs. Take good care of it and it runs and tows great. Wife wants to know from the forum thoughts on when is a truck too old to be reliable for towing...we have a 2017 Rockwood 31' 5th wheel. Our tow and payload weights are not the question but more the wear and tear over time. Truck has always been in Southern CA and has no rust nor been in an accident, has 150K total miles and is used about 6K miles a year for the past two or three years. Time for a newer truck or those old trucks are/were build better and hang on to it....it's probably as safe as any other tow vehicle? Thanks in advance for your input (especially from anyone in an industry who has access to stats. etc). This forum is helpful in so many ways!

We tow a 28ft Puma with an 05 suburban 1500 we have 240k+ and tow all over eastern half of country. So I don't see any problem there.
( maybe momma just wants a new trk) jk

[dsrace]

Originally Posted by PSU Turf

If your 97 truck is still reliable I would keep it, especially if it is mainly used for pulling your RV. Stay on top of the lubricants and coolant and trucks will run a long time.
I think newer trucks are a lot safer for towing. Tow / haul mode on the transmission (and exhaust brake if you have a diesel) greatly reduce white knuckle driving while towing.

i have to agree with this. the newer trucks are capable of higher towing capacitys, maybe better mpg's in some cases but not in a 97 cummins case. there electronics are far more fragile and don't get the service life your does. if your with in specs on weight, keep driving it. i just turned 133k miles on my 1999 f350 dually diesel. i trust is more than our 2019 gmc acadia!

[jaja141]

This may be one of my favorite threads. Pulling Crusader 360BHS with 2000 F350 dually about 157000. I was working on an upgrade and the dealer just didn’t want to sell it I guess. So back to the old reliable 7.3. A couple small issues lately but this has taken the family over 110000 miles on trips in the 18 years we’ve had it. It seems sometimes I have the oldest truck in the campground, but it’s paid for!

[Major Oz]

Originally Posted by bearscot

I have a 1997 Ram 3500 V10 dully. Had it for 21 yrs. Take good care of it and it runs and tows great. Wife wants to know from the forum thoughts on when is a truck too old to be reliable for towing...we have a 2017 Rockwood 31' 5th wheel. Our tow and payload weights are not the question but more the wear and tear over time. Truck has always been in Southern CA and has no rust nor been in an accident, has 150K total miles and is used about 6K miles a year for the past two or three years. Time for a newer truck or those old trucks are/were build better and hang on to it....it's probably as safe as any other tow vehicle? Thanks in advance for your input (especially from anyone in an industry who has access to stats. etc). This forum is helpful in so many ways!

Strictly personal choice.

Have a trusted mech check it out.

If you are OK with that.......and the creature comforts......

Don't waste your money. (if it ain't broke, don't fix it)

Spend it on some good single malt and spoiling the grand kids.