Looking for advice on new truck

[Jehinten]

So as the title says I am looking to replace one of the trucks for my business. The truck to be replaced is a 2011 1/2 ton Silverado, personally I think it should only be used for bidding, but on occasion we do hand load wood into the back or tow equipment with it. This truck was not purposely bought for the business, but as a daily driver that took on another role.

The truck I am currently looking at is a 1 ton with a dump bed, I will post pics of the ad. Is there anything I should know about the year or engine? Does the repair really only cost that much? Any other thoughts on it? I've never owned a diesel except for the 4b3.9 in my chipper, so I thought I would ask here as I know a lot of you know your trucks as well.

For what it's worth, I usually only have one or two trucks on a job. My other truck is a forestry package bucket truck. If I go this route I'd like to be able to load it with some of the wood, or to make a more compact chip truck for smaller jobs. The asking price is $3,900

Thanks for any advice.

 

[evo]

I'd ask what's wrong for that price in any truck. A one ton is pretty small. I am basically a pruning only business and I out grew my truck pretty quick. Volume wasn't to much of a issue but weight certainly was, I'd have to unhook the chipper over a pothole to get the jackstand down if I over loaded. Granted that was a 3/4 ton, but having to dump at 3pm to finish a job got old quick. Now it feels like I only dump once or twice a week!

 

[Tr33Climb3r]

At a minimum look at a F550. For our chip trucks we now run F650 or equivalent international.
But for a one man team a one ton can work. That's what my dad ran for years when he was solo.


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[Jehinten]

Yea the price is low, which is what made me question the repair cost, or if this engine in notorious for issues like some of them are?

As far as capacity I am looking towards a dual purpose, with a main purpose of just hauling tools and eventually pulling a dump trailer with mini. I am either a one man operation or two depending on if my wife joins me or I hire in help for the day. Right now I chip into my bucket truck that has an 11' chip box that contains most of the jobs that we do. My thoughts on using this as a part time chip truck would be for when my first box is just a little too small for the job or if I have a small job that does not justify driving the bigger truck, which is a GMC C6500.

I am not dead set on a truck this size, although I see a lot of benefits of the smaller size when dealing with backyards and fuel savings in a city that can take 45 to drive from one side to the other. Not to mention out of town work.

 

[Jehinten]

It looks like the pic in my first post did not load, so here it is again. It is not a new truck, which may account for the price as well, but being currently part time I do not want the cost of a new truck. Thanks for the advice so far, and any more that is given.

 

[TCtreeswinger]

I dont know specifics but i know that motor is very problematic when i was looking at trucks of the same vintage every mechanic i talked to said to stay away from them.

 

[evo]

Yea the price is low, which is what made me question the repair cost, or if this engine in notorious for issues like some of them are?

As far as capacity I am looking towards a dual purpose, with a main purpose of just hauling tools and eventually pulling a dump trailer with mini. I am either a one man operation or two depending on if my wife joins me or I hire in help for the day. Right now I chip into my bucket truck that has an 11' chip box that contains most of the jobs that we do. My thoughts on using this as a part time chip truck would be for when my first box is just a little too small for the job or if I have a small job that does not justify driving the bigger truck, which is a GMC C6500.

I am not dead set on a truck this size, although I see a lot of benefits of the smaller size when dealing with backyards and fuel savings in a city that can take 45 to drive from one side to the other. Not to mention out of town work.

Well that sounds like a pretty solid plan. If the truck only goes out once a week or so I'd consider it. I kept my F-250 with a dump insert for the same reason. I use that tuck for bids, airspade jobs, trailering a rental mini, and a few other odds and ends. However most the time it just sits there. If I was doing it the other way around (already owning the big truck, and then shopping for a small second) I would certainly require that truck to have 4x4. There are many times I could get the chipper much closer if I had 4x4, and either fly chip or chip into the mini dump.
But, having a second truck capable of moving a chipper is a bare bones in my eyes. One that dumps is certainly a step up.
Perhaps try talking them down? Around here anything with a dump even if it doesn't run is 5K. So if it runs, and you can get if for 3K or so it will pay for it's self quickly if your bucket is in the shop for a day or two.

 

[Jehinten]

I dont know specifics but i know that motor is very problematic when i was looking at trucks of the same vintage every mechanic i talked to said to stay away from them.

I did a quick search of the 6.5 and I am seeing a lot of people agree with that, and the other half saying if you make sure to do the regular maintenance that they are a great engine.

 

[Z'sTrees]

the 6.5 is fine if you relocate the injection pump computer (pmd). That truck is the 3500hd which is rated higher than a one ton.
I had one in a 3/4 ton and it was great, but would get hot on long grades towing heavy. I want to say the HD trucks may have had better cooling systems but I'm not 100% on that.
I'd be willing to bet the optic sensor isnt the issue and the pmd is, although either should be an easy fix.

 

[TCtreeswinger]

To some people tearing into the motor is regular maintenance..we get paid to cut trees and thats hard on trucks and motors. The 3500hd is longer wheelbase and a 15k truck similar to a f450. My gasser 3500hd is not happy towing chips and 5500lb chipper fyi. I also have a 3500pickup with same motor that had auxiliary tranny cooler that was bypassed when rusty line blew that does ok but dont remember if chip truck does.