Upgrading to a bigger truck

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Jimmy Lavoie

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I'm looking to upgrade my 07 ST to either an F-150, Silverado 1500 and RAM 1500 in the next year or so. Looking to get a higher tow capacity - 10K pounds. After the basic research I've done, it looks like they all are in the 14 - 20 mpg range when comparing apples to apples but I'd like to hear from actual owners in addition to the reviews.



I have 2 years of payments left on my ST at 0% so I should be ready in 6 months to a year before I make the move.



Any thoughts on either of these three models? I'd like to keep with the big three but am willing to consider others as well.



P.S. Gary, what are the pros and cons of your Toyota?
 
i like the f150's they ride very nice and the 5.4 has some giddy-up. here's a pic of my dads truck parked behind mine....[Broken External Image]:
 
Get that F-150 and keep it in the FMC family:driving:. I don't really want a bigger truck, but if I did I would want the F-150. It is more innovative and has more class leading functions about it than either the Chevy or Dodge or either of the Foreigners, in MHO! But I am a FMC lifelong "Fordaddict.":banana:
 
canadiantrucker,



How much lift is on your ST there? It almost looks bigger than the F150 (just not as long) lol



OOPS, nevermind, I just saw your other post!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The frame construction should be enough to convince you to stay with Ford, imo.



If you are buying bigger for towing, definitely go diesel.



To be honest, though, between Ford and GMC/Chevy, I'd go with whoever was giving me the better deal at the time. I would only buy a Dodge if it was a Cummins diesel with an Allison tranny, and it would still have to be a heck of a deal.



My $0.02
 
The current 5.4 can't compete with the Hemi:



310/385 vs. 390/407



"It (hemi) also sports the best combination of horsepower and fuel economy in its class"
 
P.S. Gary, what are the pros and cons of your Toyota?



jimmy,



there is not enough room to list all the "pros" on this website. :grin:

the "cons" are the lack of illuminated power window switches on a 40K vehicle.



seriously, if you are looking to stay with a pick up, the tundra would be my first choice.

the 4 door cab with the 5.7 L DOHC 32V I-FORCE V-8 is an awesome motor.

381 HP/401 TQ and a towing cap well over 10K.

while visiting toyota in calif last year, i saw the 2010 tundra minus the body. it was very impressive and the build quality was great. they also had parts from the big3 domestics and you can compare them to the tundra. if you would like i will find the pics and e-mail them to you. i did for fellow myst member jenn d when she was considering a tundra. you may also want to reach out to her as she has a tundra.



best of luck on your choice and if there is anything i can do for you, let me know.



* edit : this is not a slam on ford as a few will interpret that way. the F series is good but not my 1st choice. *



 
Get a CUMMINS & don't worry about the Ram that comes with it. I have an 08 Mega Cab with the 6.7L and wouldn't trade it for anything. Exhaust brake with it is a bonus. Of course we run CUMMINS in all our Bullracks too.



My wife drives our 2010 Limited. We just traded an 01 ST in on it.



Seriously, depending on how much towing (particular heavy towing) you are going to do, a diesel wil pull WAY more WAY easier & last WAY longer if yoiu take care of it. Go to www.cumminsforum.com if you want more input.



BUT don't buy one to do fartaround coffe shop city driving. That would be like putting a yahct in a farm pond.



BH

 
I recently upgraded my 2005 ST to a 2007 F150 extended cab STX. While the back seat is a bit smaller, the front seats are much more comfortable. The 4.6L in it actually gets about the same gas mileage I was getting from the 4.0L. My wife actually enjoys driving it better than any other vehicle I've had for myself, including the Trac. The only downside I see with the bigger truck, is when you've driven smaller vehicles for so long, you have to relearn how to make turns. I have the sinkhole in my front yard next to my driveway to prove it!
 
A 5.4L F-150 will tow 10k. A diesel would be nice but the truck itself will cost $6k to $8k more and the diesel is another $6k on top of that.
 
^^^^



SUre it will pull 10k with all the right stuff, but if whatever you tow is close to that 10k then you are pushing the limits of the truck everytime you tow and that is hard on a vehicle. The thing is that while the initial cost of the diesel equipped vehicle may be higher if you plan on buying a new one, by the time the diesel reaches 150k the engine is just getting broken in and the gas engine would be nearing the end of it's life. Now if you like to trade your vehicle in every 2 years then that really don't matter.
 
WOW! I knew I asked the right people.



Here's some additional information that may answer several questions:



I will only tow the camper 10 - 12 times a year therefore, the Diesel would be over kill for several reasons:

1. this truck would be my daily driver 90 - 95% of the time ; 5 - 10% used for towing.

2. I usually trade my trucks every 3-4 years so the additional cost of a diesel wouldn't pay for itself.



Currently, the trailer we're looking at getting has a dry weight of just under 5,500 pounds. My ST will tow it fine (7,500 pound max). Like L1TECH said, I don't want to tow near the max of the vehicle. After loading the tanks and everything else we bring, I'll be closer to 6,000 pounds.



After all is said and done, I want to make sure that whatever I upgrade to... it gets reasonable gas mileage and can tow what I need when I need it. I currently tow a Pop-up (see pics) that when loaded, it nears 5,000 pounds. I think an additional 1k pounds wouldn't change the towing that much, maybe a few miles a gallon less.



Remember, it will be my non-towing daily driver 90-95% of the time.



All VERY GOOD comments. Gives me just what I was looking for - lots to think about.



BTW - Did you see the new RAM Box feature in the new Rams? Pretty neat.

 
^^^^



In that case go for the F150 and just equip it accordingly...but I do have to say that the power that Dodge is putting out with the Hemi is very tempting
 
L1TECH,



Tempting is an understatement!



I always liked the aggressive look of the RAM. The new ones are even meaner especially the forward tilting grille.



I have to say that the Ford has one simple feature that I use ALL THE TIME that the others don't have - the keypad on the door. It's certainly not a deal breaker but is use that ALL THE TIME and I'd most certainly miss it if I went to another brand.



Still plenty of time to look.
 

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