American Truck quesiton

I am going to be buying a used (because I cant afford new) Full sized pickup, it needs to be able to haul up to 12k lbs and do a 4400 mile drive.

I rarely look at american trucks (dodge, ford, chevy etc) but I think I will need one of these, but I dont know squat about them.

Which has the capability to tow that much weight, be reliable for that long of a haul, and in all honest be a fairly comfortable ride because that drive is going to suck.

Any direction would be appreciated.

a reply to: Irishhaf

Few questions
What you looking to tow?
Gas or Diesel?
Gooseneck - 5th wheel - bumper pull hitch?
Regular cab - Extended cab - Crew cab?

For me when it comes to a pickup truck have always had luck with Ford ....Now my Brother is a Dodge man lol

a reply to: Irishhaf

There's good trucks out there, like the Ford F-250 and the Chevy Silverado 2500 HD. My Son has the 2500 HD and it is a very comfortable ride with plenty of power.

Word to the wise - reliability on a used vehicle will be hit or miss and good luck finding a low mileage truck for a reasonable price. Get a qualified mechanic to inspect anything before you buy it. If the seller won't allow you to have it looked at, RUN AWAY.

You may be better off just renting a truck. It would be cheaper and if something goes wrong, the rental company is responsible for fixing it. I don't think I would buy a used truck and then just take off on a 4400 mile road trip hauling 12,000 lbs.

originally posted by: DAVID64
a reply to: Irishhaf

There's good trucks out there, like the Ford F-250 and the Chevy Silverado 2500 HD. My Son has the 2500 HD and it is a very comfortable ride with plenty of power.

Word to the wise - reliability on a used vehicle will be hit or miss and good luck finding a low mileage truck for a reasonable price. Get a qualified mechanic to inspect anything before you buy it. If the seller won't allow you to have it looked at, RUN AWAY.

You may be better off just renting a truck. It would be cheaper and if something goes wrong, the rental company is responsible for fixing it. I don't think I would buy a used truck and then just take off on a 4400 mile road trip hauling 12,000 lbs.

It's a good point about renting I liked my Dodge Ram 1500 I had for almost 17 years and had over 250,000 miles but I rented a Dodge 2500 last year for a long trip and it held up great and had plenty of power.

Thats a helluva haul where are you headed?

a reply to: Irishhaf

I have some of the same needs, and a Diesel F250 is what I am likely going with. I just don't want to talk about how much it will cost. Likely more than my house did.

a reply to: tarantulabite1

14 foot enclosed trailer, fully loaded with the wife household crud.

Diesel is what the long term residents in Alaska suggest.

Unsure, part of my ignorance problem. On the plus side I am 6+ months away from trying this so have time to learn.

Extended or crew, have to be able to haul around the kid once the road trip is done.

a reply to: putnam6

That's what I was wondering 'cause 4400 miles is a hell of a trip. That's basically driving from Alaska to Florida.

a reply to: DAVID64

Hadnt considered a rental, wasnt sure what the limits were since I have to drive through canada and the strain ill be putting on it.

a reply to: DAVID64

a reply to: putnam6

Valdosta GA, to Fairbanks Alaska bringing up the last of the household goods, storage unit fees are killing me.

If I can figure out the truck side of things, ill buy a new trailer out of a local company in GA and sell it up here can probably sell it for twice what its worth new.

a reply to: Irishhaf

I would strongly recommend looking at U-Hauls. A used truck might run great for 2,000 miles and then Boom ! you're stuck in the middle of nowhere with a hefty bill to fix it and it's NEVER something cheap and quick to fix.

Also, if you can get a U-Haul, it would save you the up front cost of a trailer.

a reply to: DAVID64

Yea I get the argument... but I really dont want to fly back down the same year and by a truck to drive back.

Cost of trucks up here is insane.

I have a 2017, 4WD, Ford F250, Super Duty, Diesel I bought it new and it has been strong and reliable for me. If your going to Alaska a 4WD could be helpful as the seasons change.

a reply to: Irishhaf

There are multiple models of full size pickups that can do what you want but it’s going to cost you.
Not sure about your budget but $10k is on the low end of what I would find acceptable..

a reply to: Irishhaf

In that case, I would agree with the locals, go with diesel. Be ready for the sticker shock.

www.carfax.com...

a reply to: Irishhaf

It might be worth looking at a freight broker.

It will be expensive, but unless you plan on keeping the truck, I imagine it will be comparable.

For work we just sent 6 pallets at around 15,000lbs truck, boat, and air to Coasta Rica. It was like $6k.

I imagine there are dedicated trucking routes to Alaska.

If nothing else, doing the research on it can serve as a good plan B should you run into issues finding a good used truck.

I would just recommend, like anything, get three quotes.

It’s going to be cheaper if you can palletize whatever you can, wouldn’t hurt to buy some 2x4s and plywood to crate anything that can be damaged.

Edit: just used my tool at work, best route might be LTL to west coast, and put it on a boat. Tote Maritime looks like they do dedicated cargo ships to Alaska.

I am a Ford guy and have always had F150's but as stated above, buying used is hit or miss. I personally would buy from an individual and not a dealer. If you buy from a dealer the truck will be completely cleaned and serviced and you really dont know how it was treated. If you buy from an individual you typically get to see how they live, what they look like and get a feel for whether they might have taken care of it or didnt give a crap about it. Meet at their house to check the vehicle out. Look at how they keep their lawn and home. That should give you an indication of whether they did oil changes regularly and take pride in their stuff. And any truck these days with under 100k miles is just about broke in and ready to go many more miles so dont be too afraid of a vehicle with closer to 100k on the clock if the owner seems to have taken good care of it.

If I was going up the CanAm Highway, I would be looking at spending at least 25-30k for a newer RAM, Ford, or Toyota truck. RAM 2500 Diesel is what I would look at. Make sure you take spare spares for both truck and trailer. I hear the northern part of the CANAM is pretty rough. Not that the highways here in Montana are great but up there there isn't much for support if you breakdown. Make sure your trailer has heavy duty suspension and again, have spare everything x2.

Wife and I have been looking at trucks lately, so I know how overwhelming it can get!

a reply to: Irishhaf

I was thinking about this and had a thought.
Is this a 1 way trip or are you going to do it a few times and keep the vehicle?

It sounds like a one time pull as a move then staying put.

If that's the case maybe look in to renting a diesel truck instead of buying. That or hiring someone to pull it there for you.

You will need something to get around with in Alaska but a big truck could be overkill long term.

a reply to: Irishhaf

Before you buy an out of state truck. Check with the DMV to see what the taxes will be on the truck when you register in Alaska. Need to factor that into the cost.

An F-150 should be able to tow 13,500lbs according to google. F-250 22,000lb. So plan accordingly. And make sure you do your regular maintenance on the truck. A good truck should last 500K miles.

a reply to: Bluntone22

I'm staying, I actually need a truck, go get my own fuel oil, firewood, if the well dries up water.

To go hunting you need a 4 wheeler so the ability to load and carry it on your own.

Fishing a kayak is beneficial.

Lot of things I can use it for.