looking for newer truck

[tammlyn]

so i decide to start looking for a newer truck,i presently drive a 2006 gmc cc long box dwr lbz,there's no way i would spend over 100k and i usually stay away from first year,there is some 2017-18-19 for sale what would you guys recommend,i pull a 38ft fifth wheel with a gross weight of 13 thousand lbs and i will never go bigger,i would appreciate some help on isiues with the l5p,

 

[MrMarty51]

Whats the matter with Your 2006 ?
I’d be happy to have such a new vehicle.

 

[btfarm]

L5P is the better choice than LML with the CP4 unless you want to spend a bunch of money converting to CP3 and a - few - other upgrades to make the LML into an LBZ like I did.

 

[tammlyn]

my 06 is near the 300,00km and still running strong,the engine oil is still perfectly clean between oil changes,at this point my health is not good enought to do work on my truck anymore,so does it make sense to keep driving it and mayby have a failure where it would cost me big dollars to repair and still have an old truck,also its still original paint,the paint is still good but its next to impossible to find someone to paint it,i'm looking at around 10,000.00 in my area,again is it worth it,i just don't know and yes i would't buy a cp4 disaster,it will be a l5p but there seams to be a lot of injector faillures,wiring problems,or are they just random thanks

 

[MrMarty51]

I just dont know enough about any of those systems to even try to make a guess.
Maybe some with more education on such matters will reply.
If selling Your truck, now is the time. Prices for used trucks is still fairly high, just be in a position where You can hold out buying a replacement for a while. At least until some of the prices drops some.

 

[Will L.]

L5p if left at stock power levels does great. The fleet that I used to run is fullmof them now and I stay in contact with a couple guys there.

There is a problem with the map sensors always cloging up with soot. Just replacing it is buying time for it to reoccur - so get the aftermarket spacer kit. It will still happen but this makes it goe longer between times. Sometimes the old one can be cleaned out and reused, so what diy folks do is when it plugs up, buy a new one and the spacer. Then try cleaning the original and when unit #2 plugs, seap back in #1 and see if it works. If not then buy #3. And try cleaning #2 sitting on the couch at your leasure.

One of the injectors has a problem connector on it. The injector itself is usually good. So there is an aftermarket option for a gold plated connector that works. In the fleet they scavenged some old lml connectors and used them with success to buy time. But imo a one time fix is probably better, especially since it is always one cylinder.

Coolant level sensors go bad from the long life gm coolant (no new surprises there) and even though they say long life, it is still better to do a full flush and refill at 75,000 mile intervals. If you remove that sensor each time and clean it up they last longer.

On the fuel system- they are better than the last ones, but it is an even higher pressure unit. Which means very susceptible to damage from debris and water. Not as bad as your current engine but simply makes sense to Invest in the best fuel filtering system you can. Water extraction should be focused on.

Transmission- if you keep stock power you will be ok for a long time. Bump the power of the engine OR work the engine hard all the time and you will be inside that trans. The trans is why GM limited the engine power where they did. And this isn’t just add a better cooler fix. About every year someone comes up with slightly better parts so listing options now makes no sense. You will get years and years out kf it before that gets time and at that point -look into the best options for it. No pointing your toes is the best transmission fix there is.

 

[Will L.]

Oh yeah- price is price. Your current truck is worth more but you will use up the extra profit buying the replacement. Buy low sell high, right? Having the money ready to jump on a good deal and patience in finding one is where half the money is made.

Listing your current one high and when the offer comes- take it sooner rather than later. You are playing with a time bomb in the fuel system after all. Waiting to sell for very top dollar should be weighed against the huge $$ loss of the fuel system eating it while in your possession. I grew up in Vegas so gambling is something I do not like. Wins are usually small and while nice the losses are always more painful than the gains are worth. My $0.02 and thats in biden money so worth less than usual.

 

[JayTheCPA]

There are two ways to look at this:
1) Will repairs exceed the vehicle's value.

2) Investing in future use of a reliable platform with the intent to keep as long as possible. Caveat is that spare parts remain commonly available. Only downside to this path is whether any of today's technology will retrofit; some people will care, some will not.

At a minimum, might consider simply setting aside money each month just to cover maintenance and allow for a down payment should something force a replacement.


Many, if not almost all, people look at the equation from #1's perspective. Over time, this is the best path to lose the most money. The thought is that by spending $$,$$$ on that new / newer vehicle, it will save $$$ to $,$$$ by not needing known / expected / feared repairs. By the way, insurance tends to cost more for this path given the higher value of the vehicle. Another factor is that with each vehicle purchase, most States will want their cut by way of sales tax, so add that $,$$$ to the TCO equation.

By looking at the investment path of approach #2, while it may seem like the vehicle is costing more money given it is likely in a constant maintenance cycle, chances are good that over time the actual cash outlay is lower than dropping $$,$$$ on that new / newer vehicle. Especially seeing as that new / newer vehicle will need its own $$$ to $,$$$ repairs in time. So as long as spare parts availability remains good, the probability of running the vehicle as a long term daily driver is good.


So the question really comes back to personal goals and going with the gut. Economics tend to lean toward favoring keeping the perfectly good vehicle that you have presuming there are spare parts. But then economics are not always the drivers of decisions.



About that paint job. Some will see it as desirable theft deterrent.


FWIW, I have some friends whom got out of their '06 3/4 ton Burb about 4 years ago. Only reason they let go of the Burb was that as they drove along a mountain range, a rotor (circular wind current) was so strong that it sucked the Burb and RV (in tow) into the mountainside where all vehicles were destroyed. Fortunately, all the people walked away. Were it not for that rotor, there were no plans to let go of the Burb just-cause.

 

[JMJNet]

There are two ways to look at this:
1) Will repairs exceed the vehicle's value.

2) Investing in future use of a reliable platform with the intent to keep as long as possible. Caveat is that spare parts remain commonly available. Only downside to this path is whether any of today's technology will retrofit; some people will care, some will not.

At a minimum, might consider simply setting aside money each month just to cover maintenance and allow for a down payment should something force a replacement.


Many, if not almost all, people look at the equation from #1's perspective. Over time, this is the best path to lose the most money. The thought is that by spending $$,$$$ on that new / newer vehicle, it will save $$$ to $,$$$ by not needing known / expected / feared repairs. By the way, insurance tends to cost more for this path given the higher value of the vehicle. Another factor is that with each vehicle purchase, most States will want their cut by way of sales tax, so add that $,$$$ to the TCO equation.

By looking at the investment path of approach #2, while it may seem like the vehicle is costing more money given it is likely in a constant maintenance cycle, chances are good that over time the actual cash outlay is lower than dropping $$,$$$ on that new / newer vehicle. Especially seeing as that new / newer vehicle will need its own $$$ to $,$$$ repairs in time. So as long as spare parts availability remains good, the probability of running the vehicle as a long term daily driver is good.


So the question really comes back to personal goals and going with the gut. Economics tend to lean toward favoring keeping the perfectly good vehicle that you have presuming there are spare parts. But then economics are not always the drivers of decisions.



About that paint job. Some will see it as desirable theft deterrent.


FWIW, I have some friends whom got out of their '06 3/4 ton Burb about 4 years ago. Only reason they let go of the Burb was that as they drove along a mountain range, a rotor (circular wind current) was so strong that it sucked the Burb and RV (in tow) into the mountainside where all vehicles were destroyed. Fortunately, all the people walked away. Were it not for that rotor, there were no plans to let go of the Burb just-cause.

Very sound advice.

Unfortunately, emotion and peer pressure are more of a determining factor than economy.
People prefer newer something over something that has been working.

One thing though, in this day and time, new does not mean it is better or more reliable.

 

[JayTheCPA]

Yes, I totally get peer pressure.

And that is exactly why I got the nearly new SUV which which replaced the Burb. Wife never liked the Burb. Only really got the newer SUV as I knew the wife would love it and I was tired of the Burb needing too much unscheduled love. The newer thing had almost every modern tech that existed. Wife was also very unhappy when I announced that I had enough of that modern marvel POS as, out of all its capabilities, the only three things it did well were pull hard, cook your keester with the heated seats, and was actually fun to drive (but ONLY when nearly empty). Everything else was Meh. Hauling was borderline as it progressively destabilized when loaded past ~70% of its rated capacity (whether passengers or trailer). As a whole, the tech was marginal. And then there was the notable monthly payment which the wife did not pay

Ditched all that modern cr@p and am now very happy with decades old tech which is fully paid-for. Sure, I have planned repairs in the works and got hit with some unexpected ones, but TCO is still lower than that glamazon-vehicle. The broader family keeps nagging me to get back into something new / newer, but they are not going to drive it, so eff-them

 

[dbrannon79]

Well said! Well said!

I love my old rig. now my other half, that's a different story lol she hates it when I have to give unplanned love and attention to it. the good thing is all that unplanned love had been low lately as shes been running good (now I hope I didn't just jinx myself)

the wifey refuses to drive it as it's too big for her lol but anytime we go anywhere together she has no problem hopping in the passengers side ready to be chauffeured around haha!

 

[Rockabillyrat]

20 years as a mechanic... the ONLY newer diesel I would buy would be a Cummins.

The 6.7 ford is hit or miss. I have one here that needs an engine with only 90k ok it. I have other customers that have over 300k with no issues. But they are throw away motors and not worth rebuilding. Ford has the long blocks on national back order for 6 months.

The L5P is a step up from the LML since they ditched the CP4 pump. That would be my second choice after the Cummins.

The Cummins is still a true medium duty diesel engine, No one can touch it when it comes to longevity and reliability. There is a reason they are so popular.

 

[jrsavoie]

Yes, I totally get peer pressure.

And that is exactly why I got the nearly new SUV which which replaced the Burb. Wife never liked the Burb. Only really got the newer SUV as I knew the wife would love it and I was tired of the Burb needing too much unscheduled love. The newer thing had almost every modern tech that existed. Wife was also very unhappy when I announced that I had enough of that modern marvel POS as, out of all its capabilities, the only three things it did well were pull hard, cook your keester with the heated seats, and was actually fun to drive (but ONLY when nearly empty). Everything else was Meh. Hauling was borderline as it progressively destabilized when loaded past ~70% of its rated capacity (whether passengers or trailer). As a whole, the tech was marginal. And then there was the notable monthly payment which the wife did not pay

Ditched all that modern cr@p and am now very happy with decades old tech which is fully paid-for. Sure, I have planned repairs in the works and got hit with some unexpected ones, but TCO is still lower than that glamazon-vehicle. The broader family keeps nagging me to get back into something new / newer, but they are not going to drive it, so eff-them

20 years as a mechanic... the ONLY newer diesel I would buy would be a Cummins.

The 6.7 ford is hit or miss. I have one here that needs an engine with only 90k ok it. I have other customers that have over 300k with no issues. But they are throw away motors and not worth rebuilding. Ford has the long blocks on national back order for 6 months.

The L5P is a step up from the LML since they ditched the CP4 pump. That would be my second choice after the Cummins.

The Cummins is still a true medium duty diesel engine, No one can touch it when it comes to longevity and reliability. There is a reason they are so popular.

How are the interiors on the Dodges?
When we were shopping, she ruled out Dodges right away.

She loves her 2016 Ford. Probably almost as much as I'd love for her to sell it. Especially right now.

 

[J_dude]

Personally I would keep the 06. If you’re not going to buy new enough to get the warranty I don’t see the point, still have to pay when it breaks, and it will. There is something to be said for having a vehicle you already know and know the maintenance history of. Plus it sounds like the truck you have is in dang good shape anyway.

 

[J_dude]

300,000km is hardly even broke-in.

 

[Rockabillyrat]

How are the interiors on the Dodges?
When we were shopping, she ruled out Dodges right away.

She loves her 2016 Ford. Probably almost as much as I'd love for her to sell it. Especially right now.

No big issues with the injectors. Just gotta stick with a good name brand if you ever replace them. One of my customers cheaped out on them and it cost him a cylinder. So now it's punched .020 over in all 6 holes and im in the process of putting it back together. But thats the great part about a Cummins. They are truly a medium duty diesel engine and can easily be rebuilt. Not to mention the easiest of the big 3 to work on by far. The injection pump in a duramax is never fun to change. Honestly not much is easy to fix on a duramax. At least they finally made thr L5P turbo easier to get off than the previous generations.

I love ford trucks. They are hands down the best chassis out there. Just wish they could design and engine that lasted...

 

[tammlyn]

thanks guys for all the reply's,funny thing after wrenching for 30 years i've been really looking at cummins lol,my fuel filters are changed minimum three times a year and most times 4,engine oil rotella t6 changed every 5 to 6,000km, two tranny service,changed oil in my power steering x4, two engine flush,transfer case and diff oil changes x2,changed bearings in my tensioners,and rebuilt my altenator once,every year when i did my annual inspection yellow sticker i had my check list,so inventually all brake lines are new,tranny lines,diff cover,steel power steering lines,fuel lines and fuel cooler,engine oil pan,the only faillures i had was one glow plug so i replaced all of them and my altenator,the only thing that needs to be replaced is my sending unit,i would rather replace then be on the side of the road with my 38ft fifth wheel,now about a ram is the rest of the truck going to stand up as much as my gmc,and is the ride going to be rought as a solid front end compared to our independent,anyone out there have driven a ram dually and what did you think thanks mike

 

[tammlyn]

i took the time to reread all the posts,i appreciated all who took the time to answer and all solutions are as clear as muddy water,i forgot to mention i live in northern ontaio so lots of snow and salt,that is why lots of parts where changed,just to keep safe and good condition,if someone would say hey can we leave for a 10,000km trip i wouldn't have to think twice my truck is ready to go,in the meantime i will go test drive a fiew different trucks as i'm not really a one brand man,mayby this will convince me to keep driving the truck that me and my wife enjoy to drive its not a job its an adventure thanks

 

[J_dude]

thanks guys for all the reply's,funny thing after wrenching for 30 years i've been really looking at cummins lol,my fuel filters are changed minimum three times a year and most times 4,engine oil rotella t6 changed every 5 to 6,000km, two tranny service,changed oil in my power steering x4, two engine flush,transfer case and diff oil changes x2,changed bearings in my tensioners,and rebuilt my altenator once,every year when i did my annual inspection yellow sticker i had my check list,so inventually all brake lines are new,tranny lines,diff cover,steel power steering lines,fuel lines and fuel cooler,engine oil pan,the only faillures i had was one glow plug so i replaced all of them and my altenator,the only thing that needs to be replaced is my sending unit,i would rather replace then be on the side of the road with my 38ft fifth wheel,now about a ram is the rest of the truck going to stand up as much as my gmc,and is the ride going to be rought as a solid front end compared to our independent,anyone out there have driven a ram dually and what did you think thanks mike

Im sticking my neck out here but I don’t think the dodge will hold up honestly, they’ve never been good for much of anything besides the Cummins, and that’s the only reason I have mine, (I love that 12 valve) the front ends are always falling apart (unless you go with Carli or Thuren parts, $$$$$) and they are a rough riding truck.

That said I do love that Cummins sound and I think their trucks have always looked killer too.

 

[dbrannon79]

Yup! the Cummins 12 valve is a good engine, but the 94-01 dodge truck it's self had a lot of issues. suspension, steering, and interior issues. there is not much of a dash left in mine. when I had to replace the heater core (have to remove the dash) it got even worse. the dash is like egg shells! I swear up and down that if I ever got into a wreck in that truck, the flying shards of plastic dash would be the killer...

Mine has the old all cast iron 318 gasser which was a good engine too. in 01+ they started using a smaller radiator and aluminum heads in the gassers which was a very bad thing. the smallest coolant leak and you were overheating and cracking heads on them!!

I've also been told the 02+ are just as bad for the dashes as the constant hot/cold takes it's toll on the interior.