Tow rigs?

[Spinalguy]

i agree with AV NINE.
3/4 ton diesel.
if you find an old 12V Cummins you can not go wrong (except for a $500 upgrade to the front end).
The 98 thru 03 is a good 24V truck.

[WK2008]

The main concern with the 98 to 03 cummins is the transmission. If you did happen to find a stick you are golden. The automatics are toast with 200K plus. At the end of the day you will save on fuel marginally in town but the highway or towing is where you will see the benefit. It's the Injectors and turbos that's a killer in any of them.

If you tow 30% of the time or more, spend the extra and go diesel. I just love my nice warm gas truck when the temp drops below -10 lol

[cLAY]

Make sure you get a 4wd. 2wd tow vehicles SUCK.

[Spinalguy]

The main concern with the 98 to 03 cummins is the transmission. If you did happen to find a stick you are golden. The automatics are toast with 200K plus. At the end of the day you will save on fuel marginally in town but the highway or towing is where you will see the benefit. It's the Injectors and turbos that's a killer in any of them.

If you tow 30% of the time or more, spend the extra and go diesel. I just love my nice warm gas truck when the temp drops below -10 lol

Very true for the 12V Cummins generation as well. Auto's will gernade eventually. i also do not get great mileage as i have the 4.10 gears and big heavy meats. But i did tow my travel trailer (25 feet) with a bunch of stuff in the box to Koocanusa. i averaged about 120 km/hr. i did the calculations and ended up at 11.5 mpg.
In the city i get about 15. On highway if empty i get 17.

[WK2008]

That is for sure the major benefit of the diesel. My parents have a cummins diesel pusher motorhome and they get about 8 to 10 mpg towing a grand Cherokee. Their gas used to get half of that but also paid another 40 thousand for the freight liner chassis and motor.

[WagoneerXJ]

Looks like my old man ended up with an 08 F250 5.4L, no more towin jeeps with a halfton:)

I wanted to mention that a buddy of mine is a die hard ford man.....but his tow rig is a 93 3500 Ram with a Cummins and 5 speed. He's rebuilt the transmission once years ago, and it recently shat the bed to the point where the case is screwed. It's got a little over 500,000 MILES. USA truck! He hauls all over bc and Alberta with it. So even an older Cummins would get my vote, over any of the Ford/Chevrolet offerings.

[raf2379]

Anything Cummins for sure, I'm in the market for one too as my rig is trail only. as for keeping warm in the winter with a Diesel, you can get electric cab heaters which give you instant heat while the diesel warms up.

[cLAY]

Looks like my old man ended up with an 08 F250 5.4L, no more towin jeeps with a halfton:)

My condolences to your father. The 5.4 has got to be among Ford's biggest mistake. I'm fleet mechanic for an almost all Ford fleet. We replace LOTS of 5.4s but hardly anything else. The variable  valve timing system is crap. It uses oil pressure to adjust the valve timing. As the motor ages it starts to lose oil pressure. Still has enough to lube the engine but not enough to operate the valve timing. Motor starts knocking and missing. Only option is a rebuild to bring the pressure back up. We've tried my other solutions, change oil grades, block/limiter kits, always ends up the same, scrap the truck or if its still in decent shape replace the motor. It tops my list of crap designs.

[cLAY]

Anything Cummins for sure, I'm in the market for one too as my rig is trail only. as for keeping warm in the winter with a Diesel, you can get electric cab heaters which give you instant heat while the diesel warms up.

The issue isn't so much cab heat as it is the motor not warming up fully to for the emission systems to operate properly. Sitting at idle(or even high idle) most diesels will never fully warm up at -20C temps. On a newer diesel this causes massive problems with the emissions systems which are immediately evident. On an older diesel this causes uncompleted burn of fuel resulting in cylinder wash down, increased wear of the rings and oi dilution. Not a big deal if you use it occasionally for a short run to work but doing that every day is going to shorten its life span.

A good option is an Espar/Webasto heater. It pulls a small amount of fuel from the tank and burns it to keep the engine coolant at near operating temps. This way you don't need to let it idle, start and go and its operating temp. Downside is the system is pricey. $3000+

[WagoneerXJ]

My condolences to your father. The 5.4 has got to be among Ford's biggest mistake. I'm fleet mechanic for an almost all Ford fleet. We replace LOTS of 5.4s but hardly anything else. The variable  valve timing system is crap. It uses oil pressure to adjust the valve timing. As the motor ages it starts to lose oil pressure. Still has enough to lube the engine but not enough to operate the valve timing. Motor starts knocking and missing. Only option is a rebuild to bring the pressure back up. We've tried my other solutions, change oil grades, block/limiter kits, always ends up the same, scrap the truck or if its still in decent shape replace the motor. It tops my list of crap designs.

OK good to know Clay. Any advice is good advice. I've heard of lots of spark plug issues, but I think the went to one piece plugs in 2007.at some point. I've also heard of lots of cam phaser problems......is that what you are talking about?

[corsjeep]

Very important to remember to use the correct weight oil and a motorcraft filter on the 5.4L. Most of the 5.4 cam phaser issues are from incorrect oil weights and cheap filters.

[WagoneerXJ]

FL820S Motorcraft Filter and 5W20 

[cLAY]

OK good to know Clay. Any advice is good advice. I've heard of lots of spark plug issues, but I think the went to one piece plugs in 2007.at some point. I've also heard of lots of cam phaser problems......is that what you are talking about?

Yep cam phasers. Sometimes its just worn out/broken chain guides or a failed cam phaser but in our experience much past 200,000kms if it starts acting up and the phasers and chain and guides are all good its only a matter of time before that engine in coming out. At that point switching it over to 15w40 buys a bit of time, but not a lot.

When bought filters by the case from Ford and have the correct oil in bulk, didn't make much of a difference. Mind you our trucks operate in the worst conditions. High dust/dirt environment with lots of idle time.

[Spinalguy]

Its weird my 97 Cummins warms up quickly even in -25. i get good heat within 1km of leaving home. i do plug it in overnight on a timer (about 3 hours prior to starting) i leave it idling while i shower/shave. Probably 20 mins total idle and than 1km later good heat!
But, i do have the truck in the shop for new interior with heated seats

[cLAY]

Ya those old 12Vs are rocks, almost nothing can kill them. Any of the newer stuff with emissions crap on it is more temperamental. Even so if its smoking at all during that 20min idle time you're getting cylinder wash down and oil dilution.  Regular oil changes help alleviate that but over the long/long term it will cause a shortened life span. Although for what you use it for the tranny would probably go first.

Shortend life span has a different meaning when talking about a million mile motor.